AuthorMr. Campana Archives
March 2024
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Newsletter #114/30/2024 Upcoming:May 3: Family Fun Night, 5:30-7:30 at Ellicott May 7 and 8: NY State Math tests May 15: Penn-Dixie Fossil Park Field Trip 9:30 - 12:00 June 3: 3rd Grade FUN DAY! (Rain date June 6) June 21: Last day of school (updated to reflect Snow Days...) Math ReviewWe've been doing some daily review of concepts that will be on the state tests coming up next week. Look for these completed packets coming home. The state tests are on May 7 and 8 in the morning. Language ArtsIn Language Arts, we are reading nonfiction books in research clubs. Students are learning to categorize information and to summarize important information from a variety of books. We're also looking at nonfiction text structures and features. Science
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We're also reading fiction chapter books in Book Clubs. After each chapter, each Book Club meets to share their observations about the chapter. We're paying special attention to a character's words and actions to help us understand more about their character traits. You can practice this at home by asking your child after their nightly reading:
| Our class Read Aloud is: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo |
Spring Break: March 29- April 8!
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February 16: half day
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Newsletter #9
2/7/2024
Valentines and Field Trip
On Wednesday, February 14, we are taking a field trip to Kleinhan's Music Hall in Buffalo. We will take the bus at 9:20 and be back to school in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, we will have our Valentines exchange. I sent home a class list today. It's okay to bring in prepackaged treats to share with classmates. Please be aware that treats must be nut-free and we have students with gluten and lactose sensitivities.
In the afternoon, we will have our Valentines exchange. I sent home a class list today. It's okay to bring in prepackaged treats to share with classmates. Please be aware that treats must be nut-free and we have students with gluten and lactose sensitivities.
February 16: half day
February 19-23: Mid-winter recess
Visiting Author Book Order Forms: due by this Friday (extra copy is below)
Math
We're finishing up our Unit 5 work on Multiplication and Division this week and will take our unit test in the next few days.
Our next Unit is Fractions. Please see the Family Letters below for more information about the unit. I also sent home a paper copy of these letters.
Our next Unit is Fractions. Please see the Family Letters below for more information about the unit. I also sent home a paper copy of these letters.
Coming soon: Writing-- Presentation Projects
Our class has been busy writing chapters about nonfiction topics. This week, I will be explaining an upcoming presentation project to the class. In short, students will be presenting a POSTER or a 2-5 minute student-created VIDEO about their topic. A sneak peek of the project is below:
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Newsletter #8
1/10/2024
Coming Soon:
February 14-- Music Field Trip to Kleinhan's Music Hall, Buffalo. We will take the bus at 9:20 and be back to school in time for lunch. No chaperones needed. More information will be coming this month from the Music Department.
February 14-- Music Field Trip to Kleinhan's Music Hall, Buffalo. We will take the bus at 9:20 and be back to school in time for lunch. No chaperones needed. More information will be coming this month from the Music Department.
Recess Gear-- Remember to send in snow pants, boots, hats, jackets and gloves on snowy days. We go outside most days above 25 degrees. If you'd like to leave some of these at school, a reusable shopping bag works well to hold loose items on your child's coat hook.
Math
We have completed our unit focused on addition and subtraction. Look for our finished unit tests to come home next week. Students have been doing a great job showing their work and using number lines for addition and subtraction.
Our current unit brings us back to exploring multiplication and division, building upon the skills that we touched upon in September and October. See the letter below for examples of the material that we are reviewing.
Keep practicing multiplication math facts at home. A few minutes a day goes a long way! Reviewing the weekly math homework is a great way to support your child at home.
Our current unit brings us back to exploring multiplication and division, building upon the skills that we touched upon in September and October. See the letter below for examples of the material that we are reviewing.
Keep practicing multiplication math facts at home. A few minutes a day goes a long way! Reviewing the weekly math homework is a great way to support your child at home.
Language Arts
Our current unit of study is in nonfiction reading. A large focus of this work is learning to locate Main Ideas and Supporting Details as we read.
When we read nonfiction, we look for how the information fits together to build a larger idea.
When we read nonfiction, we look for how the information fits together to build a larger idea.
Science
Third graders are learning about Weather and Climate over the next month. During this unit we will even be rotating classes to learn from several other third grade teachers! This time of year always has a lot to offer in the form of weather!
Ellicott Bookstore Open for 3rd graders on Wednesdays
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Last chance to order... Final Square1 Art orders due Dec. 12!
Coming soon:
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Newsletter #7
12/11/2023
Last chance to order... Final Square1 Art orders due Dec. 12!
Coming soon:
December 21, 1:30-2:30: Class party! We are all set for volunteers.
Winter Break: Dec. 25-Jan 2.
Winter Break: Dec. 25-Jan 2.
