Please find listed below: A letter from Mrs. Larsen, "SENT HOME THIS WEEK," "SPECIAL EVENTS," and websites matching our classroom curriculum.

April 21-25, 200

Dear 3L Families,

ITBS Testing:  We have finished our work on the Third Grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  There are four children who will complete the test (make-up testing) through Mr. Stricherz during this week. I am very proud of the focus and energy this group of students gave to testing.  This was their first experience with standardized testing and I’m sure that they learned a lot.  They learned how to do their best with a question that is hard to answer.  They learned about self-care during a testing week, including how to have materials ready and how to be in good mental and physical condition for testing (sleep, nutrition, manage stress.)  They learned about much of the protocol and test security strategies employed during most testing situations.  And hopefully they learned how to do the very best they can, then how to let the concern go when finished.   Thank you for supporting them through a tiring week.

First Communion Reception:  It is tradition that third grade families set up for, serve during, and clean up from the First Communion Reception, honoring and serving second grade families.  This year Lynda Maes and Pam Martin are coordinating the effort for this year’s April 26 celebration.  It appears that a yellow notice went home about this before Spring Break.  Please contact them to volunteer for this gift of time and energy.  Students will be creating artwork as their gift to the reception.

Third Grade Prayers:  The Archdiocese of Seattle has assigned certain prayers to be memorized by each grade of students in Catholic schools and in parish religious education programs.  The prayers for the third grade are:  The Apostle’s Creed, The Jesus Prayer, The Gloria, and The Memorare.  We are currently working on The Apostle’s Creed, which has 3 parts like the Trinity does.  Thank you for supporting your child in this effort. 

Timed Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication Facts:   I did think we would be able to begin this last week.  The ITBS test is a longer test than I remember. We will begin daily timings today – daily practice at home should continue.  Third graders are expected to be fluent in addition and subtraction basic facts before the end of third grade, then are expected to take this fluency with them into fourth grade and beyond (summer review for most.)  Once accomplished in addition and subtraction facts, a student can meet the challenge of knowing the multiplication facts quickly (2’s and 5’s first, then 3’s…). “Fluency” in math facts is defined as responding to 100 facts correctly in 5 minutes.

Spring Book Reports:  Information on the Biography Book Report was sent home four weeks ago and most details are on our web page.  Students turned in the name of their subject, book title, and author by April 4.  Written reports, author comments, and projects are due May 2.  Oral Reports will be given the week of May 5-9.

Bless us all, 

Mrs. Mary Larsen