Dear parents,

It is so hard to believe but this week is already our last week of school!   While students will not have math or spelling homework this week, they will bring home important papers throughout the week so please be sure to make time to go through their backpacks together with your student each night.  Starting tomorrow with a cleaned out backpack to make room for everything they are bringing home would be so helpful!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: On Monday we will complete an Escape Room to review all that we have learned in math this year.  No math homework this week!

Reading and Writing: This week students will finish writing and editing their I Survived 3rd Grade Essays.  We will also write a poem about summer.  

Religion: We will celebrate a prayer service together as a grade.  We will each plant seeds as a symbol of how we need to tend to our faith just like a plant to continue to grow closer to God over the summer.

Important things to note:

*Please send a backpack with your student everyday this week.  See more details for each day below...

Monday: Regular uniform.  Students will bring home their Friday folders again with an envelope of Iowa Assessment and I-Ready Growth Scores.  Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to meet to discuss student's progress.  Students will also bring home their 4th quarter fact fluency scores.  Please make time to sit down with your student to develop a plan to continue practicing these facts over the summer.  4th grade math skills such as long division and equivalent fractions will be SOO much easier if students are able to complete basic math facts fluently.  We will sign yearbooks at the end of the day. 

Tuesday: Field Day!! Students may wear a t-shirt (our 3rd grade color is light blue but STE spirit shirts also work) with athletic shorts.  Please send a sack lunch!!  Please be sure your child is wearing sunscreen, brings a towel, and that their water bottle is clearly labeled with their name!! Please help clean out your student's backpack so that they are only bringing their lunch, water bottle, and a towel.

Wednesday: Last Day of School!  Dress uniform.  Prayer Service at 11:00am.  Dismissal at 12:00pm.  Please send a snack to eat in the morning as we will not have time to eat lunch together.  Students will bring home their portfolios as well as the last few items in their desks so they will need their backpacks.

Looking forward to a great last week together!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org               cdroege@stekcschool.org 

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope all the 3rd grade Moms enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day! 

Last week was filled with such wonderful memories! From the excitement of seeing the white smoke and witnessing the first American pope being announced, to presenting the Wax Museum, and then "shopping" the donations that you so graciously provided to make Breakfast Bags for our Service Day project, it was an amazing week! We are so grateful for all of your support to make these special experiences possible!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will take our final 5 minute fact fluency tests.  We will also review graphing and then learn how to measure to the nearest 1/4 and 1/2 inches.  This is another tricky concept for students, but a fun one to practice at home.  Students love using tape measures, so any measuring tasks you can work on together at home would be a great way to support their learning.  How long are the plates at dinner?  How long is a spoon?  How much longer is a fork?  How long is their favorite stuffed animal or baseball glove?  Have fun exploring!   This will be the last week of math homework!

Reading: This week we will finish reading Frindle By: Andrew Clements.  This book has been a lot of fun for us to read together and has sparked some excellent class discussions! What does your child call it: a pen or a frindle? 

Writing: This week students will reflect on their experiences in 3rd grade and begin writing an essay about their favorite moments as well as what they are looking forward to in 4th grade.  We are excited to read their thoughts on our year together!

Spelling: Students will copy the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday.  We will take our LAST spelling test of 3rd grade on Friday.

Science: This week we will explore magnetic poles and the force of a magnet.  We are excited to work on these scientific inquiries together!

Religion: This week we will continue to learn about Jesus' ascension into heaven and the feast of Pentecost.

Important Things to Note:  

Tuesday: We get to attend the Science Expo with our Little Buddies!

Wednesday: Dress uniform, Clap out for our graduating 8th graders at dismissal (Be sure to cheer them on from the car line so they can feel our STE love!)

Looking Ahead:

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org               cdroege@stekcschool.org 

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope you have been able to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend!  Below you will find a few quick reminders about our big week ahead.  We know it is a lot to remember, so if you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to reach out.  Thank you!!

Wax Museum Update:

• Wax Museum Speech videos due tomorrow morning!  Please be sure to send the video in an e-mail to your child's teacher at cdroege@stekcschool.org or gwalsh@stekcschool.org. Due to the size of the videos, it may be easiest to upload to Google Drive and share it with us there.  All videos must be recorded horizontally!  Your child should give their speech in costume, with their prop, in front of their wax museum trifold board.  **Please send the trifold back to school with your child on Monday so that we have them here, ready for the Wax Museum! 

• Live Wax Museum: This Friday in Seton Hall!  Join us this Friday from 8:30-9:15am for our 3rd grade Wax Museum!  Students should come to school dressed in their costumes and carrying their props.  Students will meet their teachers as usual in their classrooms.  When you arrive to Seton Hall, please find the teachers at the official museum "entrance" to receive a program.  Students will NOT be giving their speeches as you visit, instead they will be posing as their person and answering any questions you may have about their person or why they have chosen them.  **Please be sure to pack students spirit day clothes in their backpacks as students will change out of their costumes after the Wax Museum.**  A quick reminder that all props must be school appropriate.  Also, students should not bring anything to pass out during the Wax Museum-there are just too many visitors to have enough to give out to all.  Thank you.

Service Day (also Friday!)

Thank you for so quickly answering our call for help and signing up to provide Breakfast items for Ronald McDonald House!   

Please send in all items with your students by Thursday so that we can be sure we have everything needed before students begin packing the bags.  Also, keep sending in your pop tabs!  We will deliver these with the Breakfast bags.  This is a fun way to give back to an organization that has helped so many in our community.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will learn how to tell time to the nearest minute.  We will also learn how to use number lines and a clock to solve problems involving elapsed time. 

Reading: This week we will begin reading one of our favorite novels, Frindle By: Andrew Clements.  We can't wait to see what the students think about the teacher, Mrs. Granger!

Writing: This week students will be learning how to add an image to their biography.  They will also work to both peer edit and self edit their biographies.  We have been working hard this year on our editing skills and hope that students really challenge themselves to put forth their best work before it is published on our Wax Museum website!

Spelling: Students will copy the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday.  Test Friday afternoon.

Science: This week we will continue to experiment and learn about force and motion.  This week students will measure the effect of the height of a ramp on the distance a toy car can travel.

Religion: This week we will be learning about the conclave and the Sistine Chapel where the cardinals meet to vote starting on Wednesday.  We will also discuss the names that various popes have chosen and students will think about what saint or figure from the Bible they would choose as their Pope name.  After just learning about so many saints I am curious what name students will choose!

Important Things to Note:  

Monday: Speech videos due to teachers by 8am, Students should bring back their Wax Museum board!!

Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mrs. Droege's class will help stock the Food Pantry.  Please bring a reusable shopping bag as well as any food you would like to donate!  

Friday: Wax Museum in Seton Hall!  Students must come dressed in their costume and carrying their prop, **Please pack their Spirit Day clothes in their backpack, Spirit Day, Service Day project in the afternoon 

Looking Ahead:

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Hope to see you Friday!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org               cdroege@stekcschool.org 

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for your support of the auction last night.  It was so fun to see many of you there and all of the great reunion themed outfits! We are so thankful for all of the ways that you as parents support our school!! 

This week we will be very busy preparing for our Wax Museum.  I will keep this short to ensure that you have time to read all of the details below. **Please note that due to May Crowning this week, students will be in Dress uniform both Wednesday and Friday.  This is such a beautiful tradition to honor Mary. In order to make it more personal for students, each classroom will have an image of Mary displayed throughout the month of May in our classroom prayer corners.  Students are welcome to bring in flowers from their gardens to place near Mary anytime throughout the month.

Wax Museum Update:

Bring photos or pictures to decorate boards (Monday-Thursday)

This week students will decorate their boards for the Wax Museum in class.  Teachers will provide trifold boards for students and have construction paper available if students would like to use it.  Students will put their portrait and timeline on it, however, it would be helpful if students had extra items to decorate their boards such as photos, lettering, or pictures already printed.  We are looking forward to see what students create!  If you have any questions, please let us know.  

May 2-4 weekend homework: Record speeches in costume (Due: Monday morning, May 5th)

We will write and practice speeches in class this week.  Then, students will bring their boards home over the weekend so you can record them giving their speech in front of their board in costume with their prop over the weekend.  VIDEOS SHOULD BE RECORDED HORIZONTALLY, PLEASE.  Videos should be e-mailed to Mrs. Droege (cdroege@stekcschool.org) or Mrs. Walsh (gwalsh@stekcschool.org) by the morning of Monday, May 5th.  Due to the size of the video, it is often easier to share it on Google Drive.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will take the Spring I-Ready Math Diagnostic test during our regular math class on Monday and Tuesday.  This test will not only give us more information about students learning progress but also update the lessons that students are working through on their Personalized Learning Path.  This diagnostic is UNTIMED and has audio available to have the problems read to the students.  Due to this testing, students will enjoy Monday and Tuesday nights without math homework :)  On Wednesday we will begin Unit 12 and learn how to measure liquid volume with liters and milliliters. 

Reading and Writing: This week we will be working on writing our speeches and practicing skills such as looking at the audience and giving the speech with expression.  Students' homework on Wednesday night will be to practice giving their speech to an adult.  Students will give you a checklist to complete that will offer them feedback on how they could continue to improve.  Thank you for your support as we work on our public speaking skills!

Spelling: Students will copy the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday.  Test Friday.

Religion: This week we will be preparing for May Crowning.  We will learn about the reason for this celebration, practice singing some of the songs, as well as describe ways to honor our mothers here on Earth. 

Important things to note:  

Monday: Bring photos/pictures to add to Wax Museum tri-fold (do not buy a board, teachers will provide one for your child)

Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mass at 8:30am

Friday: Dress Uniform, May Crowning at 1pm

Looking ahead:

2-4: Record Wax Museum speeches at home during the weekend (horizontally), e-mail to teacher

9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Students arrive to school in costumes  (Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am)

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Happy Easter!  We hope that you have enjoyed this long weekend together and had plenty of time to celebrate your Easter traditions.  This morning I was shocked and so saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis.  We have been praying for him throughout his time in the hospital and it seems we just celebrated together when we learned his health was improving and he was able to leave the hospital.  Over the next week in class we will remember, honor, and pray for Pope Francis together.  Since this is the first papal conclave that your child will have been alive for, they will probably have many questions.  We will learn about the conclave together soon, but this week we will simply focus on remembering the life of Pope Francis.

Wax Museum: Timeline due tomorrow!  (Tuesday, 4/22)

Tomorrow students will bring in a timeline with at least 8 events from the life of their person.  A large white paper was included in students' Wax Museum folders to complete this assignment. We practiced making timelines in class as we studied Marian Anderson so that students would better understand the expectations.  As they are working on their timelines, students should begin by writing a title for their timeline, then make a line, divide it into decades, neatly label at least 8 events on the timeline, and include a picture for each event.  Pictures may be drawn or you may include photos printed from the computer.  If you have any questions, please let us know. 

Finally, we are excited that Mrs. Walsh, Ms. Sayer, and Mrs. Kiehl will be representing St. Elizabeth at the National Catholic Education Association Conference this week!  If your child is in Mrs. Walsh's class, please don't hesitate to e-mail Mrs. Droege with any questions or concerns that you may have this week so that we can be sure your child's needs are met here at school while she is away.  Mrs. Droege's e-mail is: cdroege@stekcschool.org

This week in 3rd grade:

Math: This week we will finish Unit 11 and our study of perimeter.  We will complete a review in class on Thursday.  Students will bring this home on Thursday night to study and then take the Unit 11 test in class on Friday.

