Dear Penpal...

Exciting news!  Today we started writing to our new penpals!  We don't know who they are yet, but we do know that they live in Utica, Ohio.  We worked hard today on a prewriting activity, filling boxes with ideas to share about family, school, beaches, and of course our hometown of Absecon.

Are you curious to know a little about our new mystery friends and their town?  So are we!  Here are some facts to get you started:

• The Village of Utica (formerly called Wilmington), was founded in 1810 by Major William Robertson, seven years after Ohio became the 17th state.
• Utica is nestled in a lush valley surrounded by tree-covered hills and rich agricultural land.
• It would take about 9 hours to drive from Absecon to Utica.
• The distance from Absecon to Utica is 533 miles.
• Utica has an ice cream factory called Velvet Ice Cream Company.
• They have an annual Velvet Ice Cream Parade and Festival, complete with ice cream eating contests and the crowning of the Velvet Festival Queen.
• Utica students' first day of school is in August.  Their last day is usually in May!
• Utica Elementary School has a lunch menu too!
• Utica students go to school from 9:00a.m. until almost 3:30p.m.

Gobble, gobble- DINNERWEAR :)

We made these super festive headbands from brown grocery bags and brown lunchbags!  How cute are they?  To see the full instructions, visit Disney Family Fun!

Learning about OIL SPILLS :(

We had some very knowledgable visitors from the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge recently.  They helped us conduct some very amazing experiments.  Read the comments below to learn more...

5... 4.... 3... 2... 1....

Blast off!
We have officially launched Phase 1 of Rocket Math MULTIPLICATION!

Everyone zoomed through Level A today with time to spare. Tomorrow we will all move to Level B, which means you should be studying your 0's and your 1's.  Levels C through F are all your 2's, so you should be ready to pull out those flashcards soon.

JUNGLE JIM- MATH MONKEYS is a fun site for practicing your multiplication fact families.  Choose which fact family you want to practice.  Remember that flashcard practice each night is the best way to study and become a successful rocketeer!

Halloween Fun!

Thank you to all the moms who helped out with our party!  Just take a look at these smiling faces... we are just beaming with gratitude!

And the winner is.......

In our poll to find the most popular name for our adorable, fuzzy, big-eyed new pet, there was a clear winner.  The overwhelming majority of voters chose the following name for our new hamster.  And so, our little rodent's name is...

COCOA! 

Welcome to third grade, little fuzzy head!

Don't forget to look for our newest poll regarding urban sprawl and its effect on wildlife!

My Birthday... by Trinity

Thursday October 20th was my 9th birthday and I was so happy! My mom made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes for my class and me.  They tasted so good we all almost screamed.  Everyone in class made me birthday cards that were really nice.  After school and cheerleading practice we went to my Nanie’s for pizza and for ice cream cake (that’s my mom and my favorite kind of birthday cake). I got a lot of cool things for my birthday like money, clothes and a real lava lamp!

Halloween Safety... by Ethan

It’s Halloween time and you need to be safe,

so here are some rules to follow.

1. Always carry a glow stick, flashlight, lantern or any other light source so you don’t bump into anything.
2.  Never accept or eat candy from strangers.  If the wrapper is open and no one opened it for you then don’t eat it because it could be poisonous.
3. Trick or treat in a big group or with an adult so you don’t get lost.
4. If you are wearing a cloak or dress, cut the edges so you won’t trip on a sidewalk and get a bloody nose.
5. Remember to look both ways when crossing the street to see if a car is coming.

If you follow these 5 rules and maybe some of your own,

you can have a safe and fun Halloween!

Blue Devils Bonfire 2011... by Jaimee

Hi blog reader, it’s Jaimee. I wrote a little article about the bonfire. Check it out.

The bonfire at the Blue Devils field was awesome.  First, all the cheerleaders did their routines, then all the fun started. We got our parents and went to get our hats, gloves and scarves. The lights on the field turned off. It was really dark. A lot of kids had glow sticks.

