This week has been a week filled with reflection. I received a lot of great feedback from parents during conferences and in email exchanges this week about what school looks like at home. I am hoping that the few changes I have made will make a big impact. Please continue to ask your questions, send your requests, and start discussions with me about what is and is not working for you at home. It is my hope that these conversations will lead us to the most efficient and effective ways of supporting your children.
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IB LEARNERS This week I would like to recognize Gabby G. for her awesome IB attitude! She is one of the most patient and caring children in our class. She is always looking for ways to share her learning, and helping others to learn as well. She doesn't give up when the going gets tough, and you can always find her with a smile on her face!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Our music teacher, Mrs. Summervill, would like you to know the following:We will be having a “share day” during your child’s last music class before Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades – Thursday K, 1stand 3rd Grades). Your child is welcome to sing a song, play something on the piano, bring an instrument from home, etc. Several students have asked to perform something for their class so I have designated one day to accommodate all of their requests. This is not required. I look forward to seeing/hearing what they bring or just sitting beside those who choose to be an audience member. Thank you! Mrs. Summervill
We have earned our Relaxed Reading Afternoon which will take place this Thursday. Your child can bring their favorite books from home, a pillow, and a blanket. We will curl up with great books and hot cocoa to enjoy an afternoon of reading together. In small groups, the kids will have the opportunity to share their favorite books by summarizing them, or reading them aloud. We will also be making bookmarks and acting out a Reader's Theater.
Just a reminder that our Thanksgiving Break begins Monday, November 21st.
READING STREET
On Monday, we will have our spelling and reading assessments for Unit 2 Lesson 5. You can find the spelling list online, as well as the tested vocabulary words and grammar skill. On Tuesday, we will begin Unit 3 Lesson 1. You can find more information about this story on our website.
I have also assigned OPTIONAL assessments on our Pearson website. It is really helpful for me to have the information about where your child is in their learning. The Unit 2 review test allows me to see what your child has retained through all 5 lessons this past month. This test can be started at any time, and the kids can log out and start back where they left off at any given time. I encourage your child to complete 10 minutes or so at a time. It would be great if this assessment was completed by the end of Thanksgiving Break, and might make a great brain refresher during the break.
ENVISION MATH We are continuing our study of multiplication using decomposition and friendly numbers. I have updated the Topic 6 math page with detailed explanations of what I am teaching during math. Please refer to these examples and have your child act as your teacher to help support them.I will also be uploading a few word problem examples for each lesson. However, feel free to make your own real-life word problems using mine as an example. Some of your children are ready to move onto much more difficult numbers. See how far they would like to push themselves!
If you are looking for more at-home activities, please don't forget that there is a plethora of activities and worksheets on our Pearson website. In math, it is best to have your child take the 5 question quiz, and then print off, or work from the worksheet that is assigned after the quiz. I will not be uploading these on the website due time constraints. These worksheets are also available if you open the math book at the bottom of the Pearson home page. Go to the lesson in the book, and you will see a worksheet shaped icon. Click on this, and it will open up the worksheet in a printable window.
INQUIRY
We will be extending Unit 2: Adaptations until the end of this week. Your child is working on a 5 paragraph report about their animal. We will be completing these this week, and I hope to have them present their reports in small groups following Thanksgiving Break. We will then kick off Unit 3: Water.
During the water unit, I show several YouTube clips which allow your children to see the real world impact of water. Some of these videos show very serious issues such as drought, sickness, and natural disasters. I will be setting up links to these videos over the next week or two on our website. I encourage you to pre-screen the videos to inform yourself so that you can have meaningful conversations with your children about our unit. If, for any reason, you do not want your child to view these videos, please let me know. I will make other arrangements if necessary. I will send out another email when they are uploaded (probably during Thanksgiving Break).
Enjoy your week!
Week 13: November 7th-November 10th
Hello Parents, Thanks to your children, we have had another great week at Sage. It has been an honor to share your child's success stories with you while meeting during conferences. It is so meaningful for me as a teacher to be able to celebrate each student for his or her individual qualities. Because of your feedback, conferences are also a way to reflect on how I can provide each student with the best learning environment and opportunities. My goal is to meet each student's needs and to support each student as the incredible IB learner he or she is. I will be available next week for those who were unable to attend this week. Please email me to set up an appointment. I am available Tuesday 4:00-5:30 and Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5:15-6:00. Please let me know if there is a time that will work for you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Several children are still finishing all of their lunch during break. "Lunchables" seem to not be filling enough for the kids who are bringing them. If possible, packing items like fruit, cheese sticks, vegetables, yogurt, etc. will allow your child to allocate this item for "snack" and save their lunch for lunchtime. It is amazing how eating healthy filling lunches allows your child to meet their full potential throughout the day! Thank you for your support on this!
IB RESOURCES
On our class website, I will be posting the IB Learner Skills detailed descriptions, as well as more information about the IB Learner Profile and Attitude words. Several parents expressed that they would like to be more knowledgeable about these words in order to use them more often with their children at home. If ever you want more information, always feel free to visit the IB website (www.ibo.org) as well.
READING STREET We will begin Amazing Bird Nests on Monday, which will take us through next Monday. Our question of the week is "How have plants and animals adapted to solve problems?". This ties in perfectly with our PYP unit on animal adaptations, so let your child play teacher again! He or she will love telling you all about animal adaptations. Time got away from me this week, and I forgot to administer the spelling test for Unit 2 Lesson 4. The spelling test will take place on Monday! So practice this weekend and we will master this difficult spelling list Monday! ENVISION MATH We will review our multiplication this coming week, adding the component of word problems that your child will come up with! We have been watching the Schoolhouse Rock videos about multiplication. They are a big hit with the kids, so I have posted them to our class website. (http://sage3rd.weebly.com/multiplication-rock-songs.html) Similarly, please continue to ask your child to "be the teacher" and show you what they learned! This strategy really seems to give them a sense of ownership of their learning and instills a sense of pride in their learning.
This weekend I will be posting resources for math review. These short activities are designed for your child to practice skills which we have already had the opportunity to learn in class. They are supposed to be short "check-in" activities and should take no longer than 15-20 minutes. They are entirely optional, and do not need to be brought back to school.
INQUIRY To no one's surprise, yesterday's animal presentation proved to be a huge hit! Thank you so much to Anne Zamzow-Hauder for bringing a unique collection of animals from adorable rabbits to not-so-adorable cockroaches! This really provided our students with real life examples of animal adaptations. What a meaningful culmination to our week, and an important application of all they've learned. This week we are diving into the changes in the environment line of inquiry. We will tie this into our animal projects as we continue this captivating unit. Please feel free to have your child cut out pictures of animals, habitats, environmental changes, etc. from his or her favorite magazine or any other source (that you approve of taking scissors to). We would love to put up the pictures on our PYP wall.
Don't forget it is Daylight Savings this weekend. And please continue to send healthy "brain food" lunches and snacks to school, ensuring you also pack enough food for your child to stay fueled all day.I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you!
Week 12: October 31st-November 3rd
It's November already!? Wow, we have been busy IB Bees this month! Can you see your child's brain expanding?
