Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop

On Thursday November 30th the RES community gathered with volunteers from the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Studio, and CHMS and JES educators to celebrate making, creating, building and learning.  Students and their families had an opportunity to try a range of hands on activities that encouraged them to Make, Create and Share!  The evening was a true celebration of collaborative learning and FUN. 

Here is a video that gives you a small peak into the great events of the evening.


This event could not happen without the help of volunteers inside and outside of our school community.  I am so grateful to be surrounded by people that believe in student hands on learning and are willing to give time to create this type of experience.

Special Thanks for all of their time and talent to:
Chef James-Awesome Farm to School Dinner
Chris Whitaker--ECHO Science Center, STEM Education Coordinator
Rebecca Garavan and Heather Drury--Radiate Art Space Founders and Marble Painting Artists
Basak Simal,Joan Hathaway (and family), Pam Gillis--Society of Women Engineer's Engineers and Rocket and Jitterbot Inspirations
Willie Lee-- BRMS Technology Educator and Vinyl Cutter Extraordinaire
Quinn Keating--CHMS Technology Educator and 3D Printing Master
Dave Bouchard--JES Enrichment Teacher and Little Bits Synthesizer Sound Enthusiast
Beth Redford--RES Library Media Specialist and Coding Guru
Tonya Girouard- RES Third Grade Teacher and Lead Learner in all things Electronic
Katie Lefrancois--RES Fourth Grade Teacher and and All Around Student Creativity Supporter

A HUGE thank you to Mrs. Rankin for organizing such a great event every year!  
(And thanks for allowing us to repost your blog!)

Inventor's Workshop this Thursday! A Great Night for Families.

Richmond Elementary School , in conjunction with

the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Space and  MMUSD Educators is proud to present the third annual:

COUGAR CUB INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP

Thursday November 30th, 2017

5:30 – 7:30pm

RES Gym, Library and Art Room

Cost: 2$ per project (to cover cost of disposable resources, scholarships available)

Join Us Before for a Farm to School Dinner !

5-6pm, RES Cafeteria

Chili, Mac-n-Cheese, Salad and a Sweet Treat 

Donations to benefit RES Farm to School Programming

What is an Inventor’s Workshop?

This workshop is a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science and technology.  Students will work with their families to create!  Activities will be facilitated by engineers and teachers, but tasks will be open ended and creative.  Families will have an opportunity to learn together as they experience the fun of making / building / constructing / designing and more! A variety of activities will be available to challenge students from Grades preK – 8.

Questions? Contact Darcie Rankin darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org

A Strategy Students are Using for Subtraction

Over the last few weeks in math students learned how to use the number line to model the distance between two numbers when solving subtraction problems.  This video on LearnZillion actually gives you a nice overview, so can learn more about the subtraction strategy your student may be using in math class.

LearnZillion Video on Using the Number Line for Subtraction

Games to Practice Telling Time

Telling time to the minute on an analogue clock and determining elapsed time are key math skills for 3rd graders.  At home you can help your child by making sure you have an analogue clock in the house, asking your child various questions about what time will it be after a certain amount of time has gone by, and/or having them track their own time that they can complete an activity in.

Here are a collection of online games students can play at home to help learn and practice this skill!

• ABCya Telling Time
• Making Hands Match Time
• Elapsed Time
• Telling Time to the Minute
• Site of Many Games

Coming Soon: Cougar Cub Inventor's Workshop

Richmond Elementary School , in conjunction with

the Society of Women Engineers, ECHO Science Museum, Radiate Art Space and  MMUSD Educators is proud to present the third annual:

COUGAR CUB INVENTOR’S WORKSHOP

Thursday November 30th, 2017

5:30 – 7:30pm

RES Gym, Library and Art Room

Cost: 2$ per project (to cover cost of disposable resources, scholarships available)

What is an Inventor’s Workshop?

This workshop is a family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, craft, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science and technology.  Students will work with their families to create!  Activities will be facilitated by engineers and teachers, but tasks will be open ended and creative.  Families will have an opportunity to learn together as they experience the fun of making / building / constructing / designing and more! A variety of activities will be available to challenge students from Grades K – 8.

Activities planned for our workshop include:

Cardboard Challenge:  Create with cardboard! The possibilities are endless!

Making a keyboard with bananas!  MaKey MaKey Boards are electronic devices that convert many regular objects into keys on your computer to control programs like Scratch or videos games.  Objects that are conductive, even slightly, like fruit or people, can be used with the MaKey. 

*New this year*Build and Launch a Rocket!  Using makerspaces materials we will build rockets that reach for the stars as they travel several stories into the night sky.