Reading: This week we will have fun with the art of poetry.  Students will read the book A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams By: Jen Bryant and discuss his poems about ordinary objects. 

Writing: Students will use their notes about their Wax Museum person to begin writing their biography.

Spelling: Students will write the next list of differentiated words into their planner on Tuesday. Test Friday.

Science:  This week we will celebrate Earth Day on Tuesday.  Then we will have some fun with an inquiry activity measuring the distance wind-up toys can travel.

Religion: Before Easter Break we finished up our Saint March Madness bracket.  Our Final Four Saints were: St. Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Padre Pio, and St. Damien of Molokai.  This was such a neat project for us as we all learned so much about the saints (students had great questions and I often had to do some research!)  Seeing the students anxiously waiting for the bracket to be updated brought excitement to each day.  In the end, the winner of 3rd grade's favorite saint was...St. Anthony!! This week we will celebrate Easter with prayer and art. 

Important things to note:  

Monday: Easter Monday, No School

Tuesday: Timeline for Wax Museum due

Wednesday: Dress uniform, All school picture after Mass

Friday: Auction Spirit Day

Saturday: Hope to see you at the auction!

Looking ahead:

April

28: Bring photos/pictures to add to Wax Museum tri-fold

May

2: May Crowning-Dress Uniform

2-4: Record Wax Museum speeches at home during the weekend (horizontally), e-mail to teacher

9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Students arrive to school in costumes  (Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am)

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Happy Easter!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

 Happy Holy Week!  We hope you are looking forward to a Holy Week filled with prayer and time for family traditions. **Please note that this Thursday is a 12:00 dismissal.  Due to our shortened day, we will have a snack break but will not eat a full lunch on Thursday.  Please send a healthy snack on Thursday! THANK YOU!!

Wax Museum: Timeline due Tuesday April 22nd

Next week students will bring in a timeline with at least 8 events from the life of their person.  A large white paper was included in students' Wax Museum folders to complete this assignment. We will practice making a timeline in class today so that students will better understand the expectations.  As they are working on their timelines, students should begin by writing a title for their timeline, then make a line, divide it into decades, neatly label at least 8 events on the timeline, and include a picture for each event.  Pictures may be drawn or you may include photos printed from the computer. Some students also find it helpful to type the words for their timeline and glue them to their timeline paper.  Please be hesitant to create your timeline completely online. We find that most online timeline templates do not fit the criteria needed for our Wax Museum.  Also, these programs are often not kid-friendly so we find that parents usually create the timeline for their child.  We would prefer for your student to feel proud of the work that they complete on this project. If you have any questions, please let us know.  

This week in 3rd grade:

Math: This week we will continue to learn to calculate the perimeter of a figure.  Students will also learn how to use perimeter to determine the length of an unknown side.  Then, on Thursday we will have a little math fun by having an Easter Egg Hunt for math problems.

Reading and Writing: This week we will create a timeline of the life of Marian Anderson.  This practice will help prepare students for making their own timeline for Wax Museum.    

Spelling: No test this week.

Science:  This week we will begin to experiment and learn about force and motion.  

Religion: We will have many moments of prayer, stories, and art together as we participate in Holy Week together. We will also welcome the Children of God presenters to our classrooms on Wednesday and Thursday. Students will learn more about the appearances of Mary at Lourdes and Fatima.  They will participate in prayer experiences as well as hands on activities to help them in their prayer.

Important things to note:  

Monday: Portrait for Wax Museum due

Wednesday: Dress uniform, Chick Fil A lunch for students who pre-ordered

Thursday: Holy Thursday, Noon dismissal

Friday: Good Friday, No School

Looking ahead:

April

21: Easter Monday, No School

22: Timeline for Wax Museum due

28: Bring photos/pictures to add to Wax Museum tri-fold

May

2: May Crowning-Dress Uniform

2-4: Record Wax Museum speeches at home during the weekend (horizontally), e-mail to teacher

9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Students arrive to school in costumes  (Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am)

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Have a blessed Holy Week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope that you are enjoying the beautiful weather today!  Last week we had a wonderful start to Kindness Week.  We are thankful for all of the help from STUCO and parents at lunch time to be able to participate in trivia, sampling new flavors, as well as mixing it up to sit by new classmates.  I heard many students say that Friday, "You" Day, was their favorite. Cozy in our pajamas, we enjoyed calming music and dimmed lights at lunch, colored pictures about kindness back in the classroom, and even participated in a guided meditation at the end of the day.  This week we will participate in the last 2 Days of Kindness Week.  We hope these activities as well as the read alouds and discussions in our classrooms will inspire students to continue finding ways to spread kindness, hope, and joy long after this week ends.

The Wax Museum begins!

This week students will begin their Wax Museum research.  Students will receive a folder on Monday (tomorrow) with a schedule of due dates and a detailed explanation of the project as well as paper to use for the portrait and timeline if they wish.  This is a project that will be completed both at home and at school.  At home, we are asking that students draw a portrait of their person, complete a timeline about the person's life, prepare a costume AND prop to dress up as their person, and record a video of students' short speeches about their person (we will write our speeches in class) and e-mail it to their teacher.  The due dates for each of these tasks has been included in the calendar below to help you as a family decide when you have time to complete each task so students do not feel stressed or rushed. 

Wax Museum: Portrait due next Monday, April 14th

Next Monday students will bring in their first homework assignment for the Wax Museum: a portrait of their person.  Inside student's Wax Museum folder (which they will bring home tomorrow) is a smaller paper for the portrait.  Please be sure that students have neatly completed a portrait in color, written their person's name and birthdate/date of death at the top, as well as printed their own name in the lower right hand corner.  If you have any questions, please let us know. 

Iowa Assessments: Monday-Friday mornings

Students have been working really hard to prepare for these tests. Now it is time for students to take a deep breath and show what they know. Students will complete timed tests on their computers in the following subjects:

• Monday: Reading and Written Expression

• Tuesday: Math and Science

• Wednesday: Social Studies and Vocabulary

• Thursday: Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation, and Math Computation

• Friday: Word Analysis and Listening

In order to help make this a positive experience for students, we are asking that all students: 

• Get plenty of rest each night (this is a week to be sure we stick to normal routines!)

• Eat breakfast each morning

• Make sure they have a book to read if they finish a test early (reading on EPIC or getting out of their seat will not be possible)

• Bring their water bottle

• Bring a snack if they would like (we will take a recess break to re-energize between tests in the morning and students are welcome to enjoy a snack if they wish)

On a fun note, students will have no homework this week. We hope this gives students plenty of time to relax and play outside!!

This week in 3rd grade after testing...

Reading and Writing: This week we will read When Marian Sang By:Pam Munoz Ryan.  Together we will take notes about important information from her life. This will help students better understand how to take notes about their Wax Museum person.

Math: This week we will introduce the concept of perimeter.  Students will learn how to find the perimeter of a shape by counting the units around the outside of the shape.

Religion: This week we will learn about the events of Holy Week. We will focus on Palm Sunday which we will celebrate this coming Sunday, April 13th and Holy Thursday.  We will also review the steps to going to confession before our Penance service on Wednesday.

Important things to note:  

Monday-Friday: Iowa Assessments each morning at 8:30am.  Feel free to bring a healthy snack (fruit, yogurt, trail mix) to enjoy during our recess break between tests. 

Monday: Kindness Week Theme: Go! Snack time with our Little Buddies, Kindness Week Family Walk at 6pm on the Trolley Trail. Meet at 6 pm in the parking lot at the NE corner of Wornall and Gregory.

Tuesday: Kindness Week Theme-Onward Kindness BINGO at lunch, create calendar of kind acts for the rest of the month...

Wednesday: Dress uniform, Penance Service in church at 8:30am (No mass, but students will have a chance to individually confess with a priest)

Looking ahead:

April

14: Portrait for Wax Museum due

17: Holy Thursday, Noon dismissal

18: Good Friday, No School

21: Easter Monday, No School

22: Timeline for Wax Museum due

28: Bring photos/pictures to add to Wax Museum tri-fold

May

2: May Crowning-Dress Uniform

2-4: Record Wax Museum speeches at home during the weekend (horizontally), e-mail to teacher

9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Students arrive to school in costumes  (Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am)

20: Field Day

21: Last day of school, Noon Dismissal

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for all of your support last week.  We enjoyed having so many Dads visit our classroom to play a game and pray together at mass.  I know many students really enjoyed being able to putt putt with their Dads as well!  Then on Friday we really appreciated all of the parents who were able to join us in prayer for the Stations of the Cross on Friday.  We had a lot of special activities last week but we also squeezed in a week aboard the Titanic.  Students had so many great questions and watching their faces as the author of the I Survived series would leave us on a cliff hanger in the book until the next day was priceless! It was a busy, but exciting first week back together!  

This week will also be filled with fun as it is Kindness Week!!  We will kick of the week with a Kindness Week Pep Rally tomorrow morning and members of the 7 Days Organization will join us.  Each day we will have a read aloud, discussion time, and an activity to celebrate the theme of the day.  Be sure to check out all of the details below.  **Please note the following Out of Uniform days this week: Monday students may wear ANY red shirt with spirit or Uniform bottoms.  Friday students may wear pajamas!!  It's going to be a great week!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish Unit 10 applying the strategies that we have learned to multiply and divide in order to solve word problems.  We will complete the Unit 10 review in class on Wednesday and bring it home to review on Wednesday night.  On Thursday students will take the Unit 10 test.  **These 2 step word problems are really tricking us.  Many students are struggling to use a growth mindset and giving up before trying strategies like drawing a picture.  Any help to encourage students to use a "bubble gum brain" and try a different strategy if their first idea doesn't work out would be greatly appreciated!

Reading and Writing: This week we will begin our 4th reading module and explore various types of art and how the artists are inspired to create.  We will begin the week with a fictional text, Emma's Rug By: Allen Say (an author that we grew to love last quarter!).   Then we will read and learn about the life of Alvin Ailey.  On Friday, students will even try to dance a bit of his choreography!  

Wax Museum: Now that students have selected their person for the Wax Museum, it is time to read all about them!  Students will be given time each day to read about their Wax Museum person.  If your child has a book at home, please have them put it in their backpack and we will keep reading them both at home and at school this week so that we can become experts on our person.  

Spelling: Students will study the next list on the differentiated list in their Take Home folders.  Students will write the words in their planner on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Social Studies:  This week we will finish our study of Missouri's history.  We will learn about life after the Civil War, then we will learn about 2 important people to our state: John Berry Meachum who fought for education and even created the "floating school" in St. Louis as well as Thomas Hart Benton, a famous muralist whose house you can still tour right here in Kansas City!  

Religion: This week we will continue to challenge each other to grow on our Lenten journey using resources from the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl program.  Together we will review the pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  We will also learn about families in Nigeria, Guatemala, and Bangladesh and how CRS is helping their communities.  A rice bowl is on the bookshelf in our prayer corner and students are welcome to add donations at any time.  More information and resources for families can be found at https://www.crsricebowl.org/families

Iowa Test Prep: **We are sending home an envelope addressed to parents (it is either in their Friday folder now or will be sent home tomorrow.) Please decorate the enclosed note card/write an encouraging message on it and then return this back to school in the envelope.  We will tape these to students desks Friday after school so that can feel your support as they take the tests next week (April 7-11).  SHHH!!!  THIS IS A SURPRISE!!!!