ANNOUNCEMENTS Halloween Hangover: We are all very excited about Halloween! To avoid the Halloween "hangover" affect as much as possible, I ask the following: Please keep Halloween candy at home. One or two pieces in their lunch boxes is different than having them bring bags of the stuff to school. It helps ensure that there are no issues involved with lost or stolen candy, sick tummies, or crazy kids. I understand that bedtimes might be pushed back due to trick-or-treating, but the more sleep your children get, the easier my job will be the following day! :) Also a quick reminder that we will not be wearing Halloween costumes to school. That all being said, we will be reviewing multiplication concepts with Halloween themed math problems, and reading seasonal poetry and short stories. So, Halloween will be acknowledged! Thanks ahead of time, for your help and support on this!
Conferences and Grades: I have a few parents who have not signed up for conferences at this point. Conferences are not mandatory, but I want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to meet with me if they are able and interested. I am available via email at any time, and can be available for face-to-face meetings with a few days notice if the conference times do not work for you. You should receive an email this afternoon with your child's progress report showing grades from August 15th to October 15th. I am always adding grades, and you can see your child's most current grades on Skyward with your parent login. Please let me know if you have any trouble accessing grades at any point.
MIND THE GAP We are continuing to run our annual Mind the Gap fundraising campaign! If you have made a pledge or a contribution already, thank you! If you are waiting to make a pledge – now is the time. You can spread your pledge payments out across the year (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually) and you can designate a future date when you will begin to fulfill your pledge. Please feel free to choose an amount that works with your family’s budget and if you can, please be generous. Bear in mind that this is the only fundraising event we intend to hold annually. Your donation allows us to sustain the high quality education your child receives each day! ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IB LEARNERS
This week I would like to acknowledge Dane A. who was out sick for two weeks. When I went to visit him, he was still positive and enthusiastic about keeping up with his learning. He communicated his learning to his parents even when he wasn't able to attend school. We will be glad to have him back on Monday!
I would also like to acknowledge Aiden O. who has been a very reflective IB Learner. He is very caring towards his peers and is always the first to lend a hand when someone is in need of help or a hug. This week, he came to me with his own set of goals which he wanted to work on with my help. I was very proud of his self-intiated reflection and action. READING STREET We are working on Days 2-5 of our last Unit 2 story, "Tops and Bottoms". This is a great story about work ethic, moral obligation, and clever solutions. You can read the story at Pearson Success Net. It is a great discussion to have with your kids at home. Do they think what Hare did is moral? What would they do if they were Bear? What would they do if they were Hare?
Our vocabulary words and theme this week focus on how you decide if a solution is fair and just. This is great vocabulary to bring up when your child is problem solving with their friends or siblings, and even with you! Can you divvy out responsibilities to members of yoru family? Is this a reasonable solution which will lead to satisfaction? When is it appropriate to be clever?
ENVISION MATH
We are continuing to work on multiplication in class. We are going to take this upcoming week to review Topic 5 and solidify our understandings of contextual multiplication problems. We have focused on factors of 2, 5, 10, 9, and we will work on 0 and 1 this week. Have your children share their "9s" finger trick with you. This trick works because you have 10 fingers, and when you "hide" one of your fingers you have a combination of two numbers which add up to "9". See the website for a bit more explanation on that, and have your child give you an example!
INQUIRY This week we are focusing on our last line of inquiry "Changes in the environment" which affect adaptations of organisms. We will learn about global issues such as deforestation, drought, floods, overpopulation, urbanization, poaching, pollution, global warming, and disease. Students will choose one of these issues which they wish to write about in a "persuasive action paper". This will be the first major persuasive paper they have written. I am excited to work with them through this project.
On Friday, we are having a special guest from Zamzows come to visit our school with several live animals for the kids to interact with and see. This will take place in the community room from 2:00-3:30. If your child has any fears or allergies related to animals, please let me know so that I can adjust accordingly.
I hope that you all have an enjoyable fall weekend! Please contact me with any questions you may have!
Week 11: October 24th-October 27th
This week was an outright success! Our trip to the middle school, library, and park was wonderful thanks to all of the awesome parents who joined us! All of the kids were completely absorbed in their books and full of enthusiasm about their animal projects! I can't wait to see what they come up with to share!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The class website is updated and filled with information about our math, reading, and pictures from our PYP units! I apologize for not keeping up with it last week, but hopefully all of the information there now will be helpful to you and your child at home! We have some sickness making its rounds in our classroom. If your child needs to be home due to sickness, I will collect the handouts for the days they miss and either catch them up when they return, or you are welcome to pick up their work at the end of the day. It is my policy to forgive the small missed assignments and fill the kids in on whatever they miss, rather than having them try and work on assignments when they aren't feeling well. I would prefer to have them rest and return when they are ready and able to learn. I received several "redo" assignments this week. Thank you for helping your children revisit skills at home! I have already seen a great improvement in the level of understanding demonstrated by the kids!
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IB LEARNERS!
I would like to recognize Brynn M. for being an enthusiastic and creative IB Learner. I can always count on her to have a smile on her face, and a connection to share. This week she was also especially caring and principled when she helped clean the girls' bathroom without being asked.
Jordan A. has also demonstrated enthusiastic learning this year. He is engaged during class, asking thoughtful questions, relating his learning to his life, and sharing those connections with the class. This week he was a open-minded about spending time with new friends on the playground. It was great when he came up after break and said, "That was actually fun Miss Kiley!" Trying new things worked out very well for him!
READING STREET
We are currently working on Days 3-5 of Unit 2 Lesson 3 Prudy's Problem and How She Solved It. Our assessment will take place on Wednesday. We will then begin Unit 2 Lesson 4 Tops and Bottoms. See the website for activities! Remember that is always fun for the kids when you catch them using their amazing words. Research shows that students who bring up material they have learned multiple times from memory in a variety of contexts will better connect to the material learned. You can familiarize yourself with the material we are learning from the website, or you can have your child share their amazing words from memory. It is pretty impressive to see their extensive vocabulary!
ENVISION MATH
We are continuing our exploration of multiplication. Please visit the Topic 5: Multiplication math page this week to read some tips for teaching multiplication. I have also uploaded the in-class worksheets so that you can see what your child has been asked to do. Monday their graded assignments will come home, and they may or may not need additional practice at home. Either way, it is good for you to know what they are learning, and to see examples of how to solve multiplication problems. The examples on the website are geared towards teaching students what multiplication means, and how to identify which strategy to select depending on the context of the scenario. INQUIRY UNIT
At the library yesterday, your child checked out two books about an animal of their choice. I encouraged the students to leave their books at school to be used for research during PYP. Your child will complete their research and report items in class. I will film their presentations to link on our website. On our class website, I uploaded a few pictures of our progress thus far. If you have an opportunity to check them out, please do! THANK YOU!!!
On a personal note, I would like to thank each of you who have taken the time to share stories about your children with me. In a profession like teaching, the real reward is hearing that what we do each day resonates with your child. I know that sounds cheesy, but you and your children are the reasons I teach. It fills my heart when I hear that kids are using amazing words, sharing their inquiry questions, and showing IB Learner skills at home! So thank you for supporting them and joining me as a part of their educational team!
