May 10th, 2015 HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Here are some important events happening in our classroom this week:

• A big THANK YOU for all of your wonderful Teacher Appreciation gifts! All throughout the week I received flowers, chocolates, gift cards, nail kits, lotions, cute cards and letters from the students. I loved it all! Thank you for making me feel so special and appreciated this past week!
• CAASPP Testing continues this week. We will be completing two in-class Activities on Monday. These activities correlate with a second part called the Performance Task completed in the computer lab on Tuesday. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest, and a good breakfast during testing.
• Solar System Science Projects were assigned last Monday. They are due no later than Tuesday, May 26th. Please refer to the handouts given to students. Please let me know in advance if you have any questions.
• There are only four more weeks of school, and MANY fun and exciting activities coming up on our campus this month. Make sure to check out the district website for a detailed calendar.

SAVE THE DATES:

• FRIDAY, MAY 15TH- SPRING FROLIC
• THURSDAY, MAY 28TH- OPEN HOUSE

Thank you for all you do to support our classroom! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in contact with me!
Have a great MOTHER'S DAY!!
Mrs. Hansen

April 24th, 2015
Here are some important events happening in our classroom this week:

• School Bus Book Report is due Monday, April 27th. The report should be on a book recently completed by the student. This is a fun and easy project! The class will be presenting their books in front of the class, so practice those oral presentations!
• Smarter Balance Test Review homework has been coming home this week, and will continue through mid-May. Please review these handouts with your child. We also are reviewing/correcting them in class.
• CAASPP Testing! I sent home a calendar of our scheduled testing dates and subjects. This is an important flyer that I hope you will hang on your fridge, bulletin board, etc. Please make sure students get plenty of rest the night before testing, and a healthy breakfast. In the computer lab we started using the on-line "tools" for test practice. You also are welcome to support your child and take the test practices at home. See http://californiatac.org/ for practice and training tests.
• Spring Frolic is just around the corner~ May 15th! Please be on the look-out for a correspondence from our wonderful room mom, Mrs. Doak, for gift basket/raffle donations and volunteer tasks. This should be a fun, family night for all!
• A big THANK YOU  to all of the Bernhard Field Trip volunteers! It was a wonderful, activity filled day! Please see the photos posted on the right~ I also posted ALL the photos in a 'slideshow' to the right. Enjoy!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR CLASSROOM SUPPORT! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!
Mrs. Hansen

March 15, 2015
Here are some important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Bernhard Field Trip next month! A flyer was sent home regarding preparation and costumes for the BIG event! Parent volunteers~ make sure you have viewed your training video online. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding the trip~ I will send home more communication as the trip gets closer, but for now gather up those costume items!
• Book Fair last week was a HUGE success! Remember, the on-line book fair does continue until March 18th. The school is very close to a monetary goal in which we would receive some bonus funds for new books for our school library. Newcastle is also trying to initiate an on-line digital library with these funds~ so go purchase and read a good book!
• Parent Conferences are the week of March 23-27th. This week school dismissal will be at 1:30 for all students. Conferences are not mandatory for all students~ you will receive a notice from me if it is necessary. 
• Report Cards will be sent home on Wednesday March 25rd in your child's Communication Folder. If a parent conference has been set up, we will review report cards at that time.

To the right I posted some photos of our Science "Open House"~enjoy!
Let me know if you have any questions~ thank you for all of your support!
Mrs. Hansen

First Day of March, 2015! Spring is coming!
Here are some important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Science Challenge: Animal Environments and Adaptation "Open Classroom" presentation is this Wednesday, March 4th from 8:15-8:45 in the morning. Students will have their projects on display for all to view. You all are welcome to attend.
• Book Fair is coming! March 9th through the 11th Newcastle will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair. A packet with loads of information regarding purchase dates and times went home with students last week. We will be having a "preview" day as a class this week, and students will be bringing home a Book Fair order form.
• Speaking of books......Mrs. Roberts, our librarian, has expressed a need for weekly library volunteers. She has openings on Monday or Friday mornings from 8:15- 11:30. If you would like to volunteer, even for a portion of the above time, please let me know, or call the school's library directly.

I want to say a BIG thank you to all of you for your support in our third grade play: Vacation to Mars! I think it was a big hit, and we could not have done it without parent support. Thank you for costume shopping, and set decoration and prop support. Enjoy some of the pictures to the right~ let me know if you have any questions~ See you this Wednesday at our Animal Environment Open House :)
Mrs. Hansen

Happy Valentine's Day!
To the right is some pictures of our Valentine's Day party. Thank you all for donating such wonderful treats! The students brought in some creative "Valentine Container Challenges", and overall everyone had a great time opening cards, playing V-Day Bingo, and eating! 