Important things to note:  

-Monday: Kindness Week Theme: Love, Wear a red shirt with uniform bottoms or spirit wear, Kindness Pep Rally at 8:45am, Tree of Hearts activity

-Tuesday: Kindness Week Theme:Discover, Different dips will be available to try at lunch

-Wednesday: Kindness Week Theme: Others, Dress uniform, Mass at 8:30am, Class Photos, Trivia at lunch

-Thursday: Kindness Week Theme:Connect, Mix-It Up Lunch Day, Notecards of support for your child as they take the Iowa Assessments due (SHHHH!  This is a surprise!)

-Friday: Kindness Week Theme: You, Pajama Day, Stations of the Cross led by 1st grade at 2:45pm in the church, Guided Meditation and Coloring pages available

Looking Ahead:

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

-May 9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am

Let's spread kindness this week and always!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope you enjoyed a wonderful week together filled with laughter and plenty of time to relax!  We are excited to be back together with students again tomorrow!  Jumping back into the school routine after a long break can be hard, please help your child prepare today by making sure their backpack and water bottle are ready to go for the morning.  Your help to be sure we are all ready for a fabulous 4th quarter together is so appreciated!!

Looking at the quarter ahead, 3rd grade life will be packed with fun! Here's a few details about upcoming events:

Yearbook Order: I just noticed that orders are due TOMORROW, March 24th!!  Order online at: ybpay.com  St. Elizabeth's school code is: 12365325

Junior Achievement: This year in 3rd grade we are excited to welcome guest teachers from the Junior Achievement program into our classrooms for 5 lessons all about managing money and economic exchange within a city.  Mrs. Walsh's class completed their lessons before Spring Break and really seemed to enjoy the fun games the teachers brought in to teach the concepts.  Mrs. Droege's class will begin their Junior Achievement adventure this week!  We look forward to learning with our guest teacher each Tuesday afternoon!

Wax Museum-May 9th at 8:30am in Seton Hall (Mark your calendars to join us!!)

The Wax Museum is a fun project that allows students to have a chance to research a person they are interested in, prepare a trifold board about the person, write their person's biography, dress up as that person, and give a short speech about their life. There will be many more specific details and a timeline of the project coming soon, but for now, the only preparation that we would suggest is to begin talking about the lives of people who have changed our world.  There are so many amazing inventors, leaders, artists, athletes, scientists, and peacemakers in our world, narrowing it down to just one can be difficult for students!  Our goal by the end of this week is for each student to choose the person that they will represent at the Wax Museum. Now is the time to start watching PBS' Who Was... and Xavier Riddle shows for inspiration!

This week in 3rd grade...we will board the Titanic!!  (See reading... :)

Math: This week we will begin Unit 10 and learn how to use properties and patterns to help us multiply.  On Wednesday we will learn about the Associative Property of multiplication and how to group different factors together in order to make it easier to multiply.  This can be especially confusing for students at first, so your help with homework is greatly appreciated!

Reading: This week we will learn all about the Titanic!  We will listen to author Lauren Tarshis read aloud her book I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic.  Students will also be assigned a ticket of a passenger on the Titanic and write journal entries about life aboard the ship based on their research.  This is a surprise for students-we can't wait!

Grammar: This week we will learn about how adding a prefix to a root word can change the meaning of the word.  

Spelling: Students will write the words from the new differentiated lists in their Take Home Folders into their planner on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Wax Museum: This week your child will be narrowing down their choice of who they want to represent for the Wax Museum.  A few things to note: 1. Students must choose someone who has used the gifts that God has given them to change our world for the better (In the next couple months, students will spend quite a bit of time learning about the life and perspective of their chosen person and we want it to be a person that inspires them.) 2. Please be sure that a book (at your child's reading level) is available for the person that they choose.  Let us know if you need help finding books as we have quite a few books in our classroom and school libraries that may be helpful for students.

Social Studies:  This week we will learn about the Civil War and life in Missouri during this time.

Religion: This week we will continue to prepare to lead the Stations of the Cross on Friday afternoon.  We hope you can join us in prayer at 2:45pm in the church!

Important things to note:  

-Monday: Last day to order yearbooks!  Order online at: ybpay.com  St. Elizabeth's school code is: 12365325

-Tuesday-Thursday: Golf FORE Inclusion during recess 

• If students have a season pass, they will get a baggie with their pre-paid tickets. 

• If parents Venmo, we will have their tickets set aside when they come from recess. 

• Students can also bring cash the day of

• $1= 1 ticket= 1 putt

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-Friday: Auction Spirit Day, Stations of the Cross led by 3rd grade at 2:45pm in the church

Looking Ahead:

-March 31-April 6: Kindness Week

-April 2: **New date for Class Photos

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

-May 9: Wax Museum in Seton Hall, Parents and VIPS welcome between 8:30-9:15am

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend!  Last week was a wonderful start to Lent together.  We helped our Little Buddies to receive ashes on Wednesday and then prayerfully participated in the Stations of the Cross on Friday.  As our diocesan theme of the year this year is: Saints in the Making, we thought it would be helpful for students to spend this Lent learning more about the saints of our church.  Last week 3rd graders started a March Madness themed challenge where we learn about 2 saints each day and then students vote on their favorite.  Our favorite saint bracket is hanging in the 3rd grade hallway and it has been fun for students to run up to it and get excited about the winning saint.  We are excited to learn more about these great examples of faith!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will review for our Unit 9 Test over division strategies.  Students will complete a review during class on Tuesday and then bring this home to study that night. Students will take the Unit 9 in class on Wednesday.  Homework packets will also be due on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday students will have some St. Patrick's Day math fun.

Reading and Writing: This week students will finish publishing their stories.  We will also explore the genre of biography.  Together we will read a biography of Harry Truman and learn how to take notes.  Students will then have time to partner read various biographies in class. Then on Thursday we will finish our 3rd module of our reading program about the experience of immigration with a virtual tour of Ellis Island and a simulation of what a new immigrant may have faced.  We are excited for students to think about immigration from a new perspective.

Spelling: No spelling due to the short week.

Social Studies: This week students will learn about the Missouri Compromise and how Missouri became a state.

Religion: This week we will create the art for the Stations of the Cross we will lead after spring break.

Important things to note:  

-Wednesday: Dress uniform for mass

-Friday: No School-Diocesan Meetings for Teachers

Looking Ahead:

-March 17-21: Spring Break!

-March 26: Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-March 28: Auction Spirit Day, Stations of the Cross led by 3rd grade at 2:45pm in the church

-April 2: **New date for Class Photos

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope you have had a great weekend together! Last week we shared wonderful conversations about our ancestors travels and experiences as they first came to the United States.  This culminated in a very interesting Socratic Seminar about family traditions.  Your children really value the many family traditions you have incorporated into your family life.  One way to continue these conversations about your family's story is to attend the Heritage Potluck this Tuesday evening sponsored by the STE Belong committee.  What a fun night of food and sharing!

This week we are looking forward to a full week of learning and the start of a very important time in our faith life-Lent.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will review strategies to divide by 3 and 6, 4 and 8, 9 and 7.  We will also be taking our quarterly 5 minute fact fluency quizzes in addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  Although division fact fluency is a 4th grade goal, we will try a 5 minute division test just to give students a baseline to make a plan to study.  This is a great time to talk with your child about the importance of grit.  So many times when we take these tests, students see a problem that they don't know, and they give up on the test altogether.  In school we are working on applying our "bubble gum brain" or growth mindset-if it seems hard, that's ok!  There will be many hard things in all of our lives, but the most important thing is that we don't give up!  In math, try a strategy: skip it and move on to the next problem, try skip counting, or draw a picture.  

Reading and Writing: This week we will continue to work on writing our stories about a character who has immigrated to the United States.  Students seem to really enjoy this writing opportunity although they have been shocked at how much work author's go through to complete the whole writing process of brainstorming, writing a rough draft, editing and publishing a story!

Spelling: Students will study their differentiated spelling lists for their test on Friday.

Social Studies: This week we will continue our study of our Missouri's history.  We will focus on the Louisiana Purchase and learn about Lewis and Clark's expedition with Sacagawea.  We are so lucky to live in one of the areas they explored! The Anita Gorman Discovery Center located near the Plaza has a replica of the keel boat that Lewis and Clark travelled on. It is fascinating to imagine their adventure!

Religion: On Tuesday we will celebrate Mardi Gras by making a mask!  Then on Wednesday we will embark on our Lenten journey together.  

Important things to note:  

-Wednesday: Ash Wednesday, Dress uniform for mass, We will sit with our Little Buddies and help them as we receive ashes

-Friday: 8:30am Stations of the Cross in Church led by 5th grade

Looking Ahead:

-March 14: No School-Diocesan Meetings for Teachers

-March 17-21: Spring Break!

-March 26: Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-March 28: Stations of the Cross led by 3rd grade at 2:45pm in the church

-April 2: **New date for Class Photos

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Last Friday was a fun day together!  First, Mrs. Droege's class got to lead a prayer service in the church for the entire 3rd grade using the readings and prayers from our mass that got cancelled due to the snow day.  Starting our day listening to 3rd grade voices fill the church in song and prayer was truly uplifting!  Then, in the afternoon we finally got to celebrate our Valentine's parties!  Thank you to all the parents who organized, volunteered, or donated items! Playing games, adding fun stickers, beads, and ribbons to bookmarks, and eating delicious snacks as students passed out their sweet valentines to each other was a wonderful way to end our week together!

We hope that you have enjoyed the sunshine this weekend.  We are so excited for warmer temperatures and outdoor recess this week!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish Unit 8 and our study of equivalent and comparing fractions.  Students will complete the Unit 8 Review in class on Monday.  On Monday night we will send home a Unit 8 Skill Review to complete as homework to further prepare students for the test. Students will complete the Unit 8 Test in class on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday we will jump right into Unit 9, a deep dive into the concept of division and a review of division facts. Homework packet due Friday.

Reading and Writing: This week we will continue to read and discuss The Keeping Quilt by: Patricia Polacco.  Students will use their answers to their immigration parent interview last week to create their own quilt block to add to our class quilt. We all have different stories of how and why our families came to the United States and we are excited for students to be able to share their family's stories together.  We will also participate in a Socratic Seminar about family traditions and how they change throughout the generations. Fluency due Friday.

Vocabulary: Students will bring home a study guide on Monday to help prepare for the Vocabulary quiz on Friday.  

Spelling: Students will study words on their differentiated list. (This is the list of words from last week!)  Test on Friday.

Social Studies: This week we will begin learning about Missouri's history.  We will start by learning about moundbuilders and the Osage Indians, then we will learn about the exploration of Marquette and Joliet down the Mississippi River and the French settlers.

Religion: This week we will learn about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes.

Important things to note:

-Friday: Auction Spirit Day (free t-shirt given to each student)

*Registration for next year is open!  Please see details in Sycamore.

Looking Ahead:

-March 5: Ash Wednesday

-March 14: No School-Diocesan Meetings for Teachers

-March 17-21: Spring Break!

-March 26: Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-April 2: **New date for Class Photos

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Thank you to all the parents who took time to come and meet with us last week to talk about your child's progress.  We hope that you have enjoyed the rest of your long weekend together!

While we hope to jump back into a regular schedule this week, it looks like the weather may have other plans. Just in case, here is what we have planned:

• Valentine's Parties:  Currently scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, February 18th) at 2:30pm.  Please have your child bring their NUT FREE valentines as well as a box or bag to collect the valentines from their classmates.  Also, please check the sign up sent out by room parents Tara McGovern and Victoria Blume for any items you have volunteered to donate to our class party.  **PLEASE NOTE:  If we are unable to have school tomorrow, the class parties will be rescheduled to Friday, February 21st at 2:30pm.** Thank you for your flexibility and generous support.  I know the students are so excited to celebrate with their friends!

