It is hard to believe the year is coming to an end. We are wrapping several projects this week. The students finished reading their Book Club Novels. Now, they are working diligently on a poster that will include the important elements of the story. They will have their last Book Talk on Friday. They...
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Please join us on Thursday, June 13th from 11:30-1:30 at Berkeley Park to celebrate the end of the year with our Kindergarten Buddies. We will eat lunch and enjoy the day with our buddies. Let me know if you would like to join us. Today the students presented their final Book Reports and Projects....
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Mrs. Layman needs parent volunteers to help out during Field Day on Thursday, June 6th. If you are interested in helping leave a note in her mailbox or drop by the gym and let her know. In Third grade the students are expected to complete Work Samples in Math, Science, Writing and Speaking. There...
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The focus on the Discovery Center will be Rocks and Minerals. The students will investigate what rocks and mineral are and what the difference is. They will explore the color, texture, and hardness of minerals, too. As a class, we will learn the differences between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The students will have...
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Art Night was a great success! The docents impressed our guests with their vast knowledge of Claude Monet and telling people about the art pieces that were on display. A Special Thank You to our docents Ivy, Sadie, Kellen, Declan, Tate,Franny, Lesly, Bridger, Alexander and Charla. We will continue with our study of Claude...
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Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, May 2nd at Art Night! The students have been learning about Claude Monet, the French painter who is considered the father of the “Impressionism style of painting. The children have created their own impressionistic paintings of some of Monet’s famous paintings. On Thursday you will see their...
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We are getting ready for Art Night in May! Our class is learning about Claude Monet’s series Water Lilies. Monet painted about 250 paintings of the water lilies that were part of his beautiful garden in Giverney. The Water Lilies were his primary focus the last thirty years of his life. On Tuesday, the...
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On Monday we ventured out to Brookside Wetlands to learn about the plant life and the animals that live in this environment. Lynn Vanderkamp led our class on a hike identifying trees, weeds, and shrubs found at Brookside. The students had to record the plants, draw and list its characteristics. The students were able...
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We are at The Historical Society on Thursday morning. We will have a guided tour of the displays that focus on Portland and Oregon History. On Monday, we will be at Brookside Wetlands with Lynn Vanderkamp leading the tour. I would like the students to dress for the weather. This time of year Brookside...
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This week we will focus on Claude Monet’s Haystacks series. The twenty-five canvas series are stacks of hay in a field near Monet’s home in Giverny. Claude Monet began the series in the summer of 1890 and continued through the following spring, using the year’s harvest. Like his series of The Rouen Cathedral Monet’s...
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In Mathematics, we have completed Unit Four: Multiplication and Division Patterns & Concepts. The students have been working on the basic Multiplication facts as part of the learning in this unit. Instead of memorizing the facts, the students have been making sense of them by learning strategies that will help them solve the facts....
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As part of our yearlong study of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet we will start to study his paintings that were inspired by living in the small village of Giverny, France. In 1890 Monet became the owner of a home and the gardens that surrounded it. He gradually transformed the gardens into a place...
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Last year as part of our Social Studies unit the students learned about the Woodstock neighborhood. This year in Third Grade the students will learn about Portland the city they live in. We will begin our unit of study by understanding our historical past. The lessons will focus on the land before it was...
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On Friday we will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by reading his books, making a mystery substance, and other fun activities. Theodor Seuss Geisel would have been 109 years old. Dr. Seuss is beloved by children and adults around the world. We will celebrate all his fine contributions to the world of children’s literature. Another...
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During Reading Workshop the students have been learning how to use the strategy of Inferring. We have a poster in class that states, ”Good readers are able to infer because they look for clues in pictures and words to help them figure out what the book is about.” I decided using photos would be...
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This quarter in Writing Workshop, the students are going to focus on tighten up their writing. By Third grade many writers have built up sufficient fluency to write long, complicated stories. This is an achievement in itself. Most students can write three, four, even five pages, However, I find that most student seem incapable...
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We’re off to the ballet! The children and I will attend The Oregon Ballet’s performance of Swan Lake on Thursday, February 21st at the Keller Auditorium. I will send the Permission Slip on Thursday, February 7th. Prior to going we will learn about the story of Swan Lake. I will introduce the French Impressionist...
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This week we started Unit 4 Multiplication and Division. I gave the students the Pre-Assessment to determine what they already know and what they need to learn. One of the important learning goals that the students will learn strategies that will help them master Multiplication & Division facts to 10 x 10. Today you...
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During our Science Unit titled Changes we have been investigating Owls. The students have learned how Owls are birds of prey, different types of Owls, their anatomy, life cycle, adaptations, and diet. This week the students will dissect Barn Owl Pellets ordered from Owl Brand Supply Company. I chose Barn Owls pellets because they...
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Last week turned out to be a very busy week that we did not get time to discuss and reflect on The Rouen Cathedral. Therefore, our class will focus on the series on Friday. Claude Monet painted a series of paintings of the front of the cathedral. His aim was to show the play...
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Happy New Year! I would like to thank you for the holiday cards and gifts. I appreciated your kindness and generosity. This week finds our class learning more about Claude Monet and his fascination with they way light changed during the day. We will be looking at and discussing one of Monet’s famous series...
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The students in Ms. Vasquez and Ms. Leake’s are learning about how other countries celebrate the Festival of Lights. On Monday we went to India to celebrate Diwali. This year Diwali was celebrated on November 13th. Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the...
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