A Window to the Classroom

Next time you are in our building, be sure and take a look around at all the great hallway displays!  If you ever want to see a window into our classrooms, you can see both the processes and the products of our learning by taking a peek down our halls.  Here are some pictures from our latest displays!

Learning about Money in Math Workshop

Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions in Readers' Workshop

Responding to Non-fiction Articles in Writers' Workshop...we're learning how to write an opinion essay!

News and Notes...

Just a few bits and pieces this week-

• We are still in need of tissues!  Thank you to those of you who have already sent us a box or two, we really appreciate it!
• Please remind your child to dress appropriately for cold weather.  With the unusual winter we’ve had, it’s important to have a warm jacket, especially at the bus stop or outside recess.
• If you haven’t returned the music trip field trip yet, please do so as soon as possible.
• Spelling questions?  Don’t forget you can help your child study by going to our Spelling City page!  The link is under “Resources” right here on our class blog.

Learning About the Water Cycle

Here are some fun resources for you to check out at home as we we learn about the water cycle at school!


Click on one of the links below!


Interactive Game
Water Cycle Animation
Printable Placemat

Ms. Auxier's Third Grade: Using Money

Ms. Auxier's Third Grade: Using Money: We have been working hard this week on using money. We all like to spend it, but there's a lot to know about using money to make purchases ...

Ms. Auxier's Third Grade: Introducing...Measurement!

Ms. Auxier's Third Grade: Introducing...Measurement!: Our class is beginning to learn all about measurement in our Math Workshop. Measurement incorporates a lot of different components, so here...

Hello, 2012!

I hope you all had a delightful Christmas break and are ready to begin 2012!  Did you make a New Year's Resolution?  One of my resolutions is to make a positive observation every day!  As I reflect on the first half of the school year I can make several positive observations and I'd like to share them with you!  

• Our third graders are on their way to becoming great non-fiction writers.  By using Time for Kids and other non-fiction resources, students are becoming proficient at early research and note-taking skills!  
• Our class saw great growth in the Communication Arts benchmark, raising our class average by almost 20%!
• In math, our students are mastering the problem solving strategies of making a picture and using tally marks, and are beginning to learn some more sophisticated strategies.
• By doing Math Daily Review, nearly 80% of our class is proficient at subtraction with regrouping, a huge challenge for us at the beginning of the year!

These are just a few celebrations as we begin the second semester.  It's hard to believe the year is half over already!  I look forward to continuing to see growth as we press on toward the MAP test later this year!  We are on the right track, so let's keep "chugging along" together!