Our Inventor's Museum went fabulously! :D The kids are so proud of what they accomplished and while speaking in front of people can be nerve racking, each student got into their own stride as the museum went on. How great! I hope you learned something from their research as I know they did!

Next up in Social Studies, we will begin an Economics unit. During this unit, your kiddos will have an opportunity to participate in a class Economics Fair during which they will experience the ins and outs of needs, wants, supply, demand, profit, spending, and other fundamentals of the economic world. We will learn the terms and procedures in school, but the kids will complete the project and study vocabulary at home. The vocabulary will come home this week and will also be posted in study-able form under the Language Arts/Reading/Social Studies tab. More about this to come! I'm looking forward to this additional opportunity for the kids to express themselves and learn more about how our world works.

In reading, I'm excited to dig deeper into the art of story telling as we read and write traditional literature (fairy tales, folktales, myths, legends, tall tales, and the like). In the next couple of weeks, we will read Cinderella tales from around the world, fractured fairy tales and other myths, legends and tales from various cultural backgrounds. How interesting!

In science, we explore and discover facts about the Sun, our Solar System, and space. There are links to some interesting virtual/video sites the kids have enjoyed or might enjoy learning from in the Science tab.

This week we have our STAAR Ready tests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

   These practice tests are challenging and cover all the information your child should know by the end of the year. We have not covered everything at this point as we are just past half way through the year, so scores may be low. However, this should indicate to me where your child stands, and what we need to tackle hard these coming months to best prepare them for Fourth Grade and other future challenges. 

   Over the past couple of weeks, I noticed some students still show a lack of concern towards reading their questions and stories thoroughly as well as in taking the time to use their study materials. Skipping and not using their test-taking strategies can hurt grades and knowledge retention. SO, please help me emphasize the importance of studying and reading through their learning/testing material thoroughly. Please encourage your student to go back to their reading passages to find answers and to support their answers with evidence. Success comes from a willingness to act and to work hard. I have no doubt this 3rd grade class can do well! We just need to be willing to put the work into our learning. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. 

....Now that being said... What your children need are rest, a healthy breakfast and snack for Tuesday and Wednesday, and most importantly ENCOURAGEMENT. :D They feel pressures, but we've learned pressures and feeling emotionally overwhelmed can cause the brain to shutdown. We've learned how to stop ourselves when feeling stressed, anxious, or discouraged. We then name and admit the feeling, and slowly breathe out the feeling while self-talking positive encouragements. Please support your child and fill them with self-assurance and peace. No matter how this turns out, they are more than scores on a page! They still have a glorious future and loved ones who support them! Let's do this!

Rest, relax, and enjoy time with family! J