Classroom Notes – December 2017

• Christmas Hampers – Thank you for those parents/students who have already brought in food items for our class Christmas Hamper. If you are planning on donating for this initiative, please send food items to school by Friday, December 18^th. On behalf of St. Gregory School, I thank you for your participation, as well as reinforcing Catholic social teachings at home.

• Advent Mass – We will have our school Advent Mass on Tuesday, December 12^th. If you are available, you are welcome to celebrate Mass with our school during this special week in our Catholic calendar. Mass begins at 9:30.

• Colder Weather is Here! - With the arrival of some snow and colder temperatures, please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather each day. It is recommended that students keep extra socks, mittens/gloves etc in their backpacks just in case they require dry clothing. Each week, our lost and found box is full of clothing items, so please write your child's name in a visible area to increase the chances of them being found and returned.

• Technology Coach from our Board – Last week, we had a guest teacher from our Board working to demonstrate and improve our understanding of Google Drive, Google Docs and Apps (i.e. Read & Write). Our students were very engaged in this unique learning opportunity. We will continue to have a few more visits from this coach to improve our proficiency with Google based technology.

• White Elephant Sale – Our annual White Elephant Sale is Friday, December 15^th. Please ensure that your child has a reusable bag to bring purchased items home with them. It is recommended that students keep their money in a small bag/zip-lock.

• Using the Student Portal – Just a reminder that all students can access a variety of apps through the student portal from our Board website www.ocsb.ca All grade 3's have their email and password glued in the front of their agenda. It is recommended that students are using Raz-Kids and Dreambox to reinforce reading and math skills at home.

Always Learning in Grade 3...

In Math, we have started a unit in Data Management. Students are learning to use data from a survey to create bar graphs and pictographs. We will focus on comparing data in a graph using math words to communicate our understanding. Although we have moved on from representing, adding and subtracting money, will will continue to work on this important concept throughout the year. It is recommended that students continue to practice adding and subtracting money amounts at home to reinforce learning at school. Our class completed a money assessment at the end of last week which will be sent home shortly.

In Writing, our grade 3's have been working very hard to complete their personal narratives. Students are demonstrating that they can use a variety of punctuation (exclamation/question/quotation marks) and adjectives throughout their writing. Students are learning to organize their writing by creating an effective introduction, middle and conclusion to their story, while sharing their feelings/emotions with the reader. In Reading, we will continue to work on reading comprehension strategies to improve our understanding of a story. Students are learning to make connections, visualize and understand how a writer organizes ideas within a text. We will begin Media Literacy shorty to learn about advertising techniques to target a specific audience. Students will use learned techniques when creating their own product/poster.

In Science, we have started to present the take-home natural forces projects and these presentations will be ongoing for the next few weeks. Natural forces is an engaging topic for students in this age group. All students have shown enthusiasm, as well as demonstrating knowledge gained from this activity. At this time, I wish to thank all parents for assisting with the completion of this project. As students present, I am assessing only their speaking/listening skills, as well as their knowledge of their chosen natural force. We will begin Structures very shortly and we will have a guest in the classroom helping with a bridge-making experiment in January.

In Family Life, we have been discussing how family love is open. We have learned that families share and participate in special traditions and customs. In Religion, we have linked the God's promise of the Messiah to stories of covenant and the prophets in the Old Testament. In Visual Arts, students created an advent wreath using a stained glass effect with pastels.

I hope that everyone has a safe and memorable Christmas and I look forward to working with your child in the new year.

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes – November 2017

School-Wide Fund Raising Initiatives – At this time, I wish to thank all parents who have donated to the grade 6 Bake Sale (in support of their end of year field trip), as well as our United Way campaign (e.g. Gum Day, etc). Our United Way campaign will continue over the next few weeks, so please remember to check out the school weekly memo to be aware of each activity. Thank you for your generosity!

Change in the Weather! - There has been a return to the wet and cold weather. It is recommended that all children are dressed appropriately each day since we strive to go outside on most days. Our school yard notoriously gets full of puddles and the yard is usually damp and soggy. Rain boots are recommended on these days if possible. Also, it is always a good idea to store extra socks in your child's backpack just in case he or she gets wet feet during recess. Extra mittens and toques are a good idea as well as the weather continues to get colder.

