CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
- November 11th: Professional Learning Day (No School for Students)
- November 12th: 3rd Grade Field Trip to West Liberty Zoo Science Center (More Information to come next week)
- Tuesday, November 25 – Alumni Kickball, Thanksgiving Lunch, and Early Dismissal at 12:30 (No Aftercare)
- Wednesday – Friday, November 26th-28th – No School
We kicked off the week with two of our very own third graders sharing highlights from our field trip to Meadowcroft! They did such a great job presenting to the school. Wesley shared that his favorite part was seeing the otter, while Megan talked about learning ancient hunting techniques — and even getting to try out an atlatl! We loved hearing their reflections and reliving all the fun moments from our trip.
In math, we continued working on multiplication and practiced our facts through games and challenges. We also introduced Ninja Math, where students earn new “belts” as they master their multiplication facts — the excitement and determination were off the charts! To celebrate Halloween, our Thursday math centers took on a spooky twist, and we had a hauntingly good time practicing our skills.
In reading, we focused on identifying the main idea and finding the “clues” that help us uncover it. We kicked things off with mystery bags to introduce the concept and then applied our detective skills to reading passages to uncover each story’s main idea. To end the week, we completed a Halloween-themed escape room, where students worked together to solve reading puzzles and use their vocabulary skills to unlock clues and escape! It was the perfect mix of learning and fun.
During phonics, we reviewed some familiar spelling rules — like the floss rule, when to use ck, and when letters double. It was a great refresher, and students had fun practicing their spelling words. In grammar, we learned how to use commas correctly when listing words in our sentences — an important skill for our growing writers!
In writing, we took a short break from our persuasive writing unit to dive into something a little more spooky and fun — creating our very own Creepy School Supplies stories! Inspired by Creepy Carrots and Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds, students imagined what would happen if their everyday classroom supplies suddenly came to life with a mischievous twist. From haunted highlighters to ghostly glue sticks, their creativity and imagination truly shined! We brainstormed eerie settings, built suspenseful plots, and practiced using descriptive language to bring our creepy creations to life. The stories were equal parts spooky and hilarious — a perfect way to celebrate the Halloween season while continuing to grow as writers.
During our deep dive, we continued exploring Native American tribes, learning about their unique cultures, traditions, and ways of life. Students were fascinated by how each tribe adapted to their environment and developed their own customs, homes, and food sources. We had great discussions, created detailed notes, and even compared similarities and differences among tribes. Everyone is eager to continue our journey next week as we dive into learning about our next tribe!
We wrapped up the week with our Halloween and Fall Fest celebration — complete with a hayride, a trip through the fifth graders’ spooky haunted house, a whole school parade, and our classroom party. Everyone’s costumes were fantastic! 🎃
A huge thank you to all the parents who donated food, drinks, and activities. Your support means so much to us — we couldn’t have done it without you!
Miss Madison and Mrs. Buck
**Please contact us BOTH if you have any questions or concerns this school year:
mkmcdonald@wcdsedu.com & pbuck@wcdsedu.comOr Talking Points (send to both if you can)
