In The Classroom

Music – Mr. Shaw

Before the end of the school year students will perform their final vocal assessment. The children will have the option of singing in a small ensemble (duet, trio, and quartet) or solo. We will use many of the songs that we have been working on this spring. Students may select the song that they will perform the best from the following list: Do-Re Mi, Give My Regards to Broadway, God Bless the USA, Home on the Range, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, If I Had a Hammer, Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, Oh! Susanna, Over My Head, Puff the Magic Dragon, This Land is Your Land, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Yesterday, and Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah. These songs are from the Get America Singing Again anthology. This project was created by the Music Educator’s National Conference to emphasize the need to preserve songs that are part of our American cultural heritage, which includes folk songs and many other favorites. The campaign’s main objective is to establish a common song repertoire that Americans of all ages know and can sing.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Discuss music as a means of expressing emotions and how it can evoke images and feelings.
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary (tempo, pitch, dynamics, instrumentation, and mood).
• Keep a steady beat while singing.
• Read, sing, and play visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Spring is a very busy time at HMJDS with our observing the sixty-fourth birthday of Israel (Yom HaAtzma’ut), Art Adventures, and Fitness Week. I hope your student(s) picked activities for Fitness Week that will provide them with a fulfilling experience.

What’s Going On?

Your Third Grader just completed a volleyball unit. They started out learning and practicing eye-tracking and striking skills using beach balls. During the second half of volleyball students were taught a modified volleyball game called “nuke ’em,” where they learned conventional positioning, front line and back line player rotation, conventional underhand serving, and scoring.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and learn the difference between offense and defense. We will finish the school year as we always do, playing softball in the warm sunshine.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is the week of May 28 so look for volunteer opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

The Fruits of our Labors

Third graders have been learning to keyboard the entire year. They have been picking up skills at differing rates which is why we use a self-paced program. Soon, you are going to have a chance to see exactly how your child’s work translates into a real typing situation. Your student will soon be required to type a paper in Ms. Coats’ class. You will likely be amazed by what you see! Some students will type quickly, while others may slowly plod one letter at a time. This is an opportunity for you to evaluate your child’s typing skills

Each year, students will be required to type longer papers. In fourth grade at HMJDS, there is a multi-page typed research paper due. Beyond that, every paper your child turns in will need to be typed. If your child is typing properly and fairly fast, their progress should continue to improve as will their speed. If your child is typing improperly and very slowly it is time to PRACTICE! For students who are typing slowly, parents can share the task of typing with their child. The child can type for 10 minutes, then the parent types for 2 back and forth until typing is complete.

As you watch your child type, ask yourself, “Is this where I want my child to be?” If the answer is no, please make sure that your child continues to practice and work on keyboarding throughout the summer (with the keyboard covered!) to improve.

General Studies – Ms. Coats

It was a pleasure meeting with all of you during March conferences. I know that the students were very proud to show you their work, and it was exciting to see their growth from the beginning of the school year. I really appreciate the support, teamwork, and communication that we have shared in order to help your students succeed. Of course, there are still many more learning opportunities before the end of the school year. I hope all of you have a wonderful Passover and a relaxing Spring Break with your families!

FYI… The Terra Nova standardized tests for third grade will be given the week of May 7-11. We are giving the students an opportunity to take some sample tests to reduce their anxiety about test taking. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT STUDENTS GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP AND EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST DURING TESTING WEEK. Students need to have a chapter book at school that they can read from should they finish the tests early. Please keep in mind these tests are only a snapshot of your child’s capabilities.

Language Arts:

Students are doing a fantastic job of collaborating to raise their level of interaction with their Mystery Books. We continue to “talk smart” about our books, use prediction and inference, and really get to know our characters. We will be responding to our texts in many ways: jotting notes, writing observations, and taking time to think about and plan longer responses. The group reading experience has encouraged many students to think about things in the story that might never have occurred to them on their own. Please encourage your student to continue reading for 20 minutes in their choice book (not the same as their classroom book) each night and record their times in their reading logs.

Children are excited to build upon their study of characters, predicting, studying elements of plot, making movies in their minds, and noticing details by sharing with a group. We are practicing “talking really smart” about books. We will use the language of prediction and inference in our discussions. We are reading between the lines to see what the author does not come right out and tell us (inference) and trying to guess what is going to happen (prediction). We will look closely at the important decisions characters make throughout the story and use what we find to ask ourselves questions like “What lesson am I learning from the character?” Look for Language Arts Homework to reinforce and support Book Club work from class.

Writer’s Workshop / Social Studies/Science

Our third graders are continuing to work on their research projects. While we know that the students will be acquiring interesting information about their topic, our ultimate goal is for your children to learn how to think critically as they engage in the research process. The students are using various resources to analyze and collect information in an effort to answer “big idea” questions. The process includes: reading extensively about their topics, taking notes in their own words, sharing and revising notes, as well as labeling and organizing topics. Next, students will start to develop topic sentences and begin their rough drafts.

Math:

Ms. Coats’ Math Group:

We are privileged to have Mr. Brown come every Monday to help us solve problems in new ways and grow our mathematical thinking. A recent problem Mr. Brown tackled with the class was “What number is as much higher than 25 as it is lower than 93?”

Some topics we will be addressing the other 4 days of the week include:

• Our fractions unit: part/whole, parts of a group, equivalent fractions and comparing fractions
• Multiplication and division with multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
• Using mental math to multiply
• Partial products algorithm
• Factors of whole numbers
• Dividing money equally
• Introduction to lattice multiplication
• Products of 2-digit numbers

Math facts continue to play a huge role in daily class work. Please practice multiplication facts 10 minutes each night in order to help your child be successful! It really does pay off!

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott’s Math Groups:

We just started our fractions unit. This unit will focus on writing fractions, using denominator and numerator terminology, finding equivalent fractions, improper fractions, and fraction number stories.

I would like to stress the importance of practicing math skills daily so that students don’t forget what they’ve learned.

Dates to Remember:

• April 6 to April 15: Passover Break– NO SCHOOL
• April 17: Poetry Party
• May 7-11: TERRA NOVA TESTS

Above are pictures from our field trip to the Bakken Museum…

Hebrew – Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Etzion

We are finishing up our work on Passover, which the children really enjoyed. We are moving on to learn about Israel and the water problems caused by the desert climate. Students will learn about the amazing solutions Israelis have come up with over the years to keep the nation hydrated. We will review what they already know about Israel and build on it by introducing new vocabulary. We also hope to enhance their love of Israel and spark many questions and interest about the topic.

Our emphasis will be on learning HaTikvah, (Israel’s national anthem), the symbols of Israel and their importance, and Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem. In the Israel unit, students will have many chances to express themselves by speaking and writing using descriptive words. This gives students a chance to engage in the pride and love of being Jewish. We will also teach many Israeli songs, which is always fun!

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

I wish everyone a wonderful Pesah holiday.

Passover: We spent time right before the break reviewing various aspects of the holiday. We did a short seder plate project that students brought home. I hope they have a chance to use it at the seder.

Shalom Ivrit: We are now working on Chapter 13 which is about Israel as we prepare to celebrate the modern Jewish holidays: Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (the day Jerusalem was reunited during the Six Day War).

Israel: We’re looking at maps, and beginning to understand some of the issues facing Israel. We will be focusing on Water in Israel and learning about the different ways Israel deals with water. This is the focus of our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

Our Core Value for April is “Because you were strangers in a foreign land…” Although the connection to Pesah is central to this Core Value it also reminds us to be welcoming to all in our community.

There is another art project coming soon—it’s a mystery project! Students will create all the pieces without knowing what it will be until we put the parts together. Students always have fun trying to figure out what our final product will be.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Mr. Zadaka, and Ms. Cytron

Dear Third Grade Parents,

We are continuing to prepare our students for Pesah. We are going through the Hagaddah to learn a variety of Pesah songs and to delve deeper in to the holiday’s rituals. Students are learning the special kiddush for the first night of seder, which falls on Shabbat this year! We hope that your child will take an active leadership role in your family seder.

In Torah we are wrapping up unit five, which discusses the shepherds of Lot and Abraham. We are learning how the characters in the Torah resolve their differences. We will use the characters in our stories to learn how we can resolve our differences appropriately.

The next unit that we will begin learning is unit six. We will learn about Abraham as a master of kindness. Our stories will include:

• Abraham and how he treats his guests
• Abraham praying for the people of Sodom
• Abraham burying Sarah at a great expense

Thanks so much to everyone who visited with us at conferences! We enjoyed talking about your amazing children. If we missed you, feel free to contact any one of us individually to discuss your child’s progress in Judaic Studies.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Art – Ms. Thor

Ongoing work: Night Collage – students will have one more class session to complete their collage.

MIA Art Adventure Program: Presentation #3 – Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance) and Lakota Dress.

• Both pieces represent creation. The beaded decoration of the Lakota Dress represents their Flood story – similar to our tradition. Instead of Noah, a turtle saves the world.
• Dancing is an activity associated with both pieces.
• Students created a “bear scare” bracelet using leather strips and wooden and plastic beads.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Up Next:

• Sumi-e painting – Students will have a day to explore the artwork of Japan and China as they paint with sumi-e ink on rice paper. Here is a video on YouTube that I will be sharing with the students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HKaZoXnwf8
• Portrait Mask – Students will create a self-portrait mask. This project takes about five weeks to complete and will take us to the end of the school year.

Library – Ms. Oskow

The library buzzed with excited students at the Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30. We earned more than $2,200 in profit for the HMJDS library budget. In addition, we took $1250 worth of books directly from the Fair for students’ immediate use, and earned $400 in book vouchers for more materials to order to complement classroom materials. Students are already excitedly checking out new books. People also donated books directly from the book sale to the classrooms or library.

A big thank you to the Book Fair Chairs, Beth Jasco, Ellen Berkelhamer, and Micki Litton, for all of your hard work!

