We have been surprised again…especially Ms. Stefan!  Isaac’s dad came to read to us, and Ms. Stefan’s parents came to visit.  Ms. Stefan’s dad read a tall tale to us about Pecos Bill around our wagon train’s campfire.  We just love having our parents come in to visit the classroom with a good story!

The 3rd grade performance was amazing!  All of the students worked very hard.  It all came together for an excellent night of showcased talent.  The square dancing after the program was fun.  Our friends and family members really showed some of their moves!

We took a field trip to The Grove.  Students learned about pioneer life during the 1850’s while participating in a log cabin experience.  They each had a chance to grind corn, chop apples, sweep out the cabin, fetch water and more.  After a hard day at work, the students visited a one room schoolhouse. A schoolmaster led these young “scholars” through geography, history, spelling and math lessons.  Wow, were they strict with expectations for proper manners!

Tuesday was Art in Action at Avoca West.  Students were able to participate in a variety of activities including painting, drawing, knitting, wood shop, photography, pottery, air brush, jewelry making, violin making, and dancing.  It was a great day for the students creativity to shine.

We had the closing ceremony for our Academic Olympics.  Each team was announced and recognized as they received a certificate for excellent participation.  The medal winners, based on total points for the day were:

Bronze: Mexico

Silver: Poland

Gold: Western Samoa.

All students did an outstanding job!  Congratulations!

The entire 3rd grade came together to form 14 teams to compete in the Academic Olympics.  Each team competed at various stations with their parent volunteer leading the way.  I am so impressed with all the knowledge our students have already gained this year.  Way to go!

What a fabulous day!  We had a blast on Leap Day!  It was great to have the parents come in to share their special talents and interests.  We were able to participate and learn about yoga, golf, trumpet playing, and baby care.  I was so proud and impressed with the students presentations.  We learned about the Titanic, dolphins, lego trucks, healthy eating, sharks, hockey, soccer, and Origami.  This was a great experience.

We have been surprised to have more parents come in to read as our Mystery Readers. Avery and Finn’s mom came to visit us.  Lyla had her mom and dad in to read to us.  We love having our parents in the classroom to read.

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We have been up to our ears in worms, worms, worms! The students conducted several trials testing their theories on a variety of experiments. Do earthworms like the dark or light? Do they prefer apples or bananas? Do the like moist or fry soil? Do they prefer grass or lettuce? Check back soon to see the results…..

And the survey says……3rd grade is great! Students worked on developing and refining survey questions. We even collected data from other grade levels and Mrs. Rick’s class.  Groups are worked together to represent their findings by creating line plots.

We will study metamorphic rocks that have been changed due to heat and pressure.  Our geologists will also perform a scratch test to determine types of minerals and their hardness. We will wrap up our unit with the rock cycle.  Students also grew crystals in the science lab. They look great! All of the students have really enjoyed this unit.