Classroom News

​March 29, 2025

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Dear Families,

 

I hope this email finds you well. The week ahead is a busy one! Please see important reminders below:

• Monday, March 31 - Unit 5 Math Test. Students received a packet last week to practice/study at home. Thank you for helping your child to prepare!

• Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3- Students will take the ELA MCAS.  Please do your best to ensure that your child is in school and on time these days. We will have a small snack before we start the test each morning if you would like to send something in for your child to eat.  See below for some of the ways that we have been preparing!

Here are some things that we have been working on in the classroom:

 

CKLA

• Students continue to practice reading skills through our study of the solar system. 

• Students demonstrated comprehension of a text about gravity during a close reading activity.

• Students wrote a reflection about what they've learned about gravity.

• Students used correct punctuation in sentences with dialogue.

• Students demonstrated comprehension of a text read aloud about Nicolas Copernicus.

• Students collaborated to perform a Readers' Theater based on Nicolas Copernicus.

• Students compared and contrasted two texts about the moon landing and what it's like in space.

• Students used the meaning of suffixes to choose the correct word in sentences.

• Students demonstrated comprehension of an informational text about the space shuttle.

• Students began writing an informational paragraph using words that connect the sentences together in a logical sequence.

 

MCAS - Students have been learning about the tools on the computerized test and had opportunities to practice navigating on the computer.  We have reviewed past questions and passages. We also had a "Reading Marathon" on Friday to practice goal setting, stamina, positive self-talk, and power poses when things become challenging. Students even wore marathon race "bibs."

 

Math

• Students explored the concept of area using paper rectangles.

• Students estimated areas of various objects and then measured to find the actual area. 

• Students compared estimates to the actual measurement by finding the difference.

• Students learned about customary units of measurement and which form of measurement would be most efficient for a situation.

• Students learned that they can add areas/decompose a rectangle to find the total area in a more efficient way.

Science 

• Students continue to learn about the forces of magnetism and gravity.

• Students observed a "floating paper clip" experiment and discussed the forces at work.

• Students experimented with magnets to answer the question: "How is the magnetic force affected when more magnets are added?"

 

March 1, 2025

Dear Families,

 

Students hit the ground running this week as we returned from the February break!  Here are several important updates.

Thank you,

Erin

 

Old Sturbridge Village Field Trip Permission- Students are eagerly anticipating this field trip which will take place on Thursday, May 22!  A permission slip was sent home on Friday.  Please review, sign, and return the permission with a check for $36 made payable to "Center School" which covers the cost of Sturbridge admission.

 

Old Sturbridge Village Chaperones - If you are interested in volunteering to chaperone this field trip, please email me separately.  Chaperones must have.a current CORI on file in the office. Please stop by the office to complete your CORI. It can take a week or two for this to process.  

 

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Parent/Teacher Conferences are being held on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21.  Here is the schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions/scheduling concerns.  

 

CKLA -

Students wrapped up our unit on The Vikings.

Students read a variety of Norse myths and participated in a "Quest."

Students continued their study of conjunctions as part of speech.

Students worked with the suffixes -ive and -ly.

Students wrote a short description of their favorite character from the Norse myths.

Students made a comic to sequence the events in one of the Norse myths.

 

Math-

Students are beginning Unit 5 linking multiplication to division.

Students created and analyzed a chart of things that come in 4s.

Students helped to label the chart with multiplication and division equations.

Students built and discussed arrays to solve multiplication and division problems.

Students practiced solving problems in a "Game Store" and shared equations.

Students practiced math skills in Workplaces.

 

Social Studies

Students are finalizing our unit on the First People.

 

Important Dates:

3/14 - Half Day - Teacher Professional Development

3/20- Half Day - Parent/Teacher Conferences

3/21- Half Day - Parent/Teacher Conferences

 

Feb. 2, 2025

Dear Families,

I hope that you enjoyed a restful weekend. Here are just a few updates as we head into the week:

 

-Tuesday, Feb. 4 is the 100th Day of School.   To celebrate, students may dress as if they are 100 years old! Get creative with glasses, hair and outfits! This is, of course, completely optional.

 

-Also, we will celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, February 14th.  Please click here for information about this fun-filled day!

 

Finally, we wrapped up our CKLA unit on Light and Sound last week.  This week, we will begin our next unit about The Viking Age which includes an exciting Quest component. Hopefully your child is sharing their excitement with you at home!

 

Please reach out if you have any questions. Thanks.