Classroom Gardens – Our school has received two garden towers (one organic, one hydroponic) to teach students about growing plants indoors and reducing our impact on the natural environment. We had a guest speaker come to St. Gregory's to explain the gardening system to our grade 3 class. Our class participated by planting lettuce and basil seeds and filling the organic tower with soil. Check out the pictures on our class Twitter page! Our learning through this garden system will enhance our Science unit on Plants. We will share the responsibility of maintaining these gardening systems with Mrs. Cooper's grade 3/4 class, as well as our school Eco-Team. All students are curious and engaged in this learning initiative!

Student Logins/Passwords and Extra Homework Practice – As previously mentioned, all students have login information for Raz-Kids and Dreambox glued into the front of their agenda. Additionally, there are multiple apps and resources found in the “student portal” through our Board website that students can access and use for additional homework practice. To access the student portal, first you need to go to our Board website: www.ocsb.ca Next, you need to click on “Student Portal.” Students will be asked to type their email address and password. Students have this information glued in the front of their agenda. Please note that I have changed all student passwords, so they will not be the same as last year.

New Math App – I have installed the Math app “Prodigy” on all school iPads. Currently, I am registering our class for this app and it will be available for home use in the near future. I will inform you shortly of how to access the website, as well as student login information.

Progress Report – Just a reminder to sign and return the bottom portion of the progress report if you have not done so already. Please take some time to speak to your child about their goals for the first term. Remember that students are continually working on their work habits to develop their learning skills both for their current year and in preparation for junior/intermediate divisions. Regularly, I take time to speak to students about all six learning skills to explain the criteria for each one. We speak about the necessity of being honest with your self, taking ownership for your behaviour/work habits, and the importance of self-reflecting and goal setting. Praise your child for their accomplishments and speak positively about next steps. I have reminded students that their letter grades for their learning skills can always change throughout the year; however, in the end, it is up to each student to demonstrate effort and take responsibility for their learning. Thank you for taking time to speak to your child about their progress so far this year in grade 3.

Always Learning in Grade 3...

In Math, students are learning to represent, add and subtract money amounts to $10 in a variety of ways. We completed an engaging activity in which students created their own restaurant menus. In partners, students traded menus, purchased several food items and added the cost of each item. We will continue to work on several strategies to add and subtract money amounts. We are learning to add 3 digits using algorithms, as well as mental math strategies through practice and problem solving activities. Students are learning to use effective problem solving strategies to understand what a question is asking and to show their thinking.

Patterning unit tests have been sent home. Please sign and return this assessment as soon as possible.

In Writing, our grade 3's demonstrated their creative abilities by writing a Halloween narrative called “My Haunted House For Sale.” We learned to write an interesting introduction that developed the setting, main characters and the story's problem using adjectives. Students varied punctuation by using exclamation, question and quotation marks. Our class learned to create an interesting solution to their Halloween narrative. Way to persevere through a longer writing task grade 3's!

In Reading, we have been working on reading comprehension strategies, such as making connections and visualization. Students will begin learning strategies for answering short answer reading questions.

In Science, we are continuing with our unit on Forces. This week, I will show our class examples of the take home task on natural forces. A detailed letter explaining this task will go home very shortly.

In Family Life, we have discussed talents and gifts and students know that God wants us to share our talents and gifts with others to make the world a better place. Next we will discuss families.

In Visual Arts, we are finishing up our Fall art activity that complemented our patterning unit in Math. Students have also completed a drawing of their haunted house from their narrative writing. I have began to display this work in our hallway outside the classroom.

I wish to thank all parents for preparing your child for our swimming lessons for the last three weeks. Your efforts made each morning successful! Thank you to all parents who volunteered and assisted our class on this exciting learning experience.

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes – October 2017

Terry Fox Run – Thank you for donating to our school-wide fundraiser in support of the Terry Fox Foundation. As a school, we exceeded our goal! Our students enjoyed running for this charitable cause while demonstrating Catholic values. Way to go grade 3's!

