Classroom
Notes – October 2016
Terry
Fox Run – Thank you for
donating to our annual Terry Fox run. Our class was very excited to
participate and it was a beautiful afternoon for this special event. St. Gregory is close to
meeting our monetary goal because of your generosity.
Cooler
Weather...brrrr – It has been
a warm and sunny autumn so far, but it seems that the cooler weather
has finally reached us. Please ensure that your child is dressed
appropriately for the entire day. As previously mentioned, students
can keep extra socks, mitts, hats, etc. in their backpack. Please
label all clothing so lost items can be hopefully found and returned
promptly. Many students have similar clothing items, so labelling
helps determine proper ownership.
A
Note Regarding Homework - Thank
you for supporting your child's learning at home. All extra practice
will reinforce learning at school. We are partners in your child's
education and I cannot emphasize enough how important the role that a
home/school connection has toward academic success. Please send me a
note if your child experiences difficulty with some or all of the
homework tasks. It is recommended that all children have a consistent
homework routine. Please check in with your child to ensure
understanding of a task, praise their hard work and support their
learning in a positive manner.
Reading
on Raz-Kids and Using Dreambox
– Just a reminder that I consider reading on Raz-Kids to be part of
weekly homework and I am aware of how much time that your child
spends using the app. It is recommended that students balance reading
on Raz-Kids with other reading materials (i.e. chapter books, picture
books, etc.). Students will be given their logins and passwords for
Dreambox this week and this information will be glued into their
agenda.
Spelling
Quiz Books
– I will be sending spelling quiz books home on Friday, October
14th
for parents to look over and sign. Please
return these booklets on Monday, October 17th.
Lottery
Calendars
– Students received their lottery calendars last week from parent
council. If you are not participating and do not plan to use the
calendars, you should return them to school. Based on previous years,
parent council would like all unused calenders returned since there
are always many students looking for extras.
Always
Learning in Grade 3...
In
Math,
we have started a unit in patterning. We are currently focusing on
growing and shrinking number patterns. Our class has worked hard on
describing a pattern rule using appropriate math vocabulary.
Together, we learned from our mistakes and we were given the
opportunity to teach Mrs. Cooper's grade 3/4 class. We will continue
to work on our patterning unit throughout October and we
will have a unit test by the end of the month.
I will send home practice work in advance of the test and provide
parents with a specific date once it has been determined.
In
Writing,
grade 3's are writing a descriptive paragraph about their favourite
holiday. We have worked on writing an effective opening/closing
sentence, adjectives and using detail to improve our writing. Most
students are revising their work by using our class “Bump it Up”
wall, peer-editing and teacher conferences. Our next writing task
will be narrative writing with a Halloween twist. In Reading,
we have been working on reading comprehension strategies and
practising “making connections” to texts in order to be better
readers.
In
Science,
we are continuing our unit on forces. We have discussed the impact
that natural forces have in the environment, such as landslides and
erosion. Our class was very excited to complete an experiment using
buoyancy and gravity. Students designed and created their own boats
using tin foil to support a load (pennies). We will begin another
experiment using small magnets to push, pull and stop an object.
In
Family Life,
students have learned that we may have likes and dislikes that may be
similar or different from others, but regardless, we are unique. In
Religion,
we have discussed our Catholic community – as well as other
communities – and we have created artwork inspired Fernando Llort.
We have so many talented artists! Next, we will focus on use of
colour and movement in Visual
Arts.
Thank you for your
continued support!
Mr. Blais