Best,

Erin

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January 17, 2025

Dear Families,

 

Last week we had another great week of learning and student appreciation! 

 

Students enjoyed a puppet and magic show, had a cardinal scavenger hunt, and received festive T-shirts to celebrate. Thank you to the PTO for all that they did to make this happen for our students! 

Don't forget to ask your child about our fun sound experiment - we made salt bounce due to the vibrations of music!! 

 

Best,

Erin

 

Here's a quick peek at what we have been working on:

 

CKLA

-Students explored the vocabulary words: spectrum and medium 

-Students wrote to show the relationship between content vocabulary words about light, using information from a glossary, notes, and text

-Students discussed and answered comprehension and vocabulary questions related to the read aloud about how sound waves are created and how they travel

-Students sequenced events to explain how sound is created and how it travels

-Students watched a video clip and formed an opinion about whether they would be able to hear sound in water

-Students wrote words using suffixes -ous and -ly

-Students compared and contrasted sound and light energy

-Students wrote questions based on reading about sound and how it travels 

-Students enjoyed an experiment about sound using rubber bands and boxes and salt and a music speaker 

-Students chose adjectives, adverbs, and synonyms to expand simple sentences

 

Math

-Students continued to practice telling time to the nearest minute

-Students estimated, measured and compared the mass of different objects as a class.

-Students completed a time checkpoint

-Students solved problems involving liquid volume

-Students practiced their math multiplication facts

-Students played the game, Tic-Tack-Tock

 

SEL

Students read the book, The Curious Gardener, and discussed ways that they can make a difference/change in the world.

 

Important Dates:

1/24- Report cards available in PowerSchool parent portal

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January 12, 2025

Dear Families,

 

I hope that this email finds you enjoying the weekend!

 

This week is Student Appreciation Week at Center School.  Here is a look at the fun ahead for students:

Monday - Spirit Day: Hobby Day - bring one thing to school that is a component of what you love to do! Cardinal scavenger begins.

Tuesday -Grade 3 Students will be treated to a puppet show! Students will receive a t-shirt to wear on Friday.

Wednesday - Grade 3 Students will be treated to a magician!

Friday - Students will wear appreciation T-shirts and scavenger winners will be drawn.

 

Report Cards - Please note that report cards will be available on 1/24 electronically in PowerSchool. Please see attachment with log in directions.

 

Below please find a summary of the topics that we are studying and please reach out if you have any questions. Take a peek at our prism experiment! 

 

Best,

Erin

 

CKLA

-Started our next unit on Light and Sound

-Students described the concept of light

-Students found key ideas and details in the text introducing the concept of light

-Students took notes in response to the text about light

-Students reviewed the spelling sound, /ee/

-Students described and compared characters in a narrative text about light

-Students answered questions and provided evidence from an informational text about light

-Students compared and contrasted two texts about light

-Students summarized the main idea and supporting details presented in a video

-Students learned about adverbs that show "how" and end in -ly

-Students worked to complete an experiment about shadows

-Students recorded cause/effect notes about an experiment about light and different surfaces

-Students compared and contrasted ideas based on hands-on investigation with convex and concave reflections

-Students explored with prisms and wrote a summary about color and light. See photo below to see the rainbow we saw with the prism!

 

Math

-Students completed Unit 3 about addition and subtraction

-Students began Unit 4 about measurement and fractions

-Students learned about the hour and the minute hand

-Students learned about half past, quarter past and quarter to the hour

-Students learned and practiced the game Tic-Tack-Tock 

-Students enjoyed the book. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest and were introduced to scale and referents

-Students learned about the metric and U.S. customary systems of measurement and made reasonable estimates about capacity

 

Social Studies

-Students are learning about the First People of Massachusetts

-Students have begun taking notes about the Nipmuc tribe

-Students will continue to read and learn about other tribes and their contributions

-Students enjoyed a video describing The Wampanoag way of life and jotted their learning

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Welcome to Third Grade!  I hope that you are enjoying these fun summer days! I also hope you are able to find time to read a few good books. I look forward to sharing our favorite books and summer memories with one another this fall. 

 

Below is our class supply list.  Please bring in these items on the first day of school.                                         

  

• 1 zippered pencil pouch

• 1 pack of coloring items (either crayons or colored pencils- please no markers) 

• 1 pair of over the ear wired headphones (please no more than $15) 

• 1 picture of you reading somewhere

 

I can’t wait to meet you soon! :) 

Mrs. Craft

Center School Family Guide here:

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