Conferences Complete
Thank you families for a productive week of conferences. It's always so helpful to have these discussions. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there are any further questions or concerns.
Writing Celebration!
Last week, other students and teachers came to our class to read our personal narratives! We also went to other third grade classes to read their writing too. Students left feedback on each story that they read and we had a great time! We will send this writing home before we leave for break.
Food drive until 12/15
Keep bringing in nonperishable food for our Ellicott food drive! Bins are in the foyer of the school.
Spirit Days next week
Thank you!
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Newsletter #6
11/16/2023
Nov. 22-24 Thanksgiving Break.
Dec. 1 and 4: half days. (conferences) Sign up here
Dec. 1 and 4: half days. (conferences) Sign up here
There will be no math homework next week because we are only in session for two days.
After School Club Info (Tuesdays 3:30-4:10)
Sign ups start through email on 11/17 at 6:00pm. See attached flyer for information.
Winter Coat Drive
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Newsletter #5
11/3/2023
Wednesday, 11/8 Veterans Day Breakfast
Friday, 11/10- No School Veterans Day
Monday. 11/13- Half Day (11:30 dismissal)
Tuesday, 11/14- Picture retakes
Nov. 22-24- Thanksgiving Break
Friday, 11/10- No School Veterans Day
Monday. 11/13- Half Day (11:30 dismissal)
Tuesday, 11/14- Picture retakes
Nov. 22-24- Thanksgiving Break
Fire Safety Demonstration
Thank you to the Hillcrest Volunteer Fire Department for providing presentations about fire safety to our class in October!
Halloween Party
Thank you parents for creating a very fun Halloween party for our class! I sent a link through Remind to photos from the party. If you were not able to access it, please let me know.
Veterans Day
Our class made cards for our Veterans visiting this coming Wednesday for the Veterans Day breakfast at Ellicott. Thank you veterans for your service!
No school on 11/10 and a half day on 11/13.
No school on 11/10 and a half day on 11/13.
Math
We are learning about adding and subtracting within 1000. We've also been practicing rounding to the nearest 10 and 100.
Here are two games that can be played anytime that use rounding:
Here are two games that can be played anytime that use rounding:
Language Arts
Each day we are practicing writing and editing sentences for correct grammar and punctuation. We've been paying special attention to capital letters at the start of a sentence and punctuation at the end.
A good place to support this at home is by checking the math word problems that we write for homework each week. Check for correct capital letters and punctuation.
We've also been reading mysteries. We are learning to look carefully for clues and to make predictions using those clues. Our class read aloud is : A-Z Mysteries- The Absent Author
A good place to support this at home is by checking the math word problems that we write for homework each week. Check for correct capital letters and punctuation.
We've also been reading mysteries. We are learning to look carefully for clues and to make predictions using those clues. Our class read aloud is : A-Z Mysteries- The Absent Author
Science
In science we're learning about forces and motion. We've especially been experimenting with pendulums. This week we explored if the length of the pendulum's string affects how many times it swings in 10 seconds. Ask your child what they discovered! We've had a few great discussions about variables and how to make investigations yield consistent results.
Have a great weekend!!
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Oct 31- Halloween
Schoolwide info that went home:
Here are some guidelines we ask all families to follow in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween at Ellicott.
Costumes
Students are encouraged to wear costumes but please keep in mind:
Thank you for your cooperation!
Diana Nigro, Principal
Krista George, Assistant Principal
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Halloween and Family Movie Night
10/26/2023
Oct 31- Halloween
Nov 2- Family Movie Night
Halloween!
- Our Halloween party will be on 10/31 from approx. 1:30-2:40. Parent volunteers should arrive between 1:20 - 1:30.
- Wear your costume to school. Remember that you will be at school all day, so if there are really large/uncomfortable parts of your costume you may want to leave those at home and save them for trick-or-treating. Our special on Halloween is STEM.
- Students may bring in prepackaged small treats to share. ***NO NUTS of any kind!
Schoolwide info that went home:
Here are some guidelines we ask all families to follow in order to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween at Ellicott.
Costumes
Students are encouraged to wear costumes but please keep in mind:
- No costumes that are violent or gory in nature.
- Weapons, even toy weapons, are NOT allowed.
- Costume masks and accessories should be kept at home.
- No face paint.
- Students should wear their costumes to school over their regular clothes.
- Each teacher will communicate their classroom plans and if volunteers are needed.
- Each teacher will outline any dietary/allergy restrictions within the classroom.
- No homemade treats are allowed.
- Pre-packaged, store-bought, individual snacks and treats may be passed out based on the classroom plans.
- Please be aware of food allergies in your students’ room and always check with the teacher if you are unsure if a treat is allowed.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Diana Nigro, Principal
Krista George, Assistant Principal
Family Movie Night
If you haven't already, consider joining the PTO!