• Class Photos: Class photos are Wednesday, February 19th.  Order forms for the class photo AND yearbook were sent home in Take Home folders last week. Please check your child's backpack!!

• Inclement Weather Plan: If, due to weather, we are unable to have school for a day, we would love to encourage you to keep your child engaged in their learning. 

  • Please have your child practice their new list of spelling words for the week.  At home there are fun ways to do this: they could write the words on the windows using washable markers or even write them in playdough or shaving cream.  So fun!  

  • Have your child work on their math fact fluency by getting a "green light" on the Reflex website.  (Log in information is located on the inside of their planner.)

  • Read or listen to an audiobook together.  Reading and talking about the characters is such a great way to build your child's reading confidence and vocabulary.  Hot chocolate with marshmallows is often an easy way to encourage your child to spend a few extra minutes reading!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will continue to work on comparing fractions.  We will be learning how fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator compare.  Students still have a fraction bookmark in their Take Home folders that they can use if they need a further visual when completing their homework. Homework packet due Friday.

Reading and Writing: This week we will begin writing our own fictional stories about characters who have immigrated to the United States.  In order to help develop your child's background knowledge of their family's own immigration story, we will be sending home a Family Immigration Story Interview page to complete together by the end of the week.  This may be a great way to involve grandparents in your child's learning!

Spelling: Students will study words on their differentiated list.  Test on Friday.

Science: This week we will finish our weather unit by learning about how natural disasters caused by weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods change a habitat.  On Friday we will have some fun using sand to model what happens in a landslide. 

Religion: This week we will finish chapter 13 by learning about how Jesus continues to heal us today.  Chapter 13 test on Friday.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Class pictures, Mrs. Droege's class leads Mass, we would love it if you could join us in prayer!

*Registration for next year is open!  Please see details in Sycamore.

Looking Ahead:

-February 28: Auction Spirit Day (free t-shirt given to each student)

-March 5: Ash Wednesday

-March 14: No School-Diocesan Meetings for Teachers

-March 17-21: Spring Break!

-March 26: Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

*Please note, Spring I-Ready testing (originally scheduled for March) has been moved until after the Iowa Assessments to allow students more time for instruction and learning growth.  This is a school-wide change implemented after meeting with the I-Ready trainers on Friday.  Sorry for the confusion, but I know that this change will be better for students. 

Stay warm!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

We hope that you and your family are staying healthy.  This past week many of our students were not feeling well, but we have disinfected the classrooms daily, been using hand sanitizer throughout the day, and have even tried to encourage more careful hand washing at lunch by singing a hand washing chant while students are standing at the sinks.  We hope that these efforts as well as some time at home to rest this weekend will allow us all to return to school healthy this week!

This week is a short week packed with fun!  On Wednesday we will celebrate Valentine's Day with fun activities throughout the day and our class parties at 2:30pm. Please send in a decorated Valentine's Day box or bag so that your child has a place to collect the valentines from their classmates.  If students plan to pass out Valentines please be sure they are NUT FREE and that there are enough for all students in your child's class. Mrs. Walsh's class has 17 students.  Mrs. Droege's class has 16 students.

**Here is the sign up Genius to help with items needed for our class parties.  THANK YOU!!! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AAAB2CA75-54525010-valentines#/

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will work on comparing fractions.  We will be learning how fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator compare.  Students still have a fraction bookmark in their Take Home folders that they can use if they need a further visual when completing their homework. Homework packet due Wednesday.

Reading and Writing: This week we will learn more about Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.  This is the perfect time to start discussing your own family's immigration story.  Did anyone in your family come through Ellis Island? 

Spelling: No spelling due to the short week.

Science: This week we will learn about different climates in our world.  

Religion: We will continue learning about Jesus' miracle stories.  This week we will focus on Jesus' healing miracles by participating in a Reader's Theatre! 

Important things to note:

-Monday: Re-enrollment for STE begins.  See Sycamore for more details!

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mass at 8:30am, Class Valentine's Parties at 2:30pm 

-Thursday: No School-Parent Teacher Conferences. Each teacher is handling conferences a bit differently. Here's the link to sign up to meet with Mrs. Droege: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050948ABAB2BA1FA7-54836588-spring

-Friday: No School-Teacher PD

Looking Ahead:

-February 17: No School-President's Day

-February 19: Class pictures, Mrs. Droege's class leads Mass, we would love it if you could join us in prayer!

-March 3-4: Math I-Ready Spring Diagnostic

-March 5: Ash Wednesday

-March 6-7: Reading I-Ready Spring Diagnostic

-March 14: No School-Diocesan Meetings for Teachers

-March 17-21: Spring Break!

-March 26: Dad's Mass at 8:30am

-April 7-11: Iowa Assessments each morning (if you could try not to schedule Dr. appointments until the afternoon for these dates it would be greatly appreciated!)

Let's go Chiefs!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

Thank you for all of your support-what a wonderful Catholic Schools Week last week!  From catching Chris Cakes in our cozy pajamas, to creating art with our Little Buddies, and cheering on our classmates as they performed in our Talent Show we enjoyed a wonderful celebration of the opportunities offered by our Catholic school community!  

Looking ahead to this week, our fun continues!  On Thursday we will celebrate our 100th Day of 3rd grade together by completing lots of fun challenges throughout the day.  Then, on Friday we will have some football fun as we prepare to cheer on our Chiefs! Lots to look forward to!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will continue to learn about fractions by identifying and creating equivalent fractions.  This is the perfect opportunity to involve your child in the kitchen.  Hands on practice measuring ingredients will allow students to better conceptualize that 2 halves equal one whole, etc.  Students will also bring home a Fraction Bookmark in their Take Home Folder which is another visual that may be helpful to students as they work on their homework.  

Reading and Writing: This week we will read selections from Family Pictures By: Carmen Lomas Garza about moments in her Mexican American culture. We will also begin reading the book Coming to America By: Betsy Maestro.  This book describes the journey of many new immigrants to America and their experience seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time and going through Ellis Island.

Spelling: Students will copy their new words into the planners on Monday.  Test Friday.

Science: This week we will compare weather patterns in different areas of the world.

Religion: This week we will create murals of Jesus' miracles, listen to music inspired by his miracles, as well as complete a scavenger hunt in the Bible to find miracle stories in the gospels.  Quiz on Friday.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mass at 8:30am

-Friday: Spirit Day and Red Friday

Looking Ahead:

-February 12: Class Valentine's Parties at 2:30pm  (Please send in a decorated Valentine's Day box or bag so that your child has a place to collect the valentines from their classmates.  If students plan to pass out Valentines please be sure they are NUT FREE and that there are enough for all students in your child's class. Mrs. Walsh's class has 17 students.  Mrs. Droege's class has 16 students.)

**Here is the sign up Genius to help with items needed for our class parties.  THANK YOU!!! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AAAB2CA75-54525010-valentines#/

-February 13: No School-Parent Teacher Conferences (More information from your child's teacher coming soon)

-February 14: No School-Teacher PD

-February 17: No School-President's Day

-February 19: Class pictures

Go Chiefs!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

Happy Catholic Schools Week!! We realize that you have many choices in the education of your child, and we are so honored that you have chosen St. Elizabeth's. Throughout our school we work daily to ensure that your child receives an education of mind, body, and spirit.  We are so blessed to be a part of your child's education journey.  So, this week, let's celebrate!  Each day, we will wear something fun, and then on Friday we will offer students a chance to share their God given talents with their grade.  If your child is participating in the Talent Show on Friday, please e-mail their teacher to confirm anything that may be needed.  Parents are welcome to join us for the Talent Show at 8:30am in the cafeteria. As always, please let us know if you have any questions. Time to celebrate!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will review all that we have learned about fractions in preparation for our Unit 7 Test on Wednesday.  One concept that students are really struggling with is labeling fractions on a number line. (Many 3rd graders are unsure how to find the denominator.  One mantra we have repeated over and over in class to help students remember this skill is to "Count the SPACES between 0 and 1, then STOP.  That is our denominator!") This skill is essential not only for our current work but will help students as we move on to compare fractions in our next unit.  We will complete the Unit 7 review in class on Tuesday.  Students' homework on Tuesday night is to teach the review to an adult.  Then we will take the Unit 7 test on Wednesday. No math homework Wednesday through Friday!

Reading and Writing: This week we will spend the week learning about Japanese culture and comparing the experiences of immigration that we read about Allen Say's family in Grandfather's Journey and Tea with Milk.  We will even sample tea to see if we prefer it alone or with milk and sugar!

Spelling: Students will copy their new words from their differentiated lists into their planner on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Science: This week we will learn about the tools used to measure and predict our weather.  We will even watch how a meteorologist prepares to give us the forecast on the news.

Religion: This week we will celebrate Catholic Schools week!  We will pray together, share what we love most about our Catholic school, and even take a "Stroll with the Saints" around the school.

Important things to note:

-Monday: Beans and Jeans (or joggers)

-Tuesday: Pajama Day and Chris Cakes! 

-Wednesday: Dress UP Day (or Dress Uniform for Mass)

-Thursday: Wear your favorite team shirt

-Friday: Talent Show, Spirit Day!

Looking Ahead:

-February 12: Class Valentine's Parties at 2:30pm  (Please send in a decorated Valentine's Day box or bag so that your child has a place to collect the valentines from their classmates.)

**Here is the sign up Genius to help with items needed for our class parties.  THANK YOU!!! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0948AAAB2CA75-54525010-valentines#/

-February 13: No School-Parent Teacher Conferences (More information to come soon)

-February 14: No School-Teacher PD

-February 17: No School-President's Day

-February 19: Class pictures

Go Chiefs!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,-

Happy Martin Luther King Day!  We hope that you have enjoyed a wonderful long weekend (and an exciting Chiefs win!) together.Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, "Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of a true education."  These wise words are what we certainly strive for at STE-to guide students to learn not only the academic standards but also the Christskills that will help our students to become future leaders in our community and our world!

*Please be sure to check your child's Friday folder.  We sent home the results from the December I-Ready testing as well as recent tests and math fact fluency progress.  We realize that this is a lot of information, but want to keep you informed of your child's progress on 3rd grade goals.  Please feel free to reach out if you have concerns or have questions about what the data means (or even which data points to look at).  We are a team and TOGETHER we can push students to achieve their best.

**Catholic Schools Week is coming soon!  More details can be found below (including the link for Chris Cakes), but please note that Talent Show sign ups are this week. We will have our own 3rd grade Talent Show at 8:30am in the Cafeteria on January 31st. Students will be able to sign up this week so we can ensure that all music and anything else needed is prepared. Please let us know if you have any questions.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will learn how to write fractions for one whole as well as numbers greater than one.  

Reading and Writing: This week we will read Tea With Milk also by Allen Say.  As it is the sequel to last week's book: Grandfather's Journey, we are excited for students to be able to recognize characters and compare their points of view.  We will also spend time each day reviewing the vocabulary words we have studied.  Students will bring home a study guide with the words on Tuesday.  We will continue to review the 10 words each day through games and activities.  Students will complete a vocabulary quiz on Friday. Fluency homework will also be due Friday.

Spelling: No new list of words due to the short week.  

Science: This week we will learn about weather and practice tracking weather patterns.