Swim to Survive – We will leave St. Gregory's for our first swimming lesson on Friday, October 13^th as soon as attendance is taken. All students must take the bus for this excursion. Please ensure that your child arrives to school on time since we hope to leave by 9:25. Just a reminder that your child will need to bring a swimsuit, towel and an adequate bag to hold both wet and dry swimming items. Please be advised that all students need to eat a sufficient breakfast on days that we have swimming lessons since we will not have time for morning snack; however we will return to the school in time for lunch. A substantial number of parents have volunteered for this excursion, so I contact all interested volunteers to confirm the day(s) in which we will require your assistance. Thank you for the extra work needed to prepare your child for this learning experience.

Picture Day – Unfortunately, our school picture day conflicts with one of our swimming lessons. I have discussed this issue with our administration and you would have received a synrevoice message explaining that our class will be called at 9:00 into the school to take their pictures before leaving for the Minto Recreation Centre. Please ensure that your child arrives by 9:00 and that he or she is prepared to take their photos on October 27^th.

Lottery Calendars – Students can return lottery calendars at any time; however, if you are not going to participate in this activity, please return the lottery calendars back to the school.

Patterning Unit Test – We will have a math assessment for this unit on Thursday, October 19^th. I have sent home Math homework this week for extra practice at home. We have been working very hard on the “big ideas” and important concepts for this unit. This assessment will be sent home to be signed and returned in the upcoming weeks.

Always Learning in Grade 3...

In Math, students are learning to use a variety of strategies to show their thinking. By taking a problem solving approach to learning, students are integrating number lines, addition/subtraction, tables etc. to demonstrate their understanding of the given concept. We are continuing to work on counting forward to 1000 by 2's, 5's, 10's, 25's, 100's from various starting points. In Patterning, we are learning to create and extend repeating patterns using a variety of tools and attributes (e.g. size, colour, number, orientation, etc.). Students have been challenging themselves to extend and/or create geometric patterns by using square tiles and sticks and they are representing the growing/shrinking pattern using a number line. Also, we have been having some amazing number talks as students describe their strategies for mental math.

In Reading, we have been focusing on making connections to stories. Next, we will target visualization as a reading strategy. We are reading a variety of personal narratives during our shared reading time, highlighting the characteristics of narrative writing. Also, we have been reading a variety of non-fiction texts and observing the characteristics of these types of texts. In Writing, our class is finishing up a descriptive paragraph called, “My Favourite Holiday.” Our learning goals for this task is to use adjectives, exclamation marks and detail to “bump up” our work. Next, we will write our own Halloween narrative using characteristics such as problem/solution, setting, plot and quotation marks.

In Family Life, we are discussing how we are different and alike. Next, we will look our feelings and how we express our feelings. Thank you for spending time with your child to discuss their name. Students enjoyed sharing the answers to the questions that were sent home and most students learned something interesting and unique about their name. Our class learned that “God Calls Us By Name.”

In Science, we are continuing our unit in “forces.” Soon, a take home project will be sent home for students to research natural forces.

In the Arts, we will begin our autumn art activity that uses patterning, line, colour and shape. Students will love this task.

This month is a very busy month at the school and it will continue to get busier both within and outside the classroom. I appreciate your patience and effort each day as we continue to work together to ensure the success of your child. I hope everyone had a memorable Thanksgiving to reflect on family and gratitude.

Sincerely,

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes – September 2017

At this time, I wish to thank all parents who have contributed to our classroom by donating items, such as kleenex, zip-lock bags, glue etc. These items will be used by our class throughout the school year and I truly appreciate your generosity. Our first week of school was a success! We have established a safe and collaborative learning environment and all students have made the transition from summer to “back-to-school” in a positive manner. Please don't forget to check out our class on Twitter (MrBlais1) since I try to post a few photos from our learning day when I get a chance. Here are some detailed reminders to note:

Clothing – It is recommended that you label all clothing, shoes, backpacks, etc. Many students come to school with similar items and labelling each item will help limit any confusion. Often, students forget clothing/bags in the school yard and items can be returned quickly if your child's name is written on them. Each year, our lost and found box is overflowing with items, so please remind your child to ask his/her teacher to look through the bin. On another note, please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. All students go out for recess each day, except during inclement weather.

