March certainly came in like a lion and, well... out like a lion, too!  Third graders and their families have been great at staying flexible and dealing with last-minute changes and adjustments.  We are all grateful for that!

We continue to work hard as the NYS ELA tests approach in mid-April.  Along with our ELA Common Core curriculum, we have been working on such skills as cause and effect, how to write short and extended responses to prompts in which we identify text evidence, non-fiction text features, and how to make the smartest choices when doing multiple choice reading activities.  Math has brought us into the world of fractions. There are so many elements in our daily lives in which this important concept appears: time on an analog (regular) clock, in recipes, all types of measuring, and money. Please take any and all opportunities to talk and work with your child to increase understanding of how fractions work.  We are also continuing to drill weekly on times tables memorization. This too can be worked on at home. Finally, in science, we are exploring the water cycle. Again, there are many ways in which this fascinating topic can be part of your everyday conversations in your own home. Ask your child about the three parts of the water cycle, and why it is so important to conserve this precious resource.