Creating lighted artwork with throwies!  LED Throwies are LEDs connected to coin batteries to create artwork with light.  They can be added to greeting cards or origami, or used to create nightlights or glowing badges. We will have a station to add LEDs to our rockets

Creating interactive circuits with littleBits!  littleBits are electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make circuits.  Each bit has a specific function (light, sound, sensors, buttons, motors, etc), and modules snap together to make larger circuits. We will have a teacher on hand to use synthesizer Little Bits to create awesome sounds.

Checking out a 3D printer in action!  CHMS and RES students have been using a 3D printer during technology/enrichment classes. Come and watch a 3D printer in action and explore the Tinkercad software we use to make our designs.

Creating abstract art with a digital microscope!  DinoXcope Art is artwork created using a digital microscope to photograph intentional arrangements of materials.  

Programming interactive games with Scratch!  Scratch is a visual programming language.  Use colorful interlocking building blocks of code like legos to build interactive games and programs.

Green Screen! Green screen technology is used to create background scenes for pictures in films and photographs.  Come and create your own awesome photo.

JitterBots!  Back due to popularity, you can create your very own jittery robot!

      SNAP Circuits, Art Creation with Radiate Art Space, ECHO Engineering Challenge, Keva Planks, Robots…and more!!!!

Please contact Darcie Rankin, RES Enrichment Teacher at darcie.rankin@cesuvt.org with questions.

We hope to see you there!

Stay Connected With Us

We're Tweeting...

One of the best ways to see what's happening in our classrooms in real time is through our team Twitter account.  While we understand that not everyone wants to join this microblogging site, for our team it is a great way to share our learning AND stay connected with other students, schools, authors, etc. around the globe!

So...how can you follow us without your own Twitter account?  There are three pretty easy ways:

1)  Simply go to our Twitter page:  https://twitter.com/resgrade3

2) Use SMS Follow to receive Tweets via text message.  Visit Twitter Help to learn how!

3) Our Tweet Stream is always on our blog page, too!

We hope you'll follow us soon!

Help Wanted!

RES Tie-Dye T-shirt Celebration is Coming Soon!

and we need YOUR help!  

We're looking for help with dying t-shirts in the washing machine (it won't stain your washer, we checked!) and in Art Class when we decorate our t-shirts with stamps.

If you're willing, please sign up here!

Thanks for helping us make RES special!

Coming Soon: Big Truck Day & Pumpkin Chunkin Festival

Talk to Mr. G (brian.godfrey@cesuvt.org) if you'd like to help out!

Cuentos: Tales from the Latino World

David Gonzalez's Cuentos Tales from the Latino World

Cuentos paints a vivid picture of the people and rich cultures of the Spanish-speaking world with colorful tales from the Caribbean, South America, and the Bronx. From the silly antics of the Puerto Rican anti-hero Juan Bobo to the mysterious dealings and powers of the Orishas, these tales are filled with memorable characters, fantastic plots, and positive messages for children. Spanish language words are sprinkled throughout the stories and songs in such a way that young audiences can repeat and retain their sound and meaning.

Third graders will be visiting the Flynn on Monday, November 13th.  Permission slips came home today (Monday, 10/16) and need to be returned by Wednesday, October 25th.   

Read Books & Earn $$$

The State of Vermont, Office of the State Treasurer is once again offering the "Reading is an Investment" program for students in the state.  The theme this year is "Creative Ideas Pays Off" and aims to give students an overview of how entrepreneurs tap into their creativity and planning skills to achieve financial success.

The information for the program will be coming home with your students.  Many of the books highlighted on the money reading list that focus on basic financial concepts are available in the RES Library.  Students who read at least three books from the list and complete personal reading requirements can send a completed reading log to the Treasurer's office for entry in a statewide drawing for one of twenty $250 accounts in the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan -- Vermont's official 529 college savings plan.

Open House Family Selfies

Teamwork: On the (Tennis) Court & Off

Last week, RES third graders visited the Burlington Tennis Club to try out all of our tennis skills on the clay courts!  We practiced our ball & racket handling skills, agility, serving, and our backhand and forehand shots!

Then, we traveled to Oakledge Park on Lake Champlain for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of cooperative games.  We all played "Giants, Wizards & Elves" and then had a choice of a scavenger hunt around the park or playing capture the flag.

Visit a Museum this Saturday!

     Smithsonian magazine is partnering with local museums to offer free admission this Saturday!  Please click on this link to see the list in Vermont of participating museums.

Open House Next Week

         We are so excited to meet families next week at our Open Houses.  Students have so much to show you, including all of the great things they are learning already.  
        Please note due to a scheduling conflict, Mrs. Ayer's Open House will occur on Thursday, September 28 from 4:45-6:00 p.m.  That way it won't interfere with the younger grade Open Houses.  Thanks for understanding.  
         Mrs. Girouard and Mrs. Ankerson's rooms will be open on Wednesday, September 27 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. 