Homework – Spelling homework will go home on Monday's and it is always due at school on Friday. I have spoken to the class regarding the expectations for homework. Please take some time to establish a homework routine with your child. As well, check in with your child occasionally to ensure that he/she is reading and understanding the material. I do not send home a reading program; however, all students should be reading at home each night. Students who read regularly at home will increase their reading fluency and learn grade appropriate vocabulary. As previously mentioned, I will send a note home when I have account information for Raz-Kids, Dreambox, etc.

School BBQ/Open House – Our opening school BBQ is Wednesday, September 13^th from 4:30 – 6:00. Our student-led “open-house” will start at 6:00 and end at 7:00. I look forward to meeting you!

Swim to Survive Program – Just a heads-up that our grade 3 class will participate in three swimming lessons at Minto Recreation Centre in mid-October. Please anticipate a detailed newsletter, as well as required permission forms in the near future. The newsletter will explain the program, including a list of times and required items. Our swimming days are scheduled for October 13th, 20th and 27th at 10:15 - 11:15. We will leave St. Gregory's during first block to arrive on time.

Always learning in grade 3....

In Math, students are learning to skip count by 2's, 5's, 10's and 100's from various starting points to 1000. We will continue working on this important Math concept over the next few weeks which will increase student confidence and understanding of larger numbers, as well as growing and shrinking patterns.

In Writing, we have started discussing adjectives and students are learning to add descriptive words to “bump-up” their writing. In Reading, we will learn about the characteristic of narratives through shared reading activities.

In Science, our first unit will be “Forces Causing Movement.”

In Religion, we have been learning about being a positive digital citizen through our “Samaritans On the Digital Road” program. We have discussed our Board spiritual theme “Sent to be the Good News” and we will begin learning about our Catholic community.

In Health, our grade 3's are learning about personal safety, especially pedestrian and fire safety.

In Visual Arts, we will integrate math and art by completing an autumn patterning task using line, colour and shape.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes – June 2017

• Field Trip to Upper Canada Village – If you have not done so already, please remember to complete and submit the Parent/Guardian permission form for this excursion by June 09, 2017. For those parents/guardians who have offered to volunteer, please see your child's agenda today to see if your name was randomly picked for our draw to have admission fees waived. As previously mentioned, we are only able to waive the cost for three volunteers; however, if you are still able to volunteer and you are willing to pay the admission fees, please fill out the paper slip in your child's agenda to confirm your availability. Thanks again for supporting our class!
• The Warmer Weather is Here? Unfortunately, it has rained a lot this spring. Just a reminder that all students need to have appropriate outdoor shoes each day since we often use our school field for gym. If it is easier, your child can leave a suitable pair of shoes for outdoor gym at school until the end of the school year. Just a reminder that students go outside most days for recess, so it is important to pack a hat on hot, sunny days. Grade 3 students can bring sunscreen with them to school each day, but our principal has asked parents to avoid spray bottles to ensure safety for all. Thank you for your understanding!
• EQAO is Complete! - I wish to thank all parents for reinforcing a positive approach at home during this testing period. Our class was well prepared for this assessment and they approached each day knowing that they can do difficult things. Each student will receive individual results early in the next school year. All grade 3's will have a brief celebration this week as a reward for their hard work.
• Fire Safety Presentation – Our class participated in a fire safety presentation on Monday, June 05. We reviewed fire safety procedure with real firemen/women as well as learning to escape a mock fire quickly and safely.
• PD Day June 09 – Just a reminder that there will be no school for students this upcoming Friday.

Always Learning in Grade 3

We have some fun upcoming activities in Math. In Probability, students are creating their own board games using fair and unfair spinners and dice. We have experimented with Ozobots and we will use these devices for a movement on a grid task. We will integrate math and language by merging the story, “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” with this task.

In our unit on Growth and Changes in Plants, students have been learning about germination and the basic needs of plants. Grade 3's will grow their own plants from seed and observe/record the growth in their seed journals.

In Music, students have been practising to sing in unison. We have learned to sing a round called “Fish and Chips.” We have listened to a variety of musical performances and students expressed their responses by drawing pictures for each style to represent their feelings.

We have been busy learning about the four food groups, healthy snacks, processed, unprocessed foods and the benefits of good oral health. Students will create a “Healthy Me” poster to demonstrate their knowledge of Healthy Living practices.

In Family Life, we are learning about how the world contains wonderful people. Just a “heads-up” that a detailed letter will be going home in the upcoming days regarding our “Created Sexual” unit.