Week 10: October 17th-October 20th
This week I was reminded how amazing third grade brains can be! In two days, we filled the PYP board with questions and ideas about our new unit. We began a scientific experiment to test the efficiency of various animal "mouths" and also started thinking about which organism each student is interested in researching.
I was also reminded this week of how amazing third grade parents are! Within an hour of sending out an email requesting parent volunteers for Thursday's field trip, I ended up with 8 parents ready to help! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support in all of the forms it takes. I realize that not all parents have the ability to join us during the day, but I can tell that parents are talking to their kids about the vocabulary and PYP ideas throughout the week. Many students have been coming to school with questions answered at home. This is a great help to allow students to inquire into specific information and make connections at home as well.
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IB LEARNERS
This week I would like to recognize Clay M.. He has shared his knowledge about animals and nature several times throughout this year. It is especially interesting to watch as he teaches his classmates and also thinks of other information he would like to inquire about. Clay shows enthusiasm every day when it comes to thinking about, and answering questions!
READING STREET
This week we are finishing up "I Wanna Iguana" Days 4 and 5. Our spelling and comprehension assessments will be on Tuesday, October 18th. We will then begin "Prudy's Problem" Days 1 and 2.
ENVISION MATH
We have reached the pivotal turning point in 3rd grade math. This is the unit all 3rd graders hold their breath for! MULTIPLICATION TIME!!! Hooray!
As we enter into the upcoming week, we will be looking at multiplication from many angles. Multiplication as repeated addition, arrays, derived facts, etc. If any of those terms sound like foreign words, they won't be after this unit! I will be updating the class website with strategies you may see your child using during multiplication.
Please remember that I never require a child to choose any one particular strategy. I do, however, encourage them to choose a strategy which allows them to explain their own thinking. Please do not push your child to memorize facts or use the algorithm until they are fully comfortable with the concepts they are learning and can explain them clearly. This will help avoid any frustration or confusion when it comes to multiplication. I will be monitoring their individual progress and I will adjust my pacing and teaching based on class needs.
Until that time comes, please encourage your children to talk their way through math problems. One of the areas we will be continuously working on, is the ability to choose WHICH operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) is needed to solve a given contextual problem. Any time you are going to use math to solve something, ask your child if they know which operation they may need to use. They can do this, even for problems they are unable to solve themselves. Simply understanding that the words "total, altogether, in all" mean addition or multiplication, and words like "difference, how many more" mean subtraction. These key phrases will help them to think contextually. So, ask your child, what should I use to solve this problem? Then "stretch it" by asking them how they know!
INQUIRY UNIT
We are fully in the swing of things in our second PYP unit. I have been excited to hear the quality and depth of the questions the kids are asking. We are working on connecting our questions to some of our 8 IB Key Concepts. The main focus so far have been "form" questions (What is it like?) and "causation" questions (Why is it like it is?). There have also been "function" questions (How does it work?) and "connection" questions (How is it like other things I know?).
Focusing on the key concepts have pushed the kids to think deeper about their questions. They noticed that many of their questions were "form" questions, and they were challenging themselves to ask other types of questions. We are still in the early stages of understanding this process, but I have already seen a vast improvement in the level of thinking they are engaged in.
This week we will be working to finish an animal adaptations science experiment following the scientific method. We are also working to understand what determines an animal's diet, and what makes an animal a predator vs. prey. The class will be creating a restaurant menu catering to the various needs of carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. They will also be designing an ideal predator (that always catches its meal), or ideal prey (that always gets away) based on their understandings of animal adaptations.
On Thursday, we will be visiting the library to check out books which will help us research one particular organism of your child's choice. We will be asking and answering questions about the organisms. Some questions will come directly from our unit, and other questions will be individually determined by each student. Most of this project will be done in class, however if you and your child are interested in adding additional research time at home, you may feel free to do so. Students who bring their personal library card to school on Thursday will be responsible for the safety of their own library books, and may choose to take them home. Students without a library card, will check out books under my account and will be responsible for their books at school.
RESOURCES FOR HOME
I have updated Pearson Success Net with the upcoming math assignments and this week's new story. Remember that these are optional activities. Also, the math assignments may be helpful, however they will not exactly match the way I will be introducing the multiplication unit. I will be using many contextual problems without using as much of the textbook assignments. If your child is struggling with the online assignments, as them to solve a contextual problem instead.
I will be updating our class website over the weekend. You can check back on Monday for Wednesday's reading resources and the multiplication strategies!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy your weekend!
Week 9: October 10th-October 13th
It has been a week of awesome inquiry in third grade! All of the students are very excited about our new PYP unit on animal adaptations and the habitats of animals. We have had some great class discussions and have shared some fun experiences together as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
This week's Outstanding IB Learners: This week I would like to recognize Opal A. and Darya F. for their excellent display of the IB Learner Profile.
Opal was such a motivated inquirer that she wrote down other students' inquiries from our PYP board to research at home. She came back filled with answers and more inquiries to share with the class. It was a perfect example of enthusiasm, independence, and curiosity as she sought answers to become more knowledgeable during our PYP unit and beyond.
Darya has also done a great job making connections throughout our unit. I have caught her using our Amazing Words in context, and recognizing when those words are applicable to a situation. She has been a focused IB thinker in class, and has been very enthusiastic about being a communicator of her understandings as well.
Picture Day is Thursday October 13th. We will be taking pictures first thing in the morning on Thursday. Please make sure that your child is dressed the way you would like for them to have their picture taken. These are traditional school head shots (only their shirt will show).
Rainy Days are upon us at Sage. As the weather begins to change, please remember that our classroom can be a bit chilly during the day. I encourage the kids to bring a light jacket or sweatshirt to wear in the classroom. Closed toed shoes are also recommended. We will be going outside as much as possible during breaks and p.e. I want to ensure that every child is warm and staying healthy during this fall and winter!
Reading Street Assessment will happen this Monday. Remember that the spelling list and other learning objectives are posted on our website. It's great to practice the tested vocabulary and also any of the comprehension skills you can while going about your daily lives. You can use any literature to practice the comprehension skills. The kids are great at pointing out when the amazing words and vocabulary are appropriate for the situation.
Miss Kristy (our student teacher) will begin teaching our reading lesson next week. I will be in the classroom to support her teaching. I am very excited for your child to have the benefit of two teachers encouraging their learning!
READING STREET
Spelling Test and Reading Assessment on Monday.
IRI and fluency: We are always working towards improving the way we read out loud. Quality readers are able to emphasize punctuation, change voice, and express emotions when they read aloud. However, it is ALSO important that your child understands what they read, that they are able to draw conclusions, and that they are able to summarize what they have read. Please note, that it is ALWAYS helpful to read a story with your child, rather than having them read silently for 20 minutes. Have meaningful conversations about what they are reading, and share that experience with them!
ENVISION MATH
Subtraction assessment week: This week we will be reviewing and assessing each of the learning standards for subtraction. Each day next week, we have designed tasks for your child to complete which will show their understanding of the applications of subtraction.
2 and 3 digit subtraction with and without regrouping and also with zeros in the numbers
Fact families 2 addition and 2 subtraction number sentences using the same 3 digits (1+2=3, 2+1=3, 3-1=2, 3-2=1)
Applying subtraction strategies to contextual word problems as well as deciding when to add and when to subtract to solve.
