Greetings Families,
Thank you for all of your support from home this last week! There are a lot of new changes happening and a lot more to balance, so I want to thank you for your continued grace and support.
UPDATES
***Galileo Testing this week! (See below)
***Hot lunch: Please have your child bring a lunchbox to store any leftovers from lunch. After a student finishes eating hot lunches, leftovers will be thrown away in the trash unless students have their lunchbox to store leftovers.
GALILEO
The Galileo test is a benchmark test to determine what standards students are proficient in. This test is taken multiple times to help teachers know what areas need to be focused on. It is not expected that students get the right answers on this test. Parents should provide no support. If students cannot solve or answer a question, they should make their best guess and move on.
Third grade will be taking the benchmark test Galileo on Thursday, first thing in the morning. Please send your child to school well-rested and with a full tummy. We will begin our day with the Pledge and Attendance and from there begin our Galileo testing.
Remote-learner families, please ensure your child is logged into our Pledge/Attendance Zoom first thing each morning and especially Thursday. On Thursday, Distance learners will be expected to take their Galileo test during our testing window and to practice virtues of integrity and honesty. The Galileo assessment will not impact your child's grade, it is one which allows me to see where our scholars are and what we need to focus on. Please set your child up to take their test from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Links will be included as needed and scholars should take their test during this testing window.
Please ensure your child is in an area with few distractions, so they will have the ability to focus. Please also ensure your child takes this test on his/her own (any help given by a parent/guardian will negate helpful information for teachers). We will continue our afternoon after Galileo testing with a Math and Spalding lesson. Our live zoom link will be available after lunch from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Any makeup tests will be taken Friday morning.
SCIENCE AND HISTORY
Science and history will not be happening on different days for in-person and remote learners. History will now take place on Monday and Tuesday for in-person learners. These lessons will be recorded and then uploaded for remote learners to use on Thursday and Friday. In-person learners will have their science lessons on Thursday and Friday. Remote learners will watch the pre-recorded videos on Thursday and Friday.
Short weeks will be different as we will try to have two days of science and two days of history (this week and next is a little different due to Galileo testing).
SNACKS
Please send your child to school each day with a healthy snack. Sugary snacks are not permitted to be eaten during snack time. This includes candy and cookies (healthy cookies, like protein cookies, are permitted). Fruit snacks are not permitted since they are mostly made up of sugar. Fruit leather is permitted. Most chips are also discouraged but permitted. Healthy chips are a good option. Thank you for providing your child with a healthy stack.
BOOKS
Please send your child to school with a book that is both appropriate for his/her reading level and that promotes intellectual and/or moral virtue. These books may be pop-culture so long as they are good-literature (useful and sweet). I am hoping to open my library soon, but am waiting for further guidance on how to properly open the library while keeping the environment safe.
MASKS
You likely saw the email from Mr. Gillingham regarding the wearing of masks in the classroom. Your child has handled the requirement well. I've not had any issues with children being disrespectful or disobedient when asked to wear their masks. Depending on what side of the mask-wearing you stand, please know that Great Hearts, Mr. Gillingham, and I are doing our best to both obey the Governor's executive order and respect the individual humanity of each child. Obedience, when not compelled to act against virtue, is a virtue. Compassion, when not compelled to act against virtue, is a virtue. The balance between obedience and compassion is a difficult feat. Please let me know if your child has concerns about the masks policy as it is being implemented in 3B.
LESSONS
Language Arts: This week we will do 15 words on Tuesday and 15 on Wednesday. There will be a spelling test on Friday. For grammar, we will review what we have learned this year, and there will be a test next Monday. A study guide (that looks suspiciously like the test) will be handed out on Tuesday. We are memorizing “The Bee” by Lewis Carroll. Children should review it a bit daily at home. Recitations will be on Wednesday the 16th.
Math: During week 6, students will continue to look at solving two-step word problems along with a more detailed look at addition. Over the new couple of weeks, students will spend more time with addition and subtraction before transitioning to multiplication and division. Students should be making good progress in their memorization of the addition and subtraction math facts. I recommend that students who are progressing more slowly at XtraMath spend additional time studying their math facts with either flashcards or online at MathPlayground.com.
History: Students will journey back to Africa to learn about the Congo River and also to North America to travel to the northern river located in the country of Canada. These rivers have something in common and that is that there are many waterfalls and rapids that make travel on these rivers difficult. They will compare the differences in climate and landforms that make these rivers very unique. Then students will travel to Europe, western Asia, and back to Africa to understand how important the Volga, Danube, Rhine, and Niger Rivers are to the countries that are “land-locked” or located far inland from the ocean or sea. They provide important transportation and navigation routes across these continents. Along the shores of these rivers, the students will also be introduced to some very interesting sights that you would see if floating these rivers.
Science: Understanding that energy can transfer from one place to another, what happens when something with the energy of motion collides into something not moving (one marble hitting other marbles) or when two things with the energy of motion collide (hands clapping). Students will tackle this question during the Thursday lesson during a demonstration of two toy cars crashing into one another from different sized rams and by reading “Collisions Transfer Energy.” [One thing that will be discussed but is not a focus of the lessons, is energy transformation. For example, when clapping our hands, the energy of motion is transformed into sound energy. Energy in a flashlight goes from chemical energy, to electrical energy (electricity), to sound energy.] Following the lesson on collisions, students will turn their energy toward preparing for the mid-unit test. Students will spend two class sessions preparing for this test by reviewing the “Core Vocabulary” and specific pages of their notebooks. The goal of this test is not simply for students to memorize information, though some memorization is necessary, but for students to demonstrate that they understand the science they have learned thus far through the demonstrations and reading. There is no study guide for this test because that would prevent the teacher from correctly understanding the child’s understanding of the material. Optional Test Extra Credit: On NB 50-52, “Investigating Collisions,” there are instructions for students to conduct their own experiment. This experiment and the work related to recording and explaining it is probably the best test prep we can provide your child for homework. However, this is an optional activity as it will require a significant amount of time and materials not provided by the school. However, students who conduct an experiment investigating collisions and record all of the appropriate information in their notebook will receive a 10% on their mid-unit test. Thus, a student receiving a 79% on their test would receive an 89% if they completed all of the required work. This optional test extra credit homework is due on the day of the test--Friday of week seven.
There is so much more that could be said. I will leave it here for now. Have a great week. Let me know if there is anything I can do to serve your family.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren