Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy 4-Day Weekend!!

Dear class (parents and students),

I just wanted to thank you for a great start to this school year.  Please have lots of fun and be safe this weekend!

See you Wednesday,

- Mr. B

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Practice Quiz!  (please copy the words down in your journal as you spell them)
- Science:  Finish the Aquatic Environments page(s) in your Science binder.*

*The directions from class are to describe the environment using words and pictures, using the knowledge from this week's science lessons.  Please write in complete sentences and use color for your illustrations! 

Things to include:  What does the environment look like?  What makes it different from other aquatic environments?  What are some examples of living things you might find in the environment?

Have fun!

- Mr. B

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes

- Word Study:  Menu Item

- Math:  Finish Review Packet from yesterday (due tomorrow!)

Best of luck!

- Mr. B

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Homework

Hello again!

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes with a great book

- Word Study:  Menu Item (choice)*
*Please try and choose two different items each week.  I've noticed that many students are choosing to do the draw and label option over and over and over.

- Math:  Review Packet **DUE THURSDAY**
This is a lengthy packet that covers most of the math concepts we've covered so far this quarter.  Do your best; we'll go over it on Thursday!  Please don't hesitate to ask me for help sometime tomorrow (lunch & ELT are good times to do so).

- Mr. B

Monday, October 25, 2010

Word Study Sorts

Here are the sorts for this week.  If you need help remembering which one is yours, please just email me at:  jbalnave@k12albemarle.org





 Enjoy!

- Mr. B

Homework

Hello!

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Cut, Sort & Copy down in journal.
- Math:  Finish Graphing Packet "Measuring Up"

I will post the Word Study sorts when I get home tonight (should be around 7:00 p.m.).

- Mr. B

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Practice Test (do a practice quiz @ home and write down your words in your journal)
- Math:  Rounding Quiz tomorrow (short, maybe 10 questions...feel free to practice on your own, otherwise, just get plenty of sleep tonight so you're ready to go tomorrow!)

- Mr. B

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes with a good book
- Word Study:  Menu Item (choice)
- Finish Rounding Practice (Round and Round and Round)

Tonight's math homework builds off of what we did in class today.  In class, students partnered up and selected something from the classroom that they could count (it had to be a biiig number).  It might have been the number of ceiling tiles in the room (166), the number of books on a bookshelf (293), the number of pencils in our room (317) or the number of individual letters found on our class roster (420).

First, students ESTIMATED their number.  They rounded this estimate to the nearest 1,000, 100, and 10.  Next, they got to count up and find the EXACT number.  They rounded this exact number to the nearest 1,000, 100, and 10.  It was interesting to see reactions related to how close their estimates were to the actual number!

Here's an example problem from tonight's Math homework:

The exact #          Round to 1,000s          Round to 100s          Round to 10s
4,298                    4,000                           4,300                        4,300

I'd love to see some of the strategies we've been working on in class show up at home.  Things like underlining the digit you're rounding to, writing down the "friendly numbers" that are on either side, etc.

Please note that we will have a short Rounding Quiz on Friday, October 22nd.

Thanks for reading & good luck tonight!

- Mr. B

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Menu Item (your choice)
- Math:  Rounding Practice worksheet (rounding to the nearest 10 and 100)

Example Problems (answers in red):

Round to the nearest 10

40     47     50     It is closer to 50

Round to the nearest 100

    78     100     It is closer to 100

Have fun!

- Mr. B

Monday, October 18, 2010

Homework + Conferences

Hello!

Tonight's homework is:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Cut, Sort & Copy down in your WS journal.
- Math:  "Close Enough!" worksheet (estimation).

Also, apologies for the tardy Monday folders this week!  They will go home tomorrow containing the usual forms (Brownsville Buzzings newsletter, PTO forms, etc.).  They will also have information regarding the upcoming parent-teacher conferences that are to be scheduled.