INQUIRY IN PYP
We are currently focusing on two of our lines of inquiry:
1.) Various types of organisms (understanding that people, plants, animals, and microscopic living things are all organisms)
2.) Ways that organisms adapt (what structures and characteristics to living things have to stay alive in their environment)
Stay connected: I always love when students go home and talk to their families about what they are learning at school. If your child has a particular interest, inquiry, or knowledge to share, please encourage them to inquire at home, and at school. I look forward to students making connections to life at home, or experiences they share with family and friends. When students do outside research and bring it back to the classroom, we keep track of these efforts on our PYP wall under the "We Took Action!" section. I would love to see that fill up throughout this unit!
CONFERENCES
I am always available before and after school to meet with you and/or your child to answer any questions, or to support their learning. Please feel free to contact me at any time to go over your child's growth and learning.
Week 8: October 3rd-October 6th
Can you believe September has come and gone? Fall is upon us, and we have made it through our first unit of Reading Street and PYP Inquiry! It was awesome to see the kids be reflective IB Learners as they looked through their work and put together their portfolio for Unit 1. I have already seen a vast improvement in the skills and commitment shown by all of the students. I can't wait to see where the rest of the year takes us!
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IB LEARNERS!
I would like to recognize some stellar third graders this week. Luci S. has shown a great deal of IB commitment and she has been a great IB thinker this week. Luci was having some trouble with a concept in class, and she worked tirelessly until it "clicked" for her. It was awesome to see her confident smile when she accomplished her goal this week!
I would also like to recognize Katie M. who is consistently showing empathy and is very open-minded when she is working with her peers. Last week, she made a special effort to help clean up materials left behind by her peers, and I also watched her make sure that all of her peers were able to be included in a game the kids were playing at recess. It's caring kids like Katie who create our school family!
READING STREETThis week we are beginning a new unit in Reading Street. The overall theme of the unit is "Smart Solutions". Each of the stories deals with a way that animals and/or humans solve problems in their lives. The first story is "Penguin Chick". It is an expository text about a penguin family raising their chick in Antarctica. This will tie into our new PYP Unit as well. (See the Inquiry Unit section of this email for some ideas for home discussion).
This week's skills are:
Main Idea and Details: Ask your child to find the "main idea" of a conversation or story you are reading. Have them cite details which support this idea. For example, our story this week is about how penguins survive in a harsh environment (main idea). The details which support this idea include the fact that penguins must keep their eggs on their feet and under their brood patch to keep the egg from freezing. They also can go long periods without eating.
Monitor and Clarify: We do this all the time when we read as adults. We will often stop in the middle of a passage and go back to "clarify" a portion we read previously. We also stop to make connections and think about how the story relates to our own life. When you are reading with your child, you can go back and re-read for detail and/or ask them questions about what happened at the beginning of the story. For example, "Wait a minute, who is this guy? Why is he important in this story?" or "Hold on, I didn't know that penguins hatched eggs. Don't chickens hatch eggs too? I wonder how they are the same and how they are different."
Reading fluency: Each year K-3 we administer the IRI (Idaho Reading Indicator) test two or three times per year. This test solely measures how fluently (speed and accuracy) a child reads aloud. We don't often ask children to read aloud to practice this skill. It is great to have your child read YOU a bedtime story, or to share this experience by reading every other paragraph or page out loud. Listen for your child to acknowledge punctuation (taking breaths at commas and periods, reading with expression when they see an exclamation point or question mark). Model this kind of reading for them, and have them repeat after you.
All of these skills can be practiced any time you are reading a story. This week, we will be focusing on them in class.
ENVISION MATH Topic 3 was a quick introduction and review of subtraction skills. We are moving onto Topic 4 next week. I will have your child take a quick-check of Topic 3 to make sure they understood the concept of subtraction before they move on.
You may have noticed that I did not upload worksheets for Topic 3. This is because we modified the material to allow your child to think deeper about subtraction, rather than learn ONE way of solving the problems. This week I will upload a variety of subtraction story problems. I know that you have seen your children bringing home the different strategies to solve subtraction problems. Please continue to encourage your child to share and EXPLAIN these strategies to you at home. By the end of Topic 4, your child should be able to easily subtract 2 and 3 digit numbers with and without regrouping (also known as borrowing).
This week we will be working on:
4-1 Various models for subtracting 2-digit numbers
4-2 Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers
4-3 Models for Subtracting 3-Digit Numbers
4-4 Subtracting 3-Digit Numbers
INQUIRY UNIT 2: ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS This week we begin our second unit of inquiry. The central idea for this unit is "Changes in the environment cause various types of organisms to adapt."
Our specific lines of inquiry for this unit are:
Changes in the environment
Ways that organisms adapt
Various types of organisms
We will be learning about how plants and animals adapt to their environment, the roles of predator and prey, various habitats and environments, and we will research an animal. If any of you have a particular interest in this unit, or if you have connections to resources or people who could add to this unit, please let me know! It is always great to connect to outside organizations or information.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend! Please contact me with any questions you may have!
Week 7: September 26th-September 29th
What great learning we had at Sage this week. Our first field trip went off without a hitch thanks to the awesome parents and the stellar IB Learner behavior exhibited by all of the students. Thank you to each of you who were able to join us. I hope your children came home and shared their experience with you. We will be debriefing the experience on Monday.
This week, we made it our class goal to work on learning together in cooperative groups. During a class meeting, the class decided that working in groups would help them be better IB Communicators. We are also working on handling our fun responsibly. This means that while we are working in groups, we are being principled and staying on task. We are being balanced by enjoying conversations with friends, but allowing everyone to learn. I noticed that the students were doing great at cooperating together in order to produce their best work. I also noticed students being open-minded about working with classmates that they hadn't previously worked with.
On that note, I would like to recognize Anastasia R. and Amaya G.. Both girls showed that they were caring and open-minded risk takers by encouraging new friends to join their groups. Also this week, Hank T. showed how thoughtful and caring he was by making room at the lunch table for another third grader who didn't have a seat. He was a risk-taker when he asked his friends to make room so that they could all include one another. I am seeing the IB Learner Profile coming to life in our classroom. If you are seeing IB behavior at home, you can recognize your children by using the attached "I See IB" cards. These cards are shared with the class, and displayed in front of Mr. Keller's office on the IB wall. READING STREET This week we are working on Days 2-5 of our last story for Unit 1 "My Rows and Piles of Coins". This selection tells the story of a young boy who sets a goal to buy a new bicycle. He wants this new bicycle in order to help contribute to his family. He begins to save his money that he earns by working. Here are some suggestions to help bring this story to life at home:
Setting goals: Have your child set a goal for something that they need or want. Have them earn their way towards this goal by accomplishing smaller goals. For example, if they would like to work on being more cooperative with their siblings, they might set smaller goals of sharing toys, giving compliments, allowing their siblings to go first, etc. If they set a financial goal, such as saving up for a new toy, they can keep track of jobs they can do to earn money. See examples of tracking forms on our class website.
