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Team Grogan
The theme for room 309 is TEAMWORK!
Welcome to Meadow Ridge School! My name is Ms. Grogan and this is my 9th year teaching third grade. I earned my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois (Go ILLINI!) and my master's degree from Saint Xavier University. Third grade is an absolutely AMAZING year! The students are very enthusiastic about learning and they become more and more independent with each day!
Erin Grogan
3rd Grade Teacher
School Phone: 364-3600
Voicemail: 226-8403
(emails and voicemails cannot be answered until after 2:30)
Learning Math is a blast in third grade! At the beginning of the year we start off with reviewing basic addition and subtraction facts and place value, and by the end of the year, we're working on multi-step word problems with multiplication and division! Check out our math series at www.harcourtschool.com/menus/math2004/math2004_menu.html. On the Harcourt website, "That's a Fact!" is a great game to play daily to keep those basic facts sharp! You can time yourself to see who in your family is the fastest with their facts!
Reading
Reading is very exciting in third grade! Throughout the year, we explore all of the genres from poetry to historical fiction (my favorites are fantasy and mystery). Also, we practice reading strategies such as predicting, making connections, and inferencing through whole group instruction, guided reading, read alouds, and independent reading. Each week a note will come home explaining the strategy for the week. Check out the Treasures website for more information: treasures.macmillanmh.com/illinois/ This site is a great resource for weekly spelling, vocabulary, and grammar practice.
Students will also be expected to record the reading they complete at home on reading calendars. Please keep this reading calendar (and the folder provided) in a safe, visible place at home. Parents can initial the calendar for every night that their child completes the required 15 minutes. (This 15 minutes can be completed independently or reading aloud to a parent or sibling. Any type of text may be used... books, newspapers, magazines, online articles, directions, etc.). Initialed calendars, along with a monthly book report, are due at the end of each month.
Writing
Students enter into third grade knowing how to formulate sentences and put them into simple paragraphs. At first, we focus on paragraph organization and development. Then, as those skills improve, we move on to expository essays, persuasive essays, and narrative essays. Once students grasp the general organization of the essays they're encouraged to elaborate upon details and to incorporate figurative language into their writing pieces.
Science
Eight and nine year olds have a natural curiosity about the world around them. It's thrilling to learn how things work and why things happen! In third grade we learn about the water cycle, the weather, various ecosystems, the solar system, and how living things interact.
Social Studies
Learning about different communities helps create a deeper respect and understanding for others. Throughout the year we explore various elements of communities such as celebrations, environments, histories, and changes. We also learn how our current economy functions by creating our own "mini-society" at the end of the year.
The children will be participating in "specials" classes each day. Here is the 2011-2012 schedule for room 309...
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Monday
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Music
Mrs. Burkovskiy
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12:30 – 1:00
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Tuesday
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P.E.
Mr. Darovic
Library
Mrs. Durkee
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10:00-10:30
1:00
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Wednesday
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Art
Mrs. Johnson
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1:15 – 2:15
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Thursday
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P.E.
Mr. Darovic
Computers
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10:30-11:00
12:50-1:40 |
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Friday
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Music
Mrs. Burkovskiy
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2:00 - 2:30 |
The third grade lunch is from 11:40 A.M. -12:10 P.M. Students can bring a HEALTHY mid-morning snack from the district approved list. (An updated list can be found on the District 135 Website.)
My classroom management plan revolves around the "star jar". If an individual, a table, or even the whole class is especially good at following the class rules, they put their name(s) into the star jar. At the end of the week, I pull a few names and they're rewarded with a prize.
Homework is a very important component of the learning process. Research has proven that homework helps children develop good study habits and fosters a positive attitude toward school. In third grade, your child will be receiving homework daily with the exception of Fridays. The only time your child will have homework over the weekend is for long term assignments or make-up work. Each day, the whole class writes homework assignments in their assignment notebooks together. The school provides these assignment notebooks.
 
On Monday, papers and tests your child has completed during the previous week will come home in your child's "Monday Folder" for you to view together. This will give you the opportunity to see what we are doing in school on a weekly basis. There will be a dated sheet stapled to this folder. I would like you to sign this sheet on the appropriate line once you have viewed and discussed your child's work with him/her. Any "Correct and Return" (CR) papers should come back to school on Tuesday after you and your child have reviewed and corrected them. Please include a parent signature on CR papers. All other papers should stay at home.
Our school district grading scale is as follows:
94-100 A
86-93 B
75-85 C
67-74 D
Below 67 F
Students will receive the following on their report cards:
*Letter grades in reading, math, and spelling
*S or N for writing, science, social studies, and specials
*No + or - will be attached to any letter grade or S or N
School Pride
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