Religion: We will learn about Jesus' baptism and the miracles he performed.  Throughout the week we will be reading many miracle stories and discussing how these miracles worked to bring about the Kingdom of God.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mass at 8:30am

-Friday: Last day to order Chris Cakes!! Use this link to order: https://forms.gle/BuKarHqpEUfySmAx6

Looking Ahead:

-January 26: Catholic Schools Week Kick Off at 10am Mass

-January 27: Beans and Jeans (or joggers)

-January 28: Pajama Day and Chris Cakes! 

-January 29: Dress UP Day (or Dress Uniform for Mass)

-January 30: Wear your favorite team shirt

-January 31: Talent Show, Spirit Day!

-February 12: Class Valentine's Parties at 2:30pm

-February 13: No School-Parent Teacher Conferences (More information to come soon)

-February 14: No School-Teacher PD

-February 17: No School-President's Day

-February 19: Class pictures

Have a great week and Let's Go Chiefs!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

Happy New Year!  It was so wonderful to be able to see students last week and hear all about their break and their blizzard survival :)  This week we are thankful to be able to jump back into our normal routine. We are also excited to welcome Mom's to join us Wednesday morning in our classroom and in church!

Students made great progress in their reading first semester and now that the excitement of the holidays and snow days are over, we want to work with students to help increase their reading stamina. In order to try to help motivate students as readers, we have entered our classes into a national reading competition called Read Bowl.  From this Monday (the day of the Football National Championship game) until Super Bowl Sunday, students will log the minutes they read each night on a Reading Log in their Take Home folder.  Each week teachers will log in the minutes our class has read into the competition website.  We hope to beat other 3rd grade classes across the nation by logging the most minutes read!  As parents, we are asking your help in 2 ways:  1.Please make reading a priority in your nightly routine.  You can log minutes your student reads independently or minutes that you read a book together.  2. Please sign their reading log each night.  Minutes without a parent signature don't count and we need every minute to be able to compete against other 3rd graders across the country!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will begin our fraction fun!  Students will learn how to mark fractions on a number line and how to name fractions. Creating number lines of fractions can be difficult for students.  Here is a video that explains how to create fractions on a number line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZaXtOHNh6s Your support with students' homework is greatly appreciated!

Reading and Writing: This week we will begin our 3rd module of Wit and Wisdom.  This module focuses on immigration and the journey that has brought many of our families to the United States. We will read the book, Grandfather's Journey By: Allen Say. We will also examine a steamer trunk that many families used to pack their belongings for the long to journey to America.  This might make for an interesting dinner conversation: what objects are most valuable to your family?  What do you think the people in your family who immigrated to the United States would have brought with them? 

Grammar: This week students will learn about Possessive Nouns. Quiz Friday.

Spelling: This week all students will study the months of the year for our spelling test.  Students will copy the list of words into their planner on Monday.  Test Friday.

Science: We will learn about the adaptations that arctic animals have to survive in their frigid habitats.  We will also test how blubber helps animals by placing our hands in a blubber simulation and ice water to see which hand is colder!

Religion: This week we will finish Chapter 11, covering the Christmas story and Jesus' presentation in the temple.  After reviewing using the Chapter 11 Interactive Review, students will take the Chapter 11 quiz on Friday.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mom's Mass at 8:30am

Looking Ahead:

-January 20: No School, MLK Day

-January 26-31: Catholic Schools Week-more details coming soon!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

It is hard to believe, but it is already the 3rd week of Advent!  Fittingly for this fun time of year, this week is all about JOY.  We look forward to celebrating the excitement of the Advent season together this week!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish Unit 6 about determining the area of a figure.  On Monday during class we will complete the Unit 6 Review.  Please take time on Monday night to allow your child to teach the Unit 6 Review to you. This will be our last math homework of the semester!! On Tuesday, students will take the Unit 6 test.  Then, the rest of the week we will have some Christmas math fun. We will complete some fun graphing activities together as a class and also practice adding and subtracting as we play a game based on the book Christmas Farm. 

Reading and Writing: This week we will read Postcards From Pluto By: Loreen Leedy.  Students will then choose a planet to research and write their own "postcard" about the planet they have chosen.  This is a great time to be sure that your child knows their address! On Friday we will read about Christmas traditions around the world and try to complete an escape room challenge as we "visit" various countries!

Spelling: No spelling this week! 

Social Studies:  This week we will learn about the legislative branch and how a bill becomes a law.  Time to introduce students to the classic Schoolhouse Rock video: I'm Just a Bill :) 

Religion: This week we will make a Jesse Tree together.  This is a fun way to review some important stories from the Old Testament!

Important things to note:

-Monday: Advent Prayer Service, regular uniform

-Tuesday: Field Trip to Planetarium! (9-11am, students wear regular uniform, we will eat lunch at school when we return)

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mass

-Thursday: Red and Green Christmas Shirt Day, Little buddies visit in the afternoon

-Friday: Noon dismissal (Christmas break begins!)

Looking Ahead:

-January 6: No School, Teachers Professional Development Day

-January 7: Students return to school!

-January 8: Mom's Mass

May your week be filled with joy!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

Happy 2nd week of Advent!  This week we focus on peace.  While world peace is certainly important, this week we will be discussing ways that we can be an example of peace to our classmates and in our families.  Often, in 3rd grade, this looks like simply stopping and taking a breath before saying the first thing that comes to mind during differences of opinion at recess or in group work. We will also be challenging students to think about how they can help bring about more moments of peace at home.  The Christmas season can quickly fill with busyness and stress.  We pray that this week peace may fill our school and your home! 

We are so thankful for all of the parents who volunteered their time last week.  From coming to pray with us as Mrs. Walsh's class led mass, driving students to see A Charlie Brown Christmas, leading Chat N' Chew, organizing Chick Fil A for lunch, and walking with us to Brookside Ceramics we felt so blessed with your support!  Thank you for partnering with us in your child's education!!

A few important notes about this week: First, tomorrow is a Dress Uniform day!! We will be celebrating the Holy Day together with Mass on Monday.  As a result we will NOT have mass on Wednesday so students can be in regular uniform on Wednesday. Also, Field Trip forms for our 12/17 trip to the Planetarium were sent home with students on Friday.  If you could please sign and return them as soon as possible, we would greatly appreciate it.  

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will continue to learn to find the area of shapes by breaking them apart into smaller pieces.  

Reading and Writing: This week we will take the I-Ready Winter Diagnostic test on Monday and Tuesday mornings.  Then we will read several myths explaining constellations in our night sky.  We are excited to introduce this fascinating genre to students.  

Spelling: Students will copy their new words from their differentiated lists into their planner on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Social Studies: Students will learn about the 3 branches of Missouri's government.

Religion: This week we will celebrate the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe on Thursday and St. Lucia on Friday.  We will also begin making a Jesse Tree together.  This is a fun way to review some important stories from the Old Testament!

Important things to note:

-Monday: Dress uniform!! Mass due to Holy Day, Part 1 of I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-Tuesday: Finish I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-Wednesday: NO MASS, regular uniform, 6:30pm Christmas concert featuring STE band and grades 1-3 (More details from Mr. DeBose coming soon)

-Friday: Mrs. Droege's class Pajama Day! 

Looking Ahead:

-December 16: Advent Prayer Service 8:20am in church

-December 17: Field Trip to Planetarium!

-December 18: Dress uniform, Mass

-December 19: Red and Green Christmas Shirt Day

-December 20: Noon dismissal (Christmas break begins!)

May you be filled with peace this week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

We hope that you enjoyed a wonderful long weekend filled with delicious food and time with family!  Happy 1st week of Advent!  This week we focus on Hope.  We listen to the words of the prophets in the Old Testament and look with hope to the birth of the Messiah.  Each Monday during the season of Advent we will begin the week with a prayer service in church then in religion class each day we will gather around our class Advent wreath together.  We look forward to celebrating this season of waiting together as a class community. 

This week is absolutely packed with fun!  Please be sure to read the schedule below for all the details. (Note the link listed below to order Chick Fil A, it is due by Tuesday, 12/3!)  Also, we are still looking for a couple of parents to help us walk safely to Brookside Ceramics and back on Friday afternoon. If you are interested, please let us know!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will start Unit 6, all about area.  We will start by understanding the concept of area and then learn how to use multiplication to determine the area of a figure.  On Thursday and Friday mornings (starting at 8:20am!) we will take the I-Ready Winter Diagnostic test.  This is not only an excellent practice of our test taking strategies, but also allows students to show all of the hard work they have put in these past few months in math class learning the concept of multiplication and division.

Reading and Writing: This week we will take a virtual tour of the International Space Station.  We will also read the book One Giant Leap.  We will listen to Neil Armstrong's famous words as he stepped on the moon and discuss the meaning of this figurative language.  Fluency due Friday!

Spelling: Students will copy their new words from their differentiated lists into their planner on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Social Studies: Students will learn about Missouri's constitution and the freedoms it protects.  Then we will try our hand at writing our own class constitution!

Religion: This week we will learn about the season of Advent.  We will also celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas on Friday!

Important things to note:

-Monday: Advent Prayer Service 8:20am in church

-Tuesday: $2 Spirit Day, ORDERS DUE FOR FRIDAY'S CHICK FIL A LUNCH!! https://form.jotform.com/243244432089153 

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mrs. Walsh's class leads mass

-Thursday: Part 1 of I-Ready Math Winter Diagnostic test, Field trip to Rockhurst High School's A Charlie Brown Christmas

-Friday: Spirit Day (No cost), Finish I-Ready Math Winter Diagnostic test, St. Nicholas Day!, Chick Fil A Lunch, Field trip to Brookside Ceramics

Looking Ahead:

-December 9: Dress uniform, Mass due to Holy Day, Part 1 of I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-December 10: Finish I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-December 11: NO MASS, regular uniform, 6:30pm Christmas concert featuring STE band and grades 1-3

-December 16: Advent Prayer Service 8:20am in church

-December 17: Field Trip to Planetarium!

-December 18: Dress uniform, Mass

-December 19: Red and Green Christmas Shirt Day

-December 20: Noon dismissal (Christmas break begins!)

May you be filled with hope this week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

This week we are thankful for you!  Thank you for your generous support of our many fundraisers to make our school a better place for learning each year. Thank you for taking the time to sit and review your child's homework with them each night, even when you have so many of your own tasks to complete. But most of all, thank you for choosing STE and allowing us to share in the education of your child.  Our classes have brought so much joy to our lives and we hope that this will be a year of learning your child will never forget!  

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will be having some Thanksgiving math fun!  We will review our multiplication facts in a fast paced race around the classroom as well as practice adding and subtracting money as we plan a Thanksgiving meal.  No math homework this week!

Reading and Writing: This week we will read a fictional story about space travel, Zathura By: Chris VanAllsburg (the same author as Jumanji!).  We are excited to see how students connect their knowledge about space with this story of fantasy.  

Spelling: No test this week!

Social Studies:  This week students will apply what they have learned about Missouri to create a new license plate that represents our great state.

Religion: This week we review the liturgical calendar and discuss what we celebrate in each season of our church year. 

Important things to note:

-Tuesday: Pick up donuts in pm carpool

-Wednesday-Friday: No school due to Thanksgiving Break

Looking Ahead:

-December 1: Advent begins! *Now is a great time to begin making sure that you have the 4 candles for your Advent wreath or if you don't have one, maybe think about adding this tradition to your Advent season. Lighting the Advent candle each day and praying together around it in religion class is one of my favorite parts of Advent!