We walked over to the fire zone. The firemen were throwing gas and sparklers into the fire. Soon it was lit, it was hot very hot. It was way too hot, so we all had to back up. A lot of my classmates were there. There was Kiera, Trinity, Christian, Cian, and myself from our classroom. A lot of kids from other classes were with us too.

We stated playing tag. When we got done playing tag we went to see the fire truck. We all split up. Me and Kiera went to the older cheerleaders. They were doing stunts they put us in preps, fulls, and basket tosses. It was fun. They also put the football players up in stunts too. They fell a lot. It was funny to watch. It was so much fun! Soon we all had to go. That’s how the 2011 Blue Devils bonfire went.

Click HERE to visit the Absecon Blue Devils website!

Thanks for reading!

Calling all Boxtops... by Haram

Hey, let's get those BOXTOPS running!  Mrs. Stanton is surprised only four people brought back their Batty Boxtops paper.  Now there isn't that much time left to bring it.  So let's talk about where you could get BOXTOPS.  You could get them at places such as cereal boxes and snack bags and LOTS of other products!  Plus, BOXTOPS raise money for our school!  So let's keep BOXTOPS running!

PS- If you bring in your ten BATTY BOXTOPS you'll get a prize!

Click HERE to get a BATTY form.

Eat your Carrotsticks!

Mrs. Stanton found a fun new site for you to try.  It's a math practice game site where you can create your own user name and avatar.  Follow these steps:

• Go to http://www.carrotsticks.com/marsh  
• Click Play Now 
• Make your user name AND password... first name and last initial
• Create your avatar by customizing the hair, clothes and shoes
• Example: John Martin would be John M
• Play opponents from our class... you'll see Mrs. Stanton there, too!
• Come back and leave a comment here to let Mrs. Stanton know how you liked it! 

B L O W P O P #5

Ready to go for a ride? Take this little gem for a spin!
Due by Friday October 28th.

Thank you, Ezra!

A big THANK YOU to Ezra and his family for donating a new book to our classroom library!  Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel is the latest in a series about... of course... a really crazy kitty!

Kitty's owners are home with a big surprise for Kitty. But what is it? Kitty, reeling in horror, thinks it’s a . . . dog. The neighbor cats are convinced it’s a cat.  But we all know that it’s really a BABY!


With Nick Bruel’s trademark mix of antic humor (this time involving a Kitty game show and the Kitty Olympics—which the baby wins hands down), riotous illustrations, total mayhem, and Uncle Murray Fun Facts, this may be the funniest Kitty book yet, and the one that hits closest to home.

Check out Nick Bruel as he describes the trouble BAD KITTY creates...

Fire Safety Assembly

Our good friend Officer DeRitis returned today for the annual Fire Safety Assembly.  He brought along fellow firefighter and former Absecon student Nick LaRotonda.  They talked about using 9-1-1 and what to do in case of a fire in your home.  We watched Firefighter LaRotonda put on all of his gear... Wow! 

Back at the classroom, we had a chance to share all that we learned about the DOs and DON'Ts of fire safety.  Here is what we came up with...

An Amazing Tale!

Mrs. Stanton went to the movies last night to see Dolphin Tale!  Have you seen this film?  It is a heart-warming story about a boy named Sawyer and his special friendship with an amazing sea mammal named Winter.

The story is a tale of stick-to-it-ness... not just for Winter, but for so many other characters as well!  Comment below to share your thoughts on how one of the characters had to really work hard to make his or her wish come true. 

You can write about any character:

• Winter
• Sawyer
• Sawyer's cousin Kyle
• Sawyer's Mom
• Hazel
• Hazel's Dad- Dr. Clay
• Dr. McCarthy

** Your comment won't appear right away... Mrs. Stanton has to approve it first :)

After you comment, check out the Fling-a-Fish Game!

A big THANK YOU to Ethan and his family for donating the book to our classroom library!  Dolphin Tale: A True Tale of Friendship is available this week at the Marsh School Book Fair.

Getting Ready for your first math test...

Our Chapter 1 test will be on Tuesday October 18th.  You can brush up on your skills and review at home!  Access all kinds of math stuff, including practice tests and games at........
Math Connects Online!

