November 26: Happy Thanksgiving!!

This short week brings November to an end and we are already into the holiday season! We had a fun and active day working on our shelter models, making a construction paper turkey for ourselves and our Kindergarten buddies and learning about Thanksgivings' origin!

Here's what to expect for next week: 

• We will need your response to the Cultural Luncheon letter by Friday so that we can plan out the event. Please fill out this form and return it with your child. 
• Third Grade will start a dance program as part of our enrichment program on Monday. Our teaching artist, Ms. Janet from the Brooklyn Arts Exchange, will help us explore culture through movement. For  this program, please have your child dress in comfortable clothes. Your child might be asked to remove their shoes and socks. Girls should avoid wearing footed leggings/ stocking on Mondays as it can become very slippery to move on the floor. 
• There will be a math test on Tuesday. We have finished unit 5 which dealt with multiplication skills being applied to bigger numbers and patterns.
• You are invited to view our Shelter Projects on Family Friday. 

Please check out our videos on the right side of this blog. We have two videos on our playlist and will be adding more as the weeks progress. 

Have an excellent Thanksgiving!

November 21

Brrr! After a chilly week, we can look forward to some warmer weather coming up this weekend! If your child has lost a glove or a hat, etc., please check in the Multimedia Room where the Lost and Found is located.

Check out the new feature on our blog, the class video playlist! I will begin posting videos that show snippets of what we are doing in school. Our very first video features Regie as she performs "Hot Cross Bun" on the recorder. This is impressive because this is only the second time we've practiced this in music class!

Here's what else to expect this week:

• On Monday, a letter will go home regarding the Third Grade's Annual Cultural Luncheon. We are inviting families to share a dish that represents their family's culture, whether it be Italian, Chinese, or Brooklyn. Please look over the letter for more details and respond as soon as possible. 
• Due to the shortened school week, there will be a change in the reading response homework. Students will not be required to produce a written response during the week of November 24. Instead, they will focus on note taking from their nonfiction books during their reading in class. We will use those notes for an upcoming response assignment. 
• Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

November 14: Beginning of the Second Marking Period

My thanks to everyone who made it out to Parent Teacher Conferences for being patient and having informative conversations with me about the children. The time allotted was brief but we will continue to communicate so that we can best help the kids have the best learning experiences possible. There were no Friday updates in the homework folders this week but I will resume writing them next week.

Here's what's coming next week:

• We are starting a new reading unit on Monday. This unit will focus on Nonfiction Reading and the goal is to help our readers to not just accumulate facts, but to think about how these facts build a larger meaning. We will work more intensively on locating a main idea and important supporting details. We will also look at what the purpose of the text is and how the structure of the text (compare and contrast, pros and con, etc.) helps convey the author's message to the reader. Nonfiction reading skills can be applied to content areas like Social Studies and Science, so this is an exciting unit for our kids!
• The Unit 4 math test was given today so we will start Unit 5 on Monday, which takes the basic multiplication facts we have learned and applies them to other problems with larger numbers. 
• After missing some Tuesdays, we will have Music class again. Many children have brought their recorders home but please make sure they are brought back to class for this Tuesday's class. 
• We will meet with our Kindergarten Buddies again this Wednesday. We visited Mrs. David's class this Wednesday to meet our new friends. Our third graders were so helpful and did an excellent job of helping the younger students write about their favorite things!

If you have not returned your child's report card, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation!

Have a wonderful weekend!

November 7: End of The First Marking Period

Family Friday was well attended and we all had a great time helping our children learn about the healthy choices we make everyday as we nourish ourselves. Chef Jen prepared a delicious hummus and we enjoyed it with some lovely baby carrots from Henry's mom. The time spent talking with our children about good nutrition is so important and I thank you all for your participation! Special thanks to Evan's mom, Regie's mom, and Lulu's mom for planning and leading the workshop.

Here's what to expect next week:

• Schools are closed on Tuesday for Veterans Day. 
• We will visit the book fair on Wednesday at noon. Students will be given the opportunity to shop for books. If you would like for your child to purchase books, please provide your child with money for that day. Books range from $5- $20. The book fair will also be opened during Parent Teacher Conferences. 
• Report cards will be given out on Wednesday.
• Parent Teacher conferences will take place on Thursday. There is an early dismissal for the half day at 12 noon.  You should have received a note with your appointment time, which is also noted in your child's homework folder. Please be punctual so that we do not infringe on another family's schedule. 
• There will be a math test on Friday as we draw a close to Unit Four. 

Have an excellent weekend!