Have a great week off! Scroll down and enjoy the photos!

Class News: Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Happy Hearts Month!
Here are some important events happening in our classroom this week:

• We earned Nutty the Knight! Our class was so well behaved at our last assembly that we were awarded Nutty for the whole month of February! Way to go third grade!
• Math Unit Test #4 will be this Thursday, 2/5~ Please study!
• Science Challenge Unit and Projects are in full swing! Many students have turned in several projects. Thank you for supporting the students at home to get these done. All projects are due Wednesday, March 4th. We will be having a "science-open-house" for all parents to come in and view from 8:15-8:45 on 3/4.
• Costume Time! Each student will need costumes for two occasions coming up...1~ Vacation to Mars Play, and 2~ Bernhard Museum. A handout already went home regarding costumes for the play, which is Thursday, Februrary 26th. This week in student's C~folders I will send home a handout regarding costumes for Bernhard Museum, which is Wednesday, April 15th. 
• ReCreate was a hands-on activity in which students were challenged to create an item out of recycled material. Two presenters helped students understand ReDuce, ReUse and ReCycle, then everyone chose an individual ReCreate kit to create there 'art'. Check out the pictures on the side for some cool student creations!

Class Needs:
~Liter bottles (clean) for a Science experiment end of this month.


Thank you all for your support of our classroom and it's fun and engaging programs! If you have any questions please let me know~
Mrs. Hansen

Class News: Monday, January 12th, 2015
Happy New Year Everyone!

It's been awhile since my last post...it was a fun and crazy last week of school before the holiday break...and then a fun and crazy week once we returned! I guess the fun never ends in third grade! :)   THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all of the wonderful holiday gifts! You all were all sooo generous and I felt very appreciated and supported! Thank you for thinking of me during the holiday season~ I hope you too had a great break with your children and family.

So on to business:
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Science Unit Study on Animal Environments and Biomes has begun! We have participated in a few lessons so far, and this week the students will be given information and a handout to take home on an Animal/Environment Report. We will be working both at school and at home on these reports, and they will be due sometime mid-February.
• Presidents and Rules and Laws of our Country is our Social Study focus this next month. We started last week with Abe Lincoln and even completed a fun art project using his image.
• Cube Art Book Reports have been assigned. This is a simple project for each student correlating with a book just recently read. These are due this Thursday.
• Spelling Tests continue to be given on Fridays. Last week's scores were a little low~ make sure each student studies their words each night throughout the week for a goal of 100% on Friday!
• Accelerated Reading Tests and Points continue. Students has their own personal "point goal" to achieve by March6th, 2015. Make sure to check out the "points I have so far" on student's reading logs, or take a peek at AR "Student Quiz Summary" that I pass out each Wednesday. Read! Read! Read!
• iPads are IN and have been introduced to the students. We will continue to use them for curriculum support in the classroom~ for example...I see them as great tools to research animals and their environments during Science instruction.
• Play: Vacation to Mars is coming to NES Theatre (really the gym:) end of February! Support students by helping them study lines, and creating simple costumes at home.

**PS~ I posted photos of our Touch of Understanding Program~ see the top tool bar on this page and click to view the gallery**

Thank you for all you do to support our classroom! Let me know if you have any questions~ Mrs. Hansen

Class News: Tuesday, December 9th, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• A BIG thank you goes out to PTC for sponsoring the Third Grade experience in  A Touch Of Understanding. 
  
• IPad information went home with your child today. Each student needs to create an Apple ID at home and bring the Password back to school. If all Passwords are returned this week we may be issued our iPads as early as next week!
• Holiday Show is quickly approaching! Thursday, December 18th is the date and show starts at 6:00 pm.
• Penguin Patch Gift Shoppe tomorrow! Students will be able to buy inexpensive gifts for their loved ones. Please have student place their $ in the given envelope to help facilitate the check out system.