And thank you to all of the great volunteers:

Judy Finkelstein, Gail Freedman, Michelle Gendlin, Alyssa Golob, Diane Greenberger, Michael Keller, Wendy Khabie, Becky Madigan, Melissa Mark, Emer O’Connor-Keller, Mark Roth, Laura Schmieg, Heidi Schneider, Beckie Skelton, Lisa Villalta, Kim Kotzen Wear, Lauren Weiser, and Dana Beth Weisman.

And student volunteers:

Talia H., Daniel H., Felicia & Haley J., Liang J., Avia K.-R., Chyna L.-L., Isaac M., Talia N., Ora R., Emmy S., and Zachariah W.S.

Teachers and Students Win Prizes in Book Fair Drawing

Two Grand Prize winners won $25 in Book Fair merchandise for the student, and $25 for his or her teacher to pick out books for the classroom: Sammie W. and Ms. Dorman/Schochet, Josh M. and Ms. Norton. Twenty-two other students in grades K-8 won posters. Students entered another drawing by creating a poster about a favorite book on a pineapple-shaped paper. Sydney W. won $25 worth of books from the Fair in that contest.

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Raffle

A limited-edition Hunger Games trilogy boxed set at the Book Fair contained a hotly desired Mockingjay pin. Mr. Gawronski and Mr. Portnoe were kind enough to buy boxed sets, keep the books, and donate their pins back for a raffle. Winners of the pins and a Hunger Games poster were pulled on Thursday, April 5.

Thank you to everyone who bought books, donated books or pins, or entered the Mockingjay raffle! Your purchases will enable us to buy many new books to enhance curriculum and aid students’ love of reading, as well as help us to update the library with electronic resources for the 21st Century.

Music – Mr. Shaw

Please enjoy a glimpse in to our classroom with an example of a movement lesson that we completed recently. The first group to perform will be the students from Mrs. Kaplan’s homeroom, followed by those in Ms. Coats’, and then Mrs. Mott’s. There are more videos of what is happening in music at the HMJDS YouTube Channel.

During the month of April and into May, third graders will start working on a unit where they are expected to write descriptions of music recordings using appropriate vocabulary. Developing the ability to listen to music with understanding and describe what is heard is an important part of our music curriculum at HMJDS. To complete this objective we will be studying the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). The work is in fourteen sections—delightful music that describes turtles, elephants, fish, donkeys, birds, and oh yes—a couple of piano players practicing their scales! This particular unit of study takes four or five music classes to complete.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Discuss music as a means of expressing emotions and how it can evoke images and feelings.
• Listen and analyze/respond to instrumental timbre (unique sound).
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary (tempo, pitch, dynamics, and mood).
• Keep a steady beat while singing and playing.
• Read, sing, and play visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

I enjoyed meeting with you at spring conferences and sharing fabulous Fitness Testing results. In case we didn’t have a chance to connect at conferences, fitness results will be presented on report cards. As the school year draws to a close there are some wonderful events to look forward to including Fitness Week!

What’s Going On?

Your third grader is in the middle of our volleyball unit. We started out learning and practicing eye-tracking and striking skills using balloons and beach balls. Students started out performing individual and cooperative partner skills. They were given many different volleying challenges using different body parts. During the second half of volleyball students will be taught a modified volleyball game where they will learn conventional positioning, player rotation, and scoring.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and know the difference between offense and defense.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is penciled in for the week of May 28. Look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

How Did They Do That?

Third graders are going to learn all of the tricks of formatting in Microsoft Word. Not only will they be learning where some of the basic tools are, but also how to find new tools if needed. Students will learn about the following:

• Font, size, and color
• Bullets and numbering
• Line spacing
• Headers and footers
• Alignment
• Special elements such as WordArt and shapes

Students will continue to learn about these skills and use them throughout their school career and learning now is a wonderful way to launch them in the right direction.

General Studies – Ms. Kaplan

It was a pleasure meeting with all of you during March conferences. I know that the students were very proud to show you their work, and it was exciting to see their growth from the beginning of the school year. I really appreciate the support, teamwork, and communication that we have shared in order to help your students succeed. Of course, there are still many more learning opportunities before the end of the school year. I hope all of you have a wonderful Passover and a relaxing Spring Break with your families!

FYI… The Terra Nova standardized tests for third grade will be given the week of May 7-11. We are giving the students an opportunity to take some sample tests to reduce their anxiety about test taking. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT STUDENTS GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP AND EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST DURING TESTING WEEK. Students need to have a chapter book at school that they can read from should they finish the tests early. Please keep in mind these tests are only a snapshot of your child’s capabilities.

Language Arts:

The students continue to read the following books in a guided reading setting; Ramona Quimby, Age 8, There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, and Skinnybones. We are working on predicting, summarizing, inferring, increasing vocabulary, and learning about the authors. These jobs help to improve students’ reading comprehension skills. The students are taking great pride in their discussions and understanding of their assigned chapter book as a whole.

Additionally, the third graders really enjoyed the read-aloud of Holes. Many students chose to follow along in their own copy of the book, and it was amazing when they shared their own thoughts and ideas about the story. Guided reading and “read aloud” are key components of balanced literacy instruction, and they help to build students’ reading fluency, comprehension, and higher level thinking skills. We are currently reading Little House in the Big Woods as a read-aloud, and the students have gotten interested in this story as well.

Writer’s Workshop / Social Studies/Science

Our third graders are continuing to work on their research projects. While we know that the students will be acquiring interesting information about their topic, our ultimate goal is for your children to learn how to think critically as they engage in the research process. The students are using various resources to analyze and collect information in an effort to answer “big idea” questions. The process includes: reading extensively about their topics, taking notes in their own words, sharing and revising notes, as well as labeling and organizing topics. Next, students will start to develop topic sentences and begin their rough drafts.

Math:

Ms. Coats’ Math Group:

We are privileged to have Mr. Brown come every Monday to help us solve problems in new ways and grow our mathematical thinking. A recent problem Mr. Brown tackled with the class was “What number is as much higher than 25 as it is lower than 93?”

Some topics we will be addressing the other 4 days of the week include:

• Our fractions unit: part/whole, parts of a group, equivalent fractions and comparing fractions
• Multiplication and division with multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
• Using mental math to multiply
• Partial products algorithm
• Factors of whole numbers
• Dividing money equally
• Introduction to lattice multiplication
• Products of 2-digit numbers

Math facts continue to play a huge role in daily class work. Please practice multiplication facts 10 minutes each night in order to help your child be successful! It really does pay off!

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott’s Math Groups:

We just started our fractions unit. This unit will focus on writing fractions, using denominator and numerator terminology, finding equivalent fractions, improper fractions, and fraction number stories.

I would like to stress the importance of practicing math skills daily so that students don’t forget what they’ve learned.

Dates to Remember:

• April 6 to April 15: Passover Break– NO SCHOOL
• April 17: Poetry Party
• May 7-11: TERRA NOVA TESTS

Above are pictures from our field trip to the Bakken Museum…

Hebrew – Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Etzion

We are finishing up our work on Passover, which the children really enjoyed. We are moving on to learn about Israel and the water problems caused by the desert climate. Students will learn about the amazing solutions Israelis have come up with over the years to keep the nation hydrated. We will review what they already know about Israel and build on it by introducing new vocabulary. We also hope to enhance their love of Israel and spark many questions and interest about the topic.

Our emphasis will be on learning HaTikvah, (Israel’s national anthem), the symbols of Israel and their importance, and Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem. In the Israel unit, students will have many chances to express themselves by speaking and writing using descriptive words. This gives students a chance to engage in the pride and love of being Jewish. We will also teach many Israeli songs, which is always fun!

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

I wish everyone a wonderful Pesah holiday.

Passover: We spent time right before the break reviewing various aspects of the holiday. We did a short seder plate project that students brought home. I hope they have a chance to use it at the seder.

Shalom Ivrit: We are now working on Chapter 13 which is about Israel as we prepare to celebrate the modern Jewish holidays: Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (the day Jerusalem was reunited during the Six Day War).

Israel: We’re looking at maps, and beginning to understand some of the issues facing Israel. We will be focusing on Water in Israel and learning about the different ways Israel deals with water. This is the focus of our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

Our Core Value for April is “Because you were strangers in a foreign land…” Although the connection to Pesah is central to this Core Value it also reminds us to be welcoming to all in our community.

There is another art project coming soon—it’s a mystery project! Students will create all the pieces without knowing what it will be until we put the parts together. Students always have fun trying to figure out what our final product will be.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Mr. Zadaka, and Ms. Cytron

Dear Third Grade Parents,

We are continuing to prepare our students for Pesah. We are going through the Hagaddah to learn a variety of Pesah songs and to delve deeper in to the holiday’s rituals. Students are learning the special kiddush for the first night of seder, which falls on Shabbat this year! We hope that your child will take an active leadership role in your family seder.

In Torah we are wrapping up unit five, which discusses the shepherds of Lot and Abraham. We are learning how the characters in the Torah resolve their differences. We will use the characters in our stories to learn how we can resolve our differences appropriately.

The next unit that we will begin learning is unit six. We will learn about Abraham as a master of kindness. Our stories will include:

• Abraham and how he treats his guests
• Abraham praying for the people of Sodom
• Abraham burying Sarah at a great expense

Thanks so much to everyone who visited with us at conferences! We enjoyed talking about your amazing children. If we missed you, feel free to contact any one of us individually to discuss your child’s progress in Judaic Studies.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Art – Ms. Thor

Ongoing work: Night Collage – students will have one more class session to complete their collage.

MIA Art Adventure Program: Presentation #3 – Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance) and Lakota Dress.

• Both pieces represent creation. The beaded decoration of the Lakota Dress represents their Flood story – similar to our tradition. Instead of Noah, a turtle saves the world.
• Dancing is an activity associated with both pieces.
• Students created a “bear scare” bracelet using leather strips and wooden and plastic beads.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Up Next:

• Sumi-e painting – Students will have a day to explore the artwork of Japan and China as they paint with sumi-e ink on rice paper. Here is a video on YouTube that I will be sharing with the students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HKaZoXnwf8
• Portrait Mask – Students will create a self-portrait mask. This project takes about five weeks to complete and will take us to the end of the school year.

