Our grade 3 class had a special guest presenter who talked to us about pedestrian safety. Please ask your child what they know and what they learned about being safe.

February 2016 - Classroom Notes

• Skating - Our designated skating time is every Wednesday from 2:45 - 3:30. We will wait until all the classes have entered the school after last recess before proceeding outside to the rink shack. Parent volunteers should meet us at the office by 2:45 so we can walk out together. Please be advised that parents should not be waiting at the rink shack during recess since no adults other than staff should be in the yard during this time. Thank you for understanding and keeping our students safe.
• Family Life Homework - Just to clarify an issue, I did previously mention that the Family Life homework on family customs and traditions was due on February 17th. This was a mistake on my part as I meant to type February 10th. If your child did not return their work, they can still hand it in on February 17th; however, we will begin discussing the family flags of those students who have already completed the task. Thanks for understanding!
• Extra Clothing - I am very happy that most students are bringing extra socks, mittens, hats, etc. in their school bags in case of wet clothing. With the wet weather, I know that many students have been using their extra dry items. If your child sends home wet clothing items, please ensure that these items get replaced and not forgotten at home.
• Report Cards - First term report cards will be sent home Friday, February 12. Please take some time with your child to discuss their learning goals for the second term. Also, there is no specific day scheduled for parent interviews at this time; however, I will only contact those parents who I need to speak with. 
• Valentine's Day cards - I have sent home a class list for all students in case they wish to bring in cards to their peers. Since Valentines Day is on the weekend, students can bring their cards on either Friday, February 12, or Tuesday, February 16th.
• Family Day - Monday, February 15th. No school as it is a long weekend.
• A special thanks... - On behalf of all staff, I wish to thank all parents who contributed to our Valentine Raffle Basket. I know that this event is very exciting for all and that Parent Council puts a lot of work to make this night successful. Thank you as well for those parents who have volunteered to assist our class with tying skates. We appreciate your assistance!

Always Learning in Grade 3

In Math, we are learning to estimate, measure and record length, height and distance using centimetres, metres and kilometres. We will continue to practice telling time to 5 minute intervals, as well as reading a thermometer. Next, we will investigate the perimeter of various shapes. In Number Sense, we have been working on 3-digit addition with regrouping, as well as subtraction of 3-digit numbers. It is recommended that students continue to use the Mathletics programs on a regular basis.

In Language, our gr. 3's are learning about the characteristics of an adventure story. During shared writing, we will write our own story and students are beginning to plan their own adventure story using a variety of organizers and writing tools. Students are very engaged in this task! Please don't forget that students should read for 15 minutes each night to ensure that they reach grade 3 reading expectations by the end of the year. I check Raz-Kids regularly to see who is using the program and I do consider it to be part of weekly homework.

In Science, we are continuing our unit on forces. We will explore magnetism and friction through some experiments in the near future.

Last week, we had a guest presenter speak to our class about pedestrian safety. Our students were very engaged and asked many important questions.

Now that we have begun the Lenten season, there are many weekly fundraising activities to raise money for our school wide Lenten project. Please watch for weekly updates to know what is going on in the school. Thank you for your support!

Mr. Blais