-December 2: Advent Prayer Service 8:20am in church

-December 4: Dress uniform, Mrs. Walsh's class leads mass

-December 5: Part 1 of I-Ready Math Winter Diagnostic test, Field trip to Rockhurst High School's A Charlie Brown Christmas

-December 6: Finish I-Ready Math Winter Diagnostic test, St. Nicholas Day!, Chick Fil A Lunch, Field trip to Brookside Ceramics

-December 9: Dress uniform, Mass due to Holy Day, Part 1 of I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-December 10: Finish I-Ready Reading Winter Diagnostic test

-December 11: NO MASS, regular uniform, 6:30pm Christmas concert featuring STE band and grades 1-3

-December 16: Advent Prayer Service 8:20am in church

-December 19: Red and Green Christmas Shirt Day

-December 20: Noon dismissal (Christmas break begins!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org

Dear parents,

We hope that you have enjoyed a great weekend together.  Last week we had fun learning more about the moon and its phases-just in time for the beautiful full moon this weekend!  We are excited for another full week of school this week and hopefully we will get to try out our new playground!!!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will be finishing Unit 5 covering strategies to solve multiplication facts and taking the Unit 5 test on Thursday.  We will complete the Unit 5 Review in class on Wednesday and then students will teach the review to an adult as their homework. This will be the last night of math homework until after Thanksgiving break-we appreciate your time and support!

Reading and Writing: This week we will think about the Apollo 11 mission from various points of view: the scientists in mission control, the astronauts, and the public.  We are grateful to all the grandparents we were able to interview about their memories of the 1st moon landing! We will create a living timeline of events as well as act out the events of the Apollo 11 mission in tableaus.  We will also write essays about what we are most thankful for.  Fluency due Friday.

Grammar: Students will review irregular plural nouns.  Quiz Friday.

Spelling: Students will put new differentiated lists of spelling words in their Take Home folders on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Social Studies: This week we will learn all about the symbols that represent our state of Missouri.

Religion: This week we will make cards to support the 2nd graders receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation.  We will also play Stump the Shepherd to review for our Unit 1 test on Friday.  Here's the link if students would like to play at home: https://games.loyolapress.com/sts_g3_u1  

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform

-Friday and Saturday: Merry Market

Looking Ahead:

-November 26: Donuts in the AM carpool line

-November 27-December 1: Thanksgiving Break

-December 6: Chick Fil A Lunch

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for all of your support this past week!  Students loved all of their new purchases at the book fair-thank you to all the parents who volunteered and helped us pick out books!  This past week we also were grateful for all of the grandparents and special guests who were able to join us. From moon painting to interviewing them about their memories of the first moon landing, we enjoyed a fun morning together! Students also did a great job singing a bilingual song, Alabare, to help our visitors from El Salvador to feel more welcome at our Pep Rally on Tuesday. Thank you to all that were able to make it to the fiesta on Saturday night to celebrate together in song!  While these past weeks have been so much fun, this week we are looking forward to a full week and a more normal routine together!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will learn strategies to multiply by 6, 7, 8, and 9.  Practicing skip counting is a great way to help your child learn their multiplication facts.  In class students will learn to skip count by 6 to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It".  Then we will skip count by 7's to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and by 8's to the tune of "Happy Birthday". We will also try the hand trick to learn our 9 facts.  These facts can be frustrating, so patience and support this week with math homework is greatly appreciated!

Reading and Writing: This week we will learn more about the moon.  Students will listen to read alouds, watch videos, read informational text from National Geographic, and even use Oreos to make models of the moon's phases. Then, on Friday we will read our next text together: Moonshot By: Brian Floca.  

Grammar: This week we will learn how to form plural nouns.  Quiz on Friday.

Spelling: Students will write their differentiated lists into their planners on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Science:  This week we will finish our study of fossils.  Students will even have a chance to practice their skills as a paleontologist as they try to put together bones to form a dinosaur.

Religion: This week we will learn about the Apostles Creed and illustrate the meaning of this important prayer.

Friendzy: This month our focus is to consider the needs of others.  We will be focusing on scripture verses from Paul in his Letters to the Philippians: "Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."

Important things to note:

*November 5-15: Girl Scout Food Drive

-Wednesday: Mrs. Walsh's class will help shelve food at the Food Pantry

-Friday: Spirit Day

Looking Ahead:

-November 27-December 1: Thanksgiving Break

-12/6: Chick Fil A Lunch

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for coming to meet with us at Parent Teacher Conferences last week. It was great to be able to take the time to share students growth and plan together to ensure our students learning success in the months to come.  If you have any questions or concerns as the year continues, please reach out to us.  We are a team!!

We hope you enjoyed a few days off from the school routine.  This week is short and filled with fun!  On Friday we will welcome grandparents and VIPS to our class.  We would love to make a slide show of pictures of students with the special guests who will be joining them. *If you could please e-mail a photo of your student with their guest to your child's teacher it would be greatly appreciated!!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will learn strategies to multiply by 3 and 4.  The first strategy we will learn is the distributive property, also known as the break apart strategy.  This strategy asks students to break apart (or decompose) larger multiplication facts into smaller known facts in order to solve.  While this strategy is new for many parents, it can be especially helpful to students as we multiply by larger numbers.  

Reading and Writing: This week we will begin our 2nd module, all about the moon and space. We will begin by learning about one of the early astronomers, Galileo, in the book Starry Messenger By: Peter Sis.  

Spelling: Though a short week, we will still take a spelling test on Friday. Thank you for your support in studying!

Science:  This week students will play an online game to learn what scientists learn about the environment where fossils are found.  

Religion: This week we will learn about the 12 apostles.

Important things to note:

-November 5-15: Girl Scout Food Drive

-Tuesday: Picture retakes, Mrs. Droege's class visits Book Fair at 10:30am

-Wednesday: Regular uniform, Mrs. Droege's class helps shelve food at the Food Pantry

-Thursday: Mrs. Walsh's class visits Book Fair at 1:05pm

-Friday: Dress uniform, Grandparents Day!  **9:30 Grandparents arrive, 10:30 Mass, 12:00 Dismissal!

Looking Ahead:

-November 15: Spirit Day

-November 27-December 1: Thanksgiving Break

Have a great short week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for all of your help to make our Halloween parties on Friday so fun.  Students enjoyed the delicious treats, they each created unique Halloween signs with paint and stickers, and then they had so much fun rotating to 3 different games and earning prizes!  Seeing their faces as they dug their hands into the spaghetti to seek out different Halloween items was my favorite :)  We are so grateful for all the volunteers that joined us in the classroom!!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish Unit 4. On Monday we will review for our Unit 4 test in class.  Then, homework on Monday night is to teach the review to an adult.  *This will be the only night of math homework this week!!  We will take the Unit 4 test during class on Tuesday. On Wednesday we will have some Halloween math fun by completing challenges to escape a Haunted House!

Reading and Writing: This week we will finish reading our A-Z mystery together.  It has been so fun to discuss clues and suspects together after each chapter!  We are hoping that this will inspire students to keep reading this exciting genre during fall break.  Ron Roy is an author that has great mysteries (one for each letter of the alphabet as well as each month of the year).  Ballpark mysteries are another favorite and there is even one set at the K!   

Spelling: No spelling due to the short week!

Science:  This week we will continue to learn about the types of fossils and the ways that fossils layer over time.

Religion: This week we will learn about the celebration of All Saints Day on November 1st and even play some Saints BINGO!  

Important things to note:

-Tuesday: Pink Day!! Wear your favorite pink and bring a donation to benefit Cancer Research 

-Wednesday: Mass at 8:30, Dress uniform, Visit Little Buddies!, Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30  (Click HERE to Sign Up), Book Fair begins!

-Thursday: Happy Halloween! Parent Teacher Conferences 8-4

-Friday: No School

Looking Ahead:

-November 4: No School-Diocese PD for teachers

-November 5-15: Girl Scout Food Drive

-November 5: Mrs. Droege's class visits Book Fair at 10:30am

-November 7: Mrs. Walsh's class visits Book Fair at 1:05pm

-November 8: Grandparents Day!  **9:30 Grandparents arrive, 10:30 Mass, 12:00 Dismissal!

Looking forward to meeting with you at conferences this week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

It's so hard to believe that 1st Quarter ended already last week. This past quarter seems to have just flown by! This past week a link was sent out to sign up for Parent Teacher Conferences (Click HERE to Sign Up). If these days do not work out, please just let us know and we will find another time that works better. In 3rd grade, conferences are not student led as we have a lot of data to discuss together and it seems like there is never enough time to get through it all.  However, students are more than welcome to attend and participate if you would like.

Looking ahead to this week, we are excited that students will get to spend time in the STEAM Lab working on their shark or whale diorama.  **If you have any extra shoeboxes at home, we would greatly appreciate it if you could send them in.  If we all collect any extras we may have, we should have enough to ensure each student has their own.

A huge thank you to our room parents and all of the parents who are helping or donating items for our Halloween parties on Friday.  With Halloween parties and Trunk of Treat that night, it will be such a fun day!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will continue learning tricks to fluently multiply by 2, 5, 10, 1 and 0.  Students are excited to learn the facts so they don't have to keep drawing arrays and equal groups! 

Reading and Writing: Last week students chose a shark or whale that they would like to research for our 3rd grade Aquarium.  This was really exciting as students were so eager to learn more about their chosen animal!  This week students will use what they have learned to write a 2 paragraph essay about their animal. They will also have a chance to go down to the STEAM Lab to work on transforming their shoe box into a diorama of their animal. The STEAM Lab has sand and many recyclables for students to use in their creations, however, if students have favorite art materials that they would like to bring to help make their animal come to life they may bring those in.

Vocabulary: As we near the end of our study of the sea, we will review the vocabulary we have learned and take a Vocabulary test on Friday.  Students will bring home a study guide on Monday and you can use this to help quiz them on their words.  This time, the test will be a fill-in-the-blank test format.  Students will be given a word bank with the vocabulary words and a list of definitions.  Students must write the correct word in front of each definition.  We will play games and review these words each day, however, we appreciate your help in developing good study skill habits by practicing at home as well.

Spelling: Students will copy the words into their planner on Monday and take a test over their words on Friday.

Science: This week we will learn about fossils and what fossils can tell us about animals and ecosystems long ago.  Students will even do a gallery walk through real fossils and take field notes observing a fossil in the same manner as a paleontologist!

Religion:This week we will review the concept of the Circle of Grace and make a plan about what students can do if a boundary is passed.  Please help your child to identify 3 adults they can talk to if they feel unsafe.

Important things to note:

-Boo a Teacher Fundraiser for 8th Grade Legacy gift all week in morning carpool.

-Wednesday: Dress Uniform, All School Rosary in the church ***Please be sure your child has their rosary to help them participate in this prayer!

-Friday: Black and Orange Out of Uniform Day!  Halloween Parties at 2:30pm, Trunk or Treat

Looking Ahead:

-October 29: Pink Day!!  

-October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30  (Click HERE to Sign Up), Book Fair begins!

