Weekly Update #15: December 4 - December 8

Announcements:​

• December's Scholastic Book Orders: Get your child the gift of reading for the holidays.  Place your orders online - Your Class Activation Code NP79X.  The link to order is HERE.   Order from any of the online flyers!  Thank you for all your amazing support and online orders are due TOMORROW!!
  
• Third Grade T-Shirts: Please return the t-shirt order form and money by Wednesday, December 13th. It's critical that we get the order in next week. Please, let me know if you need a new order form. I can send one home with your child on Monday. Thanks
• Third Grade Winter Party: The party is scheduled for December 21 at 1:30pm. Our Classroom Mom, Mrs. Nair sent out an email last week about the party, the supplies and volunteers needed to make this party a success!  The link to help out and sign up is HERE.  
• Bluebonnet Book Program: Our class's goal for each student is to read 5 books! The Bluebonnet Program goes until mid-January so we have plenty of time to read, read, read.  So let's get to it!
  Bluebonnet Book List 2017 - 2018 http://www.txla.org/new-tba-list-released
  Mrs. Lilleboe's Bluebonnet Book Wish List http://a.co/j39aDD1
• Home Access Center: Check weekly to stay up to date on your child's academic progress. Link to Home Access Center.​   

Upcoming Events:​​​​.​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• December 9 - Last call for December Scholastic Book Orders!
• December 13 - Last day to turn in Third Grade T-shirt order form and money!!!
• December 15 or 18 - Math Unit DCA Test (Fractions and Multiplication/Division)
• December 19 or 20 - Science DCA Test (Landforms and Earth's Forces)
• December 20 - Last day to turn in any assignment for 2nd nine week grading period
• December 21 - 3rd Grade Winter Party @ 1:30pm 
• December 22 - No School Day for students (teacher work day)
• December 23 - January 8  Winter Break

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​What's Been Happening In Class?  

• Writing: We are still in our Expository writing and informational research unit. This week our focus was  on writing our expository essays. We brainstormed, wrote our rough draft and revise/edited our essays. If students did not get these 3 items completed this week, they were to take their writing journal home to complete over the weekend. Return writing journals on Monday as we will be writing our final drafts.   
• Reading: Our current unit is Informational Text (nonfiction reading).  We reviewed main idea and supporting details this week along with learning the difference between Facts and Opinions. We also  learned and practice the Compare and Contrast reading strategy. We'll continue to read more nonfiction next week and develop our reading comprehension strategies. 
• Math: We are deep into our next unit: Division. We've learned a variety of ways to solve a division problem (equal groups, arrays, skip counting, repeated subtraction and number lines). Our test for Fractions/Division/Multiplication will be December 15 or 18th. 
• Science:  We are deep into our new unit Landforms and Earth's Forces (Volcanos/Earthquakes/Landslides). Next week we'll do a variety of experiments/activities as we explore landslides, volcanoes and earthquakes. There are links for additional practice under the "Science Links" tab. My hope is to have the test on December 19 or 20th. 
• Social Studies: We are in our Maps unit. We created a topography map of the United States and practiced reading maps too. 
• Enrichment: We had eslot today!