Thank you for all you do to support our classroom! Let me know if you have any questions~  Mrs. Hansen

Class News: Thursday, November 20th, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Assistance League of Auburn generously donated Dictionaries to all Third Grade students! Thank you Assistance League!
• Assistance League also performed a wonderful play using puppets on Bullying and Learning Differences. It was a fun and informative performance that the students enjoyed.
• Speaking of plays.... both Third Grades are starting to practice a play called Vacation to Mars during Rhythm and Movement. Students will be performing the play sometime after the holiday break- date and time TBA. 
• PLEASE SEE QUESTION BELOW REGARDING THE DATE/TIME OF STUDENT'S PLAY PERFORMANCE :)
• Paper Sack Book Reports are due this Friday, 11/21. I distributed a white paper sack to every student so everyone could get started on the project right away. Have fun and be creative! Students will be asked on Friday to describe their project, summarize their book, and tell why/why not they would recommend the book to a friend.
• Parent Conferences are continuing this week. If you cannot remember your scheduled appointment time, or have missed your appointment, please send me an email and I can respond with date/time or reschedule/

Reminders:
There IS school this coming Monday 11/24 and Tuesday 11/25. Thanksgiving Break is Wed. 11/26-Fri. 11/28. School will resume on Monday, December 1st.

Question: WOULD YOU LIKE THE CLASSROOM PLAY PERFORMED either
AFTER SCHOOL (FROM 3-4) OR IN THE EVENING (FROM 6-7)? 
(DATE to be announced)
PLEASE RESOND TO THIS QUESTION VIA EMAIL TO ME :)

Thank you for all you do to help support our classroom!
Mrs. Hansen

Class News: Thursday, November 13th, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Communication Folders will not be sent home this week due to the initiation of the Second Trimester and upcoming Parent Conferences next week. We will be reviewing student's C-folders during Parent Conferences.
• Students participated in an end-of-the-trimester STAR Reading Test which will determine their new Accelerated Reading Level, Point Goal, and Reading Range for the 2nd Trimester. Results will be given during Parent Conferences.
• We have moved into Unit #3 in Math which will explore measurement in fluid liquids, linear (line segments and line plots), and time. Please help review your child's daily math assignments to help support these new concepts.
• Parent Conferences next week! I am looking forward to meeting with each of you during your scheduled time. Let me know if you need an appointment reminder and I can send you a quick email with your date/time. Early dismissal @ 1:30 all next week for students.
• STUDENTS DO ATTEND THEIR CONFERENCES

I invite all my students to attend their own Parent/Teacher Conference. I find it helpful to have students present to review curriculum and assessments, and to set goals for the next trimester.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for ALL that you do to support our classroom! This is an amazing group of students!

CLASS NEEDS: Student scissors (five pairs) and glue sticks.

Class News: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Thank you to all of the parents out there that helped support their child in creating and building the Native American Replicas. The Open House was a huge success~ all because of your support! Every project was detailed, artistic, and a lot of thought and hard work was noted. Please take a look at photos taken by clicking on "Native American Replicas 2014" at the top of the webpage.
• Parent Conferences are coming! They will be held the week of November 17-21. An email and/or flyer went home last week to confirm your child's appointment time. Thank you all for getting back to me so quickly.  Remember...students ARE INVITED to their conference. It is very helpful to have student input in the discussion of their academics. 
• Unit 2 Math Test~ will be this Wednesday (11/5/14) Please help your child study by reviewing the Math Review Packet that will be sent home Tuesday. 
• Class Needs: several student scissors have disappeared over the last few weeks. If you can donate a pair of two to the classroom that would be great! 

SEE YOU THIS FRIDAY AT NIGHT OF KNIGHTS! GET READY TO BID ON THE MOST AWESOME LEMONADE/ HOT COCOA STAND YOU HAVE EVER SEEN! :) 
                       Mrs. Hansen




Happy Halloween! October 31st, 2014

Class News: Thursday, October 16th, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Cereal Box Book Reports were a huge success! The students did any amazing job "selling" their "cereal".  PS- I tried to upload oral presentations to this site but was unsuccessful at this moment :(
• Field Trip to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center is quickly approaching: Thursday, October 23rd. Please make sure your child brings a sack lunch, wears closed toed shoes, and is dressed to spend the whole day outdoors in some fun-filled activities.
• Native American Replicas and Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28th from 8:15-9:00 in the morning. Come in and tour both third grades and see everyone's completed projects.
• PowerPoints~ students are busy putting finishing touches on their Native American PowerPoint Presentations. At this time some students may want to save their presentation on their flash-drive to work on at home.
• Book Orders- thank you to everyone that placed a book order for the month of October. Books should arrive around the 28th of this month. Please remember to either place orders on-line, or bring in a CHECK. Cash cannot be accepted for book orders at this time.
• Parent Conferences: are coming up in November 17-21st. I will be sending out an email soon with your appointment date and time. 