        Don't forget to visit the PTO Dinner and bake sale open both nights from 5:15-6:00!  There is always some yummy food and treats.

Thanks for your support,

The Third Grade Team

Bar Graphs, Pictographs and Data!

A bar graph comparing two groups.

    Third graders started off the year in math learning to analyze data after creating bar graphs and pictographs.  They focused on describing and interpreting the data to compare groups and answer a question.  

Phrases to help students describe the data.

    This year, students were introduced Pictographs for the first time.  In pictographs, symbols represent the data.  Symbols represent more than one piece of data and the key lets the reader know the scale.

    As we move into our next unit on our number system, you can continue your child's learning of graphs at home.  Whenever you see graphs stop and read them together with your child.  Ask them some of the following questions:
What is this graph about?
Who was surveyed in this graph?
What question is being answered?
How can you describe the data?
What question could you ask?

An Awesome First Day of School!

We hope your children came home today as excited as we are!  They are a great group of students who are so excited to learn and make new friends.  Today we learned new expectations, reviewed some expectations, and had fun getting to know each other.  Each Kindness was a book shared in some of the classrooms.  Ask your children what they learned from reading that book.

We can't wait to see them all again tomorrow!

The Third Grade Team

Welcome to Third Grade!

As August rolls in, RES teachers are starting to think about the upcoming school year and prepare our classrooms for our first day of school on August 30...here's just a snippet of things YOU are already looking forward to...

You should be receiving a letter from us in the mail soon with a list of supplies that will helpful to have at the start of the school year.  You can also find it HERE and on the "Family Communication" tab.  That's also where you find another copy of the Summer Reading Bingo boards, just in case you misplaced yours!  We're looking forward to seeing you very soon!

End of the Year Selfie Awards

At the end of the year, third graders celebrated their success throughout the year by recognizing themselves with their own unique awards...and...without any further ado...

RES Third Grade 2016-2017!!!

Animal Research Clubs

Third graders spent much of the month of May in book clubs during Reading Workshop, studying two different animals while practicing reading information book skills independently in small groups.  At the culmination of the units, groups were asked to create a Google Slides Presentation comparing and contrasting the two animals they studied in whichever ways made sense to them.

These are the final products from this intense research and collaboration project!

Reading Without Walls Summer Bingo! #RESreads

Phoenix Books, a local independent bookseller in Burlington and Essex has an awesome summer reading program  -- The Reading Without Walls Bingo Challenge!

To "play," simply read books that meet the challenge requirements on the bingo board and then return it to Phoenix Books for a chance to receive an ARC (advance reader copy) of a yet-to-be-published book, or even gift certificates for MORE books!  What can be better than that?

Click here for YOUR bingo board!

Get Outside! #summerfun

Hey, soon-to-be 4th graders...check this out!


This Saturday, June 10th is National Get Outdoors Day, but even better...4th graders can participate in a federal program "Every Kid in a Park."

From the website:

By introducing fourth graders to public lands in their backyards and beyond at an early age, the innovative Every Kid in a Park initiative delivers a nationwide call to action to build the next generation of outdoor stewards of our country’s spectacular and diverse federal lands and waters. Connecting our nation’s youth to the great outdoors is even more important at a time when 80 percent of American families live in cities and most children spend more time on computers and smartphones than exploring nature. The initiative is slated to continue with each year’s group of fourth graders to inspire successive generations to become responsible stewards of our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. Every Kid in a Park invites children of all backgrounds to discover their public lands and all they offer, including opportunities to be active and spend time with friends and family. As living classrooms, these outdoor places and historic sites also provide hands-on, real-world opportunities to develop critical skills and learn about the natural world.

To get YOUR free pass for this summer, just visit: www.everykidinapark.gov!

Coming Soon: RES Summer Library Book Checkouts

Once again this summer the RES library media center will be holding summer book checkouts! Scholars in kindergarten and grades one, two, and three will be able to check out up to 10 books from the library media center and take them home for the summer. Starting on Wednesday, June 14th, scholars will be bringing home “Carry Out a Good Book” bags with their summer library books. Each scholar will also get a note explaining the program and a list of books he or she has checked out for the summer. The books will be due back when school starts in the fall. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our librarian Mrs. Redford at 434-2461 or beth.redford@cesuvt.org

Saying Goodbye!

Sending Our Chickens Off

        On Thursday, all of our third grade classes said their final farewells to our baby chicks!  Students learned so much about life cycles from witnessing it firsthand.  While lots of students were thinking they wanted a pet chicken, they quickly learned that they require a lot of care (or they can really stink).