Library – Ms. Oskow

The library buzzed with excited students at the Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30. We earned more than $2,200 in profit for the HMJDS library budget. In addition, we took $1250 worth of books directly from the Fair for students’ immediate use, and earned $400 in book vouchers for more materials to order to complement classroom materials. Students are already excitedly checking out new books. People also donated books directly from the book sale to the classrooms or library.

A big thank you to the Book Fair Chairs, Beth Jasco, Ellen Berkelhamer, and Micki Litton, for all of your hard work!

And thank you to all of the great volunteers:

Judy Finkelstein, Gail Freedman, Michelle Gendlin, Alyssa Golob, Diane Greenberger, Michael Keller, Wendy Khabie, Becky Madigan, Melissa Mark, Emer O’Connor-Keller, Mark Roth, Laura Schmieg, Heidi Schneider, Beckie Skelton, Lisa Villalta, Kim Kotzen Wear, Lauren Weiser, and Dana Beth Weisman.

And student volunteers:

Talia H., Daniel H., Felicia & Haley J., Liang J., Avia K.-R., Chyna L.-L., Isaac M., Talia N., Ora R., Emmy S., and Zachariah W.S.

Teachers and Students Win Prizes in Book Fair Drawing

Two Grand Prize winners won $25 in Book Fair merchandise for the student, and $25 for his or her teacher to pick out books for the classroom: Sammie W. and Ms. Dorman/Schochet, Josh M. and Ms. Norton. Twenty-two other students in grades K-8 won posters. Students entered another drawing by creating a poster about a favorite book on a pineapple-shaped paper. Sydney W. won $25 worth of books from the Fair in that contest.

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Raffle

A limited-edition Hunger Games trilogy boxed set at the Book Fair contained a hotly desired Mockingjay pin. Mr. Gawronski and Mr. Portnoe were kind enough to buy boxed sets, keep the books, and donate their pins back for a raffle. Winners of the pins and a Hunger Games poster were pulled on Thursday, April 5.

Thank you to everyone who bought books, donated books or pins, or entered the Mockingjay raffle! Your purchases will enable us to buy many new books to enhance curriculum and aid students’ love of reading, as well as help us to update the library with electronic resources for the 21st Century.

Music – Mr. Shaw

Please enjoy a glimpse in to our classroom with an example of a movement lesson that we completed recently. The first group to perform will be the students from Mrs. Kaplan’s homeroom, followed by those in Ms. Coats’, and then Mrs. Mott’s. There are more videos of what is happening in music at the HMJDS YouTube Channel.

During the month of April and into May, third graders will start working on a unit where they are expected to write descriptions of music recordings using appropriate vocabulary. Developing the ability to listen to music with understanding and describe what is heard is an important part of our music curriculum at HMJDS. To complete this objective we will be studying the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). The work is in fourteen sections—delightful music that describes turtles, elephants, fish, donkeys, birds, and oh yes—a couple of piano players practicing their scales! This particular unit of study takes four or five music classes to complete.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Discuss music as a means of expressing emotions and how it can evoke images and feelings.
• Listen and analyze/respond to instrumental timbre (unique sound).
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary (tempo, pitch, dynamics, and mood).
• Keep a steady beat while singing and playing.
• Read, sing, and play visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

I enjoyed meeting with you at spring conferences and sharing fabulous Fitness Testing results. In case we didn’t have a chance to connect at conferences, fitness results will be presented on report cards. As the school year draws to a close there are some wonderful events to look forward to including Fitness Week!

What’s Going On?

Your third grader is in the middle of our volleyball unit. We started out learning and practicing eye-tracking and striking skills using balloons and beach balls. Students started out performing individual and cooperative partner skills. They were given many different volleying challenges using different body parts. During the second half of volleyball students will be taught a modified volleyball game where they will learn conventional positioning, player rotation, and scoring.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and know the difference between offense and defense.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is penciled in for the week of May 28. Look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

How Did They Do That?

Third graders are going to learn all of the tricks of formatting in Microsoft Word. Not only will they be learning where some of the basic tools are, but also how to find new tools if needed. Students will learn about the following:

• Font, size, and color
• Bullets and numbering
• Line spacing
• Headers and footers
• Alignment
• Special elements such as WordArt and shapes

Students will continue to learn about these skills and use them throughout their school career and learning now is a wonderful way to launch them in the right direction.

General Studies – Ms. Mott

It was a pleasure meeting with all of you during March conferences. I know that the students were very proud to show you their work, and it was exciting to see their growth from the beginning of the school year. I really appreciate the support, teamwork, and communication that we have shared in order to help your students succeed. Of course, there are still many more learning opportunities before the end of the school year. I hope all of you have a wonderful Passover and a relaxing Spring Break with your families!

FYI… The Terra Nova standardized tests for third grade will be given the week of May 7-11. We are giving the students an opportunity to take some sample tests to reduce their anxiety about test taking. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT STUDENTS GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP AND EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST DURING TESTING WEEK. Students need to have a chapter book at school that they can read from should they finish the tests early. Please keep in mind these tests are only a snapshot of your child’s capabilities.

It was a pleasure meeting with all of you during March conferences. I know that the students were very proud to show you their work, and it was exciting to see their growth from the beginning of the school year. I really appreciate the support, teamwork, and communication that we have shared in order to help your students succeed. Of course, there are still many more learning opportunities before the end of the school year. I hope all of you have a wonderful Passover and a relaxing Spring Break with your families!

FYI… The Terra Nova standardized tests for third grade will be given the week of May 7-11. We are giving the students an opportunity to take some sample tests to reduce their anxiety about test taking. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT STUDENTS GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP AND EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST DURING TESTING WEEK. Students need to have a chapter book at school that they can read from should they finish the tests early. Please keep in mind these tests are only a snapshot of your child’s capabilities.

Language Arts:

The students continue to read the following books in a guided reading setting; Ramona Quimby, Age 8, There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom, and Skinnybones. We are working on predicting, summarizing, inferring, increasing vocabulary, and learning about the authors. These jobs help to improve students’ reading comprehension skills. The students are taking great pride in their discussions and understanding of their assigned chapter book as a whole.

Additionally, the third graders really enjoyed the read-aloud of Holes. Many students chose to follow along in their own copy of the book, and it was amazing when they shared their own thoughts and ideas about the story. Guided reading and “read aloud” are key components of balanced literacy instruction, and they help to build students’ reading fluency, comprehension, and higher level thinking skills. We are currently reading Little House in the Big Woods as a read-aloud, and the students have gotten interested in this story as well.

Writer’s Workshop / Social Studies/Science

Our third graders are continuing to work on their research projects. While we know that the students will be acquiring interesting information about their topic, our ultimate goal is for your children to learn how to think critically as they engage in the research process. The students are using various resources to analyze and collect information in an effort to answer “big idea” questions. The process includes: reading extensively about their topics, taking notes in their own words, sharing and revising notes, as well as labeling and organizing topics. Next, students will start to develop topic sentences and begin their rough drafts.

Math:

Ms. Coats’ Math Group:

We are privileged to have Mr. Brown come every Monday to help us solve problems in new ways and grow our mathematical thinking. A recent problem Mr. Brown tackled with the class was “What number is as much higher than 25 as it is lower than 93?”

Some topics we will be addressing the other 4 days of the week include:

• Our fractions unit: part/whole, parts of a group, equivalent fractions and comparing fractions
• Multiplication and division with multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000
• Using mental math to multiply
• Partial products algorithm
• Factors of whole numbers
• Dividing money equally
• Introduction to lattice multiplication
• Products of 2-digit numbers

Math facts continue to play a huge role in daily class work. Please practice multiplication facts 10 minutes each night in order to help your child be successful! It really does pay off!

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott’s Math Groups:

We just started our fractions unit. This unit will focus on writing fractions, using denominator and numerator terminology, finding equivalent fractions, improper fractions, and fraction number stories.

I would like to stress the importance of practicing math skills daily so that students don’t forget what they’ve learned.

Dates to Remember:

• April 6 to April 15: Passover Break– NO SCHOOL
• April 17: Poetry Party
• May 7-11: TERRA NOVA TESTS

Above are pictures from our field trip to the Bakken Museum…

Hebrew – Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Etzion

We are finishing up our work on Passover, which the children really enjoyed. We are moving on to learn about Israel and the water problems caused by the desert climate. Students will learn about the amazing solutions Israelis have come up with over the years to keep the nation hydrated. We will review what they already know about Israel and build on it by introducing new vocabulary. We also hope to enhance their love of Israel and spark many questions and interest about the topic.

Our emphasis will be on learning HaTikvah, (Israel’s national anthem), the symbols of Israel and their importance, and Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem. In the Israel unit, students will have many chances to express themselves by speaking and writing using descriptive words. This gives students a chance to engage in the pride and love of being Jewish. We will also teach many Israeli songs, which is always fun!

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

I wish everyone a wonderful Pesah holiday.

Passover: We spent time right before the break reviewing various aspects of the holiday. We did a short seder plate project that students brought home. I hope they have a chance to use it at the seder.

Shalom Ivrit: We are now working on Chapter 13 which is about Israel as we prepare to celebrate the modern Jewish holidays: Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim (the day Jerusalem was reunited during the Six Day War).

Israel: We’re looking at maps, and beginning to understand some of the issues facing Israel. We will be focusing on Water in Israel and learning about the different ways Israel deals with water. This is the focus of our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

Our Core Value for April is “Because you were strangers in a foreign land…” Although the connection to Pesah is central to this Core Value it also reminds us to be welcoming to all in our community.

There is another art project coming soon—it’s a mystery project! Students will create all the pieces without knowing what it will be until we put the parts together. Students always have fun trying to figure out what our final product will be.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Mr. Zadaka, and Ms. Cytron

Dear Third Grade Parents,

We are continuing to prepare our students for Pesah. We are going through the Hagaddah to learn a variety of Pesah songs and to delve deeper in to the holiday’s rituals. Students are learning the special kiddush for the first night of seder, which falls on Shabbat this year! We hope that your child will take an active leadership role in your family seder.

