This has been a week of changes.  We have added a student photographer to our jobs list.  This came about because the children wanted to add more visual information to their blog posts.  We have rearranged our schedule so there are more small group learning opportunities in our day.  This is an effort to help more of the class to stay focused.  It seems to be working – but with just four days under our belts it is hard to tell.  Ask your child how she or he feels about the schedule changes?  Does he think he is getting more writing done?  Does she feel as though she can read all that she wants?  How is he feeling about math and understanding multiplication and division?  Does she feel she is learning more about magnets and the research process?

Perspective Taking – Becoming More Self-Aware

This week we have continued to examine our choices.  We have wondered if people intentionally set out to be annoying.  In the end we decided that most of the time they do not.  This led us into a discussion about what to do when we find ourselves annoyed.  What can we do?

We know about I-statements.  Sometimes those work, but sometimes they do not.  We also realized that we could try to look at things in a different way.  Anna Maria, a character in a series of books we’ve been reading, is smart and capable.  At first she seemed mean and we described her as a bossy show-off.  When we looked again we realized she was saying what she thought was true and that maybe she was proud because she knew what others didn’t.  We realized she didn’t think, “I’m going to say something mean so my classmates will think I am bossy.”  We talked about what we might do to help.  Taking a different perspective is challenging.  We are having great discussions.  I think the children are becoming more self-aware and more self-disciplined.  We are working toward creating a more peaceful and more productive classroom.  Ask your child how he or she feels we are doing.

Increased Writing Output

Last week the staff had the opportunity to learn with Chris Lehman.  He had a great deal to share with us.  He spent Thursday visiting classrooms and working with the students. On Friday he shared his observations and made some recommendations to the staff.  One thing he noticed was that the children were not writing nearly enough to meet the CCSS standards and challenged us to find ways to increase writing output.  He said that our third graders should be writing 2 to 3 full pages in a 40-minute writing session.  The children have heard that and have begun working toward that goal.  Several of the children find that outcome challenging while others see it as an exciting challenge.  We are going to keep track of how many pages our class writes across a week as a way to stay focused on that goal – the more we write, the better our writing will become.  Practice certainly leads to greater accomplishments.

Read – Cover – Jot – Reread

The children are coming to the end of the reading and research portion of our world geography project.  They have learned the difference between skimming and scanning and reading for understanding.  We have been reading a booklet about magnets and practicing a four step note-taking procedure with each page.  This helps the children focus on reading for meaning while allowing them to develop strategies with synthesis and summarizing.

After reading a page or a section the children cover the text so they are not tempted to copy.  They write what stood out to them as the main idea of that section.  When that has been “jotted” down they go back to reread to add important details.  This process is helping the children notice whether they are reading for meaning and how they are able to express their understanding.  Do they restate facts or are they able to retell in their own words.

Bits and Pieces –

•  We’re still enjoying Peter and the Starcatchers.  It is an exciting adventure.  Ask your child about the action and how things are going on Mollusk Island.
• We continue to blog each week.  Several of the children have received comments from different parts of the country and world.  Take a moment to see what the children are posting.  You can certainly see their interests and passions and how they are trying to interest and inform their readers.  We are working to connect with different 3rd grade classes – one in Dublin, Ohio and another in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.  It is always surprising how much time each thing takes.  We could use many more hours in our day in order to make everything happen.
• As of now the 100th day of school will be February 11.  We are going to continue the tradition of collecting food by the hundreds for the Seacoast Food Pantry.  Third grade is collecting cans of tuna or chicken.  We reached our goal.  Thank you for contributing to this project.  It is great to see what 100 looks like in so many different shapes and sizes.  Some of the children would like the 100th day of school to be a pajama day.  Others are not too fond of that idea.  Either way is fine.
• We are planning a science and social studies related field trip to SEE Science Center in Manchester on Wednesday, February 12.  Children will need lunches on that day.
• We have an outdoor challenge scheduled for next week, February 13.  If the snow lasts and the weather is permitting we will most likely be snowshoeing.  Please make sure your child is prepared for that.
•  A reminder:  our museum will be Tuesday, February 18 from 6:15 to 7:15.  Please mark your calendars and save the date.