December 5 Scholastic Orders Due by 10pm
December 5 - 9 Computer Science Education Week (Hour of Code)
December 14 Toy Take Apart Day
December 16 January Lunch Orders Due
December 16 Waste-Free Class Celebration
December 19 Winter Break Begins!
January 3 School Resumes
*Calendar Note: The O&A to Tillamook Forest schedule for December 7th has been postponed.
Homework Due by Thursday, December 4th
1. Read for at least 20 minutes every night.
2. Complete at least 30 minutes of math practice.
3. Complete at least 20 minutes of typing practice on Typing.com
4. Optional: Compete Opinion Paragraph of the Week assignment on Google Classroom.
Prompt: Do you think kids your age should have free choice time in the classroom? Support your opinion.
Upcoming Out and Abouts
This week, we will visit with Skip Buhler from Lost Wax records to hear about how he started his own business in Forest Grove. Because of Skip's schedule, this Out & About will happen on Monday. We will use our project time on Wednesday to work on our puppet theater.
Next week, we will continue our study of electricity with a Toy Take Apart Day on December 14th! Students will work in small groups to safely dismantle and learn about the "guts" of their toys. We will need parents to help with disassembly, as well as donations of old/broken mechanical toys (stuffies with batteries or switches, dancing Santas, remote-control cars, etc). Tools Needed: All sizes of standard and Phillips head screwdrivers, pliers and wire cutters. Please label tools with your student's name so they can be returned.
Volunteer Opportunities
Breakfast Donations - Cereal or bagels needed this Friday.
Out & About Chaperones - In class support needed December 14th (12:00 - 2:45) for Toy Take Apart Day.
Scholastic Book Orders
December book orders are due Monday, December 5th. Books will arrive before Winter Break. If you plan to give books as a gift and do not want your student to see them, I can place your order in a paper bag or set them aside for you to pick up. Please send me an email if you do not want your child to see the order. Visit our class book club page to see this month's selection, including the Holiday Gift collection.
Third Grade Math Parent Info
Last week, the third graders began a new math unit on geometry, perimeter and area. Below you can find 2 handouts with more information on benchmarks for these new topics and ways to practice at home.
Family Letter
Activities To Try At Home
Weekly Review
Last week, the Plovers presented at All School Meeting and shared two videos with the school about reducing plastic waste: Story of a Spoon and What Really Happens to the Plastic You Throw Away? They also shared their business idea for a puppet theater that will re-use trash and recycling to make all of the puppets, props and sets. The Plovers are collecting and sorting recycling from around the school, and they will begin creating the pieces for their theater soon!
To help with our investigation of waste and recycling, we had an "In and About" focused on packaging. An educator from Metro brought real-life examples of how packaging is used to make things looks bigger, to provide space for advertising and to make products more convenient (like single-serve drinks and snacks). The Plovers worked in small groups to figure out the price-per-ounce for bulk packages and single-serve packages of the same foods. The bigger packages were much less expensive! Many students were surprised by the difference in cost and noticed how over-packaged some product are. Ask your Plover how many small, snack-sized chip bags it takes to fill up one family-sized bag!
We will have a day of waste-free fun on Friday, December 16th to celebrate our study of consumerism and the approaching launch of our classroom business! We have learned a lot about reducing trash and making choices that conserve energy and natural resources, and now students will put their new knowledge to the test! We will try to create zero waste the entire day. Students are asked to bring a snack/lunch with no packaging or wrappers that need to be thrown away. Recyclable and reusable containers only please! They should also bring a reusable mug or cup for hot chocolate (I will provide the drinks). We will have P.E at our regular time (11:50 - 12:50).
Communication
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Parents and students can e-mail me at [email protected]. You can also leave a voice message on the class phone or set up a time to meet with me before/after school.