Christmas Break Adventures

Dear Class,

Do you like this photo? I took it from my airplane seat yesterday. We were one of the lucky ones to leave Sea-Tac airport. On Sunday night, our flight got cancelled so we drove home and tried again on Monday morning. They had to book us in first class since those were the only 2 seats available. We felt so lucky!! We flew to Denver and then flew on stand-by to Great Falls, Montana. Again, we had a travel angel looking out for us because there were 12 stand-by passengers that wanted to get on that flight and we were the only 2 stand-by passengers that were able to make it. They kept calling for 2 other passengers that never showed up, so it worked out in our favor. Great Falls is pretty chilly! There's snow on the ground, but not near as much as Seattle. I would love for you all to share your holiday adventures with us. It's fun to stay in touch even though we're all doing our own thing.

Abigail, thanks for saying I'm like Rachael Ray. Believe it or not, I once wrote an e-mail to her (before she was really famous) and told her I thought we'd get along great since we're both Italian and love to cook. She never wrote me back :-( I am one of her biggest fans, though, so it's funny you mentioned her in your blog.

Love,

Ms. Gessner

Christmas break blog

Dear class,

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas break. With snow and presents, it could be easy to get distracted from the true meaning of the season. Remember that Jesus was born and brings light to our world. Be safe during your break and keep blogging here to keep us updated on your activities.

~ Ms. Gessner

Question of the Week #9

The snow has arrived! I'm sure many of you are excited about the snow that has been falling lately. In my neighborhood, it snowed last night and even stuck on the road. This week's question will celebrate the snowy weather.

What activities do you like to do in the snow?
What are some of your favorite snow memories?

~ Ms. Gessner

Question of the Week #8

This week, we will be learning about natural resources. These include the beautiful lanforms and all that was given to us by God. The photograph on the right comes from Glacier National Park in Montana. It is just one example of the beauty natural resources bring to our world. If we're not careful, we can harm the natural resources that God gave us. Remember the assembly we had a few weeks ago? This week's question is worth 2 extra credit points for your social studies grade.

What are some of your favorite natural resources? How can we take care of our natural resources to protect them?

~ Ms. Gessner

Question of the Week #7

Sunday (November 30th) is the beginning of the Advent season. The Advent season will end on Christmas Eve at midnight. During the season of Advent, Christians across the world prepare for the celebration of the arrival of the baby Jesus into the world. Advent is a time to celebrate light in the middle of darkness. It is also a time to look forward to when Jesus will come a second time.

What does your family do to get ready for Christmas? For example, do you bake special cookies, cut down a tree, go caroling, etc.? Please share your family traditions with the class by writing it here on the blog.

Sacraments

In Holy Orders, a man can decide to become a priest.

Do you think it's fair that a priest can't get married? Why or why not?

Also, do you think a woman should be allowed to become a priest? Why or why not?

Question of the Week #6

Thanksgiving is only a few days away. It's a great time to get together with family and friends to share in a feast and enjoy one another. It's also a time to think about all our many blessings. This week's question is this:

What are some things you're thankful for? Why?

I hope all the students and families in 3B have a wonderful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Ms. Gessner

Question of the Week #5

The first trimester ended last Friday. That means we've completed about 12 weeks of school. On Friday, you'll receive your report card.

What have you enjoyed learning over the past couple of months? What has been challenging? What questions do you still have about any of the subjects?

For the next 12 weeks of school, we'll be learning more cursive letters, completing our literature circles, writing more paragraphs and starting multiplication. We'll also be getting ready for the Advent program in a couple weeks. There is a lot to do! Use the blue questions as your guide to answer this week's blog. Remember to check your work for mistakes. Have fun!

Question of the Week #4

Every year, Americans celebrate Veteran's Day on November 11th. Veteran's Day is a time to show our appreciation to all the soldiers past and present that serve in the Armed Forces (for example the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines). By joining the Armed Forces, men and women often leave behind the comforts of their home and family to protect and serve the United States. In honor of this holiday, write a blog in the form of a note to a soldier. You can express your gratitude for their service to our country. You can wish them well. You can tell them if someone in your family was in the Armed Forces. At the end of the week, I'll print out everyone's responses and mail them to the soldiers who are currently serving in Iraq. This assignment is worth 2 extra credit points for your social studies grade.

Question of the Week #3

November 2nd is "All Soul's Day." This is a holy day to remember those people who have died before us. This week's question is this:

What do you think heaven is like?

Remember, there are no wrong answers here. Just explain how you picture heaven. What are people doing? What do they look like? How do they feel? What about Jesus? What about God? This week's question is worth 2 extra credit points for your religion grade if you post your comment on Monday, November 3rd.

Question of the Week #2

Hi class,

I'm really enjoying seeing everyone's comments on the blog. You're doing a good job sharing your thoughts and ideas. That's exactly what I was looking for when we started this. This week's question has to do with the story "Teammates" from our Open Court reading book. In that story, we have read about Jackie Robinson and how people were prejudice against him. Remember, prejudice means judging someone without really knowing what they're like on the inside. There are still people today that are prejudice about race, religion, etc. This week's question is this:

What can we do to stop people from being prejudice?

If you answer the question on Monday night, you will get 2 extra credit points for your reading grade. Remember to check your work for mistakes before sending it out. I'm looking forward to reading your answers.

~ Ms. Gessner

Question of the Week #1

Hi kids!

I hope you're enjoying third grade. If this is your first time blogging, remember everyone can see what you write down. Check your work for mistakes and have fun!

Here is the question I'd like you to answer:

What do you think makes a good president? Why?

~ Ms. Gessner