Discussion of this week's theme: Talk about the idea of giving, altruism, and generosity at home. Can your child help a friend, family member, or organization (school, church, senior citizens, etc.)? How do they feel after helping? What type of organization and planning goes into helping? This ties into our PYP unit as well.
Intentional use of vocabulary: Our vocabulary this week deals with how to spend money wisely. As a consumer, your child may be tempted to spend their savings in aretail store or a thrift store. You can discuss with your child how stores encourageconsumers to buy items (advertisements, placement of products, etc.) This will tie to our PYP unit as well.
ENVISION MATH This week we are beginning Topic 3: Subtraction Number Sense. You will see your child using a variety of strategies to solve subtraction problems that are similar to what they used for the addition.
I had some feedback from parents who were concerned that their children were not solving the problems using the algorithm (traditional borrowing and carrying model). The reason that math instruction has changed to using a variety of strategies, rather than teaching the whole class ONE way of doing things, is so that your child can choose the strategy, or create a strategy, which makes the most sense to them. Please encourage your children to discuss their process with you as they solve a problem. It is important that they are able to explain their thinking.
The strategies that we work with in class are designed to show the place value of a number, rather than seeing an addition or subtraction problem as something to be memorized or as a process to follow. You will see your child decompose numbers (break them apart to show the value of the number). This is a skill which we as adults do in our heads. Children need to have the strategies so that they can document this process of mental math on their paper. If you are interested in learning more about the strategies your child is using, please let me know. I am happy to sit down with you to help you understand how to better help your child at home. I am also looking into putting videos of math examples on our website. This way, you can see how we go about solving them.
INQUIRY UNIT This is our last week of Unit 1: How We Organize Our Decisions. This week we will be focusing on our last line of inquiry: How do you evaluate efficiency? We will be looking at our data from our shopping trip to see how stores are organized for efficiency. For our final project, we are going to discuss how we organize ourselves to be the best IB Learner that we can be. This is a great conversation to have at home as well. Which IB Learner Characteristics are your child's strengths and weaknesses? How can they help themselves improve on their weaknesses? How do they demonstrate these characteristics at home? Are there short term goals your child could set to improve?
As always, if you have any questions, please let me know! Our class website, as well as the Pearson Success Net website, are both updated with the newest class information. Look to those websites for extra resources.
Have a great week!
Week 6: September 19th-September 22nd
Parents,
Another week has been filled to the brim with fun and learning in 3rd grade! We have learned many things that can be reinforced at home in a variety of ways. Remember that this email is designed to inform you about what is going on next week in class, but also to give you some ideas of what you can do at home to allow your child to practice their skills in a different context. I think you'll really like the suggestions this week! Also, if you ever come up with an activity, or have an experience with your child that might be beneficial to share with others, please let me know and I will include it in our email the following week.
READING STREET
This week we are working on Day 3-5 of "Supermarket" and Day 1 of our last Unit 1 story "My Rows and Piles of Coins". Both of these stories lend themselves very well to at home activities.
For ALL stories, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary words that we are learning for each lesson. Think "Pee Wee's Playhouse Word of the Day". Any time you see the words in context, use the words yourself, or hear your child use the vocabulary words, it's awesome if you make a big stink about them. Showing the kids that these words are actually used in our language is what it's all about! (By the way, I tried to find a video on YouTube of Pee Wee's Playhouse word of the day....none of them were child friendly unfortunately)
The vocabulary this week deals with buying things at a store and making choices. Have your child browse for bargains. Talk to them about the variety of choices in different sections in the store. Ask your children to find a compromise when they disagree.
You use imperative (command) sentences with your children all the time. Have them practice using them as well. Even more of a challenge, have them think of imperative statements that are positive "Smile at your sister." Forexclamatory statements, have your children point out when something you say should use an exclamation point for punctuation. You can alternate between commands and exclamations to see if they can tell you which is which. This can be done orally on the car ride home! (<---exclamatory sentence!)
Compare and Contrast is easy to do every day. We have been working on a Venn Diagram (the two circles) to compare and contrast. Have your children compare and contrast two things. We have been tying this into our PYP by comparing and contrasting two choices and deciding which one is the most efficient.
ENVISION MATH
This week we are finishing up our FIRST look at 2-digit and 3-digit addition. If your child is still working towards understanding the concept of addition, please don't fret. We will be working on strategies all year long! Also, we will be using the math vocabulary throughout the year (commutative, associative, and identity properties). You are welcome to work with your child on these concepts, but it isn't worth pulling your hair out over. If your child is able to add two 2-digit numbers and two 3-digit numbers with any of our strategies, then they are set!
Some suggestions for this week before our test on WEDNESDAY:
One addition problem per night. If they "get it" then one problem is enough. If they are struggling, try working one through together, and then having your child work one alone. You can talk them through their work by asking questions such as "What is the next step?" "What is the place value of that number?" Please remember that there are varying level of difficulties with addition. Look at the worksheets on the website for ideas of number combinations for your child to add. They don't have to complete the worksheet, they can simply answer one or two problems to keep their mind fresh.
We have been focusing most on the tree diagram, arrow language, compensation, and now partial sums strategies. Please look at the math website to find examples of each of these.
INQUIRY UNIT
To connect our inquiry unit to the IB Learner Profile, we have been discussing each of the learner profiles by reading picture books and working on creative expressions of our understandings. We talked specifically about being open-minded and creative, being balanced, being a risk-taker, and being an inquirer this week. Have your child share their understandings with you. Also, I will try to have examples of their work on the website by next week. Most of these activities will be in their portfolios, so they won't come home right away.
I told the kids that I would also encourage them to help do their laundry this weekend. We made the connection of organizing for success, and our vocabulary word laundry. When some of the kids told me that they had no part in this household chore, I challenged them to find one part of the laundry process that they could help with.
Whenever you have time, it would be awesome to discuss the steps that are involved in doing the laundry at your house. Have your child come up with the steps they think they could do independently, and those which might help you. It is also great to explain the steps that are easier for you to do without their help (using efficiency as the reasoning behind this choice). For example, it may be more efficient for you to fold their clothes or to put them away, but they could separate the clothes, check the pockets for things, and put them in the washing machine.
Who knows what other wonderful duties you can relieve yourself of with your 3rd grader's help? They are pretty amazing independent thinkers! Iflaundry is taken care of, try dishes, pet care, making lunch, etc. It's awesome when the kids start realizing how much goes into creating an efficient plan.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Field trip on Thursday to Albertson's. Please email if you are able to attend. It would be great if we had one or two more adults. We plan to leave the school at 2:15, walk to Albertson's on Parkcenter, split into groups of one adult and 3-5 kids to complete a budget and efficiency activity, and then walk back by 3:30.
Reading, spelling, and math assessments will take place on Wednesday. At home, it's great to practice vocabulary, spelling words, and addition.
Grades If you are still foggy on grades, no worries. You will soon have access to Skyward online. Here you will be able to see your child's progress on a biweekly basis. Also, keep checking your children's folder on Mondays. That's when all the graded work comes home. If ever I feel there is need for concern, I will contact you directly. Please do the same if you would like more information or practice opportunities for your child. I am always looking for ways that I can give students another opportunity for things to "click" while we are in class. If I feel that they need more practice at home on a specific skill, I will look to you for help. You are always helping your child by bringing up the concepts at home using the short and sweet techniques that I have listed in the emails and on our website. Thanks for all of your continued support!