In Torah we are wrapping up unit five, which discusses the shepherds of Lot and Abraham. We are learning how the characters in the Torah resolve their differences. We will use the characters in our stories to learn how we can resolve our differences appropriately.

The next unit that we will begin learning is unit six. We will learn about Abraham as a master of kindness. Our stories will include:

• Abraham and how he treats his guests
• Abraham praying for the people of Sodom
• Abraham burying Sarah at a great expense

Thanks so much to everyone who visited with us at conferences! We enjoyed talking about your amazing children. If we missed you, feel free to contact any one of us individually to discuss your child’s progress in Judaic Studies.

Hag Kasher V’Sameah! (Have a Happy Passover!)

Art – Ms. Thor

Ongoing work: Night Collage – students will have one more class session to complete their collage.

MIA Art Adventure Program: Presentation #3 – Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance) and Lakota Dress.

• Both pieces represent creation. The beaded decoration of the Lakota Dress represents their Flood story – similar to our tradition. Instead of Noah, a turtle saves the world.
• Dancing is an activity associated with both pieces.
• Students created a “bear scare” bracelet using leather strips and wooden and plastic beads.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Up Next:

• Sumi-e painting – Students will have a day to explore the artwork of Japan and China as they paint with sumi-e ink on rice paper. Here is a video on YouTube that I will be sharing with the students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HKaZoXnwf8
• Portrait Mask – Students will create a self-portrait mask. This project takes about five weeks to complete and will take us to the end of the school year.

Library – Ms. Oskow

The library buzzed with excited students at the Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30. We earned more than $2,200 in profit for the HMJDS library budget. In addition, we took $1250 worth of books directly from the Fair for students’ immediate use, and earned $400 in book vouchers for more materials to order to complement classroom materials. Students are already excitedly checking out new books. People also donated books directly from the book sale to the classrooms or library.

A big thank you to the Book Fair Chairs, Beth Jasco, Ellen Berkelhamer, and Micki Litton, for all of your hard work!

And thank you to all of the great volunteers:

Judy Finkelstein, Gail Freedman, Michelle Gendlin, Alyssa Golob, Diane Greenberger, Michael Keller, Wendy Khabie, Becky Madigan, Melissa Mark, Emer O’Connor-Keller, Mark Roth, Laura Schmieg, Heidi Schneider, Beckie Skelton, Lisa Villalta, Kim Kotzen Wear, Lauren Weiser, and Dana Beth Weisman.

And student volunteers:

Talia H., Daniel H., Felicia & Haley J., Liang J., Avia K.-R., Chyna L.-L., Isaac M., Talia N., Ora R., Emmy S., and Zachariah W.S.

Teachers and Students Win Prizes in Book Fair Drawing

Two Grand Prize winners won $25 in Book Fair merchandise for the student, and $25 for his or her teacher to pick out books for the classroom: Sammie W. and Ms. Dorman/Schochet, Josh M. and Ms. Norton. Twenty-two other students in grades K-8 won posters. Students entered another drawing by creating a poster about a favorite book on a pineapple-shaped paper. Sydney W. won $25 worth of books from the Fair in that contest.

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Raffle

A limited-edition Hunger Games trilogy boxed set at the Book Fair contained a hotly desired Mockingjay pin. Mr. Gawronski and Mr. Portnoe were kind enough to buy boxed sets, keep the books, and donate their pins back for a raffle. Winners of the pins and a Hunger Games poster were pulled on Thursday, April 5.

Thank you to everyone who bought books, donated books or pins, or entered the Mockingjay raffle! Your purchases will enable us to buy many new books to enhance curriculum and aid students’ love of reading, as well as help us to update the library with electronic resources for the 21st Century.

Music – Mr. Shaw

Please enjoy a glimpse in to our classroom with an example of a movement lesson that we completed recently. The first group to perform will be the students from Mrs. Kaplan’s homeroom, followed by those in Ms. Coats’, and then Mrs. Mott’s. There are more videos of what is happening in music at the HMJDS YouTube Channel.

During the month of April and into May, third graders will start working on a unit where they are expected to write descriptions of music recordings using appropriate vocabulary. Developing the ability to listen to music with understanding and describe what is heard is an important part of our music curriculum at HMJDS. To complete this objective we will be studying the Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921). The work is in fourteen sections—delightful music that describes turtles, elephants, fish, donkeys, birds, and oh yes—a couple of piano players practicing their scales! This particular unit of study takes four or five music classes to complete.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Discuss music as a means of expressing emotions and how it can evoke images and feelings.
• Listen and analyze/respond to instrumental timbre (unique sound).
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary (tempo, pitch, dynamics, and mood).
• Keep a steady beat while singing and playing.
• Read, sing, and play visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

I enjoyed meeting with you at spring conferences and sharing fabulous Fitness Testing results. In case we didn’t have a chance to connect at conferences, fitness results will be presented on report cards. As the school year draws to a close there are some wonderful events to look forward to including Fitness Week!

What’s Going On?

Your third grader is in the middle of our volleyball unit. We started out learning and practicing eye-tracking and striking skills using balloons and beach balls. Students started out performing individual and cooperative partner skills. They were given many different volleying challenges using different body parts. During the second half of volleyball students will be taught a modified volleyball game where they will learn conventional positioning, player rotation, and scoring.

What’s Next?

After volleyball we will venture outside (weather permitting) to play soccer in addition to a variety of assorted games. Earlier in the school year we played different versions of line soccer, but this spring the games will be closer to official soccer. Students will play different positions and know the difference between offense and defense.

Please be aware that Fitness Week is penciled in for the week of May 28. Look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

How Did They Do That?

Third graders are going to learn all of the tricks of formatting in Microsoft Word. Not only will they be learning where some of the basic tools are, but also how to find new tools if needed. Students will learn about the following:

• Font, size, and color
• Bullets and numbering
• Line spacing
• Headers and footers
• Alignment
• Special elements such as WordArt and shapes

Students will continue to learn about these skills and use them throughout their school career and learning now is a wonderful way to launch them in the right direction.

General Studies – Ms. Coats

I hope that all of you had a safe and fun filled mid-winter break with your kids. I look forward to meeting with you again at spring conferences later in March. I know that students are excited to show you their work, and it is always great to see students’ academic growth from the beginning of the school year. I appreciate your support and partnership in helping your students to succeed.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We will spend the month of March writing persuasive reviews of books, movies, restaurants, and video games. The skills necessary for writing a persuasive piece involve:

• making a strong argument for or against something
• using supportive details to describe the topic
• using opinion, passion, strong words to convince the reader
• summarizing a movie, book, or video game (without giving away any secrets!)
• writing with a target audience in mind
• connecting and/or comparing with another book, movie, restaurant, or video game
• using examples to build an argument

Assignment sheets will come home with your child Mondays and Wednesdays (Coats/Mott) or Tuesdays and Thursdays (Kaplan) and assignments should be written in your child’s planner. Thank you for your support in raising the level of accountability by having parents sign completed homework sheets.

SCIENCE / SOCIAL STUDIES / WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We have been continuing our study of magnets, the Mississippi River, and persuasive reviews since returning from mid-winter break. Soon we will begin working on the third grade expert projects, for which students will choose a science or social studies topic that we have studied this year and study that topic more in-depth. They will be incorporating their reading and writing skills as they make their way through the research process. Children will be searching through numerous books and resources to gather information. They will be learning how to identify the main ideas and take notes as they organize the important information that they collect. Students will also be utilizing skills such as paraphrasing and summarizing.

MATH:

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott Report…

In math we will be starting the unit on multiplication and division. This unit is a review and extension of facts, extended facts, estimation, and number models with parentheses. Again, I stress the importance of all students knowing their basic facts. It will make the transition to fourth grade that much easier.

Ms. Coats Reports…

Last month Mr. Brown had students measuring and estimating the number of tiles needed to roof a doghouse. He will continue to stretch students’ math brains with such real-life applications of concepts of geometry and multiplication. In the next unit we will be extending our work on multiplication and division. Students may be asked to do two pages of math homework on some nights. If your child is not yet working on multiplication facts on timed tests, please help them practice their addition and subtraction facts so they can work on mastery of multiplication and division facts. This unit takes the basic facts and builds on them.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Welcome, Book Clubs! Your children are so excited to build upon their study of characters, predicting, studying elements of plot, making movies in their minds, and noticing details by sharing with a group. We have been practicing “talking really smart” about books and our connections to books. We will be using the language of prediction and inference in our discussions. We will be finding clues as we read, reading between the lines to see what the author does not come right out and tell us (inference) and trying to guess what is going to happen in the end (prediction). We will also be looking closely at the big, important decisions characters make throughout the story and using what we find to ask ourselves questions such as “What lesson am I learning from the character here?” Look for occasional Language Arts Homework to reinforce and support Book Club work from class.

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Poetry Party—Tuesday, March 13
• VOICE NIGHT—Tuesday, March 13
• Field Trip to Bakken Museum—Wednesday, March 21
• Demonstration speeches—Monday, March 19, Tuesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 22
• Conferences—Wed., Thurs., March 28-29/EARLY DISMISSAL

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

It has been a wonderful month of learning!

• Grammar: Number and gender agreement! Masculine nouns need adjectives in masculine form, and feminine nouns need adjectives in feminine form. We are learning strategies for remembering to check for all the patterns.
• Sentence Building: It’s great to see how good the students are getting at building sentences with increased complexity.
• Reading: Students’ Hebrew reading continues to improve and we are getting in a lot of practice.
• Our Core Value for March is, “The world stands on three things: Torah, service to God, and acts of loving kindness.” We are finding the many ways we can live this core value on a day to day basis. I am always impressed with the depth of thought my students possess about the Core Values.
• Purim: It has come and gone but we spent a little time reviewing the holiday and how it is celebrated in Israel.