The days I have set aside are (this) Friday, October 22nd, (next) Monday, October 25th & Tuesday, October 26th.  If these days are not convenient for you, please don't worry!  Just let me know and we can find a date/time that work better with your schedule.  Time slots are available from 2:40 - 6:00 p.m. (agian, I am flexible here).  Please return the bottom portion of the conference letter into school to reserve a time slot (you can also let me know via email).  Thanks for your attention when it comes to this form.

- Mr. B

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes with a good book
- Word Study:  Practice Quiz!  We will have a spelling quiz on your homophones tomorrow.
- Science:  Study for your Animal Adaptations & Food Chains Test (bring home Science Binders)

No Math homework!

- Mr. B

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes
- Word Study:  Menu Item with homophones
- Math:  Where's Wilber? worksheet (front/back)

We will have our Animal Adaptations & Food Chains Test on Friday!  Please review the vocabulary words prior to the test. 

In Math we are working on rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000.

Students, don't forget to share your owl pellet experience with your parents!

- Mr. B

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Homework

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Columbus Day weekend.

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study (like a Monday):  Cut, Sort & Copy down in your journal.
*This week we are studying homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently), students just match the homophones together for their sort.  It would be helpful to go over the meanings of each spelling to check for understanding.
- Science: Look over the Life Systems Science Test Study Guide & complete the review sheet (front/back).  The test will take place on Friday, October 15th.

Good luck!

- Mr. B

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Homework

Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 min.
- Word Study:  Menu Item
- Science:  Make 2 Food Chains
     *Blue paper should have an Aquatic (Water) Food Chain
     *Green paper should have a Terrestrial (Land) Food Chain
- NO MATH HOMEWORK:  There will be a quiz on Friday on place value (up to hundred thousands) and comparing numbers (>, <, =).

With the Food Chain homework:
Be creative!  Use color!  We've discussed and created lots and lots of food chains in class.  It's time to make one on your own.  Remember that the sun is the source of all food chains on earth, followed by a producer, and so on.

For a model (notice the arrows showing the direction of the energy) and more food chain practice, you can go here:  Food Chain Game

Have a great night!

- Mr. B

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Scan of HW

Here's a copy of our homework (I realize it's probably too late, I'll get better at this).

In class, we spent time really working on conceptualizing rounding (building number line mountains).  Tonight's homework may have taken a while if you did that for every problem.  Tomorrow in class we'll talk about a faster strategy for rounding (mentioned in the "brain box").


It's always interesting to see which 3rd graders take the time to read the directions fully.  This particular worksheet asks students to circle/box their answers depending on whether they rounded up/down.
- Mr. B

Homework

Hello!

Tonight's Homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes with a good book
- Word Study:  Choose a menu item to do using your words
- Math:  Complete the rounding numbers worksheet (I'll upload an image of it when I get home)

Please note, there will be a Math Quiz this Friday (10/8) on:
- place value (identifying up to the hundred thousands, building the biggest/smallest #)
- standard/written/expanded form for numbers (e.g., "237"/"two hundred thirty-seven"/"200 + 30 + 7")
- comparing numbers (greater than/less than/equal to)

Today 1st quarter interims went home in backpacks.  Parents, please take a look and return the form with your signature so that I know you've seen it.  If you have any questions or concerns, I am at your convenience.  You can reach me via e-mail, phone or backpack note.

Have a great day!

- Mr. B

Monday, October 4, 2010

Testing, testing...does the scanner work?

Just trying to see if I can post tonight's homework...


- Mr. B

Homework + Leaf T-Shirts

Hello again!

Today we decorated and (almost) bleached our Fall Leaf T-Shirts.  Many thanks to the parents who showed up to help make things work!  Unfortunately for everyone, I messed up and brought in "chlorine-free" bleach which does not do the trick!  Lesson learned, and with our newfound experience we'll finish up the T-Shirt project later this week.  There were some very cool designs and I'm excited to see what the finished product will look like!



Tonight's homework:

- Read 20-30 minutes with a good book
- Word Study:  cut out your words, sort them at home & copy your sort down in your WS journal
- Math:  complete the "greater than/less than" exit slip (3.3a & 3.3b)

Thanks for reading!

- Mr. B