-October 31: Parent Teacher Conferences 8-4

-November 1: No School

-November 4: No School-Diocese PD for teachers

-November 5-15: Girl Scout Food Drive

-November 5: Mrs. Droege's class visits Book Fair at 10:30am

-November 7: Mrs. Walsh's class visits Book Fair at 1:05pm

-November 8: Grandparents Day!  **9:30 Grandparents arrive, 10:30 Mass, 12:00 Dismissal!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for all of your support of FIRE week last week!  It was such a fun week together-we read the book We Are All Wonders and wrote a note telling a classmate why we think they are a wonder, we watched a video explaining down syndrome and participated in a simulation to put ourselves in the shoes of others, and we ended our week with a movie party discussing how even characters in some of our favorite movies find ways to include and support each other.  While we were busy in the classroom, you were all busy fundraising for FIRE and we are so grateful!  We are so excited at STE to be awarded the FIRE trophy once again!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will take the Unit 3 test over the concept of multiplication and division.  On Monday during class we will complete the Unit 3 review together.  Monday night for homework, please allow your student to "teach" you the review.  This will allow them to gain confidence in how to solve each question.  We will take the Unit 3 test during class on Tuesday.  No homework Tuesday night! Then on Wednesday and Thursday we will start to learn specific multiplication facts for x2 and x5.

Reading and Writing: We have really been enjoying learning more about nonfiction text features and using those features such as captions and diagrams to learn more about the giant squid.  This week we will finish reading Giant Squid.  Then, students will choose an ocean animal that they would like to research and write an informative essay about.  *Fluency due Friday! **If you have an extra shoebox at home, we would love to use it for a project!

Spelling: Students will write the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday. Spelling test on Friday.

Science: We will learn about the natural and human forces that cause a habitat to change.  We will learn about how some animals adapt to survive these changes and other animals may migrate.  Students will take a close look at the migration of gray whales, mule deers, and wildebeests.  

Religion: This week we will continue to practice saying the rosary.  Students will illustrate rosary vocabulary, practice praying the rosary with a partner, make a book of the Joyful mysteries, and even pray the rosary together as a class in the Grotto! *If possible, please send a rosary for your child to use in class.  Thank you!!

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress Uniform, School Mass

Looking Ahead:

-October 25: Black and Orange Out of Uniform Day!  Halloween Parties at 2:30pm

-October 29: Pink Day!!  

-October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30  (Sign up details coming soon)

-October 31: Parent Teacher Conferences 8-4

-November 1: No School

-November 4: No School-Diocese PD for teachers

Have a great week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org  

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for all of your support at our first 3rd grade led mass of the year.  The students did a beautiful job of leading our school community so confidently and calmly in prayer! 

On Friday we had a fun assembly to kick off FIRE week!  We look forward to celebrating inclusion in many ways this week.  In addition to the fun donuts and FIRE Bucks competition, we will also be reading lots of books, learning about various disabilities, participating in an inclusion simulation activity, and we will even end our week by watching a movie and discussing how it relates to the theme of inclusion.  It will be a fun week!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will begin to learn about the concept of division and how multiplication and division are related.  At this time, it is important that students understand how multiplication is creating equal groups and division is sharing an amount between equal groups.  We are not expecting students to recall facts, instead we hope that students will understand how to draw multiplication and division facts in order to solve them.  By the end of the week, students will be making multiplication and division fact families.

Reading and Writing: Shark Week has been exciting and we are happy to continue our study this week!  This week we will learn about how scientists tag sharks to continue learning more about this fascinating species. We will also be exploring the Shark Tracker website: https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/   Then on Wednesday we will move on to study the elusive giant squid by reading Giant Squid by: Mary Cerullo and Clyde Roper.  This will take us to the depths of the ocean!  *Fluency due Friday!

Spelling: Students will write the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday. Spelling test on Friday.

Science: We will learn about various adaptations that animals have to survive in different habitats.  We will also participate in a fun experiment to see how camouflage helps animals!

Religion: This week we will learn about Our Lady of Fatima and then begin to learn how to pray the Rosary.  If students could bring a rosary from home to use to pray in school, that would be helpful.  They can keep them in their desks to use throughout October, the month of the Holy Rosary. 

Important things to note:

-Monday: Donuts for a donation during morning carpool, The FIRE Bucks competition starts! The FIRE committee created a new fundraiser to replace penny wars. FIRE Bucks is a fun play on penny wars but with less (heavy) change. All the jars will be in one area and will only take Venmo and cash.  Students can purchase a $1 card to BURN (subtract) money from other classes.

-Tuesday: FIRE Bucks competition during morning carpool, Deadline to order Chick Fil A lunch for Friday • Place your order through jotform link:   https://form.jotform.com/242736112924151

Once you complete your order in jotform, you will be redirected to Vanco for payment. 

-Wednesday: Dress Uniform, School Mass,  FIRE Bucks Competition during morning carpool ends! The winning class will be announced with a fancy banner with their name. They will receive an extra recess with a treat. Raffle Ticket Money Due! Noon for paper tickets, 4 PM for online.  We need everyone's help to keep the FIRE Trophy at St. Elizabeth's!!

-Thursday: In-school FIRE Simulations, Vision screening (students with glasses should please wear them!)

-Friday: Chick Fil A Lunch to support FIRE (must be preordered by Tuesday, regular school lunch will be available or students may bring a lunch from home)

Looking Ahead:

-October 25: Black and Orange Out of Uniform Day!  Halloween Parties at 2:30pm

-October 29: Pink Day!!  

-October 30: Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-7:30  (Sign up details coming soon)

-October 31: Parent Teacher Conferences 8-4

-November 1: No School

-November 4: No School-Diocese PD for teachers

Let's Go Royals!!!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org   

Dear parents,

Last week it was great to be back in the routine of a full week again.  We were very busy learning and rocking our first unit test in math.  Students did a great job reviewing both in school and at home.  This week we are so excited to move on to the concept of multiplication!!  We also had fun on Friday attending the Land of Smiles presentation.  This short play reminded us all of how to take care of our teeth and we even got packages with toothbrushes and toothpaste to take home!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will begin learning about multiplication.  Students will learn to solve multiplication problems by drawing equal groups or making arrays.  On Wednesday we will have some fun building an Array Town!  Wednesday night, students homework will be to find arrays in objects at home.  An array must have an equal number of objects in each row.  An real world example of this would be an egg carton.  Students may need help finding objects at home.  (Start looking at your windows, air vents, floor tiles...students may need help finding the patterns that surround them each day!)

Reading and Writing: This week students will work on writing a 2 paragraph essay to describe how scientists study the sea.  Then on Wednesday we will begin Shark Week!!  Students will practice using nonfiction text features to better understand the text they are reading using the book Shark Attack! By: Cathy East Dubowski.  

Spelling: Students will write the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday. Spelling test on Friday.

Science:  We will learn about adaptations that animals have to help them survive in their ecosystem.  We get to do our first science experiment this week to see how different types of bird beaks help them to eat different types of foods.

Religion: This week we will learn about the lives of 2 important saints: St. Francis and St. Clare.  Both of these saints offer us invaluable examples of how to live holy lives.  In honor of St. Francis who showed love to all of creation, students are invited to bring a picture of their pet to leave at school during the month of October.  Students will have a chance to share their pictures during a prayer service on Friday, October 4th-the feast day of St. Francis!

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform, Mrs. Droege's class leads mass.  Please come and join us in prayer!  Mrs. Droege's class will then visit the food pantry in the afternoon.  All donations are very appreciated!!  (Items especially needed: pasta sauce, canned meals, canned carrots or peas, canned tomatoes, syrup, pancake mix pouches)

-Friday: FIRE or Red T-Shirt Day! Rock your new FIRE or any red shirts with uniform bottoms or joggers ($2 donation-or Season Pass).  2:45pm FIRE Kick Off Pep Rally (Pie a Teacher)  Students may buy $1 tickets to put their name in the raffle of who they want to buy during MORNING CARPOOL on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.  

**Friday at 3:45 in the parish garden Fr. Bob will offer a pet blessing in honor of St. Francis' feast day!

Looking Ahead:

-October 7: Donuts for a donation during morning carpool - Use this Pre-order link, Also the FIRE Bucks competition starts! The FIRE committee created a new fundraiser to replace penny wars. FIRE Bucks is a fun play on penny wars but with less (heavy) change. All the jars will be in one area and will only take Venmo and cash.  Students can purchase a $1 card to BURN (subtract) money from other classes.

-October 9: Dress Uniform, School Mass, Raffle Ticket Money Due! Noon for paper tickets, 4 PM for online. Also, FIRE Bucks End! The winning class will be announced with a fancy banner with their name. They will receive an extra recess with a treat. 

-October 10: In-school FIRE Simulations

-October 11: Chick Fil A Lunch to support FIRE (more details to come soon)

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org   

Dear Parents,

Happy Fall!! We hope that you enjoyed a wonderful weekend filled with community and fellowship! We are so excited that fall and cooler temperatures are finally here.  We are looking forward to a great week-filled with learning and some Johnny Appleseed Day fun as well!

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish our study of place value, rounding, and adding and subtracting 3 digit numbers.  We will review for our Unit 2 Math test on Monday and Tuesday during class.  Homework on Tuesday night will be for your child to teach the Unit 2 Review to an adult. **Please sit with your child as they explain each problem, then sign their review. On Wednesday, we will take the Unit 2 test during class.  It will be the exact same format as the review.  No math homework Wednesday night!  On Thursday we will apply our 3 digit addition and subtraction skills to work on creating a budget for our ideal playground.  We are excited to see what features students will choose to include!

Reading and Writing: This week students will read The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau.  Students will also have a chance to view a video of Jacques Cousteau exploring the ocean and learn more about the tools that helped Cousteau in his exploration.  On Thursday students will participate in a Socratic Seminar to share their ideas about why the ocean is important.  Students will bring home a fluency passage for homework this week.  Please make time to allow them to read to you each night.  Fluency due (with parent signature) on Friday!

Spelling: Students will write the words from their differentiated list into their planner on Monday. Spelling test on Friday.

Science:  This week we will begin our first Science unit!  We will learn about the features of various ecosystems and how plants and animals within each ecosystem are connected.

Religion: This week we will learn about how David used his faith in God to help defeat Goliath.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform.  Picture Day!!  (Order Forms were sent home in Friday folders.)

-Saturday: Drive Thru Breakfast for FIRE

**If you have not yet had a chance to write a note or an e-mail about your child to help your teacher get to know your child and your perspective of their learning, please do!  This "Parent Homework" has no due date but is so helpful for us as teachers.  We want to be your partners in your child's learning this year and this is a great chance to tell us your hopes (or concerns) for the year ahead.  Thank you!!!

Looking Ahead:

Sign up for Chat and Chew using this link: https://forms.gle/oUEq19chexnqxt5c9

-October 10: Vision screening (new date!)

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org   

Dear parents,

We hope that you have had a wonderful weekend! Last week we had an exciting week of learning together! We had fun acting out the story of Amos and Boris as a Readers' Theatre and shared our love of reading with our stuffed animals too.  We also learned about the incredible faith of Abraham and had some fun singing all about "Father Abraham"!  We ended our week by starting our new Social Emotional Health curriculum: Friendzy.  We learned how important it is to encourage each other.  Students watched a video about the Seattle Seahawks 12th man and the battle between the Seahawks and the Chiefs kingdom for the loudest stadium.  Here in Kansas City we know how to be good fans and we need to support and encourage each other wherever we are-both in our school and our community.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will work to improve our confidence subtracting 3 digit numbers.  We will also learn how we can use addition to check our subtraction.  *Math homework packets due Thursday due to no school Friday.

