Third graders had quite the week! On top of working hard in class each day, they demonstrated their Cottonwood Creek spirit while participating in the solar eclipse viewing on Monday and Run4 Funds on Friday. Our class theme was "Minatta Mustaches!" Lap cards are coming home today, so you'll have a chance to see just how many laps your third grader completed! In the classroom, third graders have been reviewing addition strategies, working on stoplight paragraph writing, building their reading stamina and analyzing the history of Denver. It's been a busy week! Math this week centered on review of the strategies used in solving addition story problems. Third graders were asked to underline important information in a story problem and determine what it was asking them to do. They then solved, making sure to show their thinking! Next week, we will continue with addition strategies and also begin our review of subtraction. Stoplight paragraph writing is a technique we use to craft a structured, well-written paragraph. Most third graders learned the writing style in second grade, and we are continuing it in third! It provides a great foundation for writers beginning to find their voice. Moving forward, we will continue to use the stoplight style, writing about a variety of topics. We will start adding more details to our writing and working to incorporate examples. Writing is an excellent way to express creativity, and third grade writers will be encouraged to stretch their thinking! In reader’s workshop, third graders have been discussing the purpose of reading itself, and what our reader’s workshop time should look like. We practiced selecting “good fit” books, and began tracking our thinking by placing sticky notes with thoughts and questions in our independent reading books. Next week, we will begin talks about book genres and review reading strategies students have learned over time. In social studies, we began our unit on Denver history by analyzing the Colorado state flag and the city of Denver’s flag. Students noticed they are very similar, with specific meaning behind each color and symbol. We will continue exploring the history of Denver next week when we learn about its earliest residents. Business:
Welcome to our third grade classroom! Third graders are off to a fantastic start, and have worked SO hard this week to get back into the school routine! This school year, a variety of flexible seating options are available to third graders. Students have the option to sit at low or high tables, in bucket seats, on cushions, and even on yoga balls during work time. So far, the flexible seating options have been a successful new addition to our classroom and third graders are treating our materials with respect and responsibility. See the gallery of pictures below! Besides getting to know our classroom, third graders spent the week meeting and getting to know one another. Students participated in a variety of team-building exercises like cup-stacking, brainstorming a class promise, creating team names, and sharing what makes them each unique. We are incredibly lucky to have such a friendly class… Third graders are already looking out for one another and supporting each other throughout the school day. Next week, students will be back in the full swing of things. We will continue establishing routines and jump right into our academic material. We will start Wordly Wise lessons, begin Unit 1 of Bridges in Mathematics, and even have typing homework. Third graders will be expected to complete their homework assignments and bring back their red homework folder every day. Below you'll find links to school information and flyers passed out during the week. Again, we're off to a great start in third grade! Looking forward to the rest of the year :) Welcome back to school, third grade families! My name is Kelli Minatta, and I am eager to get this 2017-2018 school year started! This blog will serve as an information hub... A place where you can find all the latest and greatest third grade news and happenings. On it, students and parents can find important information on our curriculum, homework, upcoming projects, parent paperwork, and most importantly... What we're working on in third grade. So take some time, explore the site, and get ready to have an awesome year!!!
See you soon :) -Mrs. Minatta |
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Mrs. Minatta is a third grade teacher at Cottonwood Creek Elementary. See and read all about what third graders are up to throughout the school year! Archives
March 2021
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