Hebrew – Ms. Etzion and Ms. Benjamin

We are finishing up our work on Purim, which the children really enjoyed, and are moving on to the holiday of Passover. We will review what students have learned about the holiday in previous years. We will then be learning the story of the exodus in Hebrew. We will build on their strong foundation of knowledge by introducing new vocabulary, which will focus on the past tense. Reading fluency and reading comprehension will also be emphasized. In the Passover unit students will express themselves by speaking and writing using more descriptive words.

Stay warm……

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Ms. Cytron

We enjoyed studying and celebrating Purim with your children! Our work included reviewing the blessings, songs, and special terms that connect to this holiday. Now, on to Passover!

In our Torah studies we have begun our unit on Conflict Resolution. We will begin by discussing a disagreement between the shepherds of Lot and those of Avram that is resolved by the two men separating. As with most disagreements between family members, however, there is more to this story than meets the eye! Students will learn that there are a variety of ways to analyze and resolve conflicts.

We will also continue to increase students’ text reading skills. They will learn to identify key narrative words in the text. Children will also begin to identify basic biblical declensions, including some frequently used possessive endings.

We look forward to seeing you at conferences!

Art – Ms. Thor

The artist is the antenna of the race. ~ Ezra Pound

Picasso may have left us a bit dizzy, but we put things right by exploring symmetry with a Shrek in our sketchbooks.

Up Next

MIA Art Adventure Program

• Presentation #2 – Hand drum from the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea and a ceremonial mask from the Bwa people of Burkino Faso, West Africa.
• Both works were used in maturation ceremonies that marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood.
• Students created a tag board mask in the Bwa tradition. We made observations on how Jewish children have a maturation ceremony, a bar/bat mitzvah. We also made connections to Purim and the tradition of wearing a mask and costume and feeling transformed.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

See you at March Conferences!

Library – Ms. Oskow

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30!!

Biggest fundraiser of the year for the library

Books available for preschool through adults at Scholastic’s discounted prices. 25% of money collected goes to the library.

Book Fair Hours:

Sunday, March 25 - 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Monday, March 26 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Tuesday, March 27 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Wednesday, Mar. 28 - 8:00 AM-8:00 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Thursday, March 29 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Friday, March 30 - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Student Preview Days

Each HMJDS class visits the Book Fair Monday, March 26 or Tuesday, March 27. Students write a Wish List of books and may buy books.

Teacher Wish Lists

Teachers post Wish Lists and families can buy books or Gift Certificates to dedicate for classrooms, specialists, or the library.

Contests to Win Free Books

Parents or adult relatives can enter their students in a drawing anytime they stop by the Book Fair together through Thursday, March 29 (once per student). On Thursday, March 29, two students’ names will be drawn to win $25 worth of books—and a winning student’s teacher also chooses $25 worth of books! Students’ names are drawn for other prizes, too.

Additional drawing: for students who design posters celebrating their favorite book to decorate the library. Posterboard available from Ms. Oskow. Posters due by March 22.

Visit the Book Fair Online

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hmjds

The Online Book Fair:

• allows your child to send wish lists, and invite family and friends to participate in the Book Fair
• offers an expanded book selection – books for all ages, even adult titles
• is available for an extended time: Monday, March 19 to Sunday, April 8.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

• Set up the Book Fair on Friday, March 23
• Tear down the Book Fair on Monday, April 2
• Staff the Book Fair during open hours

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library.

Music – Mr. Shaw

We had a lot of fun working on songs for Purim, such as Hag Purim, Ani Purim, and MisheniKhnas Adar. We will also use the Music Express magazine to continue to increase our ability to read pitch using letter and solfege names. We will use the melody from Symphony No. 9, movement 2, by Antonin Dvořák. This famous melody is from the “Largo” (slow) section of his famous Symphony from the New World. Besides listening to this beautiful musical work we will learn a lot about the composer’s life and that he was invited to the United States to compose music that reflected our country’s heritage. Dvořák’s main goal in America was to discover “American Music” and engage in it, much as he had utilized Czech folk idioms within his music. He supported the concept that African-American and Native American music should be used as a foundation for the growth of American music. He felt that through the music of Native Americans and African-Americans, Americans would find their own national style of music.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Sing a varied repertoire of songs, either alone or with others.
• Keep a steady beat while singing.
• Identify where and why music is used throughout a community (country).
• Learn about famous musicians and the cultural aspects of music.
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary.
• Read visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.
• Analyze compositions with ABA form or longer.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a meaningful Sh’vat. In my lower school classes we recognized Tu bi sh’vat by incorporating the holiday theme into our warm-up activity.

What’s Going On?

Your third grader just finished their rope jumping unit and is now participating in gymnastics. This year we will use the balance beam, vault and the handstand spotter.

Third graders start out with the balance beam height at 30 inches. It is raised to forty inches during the course of the unit. They are introduced to different balance beam challenges to create four to five different skills in their balance beam routine. This includes the dismount onto the crash mat landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

For vaulting they will learn the proper approach onto the spring board, hurdle onto two feet and either tuck or straddle over the 36-42 inch vault. Handstands will be introduced using the wall for support. If your student is capable of supporting their own weight they will be able to use the back handspring spotter.

Please be aware that Fitness Week willbe the week of May 21. Please look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

Words on Word

So now your third grader knows how to type… In fact, I’m amazed at how well some of the third graders are taking to keyboarding. Recently, I had a class in the lab and every single student was typing using the homerow. Impressive! The reason we learn typing at such an early age, when you may have learned in jr. high or high school, is that your child will spend exponentially more time typing on the computer at a much earlier age than you did. If you are someone who types properly, imagine NOT having that skill and trying to do what you do on the computer for your work or personal life. If you are one who hunts and pecks… imagine how fast you could go if you knew where all of the keys were and didn’t have to look away from your paper to find the keys. (By the way, if you fall into the hunt and peck category and would like to learn how to type properly… come and see me.)

It’s now time to get your student typing some real work on Microsoft Word. We all know, however, that typing is not all you can do on Word and so in the next month we’ll be teaching the third graders how to use the tools Microsoft Word has to turn their words into a properly formatted paper. Students will learn the functions of the tabs at the top of the page, start to learn where commonly used tools are, and begin memorizing the icons that do those common tasks. Learning how to properly format a page will significantly aid students in putting together great looking projects and will cut down on the issues caused by improper formatting.

General Studies – Ms. Kaplan

I hope that all of you had a safe and fun filled mid-winter break with your kids. I look forward to meeting with you again at spring conferences later in March. I know that students are excited to show you their work, and it is always great to see students’ academic growth from the beginning of the school year. I appreciate your support and partnership in helping your students to succeed.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We will spend the month of March writing persuasive reviews of books, movies, restaurants, and video games. The skills necessary for writing a persuasive piece involve:

• making a strong argument for or against something
• using supportive details to describe the topic
• using opinion, passion, strong words to convince the reader
• summarizing a movie, book, or video game (without giving away any secrets!)
• writing with a target audience in mind
• connecting and/or comparing with another book, movie, restaurant, or video game
• using examples to build an argument

Assignment sheets will come home with your child Mondays and Wednesdays (Coats/Mott) or Tuesdays and Thursdays (Kaplan) and assignments should be written in your child’s planner. Thank you for your support in raising the level of accountability by having parents sign completed homework sheets.

SCIENCE / SOCIAL STUDIES / WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We have been continuing our study of magnets, the Mississippi River, and persuasive reviews since returning from mid-winter break. Soon we will begin working on the third grade expert projects, for which students will choose a science or social studies topic that we have studied this year and study that topic more in-depth. They will be incorporating their reading and writing skills as they make their way through the research process. Children will be searching through numerous books and resources to gather information. They will be learning how to identify the main ideas and take notes as they organize the important information that they collect. Students will also be utilizing skills such as paraphrasing and summarizing.

MATH:

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott Report…

In math we will be starting the unit on multiplication and division. This unit is a review and extension of facts, extended facts, estimation, and number models with parentheses. Again, I stress the importance of all students knowing their basic facts. It will make the transition to fourth grade that much easier.

Ms. Coats Reports…

Last month Mr. Brown had students measuring and estimating the number of tiles needed to roof a doghouse. He will continue to stretch students’ math brains with such real-life applications of concepts of geometry and multiplication. In the next unit we will be extending our work on multiplication and division. Students may be asked to do two pages of math homework on some nights. If your child is not yet working on multiplication facts on timed tests, please help them practice their addition and subtraction facts so they can work on mastery of multiplication and division facts. This unit takes the basic facts and builds on them.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Welcome, Book Clubs! Your children are so excited to build upon their study of characters, predicting, studying elements of plot, making movies in their minds, and noticing details by sharing with a group. We have been practicing “talking really smart” about books and our connections to books. We will be using the language of prediction and inference in our discussions. We will be finding clues as we read, reading between the lines to see what the author does not come right out and tell us (inference) and trying to guess what is going to happen in the end (prediction). We will also be looking closely at the big, important decisions characters make throughout the story and using what we find to ask ourselves questions such as “What lesson am I learning from the character here?” Look for occasional Language Arts Homework to reinforce and support Book Club work from class.

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Poetry Party—Tuesday, March 13
• VOICE NIGHT—Tuesday, March 13
• Field Trip to Bakken Museum—Wednesday, March 21
• Demonstration speeches—Monday, March 19, Tuesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 22
• Conferences—Wed., Thurs., March 28-29/EARLY DISMISSAL

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

It has been a wonderful month of learning!

• Grammar: Number and gender agreement! Masculine nouns need adjectives in masculine form, and feminine nouns need adjectives in feminine form. We are learning strategies for remembering to check for all the patterns.
• Sentence Building: It’s great to see how good the students are getting at building sentences with increased complexity.
• Reading: Students’ Hebrew reading continues to improve and we are getting in a lot of practice.
• Our Core Value for March is, “The world stands on three things: Torah, service to God, and acts of loving kindness.” We are finding the many ways we can live this core value on a day to day basis. I am always impressed with the depth of thought my students possess about the Core Values.
• Purim: It has come and gone but we spent a little time reviewing the holiday and how it is celebrated in Israel.