You can access everything except the StudentWorks textbook at this time... I am working on getting the access code for that.  You should be able to access all other features and resources at the site.

Mr. Giardina teaches a lesson!

Ordinary dish soap and some other secret ingredients

Hi, blog readers!  Ethan and Cian worked together on this first guest blogger entry of the year!

Big blog news! Mr. Giardina came to visit our class. First, he used Danielle for the sun and Mikey for the moon. He showed how the earth has a revolution around the sun. He also showed the moon revolves around Earth.

Mr. Giardina's first experiment was a model of the chemical changes in the sun.  He used dish soap and other secret ingredients.  It was like a green explosion!  Chemical changes make energy which we could feel as HEAT in the aluminum tray.

Mr. Giardina's second experiment showed that oil and water never mix.  The swirls we saw as the two were moved around were like the storms we see on Jupiter!  We hope that Mr. Giardina can come back to our room for another lesson very soon!

Chemical change creates energy

Can you feel the heat?

Cian wrote a thank you letter to Mr. G!  Click to make it BIGGER!

Solar System Slideshow!

The science slideshow is now available for your viewing pleasure.  You will find all of the important vocabulary along with some great video clips and animations. 

 Please note that all of our important science and social studies stuff now appears in the right sidebar as well. 

See it over there?  ------------------->

CLICK HERE for the Sun, Moon and Planets Slideshow.  Enjoy!

Social Studies Chapter 1 Slideshow

UPDATED to include VIDEO CLIPS!

Chapter 1 in Social Studies focuses on communities.  We will learn all about different land and water forms.  We will also become familiar with the major landform regions of these great United States.
As promised, HERE is the slideshow we watched in class together.  Enjoy!

It's Wonderful Wednesday!

Are you visiting our blog today?  If so, then you are in for a special treat!

Click HERE for a Wonderful Wednesday surprise!
Don't forget to say, "Thank you!"  Click the word comments below...

Go, Phillies!!!

Mrs. Stanton fulfilled a long-time dream by attending a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park recently.  Anyone who knows her, knows she is a huge fan of the Phillies.  She watches games on TV frequently and discusses results with her students.  But until last Thursday, she had not seen a game in person since childhood.  It was her goal to one day eat a hotdog at a Phils game... with mustard... and ONIONS from that amazing onion machine.   Well, readers, here is the proof...

See all the onions?  They have a machine for them!

Mrs. Stanton attended the game with her two daughters who are also Absecon students.  Loryn is in 6th grade, and Hanna is in 2nd grade.  They all had a great time watching the Phils face the St. Louis Cardinals.  The game went to extra innings as the Phils fought mightily to break the tie.  In the end, the Cardinals won, but the game was so exciting to watch.  It is an experience Mrs. Stanton and her girls will never forget!  Click here to out the Phillies Kids Fan Club!

Mrs. Stanton, Hanna and Loryn are all smiles!

Five Books in Five Minutes!

Our first Scholastic Book Club order is due on Thursday Sept. 22nd.  Every book purchased earns us bonus points to spend on books and classroom supplies.  As a special offer, September book club orders earn super-duper BONUS POINTS... up to 5,000 points!  We could use those points for tons of books, new spinning book racks, a listening center... the possibilities are endless!
You can order online at Scholastic Books, using this one-time activation code... GXNPK.

A Golden Day!

Guess which class was the VERY FIRST to win the Golden Sneaker Award! Mr. Scholder came to our room first thing this morning with the exciting news!

"The class was AWESOME!" he told us. Everyone showed great effort and good listening. We were all prepared for class. Mr. Scholder believes we have set a super example for all Marsh School classes to follow this year!

Congratulation, Stantons... you are AMAZE-ZA-ZING!

Congratulations to our SPELLING BEE TEAM!

The following students will be representing our class in the Annual Third Grade Spelling Bee! Way to go, gang! Good luck!

Tanner
David
Arianna
Alex
Mychael
Katie

The Third Grade Spelling Bee will take place in the Marsh Library on Monday June 13th at 1pm. Parents of our team members are invited to attend. Remember to sign in at the office first :)

3rd Grade Spelling Bee!

