December 20th

The student council is putting on a fun dress-up day on Friday, December 20th.  The kids can wear elf hats, santa hats and slippers.  In our class, it is also our Polar Express day and so they can wear their pajamas as well!

Giving Tree

The student council is asking for canned goods or dry goods to put underneath our Jefferson Christmas tree. The goods will be donated to the Salvation Army. 

All Aboard the Polar Express

      It’s time to get ready for our Christmas party!  This year we will have a Polar Express theme party.  We will have hot chocolate, read The Polar Express, eat treats, watch the movie and see what goodies our classmates left in our stockings.  Of course the students will have to come in their pajamas!! 

We will have hot chocolate and apple cider.  I will provide the drinks, but would like for you to bring in treats or snacks (if you would like).  Sweets are always popular around this time of year (no cake, please), but most students actually like a salty snack when watching a movie (popcorn, pretzels, chips, meat/cheese, crackers...). Please let me know what you would like to bring.  

The party will be on afternoon of December 20th. 

Spelling

There will not be spelling until after Christmas break. 

Week 14 - Spelling Words

Group 1 - Homophones

1. hear
2. here
3. hay
4. hey
5. hi
6. high
7. hour
8. our
9. knot
10. not
11. no
12. know
13. knows
14. nose

Group 2 - Homophones

1. hair
2. hare
3. hear
4. here
5. hall
6. haul
7. heel
8. heal
9. he'll
10. hi
11. high
12. in
13. inn
14. knead
15. need

Group 3 - Homophones

1. dear
2. deer
3. daze
4. days
5. desert
6. dessert
7. due
8. dew
9. die
10. dye
11. fair
12. fare
13. feat
14. feet
15. few
16. phew

Turkey Bingo

Turkey Bingo is on Tuesday, November 26th from 6-8pm.  Doors open at 5:30.  It is at the Codington County Extension Building. Concessions (walking tacos, pizza, nachos...) are available for supper.  Thank you to the PTO for putting on this event. Hope to see you there!

December Book Orders

       Check out the December book orders! There are many great books for under $5.00, even a couple for a buck!  

Order on-line for even easier shopping.  Use my class code, J2WRP, and use a credit card for your purchase.  Saves on sending the forms and check back to school. If you send a check, please make it out to Scholastic Reading Club

www.scholastic.com

Due Monday, November 25th  

Week 13 Spelling words

We are continuing to look at homophones. Most of the words are not difficult to spell, but the trick is to learn the definition and usage to match the correct spelling. 

Group 1 
cell
sell
sent
cent
dear
deer
four
for
great
grate
hair
hare
hall
haul

Group 2
buy 
by 
bye
cent
scent
sent
dear
deer
flour
flower
great
grate
groan
grown

Group 3
sealing
ceiling
cent
scent
sent
cereal
serial
cheap
cheep
cite
sight
site
coarse
course
creak
creek

Big Universe

I am so excited to announce that Jefferson PTO has purchased a school-wide license for an exciting new website - Big Universe.  

This website is an online library of books and a writing program all in one!  Your kids can log-on at home, choose a book to read by choosing from hundreds of books at their level or interest! 

They can just use their regular computer log-in and then type in jes-sd to get into the site.  When the kids return to school, they can take an AR test if they wish.  There are also quizzes built into the site which we take at school.  A writing section is also available, which I have not explored.  If you would like to try it out, be my guest and let me know how you child likes it!

It is a wonderful site which I hope you take advantage of at home, especially if your child has forgotten library books at school.  

Big Universe

Week 12 - Spelling Words

This week all groups are working on homophones - words that sound the same, but are spelled differently. Some of the spellings may not seem difficult  but it is matching the correct spelling to the correct meaning. 

Group 1
ad
add
I 
eye
ball
bawl
bear
bare
be
bee
blue
blew
by 
buy
bye

Group 2 
ball
bawl
bare
bear
beat
beet
blue
blew
board
bored
buy
by
bye
break
brake

Group 3
aisle
I'll
allowed
aloud
arc
ark
alter
altar
oar
or
ore
aye
eye
bald
bawled

T. L. York Visit

Third Grade had the honor of having local author T.L. York visit our classroom. She shared her journey of writing a children's book and encouraged the kids to become imaginative writers.  Below are three sites she recommended for publishing your own book.  

www.lulu.com
www.createspace.com
www.blurb.com

Wall of Flags

You received a white flag cut-out yesterday.  Please write the name of a veteran from your family, alive or deceased, and the war in which they participated. You may include what branch of service and their title.  We will be using these for a "Veterans Wall" to honor those who have served, or are serving, in the armed forces. 

Week 11 - Spelling Words

Group 1 - ee and ea and sight words
1. dead
2. feed

3. read
4. sweet
5. sweep
6. bread
7. does
8. another
9. head
10. sleep
11. great
12. heart
13. reed
14. heard
15. November

Group 2 - g and j sounds and sight words
1. giraffe
2. huge
3. stage
4. engine
5. badge
6. ginger
7. gerbil
8. giant
9. jellybean
10. juggle
11. jogging
12. because
13. enough
14. jacket
15. November

Group 3 - Months of the year and sight words
1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December
13. because
14. children
15. guess

The Witch and the Broomstick Choral Reading

Skeleton Choral Reading

Zombies Choral Reading

Goblins, Gremlins, and Demons Choral Reading

Football Playoffs

The Watertown Arrow's football playoff game will be held this Thursday, October 31st.  Activity tickets will not be accepted.  The price to attend the game is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. 