Email When you email me about your child, please try to include their name in the SUBJECT line. When you hit "reply" to this weekly email, it often gets lost in the shuffle. It helps me make sure I am attending to all of the emails I receive if the subject clearly states your child's name.
I hope you all have a wonderful, stress-free weekend. Hopefully you will have a very helpful 3rd grader in your midst, attending to their laundry and personal responsibilities! :) (Now, if only I could get them to take care of MY responsibilities...) Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to attend the field trip!
Week 5: September 12th- September 15th
Parents, Our fourth week of school is in the books! Amazing things are coming out of our classroom! I would like to sincerely thank Mark Russell, Johnathan Atchison, Anna Almerico, Trena Semanske, and Barb Thometz for sharing their organization experiences with us this week! It was exciting to watch the kids process those presentations and add to our Inquiry wall with our new understandings.We are starting to get into the swing of things, and really pushing ourselves as IB learners. It has been really wonderful watching the kids find their comfort zone and then finding ways to expand their limits. I realize that information has been coming at you quickly. Please consider this weekly email as a whole group "parent-teacher conference". Everything I write here is designed to help you understand what we are doing in class, and how you can support your child at home. Please contact me when you have questions or concerns.Several parents have told me that they are unsure what to do about the graded work coming home. I encourage you to look through all of the papers for the notes which I write on assignments. I try and draw attention the main misunderstandings and misconceptions students may have while working on an assignment. There are a few things to think about when supporting your child at home:
More of the same is not always helpful: I have made worksheets available to you online, but I do NOT expect, nor do I encourage you to have your child complete them all. This turns into a frustrating experience for the kids and for you as parents. These sheets should be seen as opportunities for you as a parent to inform yourself about what we are working on in class. This way, when the ideas come up in your daily life, you can draw attention to them. Also, when students work ahead, they often end up practicing skills in a different way than I teach them, which causes confusion later on.
Points do not always equal success or understanding: Grades on math assignments are NOT a concrete measurement of your child's ability or understanding of a particular skill. For this information, please look at the 5 question quiz and your child's tests in reading and math. Every child has plenty of time to answer the 5 multiple choice questions, which allows me to truly check for understanding of the concept. The assignment grade is variable depending on many different factors and therefore may not accurately show your child's understanding of the skill, but more about the pace at which they work independently on the skill. I will be adjusting the point values of assignments, quizzes, and tests to better reflect the importance and reliability of these grades. Math assignments will now each be worth 20 points regardless of the amount of questions (it will be factored by percentage complete), The 5 question quizzes will be worth 20 as well (4 points per question correct), and the tests will be worth 100 points.
Multiple opportunities for success: You may feel that we are moving quickly through the math lessons and reading material, and you are right! While the expectations are set high for all students, I have the flexibility as a teacher to repeat lessons, stretch them over multiple days, or combine lessons as I see fit based on student achievement. Additionally, the way that our math program is designed, students have many opportunities to master a skill throughout the chapter, school year, and their time at Sage. In any quality math program, the content from grade to grade is approximately 70% the same. Each year skills are reviewed and expanded. You will see this happen throughout the year. For example, we are currently working on addition (which your child has been learning since kindergarten). In third grade we expand this knowledge by adding vocabulary and applications of the skill. The numbers also become larger, and new strategies are introduced. So you needn't worry if your child doesn't "get it" right away. I am aware of their need for repetition. I intentionally bring up vocabulary and strategies which they will need throughout the year.
Allow your child to see math/literacy in context whenever possible: Parents often ask me how they can help their child when they are struggling with a concept. In math, look at their final test for the chapter. If you see your child missing a particular skill (i.e. counting change), allow him or her to experience counting money in real life. Empty your loose change jar or your purse and have them count how much change you have. Ask them if they have enough money to pay for something that costs $2.50 (or whatever price). Have them figure out how much change you might receive from a purchase.
Literacy skills can be used in just about any context. Driving home from the store, ask your child to look out the car window to find words that are using the same skill as their spelling list. Have your child write letters to their grandparents, write in a journal, write a list of chores they need to complete, etc.
Check our class website!: To help support you as parents, I am adding a new feature to our website. You can now look at the math website (where the worksheets are) for suggestions of "real life" applications for each skill. These will be quick and easy activities you can do with your child. The "Family Times" section of the reading website (where the spelling list is), offers a fun activity to help connect to our question of the week. I will also add activities you can complete to help your child with the other skills.
Tests: Students who scored less than 40/50 on their math test are welcome to resubmit their work for additional credit. If you would like another copy of the test, please email me and I will send it home with your child. I prefer to have the test returned to me within a week to allow me to keep up with entering it in the grade book. Until I receive your child's "redo" they will receive their initial grade.
READING STREET
Small group work will begin this week. Your child has been assigned to a group based on their reading fluency (IRI scores), their level of self-motivation and independence, and their comprehension. These groupings are flexible and will change weekly. The students will be working with either myself or our student-teacher Miss Kristy for four 20 minute blocks throughout the week. The focus of these small groups will differ depending on your child's level. All groups will have at least one fluency based activity and one comprehension based activity. Other skills which will be covered include research and writing, independent reading, and grammar.
This week we are working on Days 4 and 5 of "Kumak's Fish" (Unit 1 Lesson 3). The spelling and comprehension test will take place on TUESDAY September 13th.
We will then move on to Days 1 and 2 of "Supermarket" (Unit 1 Lesson 4). The spelling pretest will come home on Wednesday. You can also access the lesson's and home activities on our website.
ENVISION MATH
We are continuing to work on addition, rounding, and estimation next week. We will be working on 2-4 through 2-7. Check the website for home activities and additional practice opportunities.
If you would like your child to redo their Topic 1 math test, please email me!
INQUIRY UNIT
We are working on our skits to demonstrate efficiency and how organization helps kids become efficiency. It has been very interesting so far to see how the kids interpret these ideas as they apply to their lives. I look forward to adding links to videos of these skits next week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Miss Kristy: As I mentioned earlier, we have a student-teacher working with us this semester from BSU. Kristy Blevins is a senior working on her elementary education degree. She is no stranger to Sage, as she works in the after-school Y program. She has also worked as a part-time intervention teacher throughout the past school year. She is a wonderful asset to our classroom, and I look forward to the learning we will all do together this semester. As the year progresses, Kristy will be teaching small groups, working alongside me in the classroom, teaching lessons in math, reading, and PYP, and eventually she will be teaching full days with me as her support teacher. Welcome to our classroom Miss Kristy!
Box Tops for Education: Thank you to those of you who have already sent in Box Tops for Education. These labels can be found on many food products. There is a box near the front door of the school which you can use to donate these as well as Campbell's soup labels.
Field Trip: We would like to take a field trip to Albertson's grocery store on Thursday, September 22nd from 2:00-4:00 p.m. We would like to have at least 4 parents join us (so that we can have groups of 3-5 kids) to allow this to work out. If you are available, please email me at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for reading this far! I know it is a lot to absorb, so please let me know if you would like any further clarification as it specifically applies to your child. Have a beautiful weekend!
