September 24

Happy Rosh Hashanah to all our families who observe this holiday!
Please be aware that schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

Here's some of what we will be doing next week:

• All about Me Bags are due for Monday. As your child chooses the 5-6 items, please take the time to help him/ her talk about the items. You might ask him/ her to tell about the significance of the object and what it tells about your child. 
• We will have our first math test on Wednesday. In addition to the work found on the Mid Chapter Review, subtraction was also reviewed. We've also taken time to practice estimation and how to use it in problems that also require us to solve afterwards. It has been recommended that students round to the highest place value (hundreds instead of tens) in those cases so that the estimation can be done more easily and the bulk of our efforts can be used to finish the addition/ subtraction carefully.
• We will have our first Family Friday on October 2 at 8:35am. Please join us as we share the contents of our All About Me bags. 

Have a wonderful long weekend!

September 19

My thanks go out to the parents who took the time to come to our first family activity of this year. We were able to decorate our notebooks and have them covered in transparent contact paper. The kids love their Writer's Notebooks. It's great to start our writing experience with a spiffy book we're proud to have!

Here are some things to look out for:

• On Thursday, your child received their Mid-Chapter Checkpoint. It's an review of the skills your child has practice so far and the purpose is to see what we can work on before the Unit 1 test. The sheet in the front contains a tear off that should be returned to school. Please keep an eye out for that document. For those of you who have already signed and returned the tear off, thank you for your speedy response!
• Please look at the bottom of this week's homework sheet. There is a brief comment from me regarding your child's week in school. Usually, it highlights something your child did well and/or outlines a goal we are working on. Please review and sign it so I know you have read it. 
• Your child received a set of book orders today. The online code for our class is attached to the first page with a sticker. You should be able to order on Scholastic.com using that code. If you do not want to order online, please send in the order form and the money by next Monday, September 29.
• Also due on September 29 is the All About Me Bag. It is to prepare for an activity for our First Friday. Please read the flyer inside the Ziploc bag. If you have any questions please send me a note or let's chat at dismissal. 
• Finally, school will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to Rosh Hashanah.

Have an awesome weekend!

September 12

This week, our focus was on learning and carrying out routines. We've introduced the homework routine and we are reinforcing group routines such as waiting for turns, etc. The children have been great about working together as a team! Many students have been able to take on the routines with independence. Great job, everyone!

Please check your child's homework folder for comments this week. Each Friday, a short comment will be entered onto the bottom of the assignment sheet. This is intended to give you a sense of how your child's week was and what your child did well with or might need help with.

Here's some of what we can expect for next week:

• We will have Curriculum Conferences this year at 6:00pm on Tuesday in our school cafeteria. The third grade teachers will give a 30 minute presentation of the curriculum before we break for Open Classroom. During Open Classroom, you will get a chance to visit your child's classroom and speak to me about the routines in our specific classroom. 
• Photos for Writer's Notebooks are due on Monday. On Friday, we will take the photos to decorate our books. If you would like to join us, you are welcome to come to our class room at 8:35am. We will cut and paste photos to the covers of the book and use contact paper to help secure it onto the cover. 

Have a restful weekend!

September 5: Our First Two Days

It's been a whirlwind of new names, new routines, new supplies and new everything! Thank you for your support and I am especially grateful to our students who have been great listeners. The class has been cooperative and willing to learn the ropes of the third grade with a lot of pluck. We are settling into good group habits such as listening attentively and helping each other.

Here's what to expect for next week:

• We will continue to collect supplies for our classroom. If you did not purchase a school tool box for your child, we are expecting the following items: 

Monday, September 8th

¨ 1  pair 5”  blunt child safety scissors

¨ 5  rolls of Bounty paper towels

¨ 2  Wet Ones Hand wipes containers

¨ 1 box Ziploc sandwich bags, 50 count

¨ 1 pack wide rule loose leaf paper

Tuesday, September 9th

¨ pencil sharpener with receptacle

¨ 1  pack 9” x 12” construction paper, assorted colors

¨ 1  pack 18” x 12” construction paper assorted colors

¨ $2.50 (for Art class)

¨ $5.00 for National Geographic subscription

¨ 1 package of Dry-erase Markers, chisel tip (Asst. color 4 pack)

¨ Scotch tape   (Somehow, we received an excessive amount of tape in the school tool boxes and will not need any more.) 

• We will start our homework routine on Monday. Students will receive their reading log and will learn how to complete it. In addition to reading, there will also be some math work heading home. Your child has a homeework folder with a label affixed to the front. Please read the label with your child. 
•  Our first unit in Math is Adding and Subtracting Up to 1,000.
• Our prep schedule looks like this: Monday=Computers, Tuesday= Art, Wednesday= Theater, Thursday= Science, and Friday = Gym. Please make sure your child wears clothing suitable for physical activity on Friday, including sneakers. 

I want to thank you all for your warm greeting the first days of this school year. I look forward to meeting everyone throughout the year. 

Have a great weekend!

September 4, Day 1

How quickly our lovely summer goes! I hope everyone is well and rested. By now, you've received your letters regarding your place in this class. There is an important change to our schedule regarding lunchtime.

Our lunch period this year will start at 12:55, which is a long time from breakfast!  We will having a mid-morning break during which students can use the bathroom, get water and eat a snack they have brought from home. Please send a healthy snack with your child each day. While not limited to those listed, here are some popular snacks that work well in our classroom setting:

• Baked chips/ multigrain chips
• Fruits/veggies (apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, baby carrots, celery sticks, etc)
• Pretzels
• Raisins
• Popcorn
• Granola bars
• Crackers
• Cheese sticks
• Graham crackers
• Cheerios
• Fig bars
• Dried fruit
• Animal crackers
• Breadsticks
• Flatbreads
• Rice cakes
• Fruit leathers
• Seaweed

Please keep in mind that snack time is usually a time for independent reading or writing tasks, so snacks that can be easily held are ideal.

 

I look forward to seeing you all very soon. We will meet at the school yard at 8:20am on Thursday. Have a great final day of summer recess!