Conferences

Here is the conference schedule. Please let me know ASAP if your time slot will not work. 

Thursday, Nov. 7th
4:15 - 4:30   Mason
4:30 - 4:45   Carter M. 
4:45 - 5:00   Emily
5:00 - 5:15   Katie
5:15 - 5:30   Austin
5:30 - 5:45   Kayson
5:45 - 6:00   Zeke
6:00 - 6:15   Matthew
6:16 - 6:30   Gracie
6:30 - 6:45   Emma Shay
6:45 - 7:00   Mallory
7:00 - 7:15   Brock
7:15 - 7:30   Addison
7:30 - 7:45   Emma B.

Tuesday, Nov. 12th
4:30 - 4:45   Hannah
4:45 - 5:00   Emma E.
5:00 - 5:15   Carter J. 
5:15 - 5:30   Max
5:30 - 5:45   Jensen
5:45 - 6:00   Jarika
6:00 - 6:15   Joscelyn
6:15 - 6:30   Hayden
6:30 - 6:45   Carter R.
6:45 - 7:00   Parker
7:00 - 7:15   Evan

Flashlight Reading

On Wednesday, October 30th, we are going to have a special reading day - Flashlight Reading!  The lights

will be off in the classroom and the skylights covered.  The kids will bring a pillow, a stuffed animal and a flashlight!  The morning will be full of comfy, fun reading!  

Change for Books

This year during the book fair, each class has a change jar in their classroom.  Kids can bring in any loose change which will be used to purchase books for our classroom.  You do NOT have to participate, only if you wish.  
(The teachers will also have our book wish lists posted as we have in the past.) 

Student Council

If your 3rd grader is interested in running for our Class Representative, the permission slip needs to be turned in by Monday. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Preorder

The newest Diary of a Whimpy Kid is coming out on November 5th.  We have the opportunity to purchase the book before they go on sale to the general public.  The books are $8.49 + .51 for tax. Please have your money and order form to Mrs. Zemlicka on or before October 30th. 

Chalk on Monday

Mrs. Olson, our art teacher, is going to be using chalk in art on Monday.  Please do not wear any good clothes since it is a bit messy. 

Label hats, coats and boots

With the snow arriving, it reminds us that we need to be labeling all winter gear so that it can be returned to the proper owner if misplaced. 

Also, please let your kids know that we should not be sharing hats, scarves, or coats.  I do have these items in my room, if they are forgotten, and I wash them after each use.  Thanks. 

Contractions

Fire House

Plant Project

Week 9 - Spelling Words

Group 1
want
curve
nurse
show
follow
your
very
boy
would
curl
purse
burn
turn
slurp
came

Group 2 
shorten
about
pushed
shadows
showed
crashed
long
brushing
sharpen
never
shocking
splash
shaped
got
shaded

Group 3
population
choose
ingle
touch
information
express
authenticity
criticize
electricity
publicity
partial
simplicity
realization
traditional
adaptation

Possessives Song

Electronics Party!!

       The students have earned an electronics party for proper hallway and classroom behavior. Tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon the students are allowed to bring in their personal electronic gaming devices to play.  

If you do not wish for the electronics to come to school, school ipads and computers will be available.  When we are not in the classroom, the room will be locked so their devices will be safe.  I cannot, however, guarantee from them getting damaged during their party. 

Noun Song from Grammaropolis - "Noun Town"

Noun Song - Have Fun Teaching

NOVA | Carnivorous Plants and Killer Ants | PBS

Carnivore Plants

Grammar Rock "Nouns"

Spelling Words - Week 7

Group 1 -ol sound and sight words

1. old
2. told
3. sold
4. fold
5. mold
6. because
7. said
8. says
9. they
10. great
11. gold
12. where
13. were
14. very
15. number

Group 2 -gh sounds and sight words

1. weigh
2. laugh
3. enough
4. rough
5. ghost
6. along
7. might
8. close
9. something
10. seem
11. sight
12. flight
13. high
14. sigh
15. eight

Group 3 -tion endings and sight words

1. education
2. participation
3. hydration
4. description
5. deception
6. introduction
7. emotion
8. relation
9. action
10. caption
11. potion
12. piece
13. peace
14. where
15. were

Science Packets

I am sending home several science packets tonight.  Not all the pages are done and that is okay!  We just did not get to them or we did the work in a different place.  Many of the pages are just for exploration and our graded work was completed in a different form, so that is why they are not graded. Please don't send them back. Thanks!

Midterms

I sent home a different form of midterms tonight with your child.  (The letter was placed in a white envelope if you want to check your child's backpack)  Please let me know what you think of this format.  I thought it was a nice representation of your child's progress, but I would like to know your thoughts. 

The Week in Review

Here is what happened in school this week:

Reading - finished our look at finding the main idea of a story
Math - subtraction with renaming (we used to call it borrowing)
Writing - writing with your senses
Social Studies - identifying goods and services 

Spelling List Week 6

Group 1 - adding endings to words with short and long vowels


framed
baked
sipping
hotter
pinned
digger
running
tripped
batter
sitting
making
braver
standing
fanning
skidding


Group 2 - wr, ph, and kn spelling patterns

wren
wrong
graph
phone
write
alphabet
known
knife
wrap
knitting
knots
trophy
wrestle
photo
know
wrench


Group 3 - number words

quintuplets
octagon
bicycle
hexagon
bilateral
unicorn
October
bicentennial
quadriceps
octopus
triceps
unicycle
tricycle
triangle
pentagon