Classroom Notes - September 2018

BBQ/Open House - Thank you to all parents who were able to attend our school bbq and open house. It was a pleasure to meet you! The new school year is always exciting for all; it is a pleasure to work with your child this year. Please do not hesitate to write me a note if you have any questions throughout the year.

Dressing for the Weather - Just a friendly reminder that all children should be dressed appropriately for the weather each day. All students go out for recess most days. Please keep in mind that our school yard is notorious for getting muddy on rainy days. It is recommended that you label all clothing/backpacks etc. since many students have similar items. When you label all items, it makes it easier to return lost clothing and eliminates any confusion. Our school lost and found box is located in the front lobby. Each year, the box is full of lost items, so please remind your child to ask an adult if they can look in our lost and found if need be. Students must have a pair of indoor shoes that remain at the school at all times.

Opening School/Thanksgiving Mass - Our first Mass of the year will be on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at 10:00. All parents/family members are welcome to celebrate with us. We will be walking to St. Maurice as a school community, so please ensure that your child's permission form is returned by Monday, October 1, 2018.

Student Portal - All students have access to many apps and their Google account through the student portal on our Board website. The student portal provides students with additional learning opportunities through a variety of apps. To access the student portal, you will first have to go to our Board website: www.ocsb.ca  Next, select student portal. Students will be asked to type their email and password. Student email and passwords are located at the front of the agenda on a white label. Once logged in, students can access the apps.

Reading at Home and Raz-Kids - Students in grade 3 need to read a minimum of 20 minutes each day to ensure that they are acquiring appropriate vocabulary and reading levels. It is recommended that students read a variety of texts, not just their favourite book. That being said, I think very highly of the Raz-Kids program. When students complement their favourite books with the Raz-Kids program, their reading and comprehension abilities improve drastically. I have adjusted your child's reading level according to their ability on the Raz-Kids program. When choosing texts at home, please ensure that it is a "just right" book. If children are reading books above their reading level, their fluency and confidence will be affected.

Swim to Survive - All grade 3's will participate in the Swim to Survive program. A detailed letter about the program, requirements and permission forms will be sent home the first week of October. Our class will have 3 swimming lessons at the Minto Recreation Centre in Barrhaven (Friday, October 12, Friday, October 19 and Friday October 26). I will require a few volunteers for this activity. If you would like to volunteer, please complete and submit a vulnerable police check (online is faster) before the given dates.

PD Day - Please note that Friday, October 5, 2018 is a PD Day. There is no school for students.

Always Learning in Grade 3...

Our class has been very busy in Math. Presently, we are working on counting, patterning and addition.We are learning to count forwards by a variety of numbers to 1000. By taking a problem-solving approach, we are learning about growing/shrinking patterns using addition/subtraction. We have started learning about mental math strategies through number talks. A growth mindset approach to mathematics - as well as all subjects - is reinforced throughout the day. Our students are taught that everyone can do math! We learn from our mistakes, show effort and demonstrate grit!

In Reading, we are focussing on the "making connections" reading strategy. We are looking at some text features in personal narratives and fictional stories. In Writing, students are using adjectives in their descriptive paragraphs to bump up their work. We are focussing on main idea.

Our first strand in Science is "Forces Causing Movement." We are learning about gravity, magnetism, electrostatic, friction and muscular force. We know that a force is a push or a pull and that force can stop, change the speed and/or the direction of an object.

In Religion/Family Life, we are learning what it means to be a Catholic community. Additionally, we are completing our "Samaritans on the Digital Road" lessons. These lessons integrate scripture to teach our students about making positive choices online. Our first unit in Family Life is called "Created and Loved by God." 

In Visual Arts, we have been discussing warm and cool colours. We will be experimenting with the colour white to mix different shades of warm/cool colours for a desired effect. Next, we will integrate math (pattering) with art to create a picture that represents falling leaves. 

Thank you for you continued support!

Mr. Blais