Hebrew – Ms. Etzion and Ms. Benjamin

We are finishing up our work on Purim, which the children really enjoyed, and are moving on to the holiday of Passover. We will review what students have learned about the holiday in previous years. We will then be learning the story of the exodus in Hebrew. We will build on their strong foundation of knowledge by introducing new vocabulary, which will focus on the past tense. Reading fluency and reading comprehension will also be emphasized. In the Passover unit students will express themselves by speaking and writing using more descriptive words.

Stay warm……

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Ms. Cytron

We enjoyed studying and celebrating Purim with your children! Our work included reviewing the blessings, songs, and special terms that connect to this holiday. Now, on to Passover!

In our Torah studies we have begun our unit on Conflict Resolution. We will begin by discussing a disagreement between the shepherds of Lot and those of Avram that is resolved by the two men separating. As with most disagreements between family members, however, there is more to this story than meets the eye! Students will learn that there are a variety of ways to analyze and resolve conflicts.

We will also continue to increase students’ text reading skills. They will learn to identify key narrative words in the text. Children will also begin to identify basic biblical declensions, including some frequently used possessive endings.

We look forward to seeing you at conferences!

Art – Ms. Thor

The artist is the antenna of the race. ~ Ezra Pound

Picasso may have left us a bit dizzy, but we put things right by exploring symmetry with a Shrek in our sketchbooks.

Up Next

MIA Art Adventure Program

• Presentation #2 – Hand drum from the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea and a ceremonial mask from the Bwa people of Burkino Faso, West Africa.
• Both works were used in maturation ceremonies that marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood.
• Students created a tag board mask in the Bwa tradition. We made observations on how Jewish children have a maturation ceremony, a bar/bat mitzvah. We also made connections to Purim and the tradition of wearing a mask and costume and feeling transformed.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

See you at March Conferences!

Library – Ms. Oskow

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30!!

Biggest fundraiser of the year for the library

Books available for preschool through adults at Scholastic’s discounted prices. 25% of money collected goes to the library.

Book Fair Hours:

Sunday, March 25 - 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Monday, March 26 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Tuesday, March 27 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Wednesday, Mar. 28 - 8:00 AM-8:00 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Thursday, March 29 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Friday, March 30 - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Student Preview Days

Each HMJDS class visits the Book Fair Monday, March 26 or Tuesday, March 27. Students write a Wish List of books and may buy books.

Teacher Wish Lists

Teachers post Wish Lists and families can buy books or Gift Certificates to dedicate for classrooms, specialists, or the library.

Contests to Win Free Books

Parents or adult relatives can enter their students in a drawing anytime they stop by the Book Fair together through Thursday, March 29 (once per student). On Thursday, March 29, two students’ names will be drawn to win $25 worth of books—and a winning student’s teacher also chooses $25 worth of books! Students’ names are drawn for other prizes, too.

Additional drawing: for students who design posters celebrating their favorite book to decorate the library. Posterboard available from Ms. Oskow. Posters due by March 22.

Visit the Book Fair Online

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hmjds

The Online Book Fair:

• allows your child to send wish lists, and invite family and friends to participate in the Book Fair
• offers an expanded book selection – books for all ages, even adult titles
• is available for an extended time: Monday, March 19 to Sunday, April 8.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

• Set up the Book Fair on Friday, March 23
• Tear down the Book Fair on Monday, April 2
• Staff the Book Fair during open hours

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library.

Music – Mr. Shaw

We had a lot of fun working on songs for Purim, such as Hag Purim, Ani Purim, and MisheniKhnas Adar. We will also use the Music Express magazine to continue to increase our ability to read pitch using letter and solfege names. We will use the melody from Symphony No. 9, movement 2, by Antonin Dvořák. This famous melody is from the “Largo” (slow) section of his famous Symphony from the New World. Besides listening to this beautiful musical work we will learn a lot about the composer’s life and that he was invited to the United States to compose music that reflected our country’s heritage. Dvořák’s main goal in America was to discover “American Music” and engage in it, much as he had utilized Czech folk idioms within his music. He supported the concept that African-American and Native American music should be used as a foundation for the growth of American music. He felt that through the music of Native Americans and African-Americans, Americans would find their own national style of music.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Sing a varied repertoire of songs, either alone or with others.
• Keep a steady beat while singing.
• Identify where and why music is used throughout a community (country).
• Learn about famous musicians and the cultural aspects of music.
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary.
• Read visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.
• Analyze compositions with ABA form or longer.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a meaningful Sh’vat. In my lower school classes we recognized Tu bi sh’vat by incorporating the holiday theme into our warm-up activity.

What’s Going On?

Your third grader just finished their rope jumping unit and is now participating in gymnastics. This year we will use the balance beam, vault and the handstand spotter.

Third graders start out with the balance beam height at 30 inches. It is raised to forty inches during the course of the unit. They are introduced to different balance beam challenges to create four to five different skills in their balance beam routine. This includes the dismount onto the crash mat landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

For vaulting they will learn the proper approach onto the spring board, hurdle onto two feet and either tuck or straddle over the 36-42 inch vault. Handstands will be introduced using the wall for support. If your student is capable of supporting their own weight they will be able to use the back handspring spotter.

Please be aware that Fitness Week willbe the week of May 21. Please look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

Words on Word

So now your third grader knows how to type… In fact, I’m amazed at how well some of the third graders are taking to keyboarding. Recently, I had a class in the lab and every single student was typing using the homerow. Impressive! The reason we learn typing at such an early age, when you may have learned in jr. high or high school, is that your child will spend exponentially more time typing on the computer at a much earlier age than you did. If you are someone who types properly, imagine NOT having that skill and trying to do what you do on the computer for your work or personal life. If you are one who hunts and pecks… imagine how fast you could go if you knew where all of the keys were and didn’t have to look away from your paper to find the keys. (By the way, if you fall into the hunt and peck category and would like to learn how to type properly… come and see me.)

It’s now time to get your student typing some real work on Microsoft Word. We all know, however, that typing is not all you can do on Word and so in the next month we’ll be teaching the third graders how to use the tools Microsoft Word has to turn their words into a properly formatted paper. Students will learn the functions of the tabs at the top of the page, start to learn where commonly used tools are, and begin memorizing the icons that do those common tasks. Learning how to properly format a page will significantly aid students in putting together great looking projects and will cut down on the issues caused by improper formatting.

General Studies – Ms. Mott

I hope that all of you had a safe and fun filled mid-winter break with your kids. I look forward to meeting with you again at spring conferences later in March. I know that students are excited to show you their work, and it is always great to see students’ academic growth from the beginning of the school year. I appreciate your support and partnership in helping your students to succeed.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We will spend the month of March writing persuasive reviews of books, movies, restaurants, and video games. The skills necessary for writing a persuasive piece involve:

• making a strong argument for or against something
• using supportive details to describe the topic
• using opinion, passion, strong words to convince the reader
• summarizing a movie, book, or video game (without giving away any secrets!)
• writing with a target audience in mind
• connecting and/or comparing with another book, movie, restaurant, or video game
• using examples to build an argument

Assignment sheets will come home with your child Mondays and Wednesdays (Coats/Mott) or Tuesdays and Thursdays (Kaplan) and assignments should be written in your child’s planner. Thank you for your support in raising the level of accountability by having parents sign completed homework sheets.

SCIENCE / SOCIAL STUDIES / WRITER’S WORKSHOP

We have been continuing our study of magnets, the Mississippi River, and persuasive reviews since returning from mid-winter break. Soon we will begin working on the third grade expert projects, for which students will choose a science or social studies topic that we have studied this year and study that topic more in-depth. They will be incorporating their reading and writing skills as they make their way through the research process. Children will be searching through numerous books and resources to gather information. They will be learning how to identify the main ideas and take notes as they organize the important information that they collect. Students will also be utilizing skills such as paraphrasing and summarizing.

MATH:

Mrs. Kaplan/Mrs. Mott Report…

In math we will be starting the unit on multiplication and division. This unit is a review and extension of facts, extended facts, estimation, and number models with parentheses. Again, I stress the importance of all students knowing their basic facts. It will make the transition to fourth grade that much easier.

Ms. Coats Reports…

Last month Mr. Brown had students measuring and estimating the number of tiles needed to roof a doghouse. He will continue to stretch students’ math brains with such real-life applications of concepts of geometry and multiplication. In the next unit we will be extending our work on multiplication and division. Students may be asked to do two pages of math homework on some nights. If your child is not yet working on multiplication facts on timed tests, please help them practice their addition and subtraction facts so they can work on mastery of multiplication and division facts. This unit takes the basic facts and builds on them.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Welcome, Book Clubs! Your children are so excited to build upon their study of characters, predicting, studying elements of plot, making movies in their minds, and noticing details by sharing with a group. We have been practicing “talking really smart” about books and our connections to books. We will be using the language of prediction and inference in our discussions. We will be finding clues as we read, reading between the lines to see what the author does not come right out and tell us (inference) and trying to guess what is going to happen in the end (prediction). We will also be looking closely at the big, important decisions characters make throughout the story and using what we find to ask ourselves questions such as “What lesson am I learning from the character here?” Look for occasional Language Arts Homework to reinforce and support Book Club work from class.

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Poetry Party—Tuesday, March 13
• VOICE NIGHT—Tuesday, March 13
• Field Trip to Bakken Museum—Wednesday, March 21
• Demonstration speeches—Monday, March 19, Tuesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 22
• Conferences—Wed., Thurs., March 28-29/EARLY DISMISSAL

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

It has been a wonderful month of learning!

• Grammar: Number and gender agreement! Masculine nouns need adjectives in masculine form, and feminine nouns need adjectives in feminine form. We are learning strategies for remembering to check for all the patterns.
• Sentence Building: It’s great to see how good the students are getting at building sentences with increased complexity.
• Reading: Students’ Hebrew reading continues to improve and we are getting in a lot of practice.
• Our Core Value for March is, “The world stands on three things: Torah, service to God, and acts of loving kindness.” We are finding the many ways we can live this core value on a day to day basis. I am always impressed with the depth of thought my students possess about the Core Values.
• Purim: It has come and gone but we spent a little time reviewing the holiday and how it is celebrated in Israel.