Lastly, as we begin our last month of this school year, I recommend that you check our school calendar and weekly updates regularly since it is always a busy time of the year.

Sincerely,

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes - April 2017

Bake Sale Was a Success! - Thank you to all parents who donated baked items for our class bake sale. Our grade 2/3's and 3's raised over $200 for our O.K. Clean Water Lenten Project. Our class worked very hard to organize and run this event. We wish to thank all JK/SK students and teachers who generously purchased our treats. Way to go!

National School of Tennis Program - I am excited to announce that our class will participate in two tennis lessons in the beginning of May at St. Gregory's. The lessons will run between May 8-10. This will be fun!

St. Gregory Year Book 2016-2017 Drawing Contest - Some of our students are interested in submitting their drawings for the cover of the year book. All submissions will be due to the office on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

Easter Mass at St. Gregory's - On Tuesday, April 18th, our school celebrated Easter Mass with Father John presiding. We hope that everyone enjoyed their Easter weekend with family to celebrate this important time in our Catholic calendar.

Canada's 150th! - In anticipation of this historical event, students have been participating in daily Canadian trivia and bringing in facts about Canada to place on our map at the front entrance to our school. All classes have been designated a Canadian province to focus on. Our grade three class is learning about the province of Quebec. During Education Week, we will be decorating our door by highlighting Quebec's uniqueness and hopefully, our door will will the door decorating contest.

Always Learning in Grade 3....

In Math, we have been learning about fractions and division. We have been continuing to practice addition and subtraction with regrouping through word problems and math games. We will begin a unit on measuring capacity (litres, millilitres, etc.) shortly. Please remember that there are many ways that you can support your child in mathematics at home. Counting, adding and subtracting coins and bills to $10 at home will reinforce learning at school. There are many websites in which you can print addition and subtraction algorithms for extra practice. Also, the math websites listed on this blog are very good. There are many curriculum related practice books that you can purchase that are usually inexpensive. If you have a Costco card, you will find several different types of practice books for a cheaper price. It is recommended that you print a hundreds charts, or a number line for students to use at home. If you do a Google search for these items, you will find a variety of options.

In Language, we have been looking at a variety of poems and learning about the characteristics of poetry (e.x. the speaker, lines, stanzas, etc.). Many students are completing their final copy of their adventure stories and I can't wait to post them on our bulletin board. We will continue to read a variety of texts and answer reading comprehension questions in anticipation of EQAO.

In Science, we are continuing our unit on Soils. We have learned about the different layers/types of soil. As well, we have started to learn about erosion. Now that the weather has been getting warmer, we will be able to investigate the soil in our school yard.

In Health, students have been learning about healthy eating habits. We have looked at a variety of foods from the four food groups, as well as healthy snacks.

In Religion, all students observed the Stations of the Cross as a school prior to the Easter weekend. Our Rosary Apostalate last week focused on the resurrection of Christ.

In the Arts, we will begin Music shortly. Students have created "stained-glass" crosses using different coloured tissue paper which will be displayed in our classroom window.

With Education Week approaching quickly, the next few weeks will be very busy in the school, so please expect a lot of notices from the school.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes - March 2017

Bake Sale for Kindergartens - On Friday, a newsletter went home outlining the bake sale that our class and Mrs. Jung's 2/3 class will be hosting. Our students are very excited about this upcoming event, especially since all donations will contribute to our OK Clean Water Lenten project. Please return the bottom portion of the newsletter by Wednesday, March 29th if you are planning on donating a baked treat. Our class has worked very hard to organize this event and we will present our posters and Google Slides to all kindergarten classes this week in anticipation of Friday's bake sale. Thank you for assisting our class with this initiative!

Growth Mindset - As previously mentioned, our class embraces a growth mindset approach to learning and our students recognize that we must make and learn from our mistakes in order for our brains to grow. Here are a few links to video clips that we have watched in class during our growth mindset lessons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC82Il2cjqA&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVUqv0v1EE&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-3Fs4zGjDU&feature=youtu.be

Continuing to emphasize a growth mindset approach to learning at home will complement this approach to learning at school. At school, we emphasize that we must put effort and show resilience when faced with challenges. 

