St. Christopher School

October Highlights

Third graders have been making use of our wonderful Eno board in Math. We were able to use thousands, hunderds, tens, and ones blocks to build larger numbers. This certainly proved helpful in our study of place value. We also used our Math toolbar to pull up number lines to help us round and compare numbers. We've been visiting  interactive sites such as fun4thebrain.com, ixl.com and jigzone.com which allow the children to come up to the board.

Third graders have some exciting things going on in Science! We set up a germination station in our classroom using bean seeds. We created a "Vertebrate Alphabet" as we learned about vertebrates. Currently, we are learning all about invertebrates. We will observe real mealworms as they transform from the larva to the pupa stage. We'll use "Gummy Worm" candy to learn about the anatomy of real worms. We'll observe real creepy crawlies to determine which environment they prefer. We'll write job resumes for animals and focus on how their adaptations make them suited for various occupations.

"Kidspiration" is a great computer program that we will use to pull up graphic organizers and webs for English, Writing, and Reading throughout the month. We will summarize story events and write our own TV news report.  Later in the month,     Mrs. Labrecque will use the program to help us write our own myths and stories about a sunken treasure. After reading "The Magic Schoolbus," we will write a paragraph stating why or why not we would want to be in Mrs. Frizzle's class using a topic sentence, details, and an ending sentence.

The upcoming chapters in Religion focus on the return of Christ and the formation of the church. We will share ideas about how we think we would act and feel if we met Christ today as well as ways to prepare for his coming. We will visit webelieveweb.com for additional activities and games to enhance our learning. In addition, we will model Christian behavior as we periodically visit our Preschool Buddies to help them with games and projects.

** Beginning this month, we will have monthly book reports. Each month, a description of the assignment will go home for parents to review, sign, and return to school so I can be sure you are aware of the project. This month's book report will due Monday, October 31st.