Third graders have done an excellent job of settling into

their new school environment! Please continue to

monitor your child’s homework assignments for accu-

racy and completion.

We are well underway with our study and investigation

of multiplication and division concepts that align with

the new Common Core standards. Students are adjusting

to the new curriculum very well! We are continuing our

study of geology and having a great time learning

through hands-on activities and experiments! We are

looking forward to our trip to Houston (in October or

November) to visit the Museum of Natural Science,

where many wonderful learning opportunities await us!

Information concerning this trip will be forthcoming.

The third grade teachers of Zachary Elementary would

like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents

who continually support us in our responsibilities of

educating students. It is going to be a fantastic year!

In our ELA classes, we are engrossed in story elements

as we read a novel. Our current novel goes along with

the geology unit in the science classes. We are learning

about character traits and how to make inferences about

the characters in a story. We are also involved in

nonfiction texts and identifying the important features of

a nonfiction book.

In writing, students are beginning the Writer’s Work-

shop, which involves the six traits of good writing. Our

students have great imaginations, and we are looking

forward to the wonderful stories that they will write.

Our goal is to foster a love for writing in our students.

Hola, Parents! We are diving into learning in Spanish

Class this year! This month we are reviewing greetings,

colors, basic numbers, and parts of the classroom. This

year students have the opportunity to continue their

learning from home. You can visit the Spanish page

under Moodle 2.5 to keep up with our work. Students

may also participate in the CHALLENGE of the WEEK

online. For each challenge completed, students will

receive a blue ticket to go in an end-of-the-week drawing.

All you need to participate is a computer, microphone

(usually built-in for laptops), and your student email

address. The Challenge of the Week is also available

under Moodle 2.5. Follow the onscreen directions, enter

your student’s email and press submit. Each student has

an email address that can be accessed from the ZCSB

homepage. Your student's email is his or her login ID

(located on the back of their school ID)

@zacharyschools.org. LoginID@zacharyschools.org We

look forward to a year full of new words, exciting

challenges, and great learning!

Questions? Please feel free to contact me at

Crystal.Mitchell@zacharyschools.org

Students are eagerly waiting their turns to join the third

grade orchestra! Students will get a chance to learn

violin, viola, or cello. Current research shows that

playing an instrument increases brain development. All

interested third graders are invited to join orchestra. A

parent meeting will be hosted on Thursday, September

5, 2013 at 6 P.M. in Zachary Elementary School's

auditorium. Please email Mrs. Pan, the orchestra director

with any questions, at amy.pan@zacharyschools.org.

Third graders are learning about geology in their class-

rooms. They are studying rocks, volcanoes and fossils of

dinosaurs. The art lessons have focused on geology, too,

particularly the three types of sedimentary rock: clastic,

chemical and organic. Students have learned about

Georgia O’Keeffe and have seen her beautiful pieces of

artwork that focus on her southwestern landscapes of

Arizona and New Mexico. They have also seen her large

scale paintings of natural flowers at close range. Some

artwork has even had bones of livestock. Students have

learned to use oil pastels and torn paper to resemble the

layers of rock in O’Keeffe’s work. As we continue to

learn about Earth’s layers, students will also work with

terracotta clay.

There are many exciting things happening in the music

world at Zachary Elementary School! The students are

exploring their singing voices and learning fun warm up

activities that get them moving. They are also practicing

to tell the difference between beat and rhythm. Outside of

the music room, students are getting exposure to many

different musical themes and genres during lunch. We

have introduced “Zachary Mustang Radio” which allows

students to listen to all types of music during lunch. The

kids are really enjoying the musical selections. Finally,

we are pleased to announce that chorus rehearsals start

next week! Currently there are over sixty kids signed up,

so it will be exciting to sing every week!

Work hard reading...the class with the most AR points at the end of the year wins a

pizza party! YEARBOOKS!

Order online @

www.zacharyelementary.org

Sept 2 Labor Day Holiday Sept 5 Orchestra Parent Mtg 6:00pm (auditorium) Sept 12 Progress Reports Papers go home

Sept 17 ZEPTO Mtg 6:30pm @ CME Sept 24 Star Student Breakfast 7:30am Sept 26 Papers go home

Caden Detre Jolie Ford Camilla Howell Elanah Hassan Rhen Langley Charlotte Leese

Quintin Marcks James Burson William Ianitelli Abigail Richard Tyler Ringold Claire Venable

Cobe Johnson Weston Wales Naudia Conradi Daylon Huggins Conner Hilton Nadalyn Chambers Takirah Cain Aaron Bozeman Aniya Matthews Camilla Howell

Seth Oldbear Tafari Beard, Jr.

Brooklyn Modica Hannah Sauls

Terrence Eby Dillon Morree

MJ Gonzales Kameron Roussell

Bryson Evans

This year our theme will be “Building from the Inside

Out.” It all started when someone looked at the slab of

our new building and asked, “When are they starting?” I

thought of the months of planning, the days of dirt work,

and the yards of concrete (a lot of which is beneath the

surface). My final conclusion was simple. There is a lot

of work that people never see. When a student stands and

gives the valedictorian address, many times people stand

and clap. In the case of most, they are applauding a

finished product. Generally speaking, few see the

integrity, character, and instruction that many poured into

that student from the early grades forward. Perhaps those

that applaud in tears (mostly parents…yes, dads too),

think about the small conversations around a dinner table

or that final push on a bike without training wheels. It

doesn’t have to be a speech that has everyone standing. It

can be those small victories that help us see the process.

My daughters insist that I cried when I dropped my son

off for college in a strange city. They also insist that I

barely slowed down when I dropped them off for their

first days of college. They also added, in their cases, that I

had a grin on my face. That is not how I remember it.

I shared it this way with my staff. When an outstanding

lesson is observed, the work that went into building that

lesson is not seen. When we walk into a well-kept school,

no one has seen the hours spent waxing, cleaning, and

painting. The point I wanted to communicate to my staff

and students is that for every successful product, there is a

foundation of work and sacrifice. It is the same for

parents. No one sees the tears wiped over scraped knees

or the closet doors closed (final check for intruders or

monsters) that bring confidence, comfort, and security to

our children. This year we want to partner with you as we

pick up our tools to help build a better student and person

in your child. We may never hear all the applause or even

see every victory (few of us do), but we know buildings

don’t stand without foundations. Perhaps

it is also true of people. It is going to be a

great year!

STUDENTS MUST WEAR THEIR IDs

EVERY DAY!

Morning Arrival 8:00-8:20

Afternoon Dismissal 3:15-3:20

Car Riders Must be picked up by 3:20

www.zacharyelementary.org

Parents: We will celebrate all student birthdays during lunch periods on specified dates. Please do not send or deliver any party food or other items. Thanks for your cooperation!