Week 4: September 5th-September 8th
Parents,
3rd graders now have another terrific week under their belts! I saw a lot of new friendships blossoming and minds expanding. I thought I'd include our classroom's Essential Agreements so you can read your child's excellent work! They came up with these agreements on their own!
Have a positive attitude.
Use your words and body in a positive way.
Respect everyone.
Try your best on every assignment.
We will be signing our names to a classroom essential agreement contract on Tuesday, agreeing to each of these ideas.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep snacks organized and healthy which we wrote about last week. This seemed to work really well this week.
On Thursday, September 8th we will have the parent volunteers talk to our class about how they organize themselves. This ties in with our current PYP unit, and I am really looking forward to seeing the students' faces when they have parents in their room for the first time!
READING STREET This week we are working on Unit 1 Lesson 3. More information about our academic focus can be found on our website (sage3rd.weebly.com). There you can find our spelling list, question of the week, quote of the week, and other ideas to connect our reading themes to your child's daily life.
Our next spelling test and reading assessment will take place on TUESDAY September 13th. Practicing the spelling and vocabulary words really makes a huge difference. Even just posting them on the fridge gives your child the repeat exposure to the words that leads to success. I am already seeing incredible results in student's work when his or her academics are stretched and applied to their worlds outside the classroom. Thank you for all that you do at home!
Remember, I am ALWAYS available to meet about your child's progress. Please email or call me to set up an appointment if you would like to speak about your child.ENVISION MATH
As a reminder: our class website has new links for practicing worksheets for each unit. This resource is for OPTIONAL activities for your child to complete. Some of the practice sheets are the same sheets which pop up when your child takes the math quizzes on the Pearson Success Net website. Others are review or extension problems. This resource offers more opportunities for reviewing or challenging themselves and applying the math to word problems. I have also attached the answer keys, just in case there is a question about what the answers should be! :) More information about our academic focus can be found on our website (sage3rd.weebly.com).
INQUIRY UNIT 1: How We Organize Ourselves Getting organized takes on many forms! Keep dialoguing with your child about how organization occurs in your household and how they organize themselves in and out of school. Ask them about the concept webs and lists we've discussed about our question of the week. They've written fables following the organizational steps of the writing process: rough, revised, and final drafts. Making dinner, following a recipe, getting ready for school, and organizing in class are just some examples your child can easily relate to. This helps stretch their academics in ways that really ensure inquiry and developing life-long learners. It's so exciting to watch these IB learners expand their visions and perspectives.
I hope you have a great long weekend! (No school on Monday!)
Week 3: August 29th-September 1st
Parents,
Another great week at Sage has flown by! This week we got into the swing of things with routines and academics. It is amazing how quickly the kids begin to take responsibility for themselves at school. They have been so very impressive! So impressive in fact, that the kids are half way to earning their "Pajama Movie Day". For every 5 minutes the conserve by being ready to work and not wasting time, they earn a letter of the saying "Pajama Party Day!" We made a deal that they earned one whole letter of the saying if they received a compliment from another adult in the building. Well, these kiddos have earned a compliment numerous times because of the way they model IB behavior in specials, in passing periods, and in the hallways. I am so proud of them! When they earn their special day, it will take place the last Thursday of the month, and you will receive more details at that point.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Class Directory: A few parents have requested contact information for students in the class so that your children can arrange play dates, and invitations to birthday parties. I appreciate keeping those invitations outside of school to avoid any issues that may arise from not being invited to an event. I would like to send a spreadsheet including the following information: child's name, parents' names, and contact phone numbers. If for any reason you do NOT want your information to be shared on this spreadsheet, please email me immediately so that I can remove you from the list. I will be sending it tomorrow afternoon.
Sleepy Mornings: This week I noticed several students coming in sleepy and lethargic after long weekends, or not sleeping well the night before. As a class we discussed different ways we can help to organize ourselves the night before so that we can get our best sleep and be ready to walk out the door prepared in the morning. A good night's rest, healthy breakfast, and a positive attitude help us to start out our day on the right foot. I know that I am still making those adjustments personally too! Hopefully it will get easier each day for all of us!
Food throughout the day: Just a reminder that we have a 10 minute morning snack break with 10 minutes to play, 15 minutes to eat lunch with 20 minutes to play, and a 15 minute afternoon break to eat/play each day. It is helpful if you and your child plan a separate snack from the rest of their lunch. Beginning Monday, I am going to ask students to bring only their snack to the cafeteria in the morning instead of their entire lunchbox. This is due to the fact that many students are opening several things in their lunch at once, not being able to finish them, and throwing them away or they are eating everything before lunch time. To make sure they are healthy and balanced, they are encouraged to choose a healthy snack (granola bar, fruit, veggies, cheese, etc.) that they can eat without rushing and that they pack a lunch that will fill them and sustain them for the remainder of the day. During lunch time, it is helpful if their lunch is ready to eat. Meaning that it doesn't need to be heated in the microwave or assembled. As the weather cools off, it is a great idea to send hot foods in a thermos. Also, please make sure that your child brings a spoon or fork if they need one. All of these little things allow us to have a stress-free and enjoyable lunch to refuel for the afternoon. Thank you in advance for your help!
READING STREET
This week we are working on Unit 1 Lesson 2. More information about our academic focus can be found on our website (sage3rd.weebly.com). There you can find our spelling list, question of the week, quote of the week, and other ideas to connect our reading themes to your child's daily life.
Our next spelling test and reading assessment will take place onTHURSDAY this week. Grades from last week's tests will be posted by this Sunday. Remember that you can check your child's progress on Pearson Success Net and soon on our Skyward grade book system (more information about that soon). Just a reminder that I am ALWAYS available to meet about your child's progress. Please email or call me to set up an appointment if you would like to speak about your child.
ENVISION MATH
Last week I sent home an optional enrichment sheet for your child to complete. This does not need to return to school, but can if your child wants me to look at it. Whenever I view a paper I make sure to mark it with colored pen, a stamp, or sticker so that parents can tell that I have seen it. These papers are then sent home. You will not be able to tell much about their progress from the textbook math assignments, because I do not require the students to write down the problems themselves, just the answers. If ever you want to see the questions, you can go to Pearson Success Net and open their math book to the corresponding lesson.
As a new addition to our website, I have added links to practice worksheets for each unit. This will be a resource for OPTIONAL activities for your child to complete. Some of the practice sheets are the same sheets which pop up when your child takes the math quizzes on the Pearson Success Net website. Others are review or extension problems. These will be different from the assignments we do in class, and therefore can offer more opportunities for reviewing or challenging themselves and applying the math to word problems. I have also attached the answer keys, just in case there is a question about what the answers should be! :)
INQUIRY UNIT 1: How We Organize Ourselves
This week we will be participating in some fun individual and group activities to begin thinking about how teamwork is a form of organization. I am hoping your child will come home talking about the feelings they had during these activities. This is a great opportunity for you to "stretch it" with your child. Meaning that you can ask them more than just "What did you do at school today?" Ask them specifically about how they were "organizing" themselves, and whether or not they felt it was "efficient". You can also ask them why they felt this way, and ask them to give an example of how that applies to them at home.