Reading and Writing: This week we will begin to learn about how scientists explore the sea.  We will read the book Ocean Sunlight By: Molly Bang.  Then we will spend time diving into learning about the layers of the ocean and ocean food chains.  We will also spend the week playing review games to prepare for our 1st vocabulary test on Thursday.  Students will bring home a list of the vocabulary words and definitions in their Take Home folder to review for the vocabulary test on Thursday. No fluency this week. :)

Spelling: No test this week due to the short week. :)

Social Studies: This week we will finish our unit about the Geography of Missouri by making Travel Posters about interesting places in Missouri.  We hope to inspire each other to explore new places around our great state!

Religion: This week we will learn about the story of Ruth. We will then take the Chapter 1 Quiz on Thursday. We will play the online review game at this link to review:  https://isr.loyolapress.com/col_g3_s1   

Important things to note:

Sign up for Chat and Chew using this link: https://forms.gle/oUEq19chexnqxt5c9

-Wednesday: Dress uniform.  Popcorn afterschool for FIRE. Use season pass or bring a donation to enjoy!

-Friday: No School-Teacher Professional Development, Trash Bag Orders Due!!

Looking Ahead:

-September 25: Picture Day

-September 28: Drive Thru Breakfast for FIRE

-October 10: Vision screening (new date!)

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org    

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

We hope you have enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend! Last week though short, was packed with excitement.  We finished our I-Ready testing and got to start a little work on our personalized learning path, Mrs. Droege's class brought LOTS of food to the food pantry (thank you SOO much for your generous donations!!), our air conditioning got fixed!!, and we got to visit our Little Buddies in the ECC on Friday.  It was a full week and so much fun to share all this joy together!

This week also looks to be exciting!  We will celebrate National Teddy Bear Day on Monday and invite students to bring their favorite teddy bear or stuffy to read with.  In more reading fun, it’s time to sign up for Chat & Chew - the book club for students in grades 2-8th.  Students and parent volunteers meet in small groups to review and discuss assigned books.  The meetings are held during lunch about every 2 weeks throughout the school year.  The first meeting is on Wednesday, October 9th.  Sign up for Chat and Chew using this link: 

https://forms.gle/oUEq19chexnqxt5c9

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will learn strategies to efficiently add and subtract 3 digit numbers.  On Tuesday we will start the week learning to "decompose" or break apart numbers to add the hundreds, tens, and ones separately and then write the answer as a combined sum.  While this strategy may be very different from the standard method of carrying that we learned in school, the idea is to try to teach students a couple different ways to add.  Then, after being introduced to different strategies, students can choose the strategy that makes the most sense to them.  If you have any questions about the math homework this week, please feel free to reach out!

Reading and Writing: This week we will work on creating story maps and understanding the story elements in Amos and Boris By: William Steig.  This fictional text about the friendship between a mouse and a whale carries an important message, however, there are several challenging vocabulary words.  Students will work this week to improve their reading fluency by participating in a class Reader's Theatre as well as completing Fluency homework.  **Please make time this week to listen to your child read the passage at least 3x each night and sign the checklist.

Spelling: This week we will begin our differentiated spelling groups.  Students will place their spelling lists in the sheet protector on Monday.  Test on Friday.

Social Studies: We will learn about Missouri's climate and some of the important manufacturers that helps provide jobs in our state.  

Religion: This week we will learn about the faith of Abraham.  We will read from the Bible, do some art, and even sing a fun song about "Father Abraham".

Friendzy: This week we will jump into the first lesson of the new social emotional curriculum, Friendzy.  Our first unit is all about the theme: We need each other.  We will be using the Bible verse "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11) to guide our activities and reflection.  

Important things to note:

-Monday: National Teddy Bear Day!  In order to have a little fun this week, students may bring a teddy bear or favorite stuffed animal to read with during Silent Reading time (Monday only, please).

-Tuesday: Culver's Dine Out Night

-Wednesday: Dress uniform.  Mrs. Walsh's class will visit the food pantry.  (Any donations are greatly appreciated!)

Looking Ahead:

-September 16: Vision Screening  

-September 19: Popcorn afterschool for FIRE

-September 20: No School-Teacher Professional Development, Trash Bag Orders Due!!

-September 25: Picture Day

-September 28: Drive Thru Breakfast for FIRE

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org    

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear Parents,

Happy Labor Day!  What a beautiful weekend-definitely a welcome break from the heat last week!  We hope that you have enjoyed relaxing as a family! 

Thank you so much for coming to Back to School Night last week.  The students were so excited to read the notes from you in their desks and we appreciated having a chance to be together to discuss your child's learning in 3rd grade. We have attached a link to the presentation in the Newsletter tab of our 3rd grade Website if you would like to reference it at any time.

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will finish our review of place value and how to write numbers in expanded form.  We will then learn how to round numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. Rounding tends to be a tricky skill for 3rd graders, so any support that you can offer with homework would be greatly appreciated!!

Reading and Writing: On Tuesday and Wednesday we will take the I-Ready Diagnostic Test for Reading.  Like the math test last week, this is an adaptive test taken on the computer. Then we get to begin our first module of our reading curriculum, Wit and Wisdom by thinking about how poets and artists help us to explore the ocean.  We will be reading the poem The Sea Wind by Sara Teasdale and observing the painting Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.  

Grammar: We will finish our review of nouns and take our first grammar quiz.  We will also work on our sentence editing skills.

Spelling: This week we are studying words with long vowel sounds.   Students already have the words in their Take Home Folder and will copy their words into their planner on Tuesday.  Test on Friday.  (We will begin our differentiated spelling lists next week)

Social Studies: We will continue our study of the geography of Missouri.  This week we will learn about the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.  We will also map out the 5 regions of Missouri.  Be sure to ask your child what region we live in!

Religion: This week we will continue to learn about the parts of the Bible and how it is organized.  We will have some fun playing a Bible version of Chutes and Ladders with a partner.

Social Emotional Learning: This week we will continue to develop our growth mindset habits by reading the book The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes By: Gary Rubenstein and playing a game to practice ways to respond in frustrating situations.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday: Dress uniform. Mrs. Droege's class will help to shelve food in our Parish Food Pantry. We will bring the parish donations as well as any food we can bring in as a class.  Thank you so much for your generosity!!! 

-Friday: Spirit Day (Jeans or school uniform bottoms with an STE shirt), Today we get to meet our Little Buddies for the 1st time!!

Looking Ahead:

-September 16: Vision Screening

-September 19: Popcorn afterschool for FIRE

-September 20: No School-Teacher Professional Development, Trash Bag Orders Due!!

-September 28: Drive Thru Breakfast for FIRE

Have a great week! 

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org    

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear Parents,

Thank you so much for your support in making our 1st week in 3rd grade a wonderful start to our year together.  Students were so eager to be together again and we managed to learn the routine of 3rd grade while squeezing in time for some fun teamwork challenges too. It was so great to see student's joy as they worked together to save Fred, pass a hula hoop, and build cup pyramids. 

This week we will get out our new computers-yeah!!  We will begin introducing some of the programs that we will use throughout the year in both reading and math.  One change at St. Elizabeth's this year is that students will take the I-Ready tests instead of the Iowa Flex.  After a few years using Iowa Flex, we realized that while we appreciated being able to track student's growth from year to year, we needed a program that incorporated both data and provided ways for students to continue to practice their skills between test sessions.  We are excited to offer the I-Ready program to students this year and look forward to the gains that this will provide for students to be able to challenge themselves along their own learning path.   

This week in 3rd grade...

Math: This week we will review math facts and place value.  Students will begin working on a computer program called Reflex to gain more confidence on their math facts.  It is a game based program, so we think it will help to motivate students to keep practicing those facts!  On Wednesday we will have some fun by using what we know about place value to solve an Escape Room! On Thursday and Friday we will take the I-Ready Beginning of the Year Math Diagnostic Test.  Students will work to answer questions on the computer for about 30 minutes both days.  The data we receive from this testing will allow us to better meet student learning needs in small groups.

Reading and Writing: This week we will summarize, discuss, write about, and act out scenes from Patricia Polacco's book Thank You, Mr. Falker.  On Friday we will wonder and think about Pablo Picasso's painting Reading at a Table. Students reading homework will be to read each night for 20 minutes.

Grammar: We will review what a noun is and work to identify nouns in sentences.  Quiz on Friday.

Spelling: This week we are studying words with short vowel sounds.   Students will copy their words into their planner on Monday.  Students will also place a list of spelling words for the next 2 weeks inside the sheet protector in the middle of their Take Home Folder. Test on Friday.  (For the first 2 weeks, we will all study the same words.  We will begin our differentiated spelling lists after this-we will explain this more at Back to School night!)  We will give students time to complete their spelling homework in class, however, please help students to study their list to be sure they are prepared for our first test on Friday.

Social Studies: This week we will begin our study of the geography of Missouri!  We will learn the states surrounding Missouri, facts about important cities in our state, and how to use a grid to locate landmarks on a map.

Religion: This week we will review ways that we learn about God and begin to explore the Bibles in our classrooms.

Social Emotional Growth: This week we will work on developing growth mindset.  We will read the book, Bubblegum Brain By: Julia Cook and discuss how having a "bubblegum brain" instead of a "brick brain" allows us to use our mistakes to learn and find new solutions.

Important things to note:

-Wednesday:Dress uniform, Cotton Candy sold afterschool to benefit FIRE

**To buy cotton candy, please fill out the cotton candy form OR buy your child a season pass FIRE punch card.

Season Pass -

• Venmo payment to @BeccaSilverman1 with the name of your children and their homeroom teacher. 

• Available for $30 and covers ALL of your FIRE fundraisers:

  • Cotton Candy 

  • Popcorn 

  • Donuts 

  • Dress Down Day 

  • Pie-a-teacher (5 entries) 

  • Raffle for Mr. Russell Babysitting or Amazon Gift Card (5 entries)

  • Golf (5 putts)

-Thursday: Back to School Night at 6pm in Seton Hall.  After Mr. Riley's presentation in Seton Hall we will meet in our 3rd grade classroom to discuss 3rd grade routines and have a chance to answer any questions you may have.  We hope to see you there!

-Friday: Fr. Bob will visit to bless us and our classroom

Looking Ahead:

-September 2: No School-Labor Day!

-September 4: Mrs. Droege's class volunteers at the STE food pantry. Start gathering any food you wish to donate!

Stay cool this week!

Mrs. Walsh and Mrs. Droege

gwalsh@stekcschool.org           cdroege@stekcschool.org    

3rd Grade Website: https://sites.google.com/stekcschool.org/3rdgrade/home

Dear parents,

Thank you so much for coming to Open House last week.  It was great to meet all of you and get our classroom set for a new year of learning.  We are so looking forward to starting our school year tomorrow morning!  I'm hoping your child received a letter from me in the mail, but because snail mail can be slower than expected I thought it might be helpful to send a quick e-mail with some reminders for the week ahead.

Tuesday (tomorrow!), August 20th

Happy 1st Day of School!  We will enjoy a half day together.  Dismissal is at 12pm.  Please be sure your child brings a backpack with: a water bottle, a snack, and their favorite book.  If your child has not yet put their pencil bag from last year in their desk, please be sure it is in their backpack.  If you need to purchase a pencil bag, you may send $4 for a small pencil bag or $6 for a large pencil bag.

Wednesday, August 21st

Mass Day!  **Please dress in mass uniform.** All our welcome to join us in prayer!  Since it is the first mass of the year, it will take us a few extra minutes to get settled but mass will start by 8:45am.

Thursday and Friday will continue with a normal uniform and schedule.  No homework this week except to try to get back into the routine of reading each night.  

I am looking forward to a fun first week together!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy 1st Week of School!