Homework - Please be advised that I will not be sending home Spelling homework this week; instead, students will have Math homework to complete. As always, homework is due on Friday, March 31st.

Appropriate Clothing and Agendas - As the weather begins to warm up, please remember that our school yard gets very wet as the snow melts. In fact, our yard will start to resemble a small lake. Students need to be prepared for the changing weather each day by being dressed appropriately. It is recommended that students have a pair of water-proof boots for wet/rainy days. I have noticed some students are complaining about their indoor shoes not fitting anymore, or that some are well worn. Please ask your child about the condition of their indoor shoes so they can continue to feel comfortable and remain safe during gym activities.Also, please remember to check and initial your child's agenda daily since we have agenda notes most days. Thank you for your efforts!

Always Learning in Grade 3....

In Math, we have just completed our unit in Geometry. We will continue to review important concepts from this unit as the year progresses. Students have been busy learning about area and perimeter, as well as strategies to show their thinking when encountering these questions. We will create robots using area and perimeter for the body parts (e.g. arms, head, legs, etc.). Also, our class has been working very hard on multiplication to 7 x 7 and showing their work using arrays and repeated addition. We have started subtraction with regrouping using an algorithm and checking our answers using a number line. If you are looking for extra practice at home for your child, addition and subtraction with regrouping will assist their learning at school. There are many great websites that students should be using at home to support their learning in mathematics. Previously, I have mentioned www.tvokids.com and our students use this website frequently at school. Also, all students have access to Dreambox and their login information should be glued into the front of their agenda. Please note that logging into Dreambox has been difficult for some, depending on the device that you are using at home. Here are some additional websites you can try at home:

http://www.mathies.ca

http://www.mathplayground.com/

http://www.abcya.com/

https://ca.ixl.com/math/

www.MathBreakers.com

Also, students will find a variety of apps when they login to their "student portal" through our board website when they use their Google account. Our class uses their Google accounts everyday and all students know that their email and password is glued at the front of their agenda.

In Writing, students have been inspired by our read aloud of "Jumanji" and they are using this story to develop their own adventure stories. We are focusing on the characteristics of an adventure story, including a series of exciting/dangerous events before the solution is revealed at the end of the story. Part of the success criteria is using adjectives, quotation marks, a variety of punctuation, as well as including action verbs. In Reading, we are continuing to read a variety of texts and use reading comprehension strategies when answering short answer questions.

In Science, we have started a new unit called "Soils in the Environment." We will have a variety of exciting hands-on activities for this unit throughout the next few weeks. In Visual Arts, we have been integrating Math and the Arts. Students have finished a task making robots by using a variety of quadrilaterals. Presently, students are making a collage using two different colours and measuring/drawing/cutting squares to create a desired effect.

In Religion, our class has been thinking about why and how we make a Lenten journey. As we get closer to Easter, we are preparing to celebrate the dying and rising of Christ. Presently, students are discussing the ways they can prepare their hearts for Easter. Many students in our class have shared some of their personal sacrifices that they are making as part of their Lenten journey.

Once again, thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes – February 2017

Valentine Raffle Basket – Thank you to all parents and students who donated puzzle related items for our class basket. Our basket had many interesting items and I'm sure that it was popular at our St. Gregory Valentine's Day Dance. Way to go grade 3's.

Class Skating – Our first skating excursion was exciting and successful. We will continue to try to skate every Friday between 2:30 – 3:30. I will confirm or cancel skating the day before by sending home a quick note in the agenda. If you are able to assist our class with tying and untying skates and helmets, please write me a note and I will confirm with you.

Red and White Day – In anticipation of Canada's 150^th celebration, our school will have a red and white spirit day. Students can wear red and white clothing on Wednesday, February 15^th to recognize this important historical event.

First Term Reports Cards – Reports will be sent home on Thursday, February 16^th. As you discuss the report card with your child, it is important for students to reflect on the year and to set goals for the second term. Please sign and return the bottom portion of the report card as soon as possible.

Family Day – Schools will be closed on Monday, February 20th.

Student agendas – As previously mentioned, please be diligent in checking student agendas daily. Mme. Kealey and I will check for parent signatures/initials each day. All parents should be aware of due dates for both English and French and that work is completed with some assistance. A positive, supportive approach at home will reinforce a love of learning. Thank you for your hard work!

