October 2014
Third
Grade
News
Math
In Math we were working on
telling time to the minute, elapsed time, graphing, perimeter, and fact fluency.
Our next skill is Area. Our long term goal for third grade is multiplication
fact fluency.
Language
Arts
In language arts
we are working on close reading, vocabulary, and story elements: character,
setting, theme.
Writing
In writing we are using
dialogue marks and commas in our narrative writing. We have created personal narratives, tall
tales and we will begin our expository writing about food. We are also learning our parts of speech. We
need to know pronouns, verbs nouns, common and proper.
If you need our emails:
Empire School Phone is: 815.232.0380
Homework:
Every night: read for
15-20 minutes
Study math facts
Monday-Thursday: Study
Vocabulary and Word Study/Spelling
Friday: Test
day for reading, vocabulary and
word
study/spelling.
Math: Tests
throughout the week.
Important Dates:
October 6: Fire Safety Program
October 13: No School
October 17: End of 1st Quarter
October 20: Dental Clinic
October 22: Report
Cards go home
October 24: Eagle Pride Assembly
October 28: Picture
Re-take Day
October
31: Fall Festival Celebrations 2:30 pm
“Schoolwork"
by Jim Fay
You’re on your way home from work. You’re anxious
for some encouraging talk and a little relaxation after a hard day. You need all
the support you can get to recharge your batteries and feel strong enough to go
back tomorrow and face another working day.
You
are greeted with, "Hi, Honey. How was it today? Where are your papers? I
want to see how you did all day." "It was OK," you reply.
"I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m really beat." "Well,
no wonder you don’t want to talk about it. Look at these papers. You can do a
lot better than this. Where was your mind today? You sit down right now and
we’ll go over these proposals you wrote and get the spelling straightened out.
And look at these paragraphs. You’ll never get promoted at this rate. I don’t
understand this. You have so much more potential than this."
How
long would it be before you find a more comfortable place to go after work?
"Who needs this?" you’ll say."I can find someone who can show me
a little more appreciation for my hard work!"
Many
school–age children face this same situation daily. They are greeted after
school with, "What did you learn today?" and "Where is your
homework? You get on it right now!"
Children
are also requested to bring home their papers so that the mistakes can be
corrected. Even though this is done with love and caring, it trains them to
focus on their weaknesses.
The
problem faced by students is that they can’t choose to go somewhere else after
school. They can’t avoid facing a replay of their daily failures. They must
return home and listen to whatever their parents have to say. It is very
difficult for a child to say,"Mother! Do you realize you are training me
to keep my school progress a secret from you?" Soon they quit bringing
home papers. They make excuses and blame it on their teachers. "She never
gives me my papers to bring home."
The
next step is for the parent to go to school demanding that the teacher develop
some sort of foolproof reporting method. Teachers are actually faced with
writing daily and weekly reports for parents. This never provides a long-term
solution because it addresses the wrong problem. It also robs teachers of valuable
teaching and preparation time.
The
real problem is that the child has learned that it is unsafe to discuss school
with his or her parents. Rather than developing a reporting plan, it is much
wiser to work on the real problem–helping children and parents learn to talk to
each other in safe and supportive ways. This solution works, and it lasts a
lifetime.
You
can teach your child to discuss school with you. While you are doing this, you
can also lay the foundation blocks that will build a true winner out of your
youngster.
STEP
ONE: Sit down with your children two to three times per week. Have them
point out the best things they did on their papers.
STEP
TWO: Make sure your child describes to you the reasons for his or her
success. As they put these into words, the reasons for the success will be
imprinted on their brain, never to be erased. They will start to believe they
are in control of their success.
STEP
THREE: Work with your children on their mistakes only when they ask for your
help. Let the school work on deficiencies. Teachers have training to help with
the deficiencies in effective ways.
STEP
FOUR: Be patient. This is a real change in operation. It will take the child
a period of time to believe that this is not just a new phase his parents are
going through. Look for the real benefits to show up in several months or maybe
during the next few years, depending upon the child’s past history.
Winners
always think about how they are going to succeed. Losers always think about
their possible failures.
©1998
Jim Fay
Permission granted for photocopy reproduction.
Please do not alter or modify contents.
For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at (800) 338-4065.
Permission granted for photocopy reproduction.
Please do not alter or modify contents.
For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at (800) 338-4065.
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