Another great way to connect school to home is to continue using IB Learner language. See our website for a list of the IB Learner Profile and the IB Attitudes. I will be looking for great IB Learners in class this week to include in next week's newsletter. If you catch your child being a great IB Learner, celebrate that with them!
As always, I truly appreciate any feedback, questions, or concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact me at any time via email or phone to continue to support your child in and out of school!
Enjoy your weekend!
Week 2: August 22nd- August 25th
Parents,
What a fabulous week! I was so glad to see returning faces, and excited to get to know all of our new friends! We packed a lot of fun and excitement into four days! I hope that your child has shared some of those adventures with you! I always love hearing from parents about fun stories your kids shared, and I especially appreciate when parents communicate with me about any concerns (no matter how small) they may have. So, please feel free to open a line of communication at any time. This helps me to support your child in and out of school.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
"Take-home folders" came home yesterday with the spelling pretest inside. These folders will be used to bring home finished work as well as any work that your child may want to spend more time on at home. The papers on the LEFT side of the folder will be paper which are graded and complete. These papers may be "left" at home. I encourage you to discuss what your child is learning with them as you go through these papers. Most graded work will be sent home on Mondays, but may also make an appearance throughout the week. The RIGHT side of the folder will be for papers which should return "right" back to school the following day. Your child will make the choice to take home unfinished work if they feel they want or need more time to show their best work on a class assignment. Occasionally students do not complete an activity during the allotted class time and are given the opportunity to finish it at home. If this happens, it needs to be submitted the next day unless I let you know otherwise. Sufficient class time is provided for most students to complete all graded work. Some students work a little more slowly, some don't always use their class time efficiently, and others just want to spend a little more time doing their very best work. You will be able to tell which assignments are graded, because they will have some sort of mark (colored pen, stamp, sticker) to show that I have seen them. Ungraded/unfinished assignments will need to return to school. All other papers should be removed each night, and the folder should return to school. Not all assignments will make it home quite yet. We will reserve our best work for our portfolios which you will see at conferences, and will be sent home at the end of the school year.
We are looking for PARENT VOLUNTEERS! We would like to have 2-3 parents visit our classroom on Thursday, September 8th between 2:15 and 3:40 to give a short oral presentation to the class. The theme of our inquiry unit is "how we organize ourselves". We would like parents to explain how they organize one or more of their routines throughout the day. You don't have to be glamorous or out of the ordinary to volunteer. We will be talking about everything from how you organize yourself to get to school/work on time to how you organize yourself to reach long-term goals personally or at your job. If you feel that you could share this process with our class, please email me and we can discuss details.
READING STREET
This week we are finishing up the story "When Charlie McButton Lost Power" (Unit 1 Lesson 1). You can go to our class website to see the question of the week, the vocabulary, and the spelling words. It would be fantastic to use the vocabulary words, or better yet, catch your child using these words at home. We have learned a physical action to go with each word. Ask your child to model them for you at home and discuss the meaning of the words. This week we are especially focused on homonyms (words with multiple meanings). We have discussed how you can use context clues (the words around the homonym in a sentence) to help determine which meaning is being used in the passage.
Our first Reading Street test and first spelling test will take place on Wednesday, August 24th. To prepare for the test, your child can review vocabulary and spelling, and as always, read, read, read at home! :) The best part about reading, is that your skills apply regardless of the story that you are reading.
ENVISION MATH
We continue with Number Sense and Place Value this week. We are working on lessons 1-3 Greater Numbers, 1-4 Ways to Name Numbers, 1-5 Comparing Numbers, and 1-6 Ordering Numbers.
Remember that your child has the opportunity to login to our PEARSON SUCCESS NET website and complete the quiz for each lesson at home. They will be lead to a worksheet which they can complete at their level. These are optional assignments available throughout the unit for your child. We will be taking our first math test Thursday, September 1st.
INQUIRY UNIT
This week we will be discussing the types of routines we use to be efficient. We will discuss the tools that we use at school to help us organize our thoughts and ideas, and the choices we make to help realize these ideas. At home, it is a great opportunity to discuss how you and your child organize yourselves in order to function efficiently as a family.
I look forward to Week 2! I have been thoroughly impressed by these awesome IB Learners already! Enjoy your weekend! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone or via email!
Week 1: August 15th-August 18th
Parents,
Can you believe the first day of school is just right around the corner!? This is going to be a fabulous year of learning, and I can't wait to get started!ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attached you will find a letter outlining some of our basic classroom policies. Please take a moment to go over this information and contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Pancake Breakfast/Open House is tomorrow (Saturday) morning from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Please stop by our classroom to say hello!
You will be receiving an email from Mr. Keller outlining procedures for pick-up and drop off as well as school wide policies. Becoming familiar with the procedures will help you and your child off to a great start
If you haven't filled out the parent survey yet, please see the attached file and feel free to email or bring in your survey.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Wednesday, August 17th directly following school to learn about our class website and resources on our reading and math website. If you are unable to attend, please let me know. I will try and schedule a second opportunity before school if there are others who are unable to attend. The meeting should take no more than 30 minutes.
READING STREET
Please remind your child to bring in their photographs for our first day projects. (One picture of themselves and one of your family)
Wednesday will be our first official day of Reading Street. We will take a spelling pretest which will come home in your child's take-home folder. The list is also posted on our website for your reference. The test will take place on Wednesday, August 24th. See our website for ideas on how to help your child practice.
Reading is a beautiful thing! Your child is always welcome to bring in books from home to share in class. We will begin our work collecting great reads for our "Class Picks" weekly feature. Students will be given an opportunity to "plug" a great book they are reading. Encourage your child to find books at the library, or to share books from your home library.
ENVISION MATH
Our first unit of EnVision math will also begin on Wednesday. We will begin by studying place value and the structure of numbers. New research has allowed us to develop higher level thinking skills through math. You may see that your child is approaching numbers differently than you were taught. It is most important that your child is able to explain their thinking. It is encouraged to think outside of the box in our class.
I have set up a login for your child to use on our reading and math website (www.pearsonsuccessnet.com) For those of you who used this website last year, not much has changed. I will set you up with your child's login during the meeting on Wednesday August 17th. This website is a great resource for math and reading enrichment opportunities which will reinforce and support what we are doing in class.
INQUIRY UNITS
To begin our new school year, we will be focusing heavily on the IB Learner Profile (Balanced, Caring, Communicators, Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Reflective, Risk-takers, Open-minded, Principled, Thinkers) as well as the 12 IB Learner Attitudes (Appreciation, Commitment, Confidence, Cooperation, Creativity, Curiosity, Enthusiasm, Empathy, Independence, Integrity, Respect, and Tolerance). It is great for your child to hear this vocabulary at home. Try and catch your child exemplifying these behaviors at home!
Our first unit description can be found on our class website under the "Inquiring PYP Minds" tab. Click here for a direct link. This unit will be a strong base for organizing our responsibilities to be successful this year. We are always striving towards independence and self-reliance. Begin to brainstorm activities and responsibilities that your child can do independently at home!
I am so excited to see your smiling faces tomorrow morning! Remember that you can bring in school supplies and the parent survey to help us get organized even before school starts! See you soon!