Class Blog and Twitter Account – Our class blog contains our monthly newsletter as well as some additional information. You can view the website at: http://mrblaisgrade3.blogspot.ca/

Don't forget to take a look at our class Twitter account. I try to post some pictures of learning and other activities when I get a chance.

Always Learning in Grade 3....

We have been very busy in Math! We will continue practising telling time to 5 minutes, as well as measuring length, height, width and the perimeter of a shape. Our attention in February will focus on Geometry and Spatial Sense. Students are learning about right angles and angles greater than and less than a right angle. We will continue learning about 2-D shapes and 3-D figures over the next few weeks. For extra practice at home, students can use www.tvokids.com

In Language, students have been working hard on persuasive writing. Next, we will be writing persuasive letters. In Reading, students have been learning about the characteristics of fables during our shared reading activities. We will continue to work on answering reading comprehension questions in anticipation of EQAO.

In Science, we have looked at what makes a structure strong and stable. Students participated in a fun paper folding experiment to see how many pennies their bridge could support. We have read several texts about human and natural structures.

In Religion, we have been discussing how the Holy Spirit is present in our lives as well as Jesus' life. We will be learning about the symbols of the Holy Spirit and the sacrament of Confirmation.

Please write me a note in your child's agenda if you have further questions. Thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Blais

Classroom Notes - January 2017

Swim to Survive - Our grade 3 class enjoyed their first swimming lesson last Friday! We will have two more swimming lessons on January 20th and January 27th. Please ensure that your child has all required swimming items on these days. It is advised that all children have a good breakfast on swimming days since we are unable to have a morning snack before leaving St. Gregory School or during our time at the pool. Thank you for having your child well prepared on these days.

Skating - I anticipate that our class will be able to go skating this winter and I will inform parents on the dates and times well in advance. With warmer weather approaching again this week, I will monitor the ice condition and make a decision in the near future. So far, the weather has not been ideal for maintaining the ice and the condition of the rink has been poor. Hopefully, we experience more predictable weather. Thank you for understanding!

Reading at home and weekly homework - Just a reminder that all students should be reading at home for approximately 20 minutes per night. Extra reading at home will assist students in achieving grade 3 reading levels and vocabulary. Please check in with your child to ensure that they understand provided homework for both French and English.  Homework is almost always sent home on Monday's and due on Friday's. Both Mme. Kealey and I will maintain this homework routine throughout the year. Thank you for your continued support!

Extra clothing - Thank you for providing your child with extra socks, mittens, hats, etc. in their backpack. I see children daily changing these clothing items since they are too wet to wear outside. Please check with your child to ensure that these extra items are still in their backpacks.

School supplies - I believe that we have reached a point in the school year in which most students have used up many of their school supplies, such as pencils, pencil crayons, erasers, etc. Please take some time to ask your child if they require any additional items to get them through the remainder of the year. I have been providing many students with these items, but we have reached a point in which our classroom supplies are diminishing rapidly. Thanks for understanding!

Always Learning in Grade 3

In Math, we have been busy conducting a variety of surveys, recording data in tally charts and using this data to create bar and pictographs. We have been learning to tell time to the nearest 5 minutes. We will continue our unit in Measurement as we learn to read a thermometer and identify benchmark temperatures. Also, we will be learning to estimate, measure and record linear measurement in centimetres. 

In Language, students have completed winter narrative writing. We have started discussing fables during shared reading activities. We will continue practicing reading comprehension questions using the A.P.E. strategy. In Media Literacy, our grade 3's have been looking a media techniques and they will be creating their own product and advertisement.

In Science, we have started our unit on Strong and Stable Structures. We have several exciting experiments planned for this unit as we learn about what a structure is, as well as what makes a structure strong and stable.

In Family Life, we will continue discussing our families with a concentration on family changes and sisters and brothers. In the Arts, our grade 3's have created beautiful advent wreaths using pastels. We are currently working on drawing and painting realistic animals. Also, we have have started our unit in Dance and students will learn and practice creative movements in a variety of activities.

We are busy...busy...busy!

If you have any questions, please write me a note in your child's agenda. Thank you for your continued support!

Mr. Blais