Thank you for all that you do to support our classroom! Please let me know if you have any questions~ Mrs. Hansen

CAASPP test prep

An example of our Prairie Journals

Our Gold Rush Portraits on display in hall

A traffic jam of Bookmobile Book reports

Thank you for all of the wonderful cards and letters this week!

Thank you for all of the flowers, chocolates, and gifts for Teacher Appreciation week! These beautiful flowers were given to me by two students.

I cute view from our window

Paper Bag Book Reports on display in the main hall~ creative!

---

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Enjoy your time off with friends and family!

Below is a picture of our grade level lemonade stand~ it sold at Night of Knights for $800.00! 

Below is picture of our class at Halloween!

Below is our Cereal Box Book Reports on display :)

Class News: Friday, September 26, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• California Native American Unit will start when we return from our Fall break. Students were given a handout today as a basic introduction of requirements. We will be working on PowerPoints in the lab at school. Students will need to bring in research material on one of the following tribes: Chumash, Miwok, Maidu, Yokut, Mojave. Research material is not due until October 8th so don't worry too much about this over break~ just wanted to give you a heads-up as to our October plans :)
• Cereal Box Book Report~ continue working on this fun and creative project at home. Reports are due in class on Thursday, October 8th. If your child finishes early they are welcome to bring them in anytime. Don't forget to practice the commercial! This is where the REAL fun begins! Practice, make it entertaining, wear a costume, or use props to "sell" your book!
• Field Trip to the Effie Yeaw Nature Center will be near the end of the month~ October 23rd. If you already signed up to help chaperone, remember that one of the last training dates is Saturday, October 4th.
• Accelerated Reading Contest hosted by the Newcastle Golden Spike Lions is well underway! Students have really picked up their pace of nightly reading, finishing a book, and taking an AR quiz. Every time a student takes a quiz with a passing score they are entered into a drawing. The Lions are giving away a Kindle Fire to some lucky winners at the end of the trimester. So read over the break, and I will be ready for some rapid-fire quiz taking when everyone returns.

Last, but not least, HAVE A GREAT FALL BREAK EVERYONE! Thank you for all you do to support our classroom! This is an awesome group of students, and they are wonderful third graders!
Let me know if you have any questions~  Mrs. Hansen

Class News: Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Here are a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

• Time for Kids magazine has arrived! We received our first periodical for the year, and will continue to receive them twice monthly. Thank you to all who donated funds to make our subscription possible.
• MangaHigh math program~ last week I sent home a student log-in slip with your child. This on-line program can be used at home for enrichment/remediation. 
• Accelerated Reading Program is up and running! Students already have many points toward their trimester goal. Please ask your child "What's your AR trimester goal?", "What's your Reading Range?"~ knowing the answers to these questions will help students in the AR Program. 
• Accelerated Student Point Slip~ last week an AR Student Point Slip went home to be signed. This slip will be included every week in student's Communication Folders. This handout is a way for parents to keep informed of your child's progress in the AR program.
• Picture Day is this Friday, September 19th! SMILE!
• Math~our class continues to work on Multiplication, Division and Word Problems. Thank you for your support at home as the math program moves fairly quickly.
• Science- we will continue our study of Energy an Matter for the next two weeks. Please help support your child at home by reading through the Science homework when assigned.

Reading Logs last Friday where turned in SIGNED, COMPLETE, PAGES TOTALED! Thank you all for helping your child turn in a neat, complete, reading log this past week. Also- Reading Groups are up and running....let me know if you would like to help out our reading program in the mornings.


Class Needs:
~One box of resealable sandwich bags (we will be putting classroom multiplication and division cards for each student in each bag)
Let me know if you have any questions! Thank you for your support!  Mrs. Hansen

Class News:  Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

Hi there Third Grade Families! Just wanted to share a few important events happening in our classroom this week:

1. Communication Folders went home today. Please look over your child's work, and sign the parent signature page. C-folders are DUE Thursday morning.

2. We started our first Science Unit on Energy this week. Ask your child if they can name some different forms of Stored Energy.

3. Remember, Library Books and Accelerated Reading Points will be due this Friday! Read nightly and chart those reading logs! Reading logs are also due this Friday as homework.

4. Study multiplication facts (0,2,5 and 10). We have started taking quick daily quizzes on our facts.

5. Books from the book order went home today! Thank you to all that ordered. We were able to receive about 20 free books for our classroom!

Have a great week!  Mrs. Hansen