Friday's Shelburne Farms Field Trip

Dear Families and Students,

On Friday we will be leaving RES at around 8:50 for Shelburne Farms.  We will spend the majority of our time outside near the lake and with the rainy weather forecast, please help your child dress accordingly.

Students will need to wear:

• Warm layers
• Hats and light gloves
• Pants
• Mud boots
• Rain gear (no umbrellas)
• Extra socks and shoes for after

Students will also need to bring:

• Lunch from Home, no glass (or already pre-ordered RES lunch)
• Snack (to eat there)
• Water bottle

Thanks so much for all your support and cross your fingers for light to no rain!!

Sincerely,

The Third Grade Team

Shelburne, Vermont, weather forecast as of Wednesday afternoon.

Live Streaming: 2017 Chick Hatch

Over the weekend, the eggs that we've been incubating since May 2nd will be entering their final growth phases and may be ready to hatch.  You can keep up on all the action over the weekend and next week LIVE by checking out the following links:

Miss Darby's Chick Cam

Mrs. Ayer's Chick Cam

Mrs. Ankerson's Chick Cam

We use "Ustream" which is also an app -- look for it in your online store!

Hatching Chicks: Candling the Eggs

Today, our classes "candled" our incubating chicken eggs to check in on their development.   To candle the eggs, we hold a bright light up to the eggshell and take a peek inside to see the details of the embryo's growth and development.   When we candle, we are looking for a nice clear air cell at the larger end of the egg, veins, and an embryo.  If we look really closely, we might even be able to see the embryo move within the shell -- especially now that they are getting bigger and there is less room in the shell.

We are looking for three different kinds of embryos/eggs.

Winners

Winners are normally developing embryos.  You can clearly see the air cell on the right side of the egg.  The embryo is toward the left (the biggish black blog).  When we candled this particular egg, we could see clearly developed veins all around the shell and the embryo moved quite a bit.  We're expecting this egg (#25) to hatch.

Quitters

This embryo stopped developing at some point in the last two weeks.  In this picture, there is a clear bloodline indicating that the development of the embryo has stopped for some reason.

Yolkers

This egg was never fertilized.  There is no embryo to develop.  The eggs we buy at the grocery store are usually unfertilized eggs. 

We want to take the quitters and yolkers out of the incubator at this stage because we don't want the eggs to crack/break in the incubator or get in the way of the hatching chicks next week.

Coming Soon: RES Scholastic Book Fair

RES is having one final school wide Scholastic Book Fair for the 2016-2017 school year. NOW is the time to stock up on great summer reads!

 

The RES Scholastic Book Fair will be open in Room 10 at these times:

Wednesday,  May 31, 7:15-8:15am & 2:45-5:45pm.

Thursday, June 1, 7:15-8:15am & 2:45-5:45pm.

An Opportunity for Parents to Spend Some Time on the Golf Course

     Do you enjoy spending time on the golf course?  Have you ever wondered what golf really is?  We need parent volunteers to make our day at Cedar Knoll Country Club both fun and successful.  You don't have to know anything about golf to help us out.  We need parents to chaperone groups as they take part in stations and parents to help supervise stations.  No worries, we will give you everything you need to run a station.

    Our trip is on Tuesday, June 6 with the rain date being on Thursday, June 8.

    Please email Marie Ayer at marie.ayer@cesuvt.org if you are able to help out on either of those days.  

Some Changes in the 3rd Grade Unified Arts Schedule

Starting next week, Barry Churchill, the golf pro from Cedar Knoll, will be at Richmond to help students with their swings!  Since he is only able to spend two short mornings a week with us for the month, we had to rearrange our schedule.  This will allow all students a chance to have his expertise in perfecting their golf swings.

Please look at the attached calendar,  especially as it pertains to PE times.  Students will need sneakers on their PE days to participate and should the weather cooperate, they will be outside for PE.  If it says “No Change” or their class is not listed, students can expect to follow their normal schedule.  We have gone over this in class and will also be giving them reminders.

Calendar Link

RES School Gear!

Welcome to the Richmond Elementary School Storefront. We are excited to offer this feature to our Richmond families this year. Your support through purchasing items on-line will benefit the PBIS Committee to help support school wide celebrations and a positive school culture at RES.

Richmond Elementary School Store 2017

Please place your order by May 12 for spring delivery!

RES Kids Spring Fling

Sign Up Online: https://tinyurl.com/mru2j92

Contact: Wendy Touchette at wendy.touchette@cesuvt.org with questions.

PS: Rumor has it Mr. G will be there!