Hebrew – Ms. Etzion and Ms. Benjamin

We are finishing up our work on Purim, which the children really enjoyed, and are moving on to the holiday of Passover. We will review what students have learned about the holiday in previous years. We will then be learning the story of the exodus in Hebrew. We will build on their strong foundation of knowledge by introducing new vocabulary, which will focus on the past tense. Reading fluency and reading comprehension will also be emphasized. In the Passover unit students will express themselves by speaking and writing using more descriptive words.

Stay warm……

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Ms. Cytron

We enjoyed studying and celebrating Purim with your children! Our work included reviewing the blessings, songs, and special terms that connect to this holiday. Now, on to Passover!

In our Torah studies we have begun our unit on Conflict Resolution. We will begin by discussing a disagreement between the shepherds of Lot and those of Avram that is resolved by the two men separating. As with most disagreements between family members, however, there is more to this story than meets the eye! Students will learn that there are a variety of ways to analyze and resolve conflicts.

We will also continue to increase students’ text reading skills. They will learn to identify key narrative words in the text. Children will also begin to identify basic biblical declensions, including some frequently used possessive endings.

We look forward to seeing you at conferences!

Art – Ms. Thor

The artist is the antenna of the race. ~ Ezra Pound

Picasso may have left us a bit dizzy, but we put things right by exploring symmetry with a Shrek in our sketchbooks.

Up Next

MIA Art Adventure Program

• Presentation #2 – Hand drum from the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea and a ceremonial mask from the Bwa people of Burkino Faso, West Africa.
• Both works were used in maturation ceremonies that marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood.
• Students created a tag board mask in the Bwa tradition. We made observations on how Jewish children have a maturation ceremony, a bar/bat mitzvah. We also made connections to Purim and the tradition of wearing a mask and costume and feeling transformed.
• To see the entire Art Adventure Theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

See you at March Conferences!

Library – Ms. Oskow

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair March 25-30!!

Biggest fundraiser of the year for the library

Books available for preschool through adults at Scholastic’s discounted prices. 25% of money collected goes to the library.

Book Fair Hours:

Sunday, March 25 - 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Monday, March 26 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Tuesday, March 27 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Class Preview Day

Wednesday, Mar. 28 - 8:00 AM-8:00 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Thursday, March 29 - 8:00 AM-7:15 PM – HMJDS Conferences PM

Friday, March 30 - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Student Preview Days

Each HMJDS class visits the Book Fair Monday, March 26 or Tuesday, March 27. Students write a Wish List of books and may buy books.

Teacher Wish Lists

Teachers post Wish Lists and families can buy books or Gift Certificates to dedicate for classrooms, specialists, or the library.

Contests to Win Free Books

Parents or adult relatives can enter their students in a drawing anytime they stop by the Book Fair together through Thursday, March 29 (once per student). On Thursday, March 29, two students’ names will be drawn to win $25 worth of books—and a winning student’s teacher also chooses $25 worth of books! Students’ names are drawn for other prizes, too.

Additional drawing: for students who design posters celebrating their favorite book to decorate the library. Posterboard available from Ms. Oskow. Posters due by March 22.

Visit the Book Fair Online

http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/hmjds

The Online Book Fair:

• allows your child to send wish lists, and invite family and friends to participate in the Book Fair
• offers an expanded book selection – books for all ages, even adult titles
• is available for an extended time: Monday, March 19 to Sunday, April 8.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

• Set up the Book Fair on Friday, March 23
• Tear down the Book Fair on Monday, April 2
• Staff the Book Fair during open hours

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library.

Music – Mr. Shaw

We had a lot of fun working on songs for Purim, such as Hag Purim, Ani Purim, and MisheniKhnas Adar. We will also use the Music Express magazine to continue to increase our ability to read pitch using letter and solfege names. We will use the melody from Symphony No. 9, movement 2, by Antonin Dvořák. This famous melody is from the “Largo” (slow) section of his famous Symphony from the New World. Besides listening to this beautiful musical work we will learn a lot about the composer’s life and that he was invited to the United States to compose music that reflected our country’s heritage. Dvořák’s main goal in America was to discover “American Music” and engage in it, much as he had utilized Czech folk idioms within his music. He supported the concept that African-American and Native American music should be used as a foundation for the growth of American music. He felt that through the music of Native Americans and African-Americans, Americans would find their own national style of music.

Concepts and Understandings Highlighted in Music Lessons

• Sing a varied repertoire of songs, either alone or with others.
• Keep a steady beat while singing.
• Identify where and why music is used throughout a community (country).
• Learn about famous musicians and the cultural aspects of music.
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary.
• Read visual symbols that indicate rhythm and pitch.
• Analyze compositions with ABA form or longer.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

Greetings Third Grade Parents,

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a meaningful Sh’vat. In my lower school classes we recognized Tu bi sh’vat by incorporating the holiday theme into our warm-up activity.

What’s Going On?

Your third grader just finished their rope jumping unit and is now participating in gymnastics. This year we will use the balance beam, vault and the handstand spotter.

Third graders start out with the balance beam height at 30 inches. It is raised to forty inches during the course of the unit. They are introduced to different balance beam challenges to create four to five different skills in their balance beam routine. This includes the dismount onto the crash mat landing on their feet without dropping to their knees.

For vaulting they will learn the proper approach onto the spring board, hurdle onto two feet and either tuck or straddle over the 36-42 inch vault. Handstands will be introduced using the wall for support. If your student is capable of supporting their own weight they will be able to use the back handspring spotter.

Please be aware that Fitness Week willbe the week of May 21. Please look for volunteering opportunities.

Technology – Ms. Olson

Words on Word

So now your third grader knows how to type… In fact, I’m amazed at how well some of the third graders are taking to keyboarding. Recently, I had a class in the lab and every single student was typing using the homerow. Impressive! The reason we learn typing at such an early age, when you may have learned in jr. high or high school, is that your child will spend exponentially more time typing on the computer at a much earlier age than you did. If you are someone who types properly, imagine NOT having that skill and trying to do what you do on the computer for your work or personal life. If you are one who hunts and pecks… imagine how fast you could go if you knew where all of the keys were and didn’t have to look away from your paper to find the keys. (By the way, if you fall into the hunt and peck category and would like to learn how to type properly… come and see me.)

It’s now time to get your student typing some real work on Microsoft Word. We all know, however, that typing is not all you can do on Word and so in the next month we’ll be teaching the third graders how to use the tools Microsoft Word has to turn their words into a properly formatted paper. Students will learn the functions of the tabs at the top of the page, start to learn where commonly used tools are, and begin memorizing the icons that do those common tasks. Learning how to properly format a page will significantly aid students in putting together great looking projects and will cut down on the issues caused by improper formatting.

General Studies – Ms. Coats

The third graders are looking forward to our curriculum night on Thursday, February 16. They are very excited about their presentations and accomplishments so far this year. We hope that you will enjoy participating in their evening, and look forward to seeing you there.

A remarkable moment to share! Our students had a fantastic classroom t’filah last week. Mr. Portnoe and I just watched, amazed, as these incredible leaders took charge and worked as a group to begin prayers on their own, without an adult telling them what to do. I continue to be awed by the strength of their religious observance.

Language Arts:

Children are reading a variety of different chapter books. In the month of February, we will be working as Book Clubs to build upon the prediction/visualization/inference skills we worked on in January. At various times throughout their book they will be assigned individual jobs such as summarizer, word finder, connector, discussion director, or passage picker. Before beginning the next reading, the students will share and discuss their work with the other members of their group and/or myself. Critical thinking skills and deep responses to books are on tap as students continue to make movies in their mind and “read themselves awake.”

Students will continue to search their books to reinforce skills taught in Writer’s Workshop. We previously searched their books for good and bad examples of leads, endings, and dialogue. We are focusing on editing this month, so students will be using their sharp eyes to find examples of good grammar, spelling, subject-verb agreement, and what makes a good paragraph. Students will continue to work on relating leads and endings to the concept of topic and concluding sentences in classroom writing.

Writer’s Workshop:

Realistic Fiction can be based on events that have happened to the writer or can come entirely from the writer’s imagination. Third grade authors have written drafts and worked very hard on revising them. We have added strong leads, sensory details, dialogue, and settings to our stories. For the remainder of the unit, we will be editing our pieces. Things that we will look at in class are spelling, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, grammar, and paragraphing. Anything we miss can be corrected at home. Here are some hints for helping your writers:

• Point out misspelled words and ask them to attempt to correct them. If they cannot correct them on their own, please tell your child the correct spelling.
• Teach your child to use spell-check on the computer.
• Have your child read their draft out loud before printing their final draft. They often pick up errors better when they hear them.
• Remind your child that a new speaker is a new paragraph.
• Students will be held accountable for dialogue punctuation. End marks go inside quotation marks and all dialogue must begin with capital letters.
• USE THE RUBRIC!!! A rubric comes home with the final draft assignment sheet. Students must check each item off the rubric to make sure they have included all criteria. Students who use the rubric reliably get better scores on their writing. (If you don’t see it with the final draft assignment, email me and I will make sure you get it!)

We will be holding Publishing Parties for each class the last week of school before Mid-Winter Break!

Math:

Mrs. Kaplan and Mrs. Mott report…

In math we are winding down our unit on large numbers and decimals. Our next unit is Geometry. We will be learning about line segments, rays, lines, right angles, various types of triangles, quadrangles, naming polygons, degree measures, and symmetric shapes. Scores on “beat the clocks” keep improving. If your child has not passed the addition and subtraction ones, they need to be practicing every night.

Ms. Coats reports…

“How many more minutes are there in an hour than there are hours in a day?” This is the sort of trick question Mr. Brown poses on Mondays during our math enrichment time (to get the answer, take 60-24!). We have to stretch our minds to think of math concepts in new ways. Third graders are also thinking about directions and lines in new ways in this math unit. Our vocabulary this month includes the terms line, line segment, ray, angle, vertex, end point (which is actually at the beginning!), angle, parallel, intersecting, angle, rotation, right angle, clockwise, counterclockwise, full-, quarter- and half-turn, polygon, triangle, quadrangle, regular polygon, degrees, symmetry, polyhedron, pyramid, prism, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, adjacent, base, mirror, and so much more! We use our bodies and hands-on learning to master these concepts. Keep up the good work on the Beat-the-Clocks!