Each membership assists with the funding for our school events/activities, in-house programs, Fun Day treats, and class t-shirts, just to name a few. We are so lucky to have such amazing support from our families!
We have a very large school so remember to RSVP to the big events to help out with the organizing and planning.
We have a very large school so remember to RSVP to the big events to help out with the organizing and planning.
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Newsletter #4
10/6/2023
Coming Soon!
Oct. 9 No School
Oct. 10 PTO Fall Social and Book Fair
Oct. 11 Picture Day (1:40)
Oct. 17 Fire Safety Assembly
Oct. 26 11:30 dismissal
Oct. 31 Halloween Party- 1:30-2:45
Oct. 10 PTO Fall Social and Book Fair
Oct. 11 Picture Day (1:40)
Oct. 17 Fire Safety Assembly
Oct. 26 11:30 dismissal
Oct. 31 Halloween Party- 1:30-2:45
Homework
Hopefully you and your student are getting into a good routine for homework. They should be reading 20 minutes Mon-Thursday and completing one math worksheet (due the first day of the week). October also includes marking the Play 60 booklet for any day that they play 60+ minutes. I will collect the Play 60 booklets at the end of the month.
Each morning, we write down our assignment for that night. If they have their agenda open and on their desk in the morning, they will get a stamp for the previous day. Feel free to initial the agenda if you'd like (not required). Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Each morning, we write down our assignment for that night. If they have their agenda open and on their desk in the morning, they will get a stamp for the previous day. Feel free to initial the agenda if you'd like (not required). Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Halloween Party
If you have already completed the volunteer survey and indicated that you would like to help out with Halloween, you should have the Halloween sign up in your email (If not, send me an email).
If you would like to be included in this or future volunteer opportunities, please fill out the form below so I can get your permission to share your email with other parents. Thanks!
If you would like to be included in this or future volunteer opportunities, please fill out the form below so I can get your permission to share your email with other parents. Thanks!
Virtual Author Visit
This week, we were able to catch some of this live author Q&A with Rick Riordan. Here's the recording in case anyone wants to check it out!
Have a great weekend!
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Newsletter #3
9/29/2023
Hello families,
We've already had a lot going on these first few weeks! It was great to meet you on Parent Information Night and again at the Walk for Ellicott. It's been challenging being out sick for an entire week this early in the year, so I definitely appreciate your patience and support as we get this year moving! :)
We've already had a lot going on these first few weeks! It was great to meet you on Parent Information Night and again at the Walk for Ellicott. It's been challenging being out sick for an entire week this early in the year, so I definitely appreciate your patience and support as we get this year moving! :)
Coming Soon
October 9 No School
October 10, 5:30 -7:30 Fall Social and Evening Book Fair at Ellicott
October 11 Picture Day
October 10, 5:30 -7:30 Fall Social and Evening Book Fair at Ellicott
October 11 Picture Day
Scholastic Book Orders
If you would like to place a Scholastic order for September, please do so by tonight. I'll submit the order on Saturday.
Place your orders online at scholastic.com. Scan the QR code on the flyer or go to scholastic.com and look up our class.
Place your orders online at scholastic.com. Scan the QR code on the flyer or go to scholastic.com and look up our class.
Conferences
SIGN UP HERE
Parent conferences are at the beginning of December. There is an option for in person or Google Meet. If you would like to try to work out an alternate day/time, please let me know.
Parent conferences are at the beginning of December. There is an option for in person or Google Meet. If you would like to try to work out an alternate day/time, please let me know.
Language Arts
At the start of the year, we are establishing good reading routines and reading fiction books. Students are learning to notice important parts when they read and how to write it down. We've been practicing talking about books with others.
How you can help at home:
Make sure that your child is completing 15+ minutes of reading each night.
When they finish reading, ask a question or two about what they read ( keep it short!)
How you can help at home:
Make sure that your child is completing 15+ minutes of reading each night.
When they finish reading, ask a question or two about what they read ( keep it short!)
- What was the most important part of what you read today? (summarize) Why was that important?
- What are you thinking about the characters? (are they determined, trustworthy, mean...)What did they do that makes you think that?
- What do you think will happen next? (prediction)
Grammar- we are learning the parts of speech and how to recognize them in sentences. Some of the videos that we've used in class are linked HERE
Math
We're exploring basic multiplication with simple word problems. There are some good games for practice HERE
How you can help at home:
Students are completing one sheet of math homework each week.
How you can help at home:
Students are completing one sheet of math homework each week.
- Check their work on the front and encourage them to try the optional games on the back.
- Complete the activity on the back with your child if you can. They love that!
- We will start learning multiplication facts soon. Get a head start by practicing x2, x5, and x10 facts.
Social Studies
Students have been looking at different kinds of maps and learning about continents. A lot of students had fun exploring this VIRTUAL TOUR of ANTARCTICA.