This week we began classroom spelling bee competitions. Each day we will have one winner. The five winners plus one alternate will move on to the 3rd Grade Spelling Bee to compete against other third grade teams from Marsh School.

Do you want to brush up on your spelling and have fun at the same time? Try these fun online Spelling Bee games!

Spelling Bee- THE GAME

The Times- Spelling Bee (this game is from England... the speaker has a British accent, but try your best!)

Big IQ Kids- Spelling Contests

Mothers' Day Gifts- Tubular Frames

Two days of hard work, and our little fingers are numb! We rolled and rolled and rolled many beautiful pieces of origami paper for these picture frames. Carefully laying them out and gluing them down, we ended up with a project that is sure to make all the Mamas' hearts melt right on the spot! Want to try making a Tubular Frame at home? Visit Family Fun for detailed instructions.

Wonderful Wednesday!

Tomorrow is our last day of NJ-ASK testing! Woooohoooo! One more day of math, and we can breathe a little easier. Have you worn your pencil down to a puny nub with our many hours of writing this week? If so....

... click HERE for a fun surprise!

Happy Mothers' Day!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Let's have a little contest! The first student who can correctly translate the sentences below will win a prize in school the following day! Place your answer and your name in the comments. Good luck!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo a todos! ¿Va a comer comida mexicana para cenar? La señora Stanton comer tacos y nachos para cenar esta noche. ¡Buen provecho!

The contest is now closed.

Our winners for the contest are:

Bella Elias

Jenna Reilly

Katie DeRitis

Psssst.... click here for a hint!

Featured Games of the Week

Have you found this game called Space Blocks in our Math Links yet? Do yourself a favor and try it out. You can build structures using cubes you click and drag. You can also click and drag all around your structure to spin it around, allowing you to see it from all angles, including underneath! Click here to play SPAAAACE BLOCKS!

Another fun new addition to our links is Power Proofreading, found in the CENTERS LINKS. You will be awesome at this game because every morning we edit sentences with TONS of mistakes in them. Go ahead... click to give POWER PROOFREADING a try!

WANTED: Guest Bloggers

Do you love to write? Do you have something important to say or share with our readers? If so, then this is the job for you! Mrs. Stanton is now accepting ideas for guest blog entries to be written by students just like YOU! Here are just a few ideas for future guest blog entries:

• tell about an assembly in school
• write a book review
• be a sports reporter for a local game
• tell about a national game (go, Phils!)
• share a creative writing piece
• describe a recent vacation
• write a few jokes
• interview a Marsh staff member
• give advice to next year's 3rd graders

If you are interested in being a guest blogger, comment below. Be sure to include your name and a short description of your blogging idea. Mrs. Stanton will contact you soon with more information. Happy Blogging!

Treasure Hunting

Somewhere on our blog you will find a super-secret surprise! When you click on something, you will find an unexpected treat. Have a look around, and see what "pops up!"


Don't forget to say, THANK YOU!


Limit: one per customer.

Fascinating Fascinators!

This was an exciting day in Great Britain and all over the world! Prince William, next in line to be King of England, married a lovely lady named Catherine Middleton. Also known as Wills and Kate, the couple took their vows while millions watched in person, on TV and even on the internet.

We were delighted to see the excitement among staff and students here at Marsh School. We even learned a new word! Our own Molly arrived this morning wearing something beautiful on her head. She proudly explained that her mom had made it for her... and it was NOT a hat. The lovely pink piece is called a fascinator! Mrs. Stanton didn't even know this new word! Once we learned that Ms. Scott, the district guidance counselor, was also dressed to celebrate the Royal Wedding, we insisted that the two pose together for a Royal Photograph. Ms. Scott is wearing a spectacular tiara. Her shirt shows the flag of Great Britain where she was born and raised.

So, what exactly is a fascinator? Modern fascinators are commonly made with feathers, flowers or beads. They attach to the hair by a comb, headband or clip. They are particularly popular at premium horse-racing events, such as the Grand National and the Melbourne Cup. Brides may choose to wear them as an alternative to a bridal veil or hat, particularly if their gowns are non-traditional.