Science:

Mrs. Mott reports…

We are just concluding our study of Weather/Water and will begin our unit on Magnets. We will investigate the following topics:

• What is a hypothesis?
• What is a theory?
• Where are electromagnets used?
• What is the difference between like and opposite poles?
• What is the language of Science?

We look forward to our field trip to the Bakken Museum, on Wednesday, March 21st where the children will perform experiments based on Magnets and Electromagnets and discover the relationship between magnetism and electricity.

Social Studies:

Mrs. Kaplan reports…

We are starting our study of the Mississippi River and will begin looking at early explorers. Students will examine their reasons for exploring, as well as the information gained from their travels. We will then learn about the settlers and how the settlements were influenced by the discovery and use of various resources, and how/why cities developed along its shores. We will be tracing its path from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Students will be using important strategies such as using various parts of a book (table of contents, glossary, index) to locate information and using text organizers (chapter titles, headings, captions, and graphic features) to locate information and predict content.

WE NEED YOUR HELP…

• Please make sure you are looking at your child’s planner every night. Some kids have become more “relaxed” about recording assignments than I would like them to be. The purpose behind using this planner is to instill good study and organizational skills for the remainder of their school career.
• We are looking for a group of parents to help with the Good Shepherd exchange program that will be on Tuesday, April 3rd at Beth El Synagogue (12:30-2:00). Students will have the opportunity to make and taste some of the traditional Passover foods. If you are interested please let me know.

Looking Ahead…

• February 16th- Curriculum Night/February Poetry Party
• February 20th- Newbery Book Report due
• February 25th-March 4th- NO SCHOOL/Mid-Winter Break

A special thank you to all the parents who planned and orchestrated the “campfire” Kabbalat Shabbat. The kids LOVED it!!!

Hebrew – Ms. Bernstein

It has been a wonderful month of learning!

• We are moving at a nice pace in our book Shalom Ivrit. Our most recent goal is to build more vocabulary and understand how to manipulate verbs in the present tense. Our next focus will be adjectives and learning how to make them agree with nouns and verbs.
• Students’ Hebrew reading continues to improve and we get in lots of practice.
• Our Core Value for March is, “The world stands on three things: Torah, service to God, and acts of loving kindness.” We are finding the many ways we can live this core value on a day to day basis. I am always impressed with the depth of thought my students possess about the Core Values.
• We have been playing lots of Hebrew games including: Shimon Omer (Hebrew Simon Says), Four Corners (we play with five corners), Aleph-Bet Trouble (in Hebrew print and script), Aleph-Bet Go Fish and a new Bingo game on the Seven Biblical Species (Wheat, Barley, Pomegranate, Date, Olive, Grape, and Fig).
• As you can see from the picture, we finished our unit on Winter. Students are showing off the dolls they made and the exceptional creative writing they did about what their dolls were wearing.

Hebrew – Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Etzion

We have started working in our Purim workbook. We will review what they have previously learned about the holiday. We will introduce new vocabulary. Our emphasis will be on learning new adjectives that describe emotions. Students will read about the emotions that each character in the Purim story felt. This will allow students to be more descriptive when writing about certain scenes in this story and in future assignments and discussions. We will learn Purim songs, write short paragraphs, read a Purim story, and more! Stay warm……

Judaic Studies – Hamorah Esther, Rabbi Ettedgui, and Ms. Cytron

We are still in the process of working on our current unit in our Torah studies dealing with the concept of brit, covenant. We have been focusing on the connection between our relationship with God, the land, the Torah and the brit, in both physical and symbolic terms.

We will continue delving into this subject as we learn stories relating to the brit between God and Avram, beginning with God’s promise that Avram’s descendants will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky, continuing with the discussion between God and Avram regarding those future generations, and concluding with a ceremony sealing the covenant between God and the Jewish people.

We will continue to increase our Torah based vocabulary and work on increasing students’ text skills. The students will also be working on making kiddush cups, which will be our grade’s VOICE project.

Art – Ms. Thor

I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else. ~ Pablo Picasso

I hope you have all enjoyed viewing your child’s fall art portfolio!

Students have started their Picasso Face project

Students completed a rough draft in their sketchbooks and have moved on to their larger drawing paper for the final drawing. The criteria for this project are:

• Head and shoulders fill the page.
• Face has both a profile and front view.
• Use of thin and think lines to define the drawing.
• Use of at least two of the following materials: markers, oil pastels, colored pencils.
• If the face has a pattern or is very colorful, the background should be “quieter,” or if the face has few colors and no pattern, then the background can be colorful or have a pattern.

We will finish these drawings (which represent asymmetrical compositions) and move on to a fun drawing project using familiar movie characters for a lesson on symmetrical compositions.

Next up: Sketchbook Assignment #7 – Symmetry design

MIA Art Adventure Program

• Last week we had our first presentation and saw John Singer Sargent’s “Birthday Party” and Paul Signac’s “Blessing of the Tuna Fleet.” We participated in a short art project that introduced us to the color theory and painting technique of pointillism. Students made drawings by imitating Signac’s technique of applying color in small rectangular shapes while using oil pastels.
• To see the entire Art Adventure theme, “Let’s Celebrate Life,” click on the link below. http://www.artsmia.org/viewer/index.php?v=12&op=568

Library – Ms. Oskow

Third Graders Read Newbery Winners

In February, third graders read books which have won the Newbery Award or Newbery Honor. The Newbery Award is given by the American Library Association (ALA) to the book voted the best book written for children that year. After a book wins, a gold facsimile of the Newbery Medal is usually placed on the cover of new copies. If the ALA feels other books were worthy, they can decide to award 1-5 Newbery Honors, as well. Newbery Honor books receive a silver medal. There are many wonderful books to choose from among Newbery winners. Their genres include realistic fiction, animal stories, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, humor… You can find a list of all past Newbery winners at the website: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.cfm.

HMJDS Scholastic Book Fair Coming March 25-30!!

Biggest Library Fundraiser

The Scholastic Book Fair runs Sunday, March 25 – Friday, March 30. It is the single biggest fundraiser of the year for the library. Books will be available for all ages from preschool through adults, at Scholastic’s discounted, tax-free prices. Shoppers can make purchases for themselves as well as consider donations directly to the library or to HMJDS classrooms. 25% of all money collected will go to the library.

Look for more information following Mid-Winter Break.

Volunteers Needed For Book Fair

Volunteers are needed to help:

• set up the Book Fair on Friday morning, March 23
• tear down the Book Fair on Monday morning, April 2
• staff the Book Fair during the hours it is open

Please contact Book Fair Chairs Micki Litton, Beth Jasco or Ellen Berkelhamer – or sign up on the sheet that will be posted outside the library after Mid-Winter Break.

Music – Mr. Shaw

The students are continuing to work on singing simple melodies by using five solfege tones (do, re, mi, fa, sol) and identifying them by sight singing. This work includes reading basic music notation using pitch, solfege, and letter names. After we sing the melodies we play them on the Orff instrument. We also use the Music Express magazine to continue improving our ability to read pitch (high and low) using letter and solfege names. We will use the melody from Symphony No. 9, movement 2, by Antonin Dvořák. This famous melody is from the “Largo” (slow) section of his famous “Symphony from the New World.” Besides listening to this beautiful musical work, we will learn a lot about the composer’s life and that he was invited to the United States to compose music that reflected our country’s heritage. Dvořák’s main goal in America was to discover “American Music” and engage in it, much as he had utilized Czech folk idioms within his music. Towards the end of the month of March we will start working on songs for Purim, such as Hag Purim, Ani Purim, and Mishenikhnas Adar.

Featured Concepts and Understandings in Music Class Lessons:

• Sing and play short phrases, rhythms, and melodies while reading notation.
• Sing alone or with others a varied repertoire of songs.
• Develop the competency to perform music through modeling.
• Learn about famous musicians and the cultural aspects of music.
• Describe elements of music heard in a given selection using appropriate music vocabulary.

Physical Education – Mr. Lindquist

I’m happy to say that we made it through the floor hockey unit unscathed, and now have switched from competitive team activities to individual challenges such as gymnastics and rope jumping.

What’s Going On?

In gymnastics your third grader begins with rudimentary strength and balance challenges on the floor mats. They learn about body lines and the importance of rigidity in maintaining balance and control. To assure success at all levels we begin with very basic movements, then allow students to proceed cautiously at their own speed. I’m a firm believer in learning skills in stages and would never ask a student to try a skill without proper lead-ups or something they are not capable of doing.

Our floor challenges begin with basic log rolls to learn controlled rigid body movements and then add balance into that theme. Balance is the root of body control. We carry this theme into the apparatus skills that include the balance beam, vault, and the back handspring spotter. On the balance beam the third graders are required to create a 5-6 skill routine that includes a dismount that they try to “stick.” The balance beam starts out 32 inches high and is raised during this unit to 40 inches, which is very challenging for some students. Third graders are introduced to hand stands against the wall for one of their apparatus stations. This skill carries over to the vault.

What’s Next?

Volleyball!

Technology – Ms. Olson

Third Grade Cartographers and Programmers

Yes, we’re finishing up this month with the map project we have been working on with Ms. Kaplan. Each third grader has created his/her own map, and we’re now on the last stages of creating a vehicle to drive through town. Once a vehicle has been chosen… and these are some interesting vehicles, like bowls of cheese puffs, magic carpets, and monsters… students will write the program to make their vehicle move. This is a simple program, but gives students an idea of how computer programmers make things happen in the games they like to play and even in programs like Microsoft Word. I love Scratch because they now have enough knowledge to try some things on their own at home. You can download Scratch at www.scratch.mit.edu for your child to use at home.

I look forward to seeing you all and having your child share this project with you at the Third Grade Curriculum Night later this month!