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

Classroom Notes - December 2016

The Snow is Here! - Just a quick reminder that you can always place extra socks, mitts, toques etc. in your child's backpack since all students go out for recess on most days (except when it is too cold). Children love playing in the snow and they do come in from outside quite wet, so extra clothing will make their day more comfortable. Also, please label all clothing since many winter items end up in our lost and found and many students have similar clothing. Doing so will make finding those items much faster!

Christmas Shopping Day - Our annual Christmas shopping day will be held on Friday, December 16th. Thank you to all parents who have donated items for this event. 

Christmas Hampers - The last day to contribute Christmas Hamper items will be Friday, December 16th. Thank you for your thoughtfulness at this time of year. If you are planning on buying a gift card, please let me know by writing a note in your child's agenda. Once again, on behalf of St. Gregory School, I thank you for your continued generosity.

Christmas Concert - Our annual Christmas concert will be held on Thursday, December 22nd. We will be singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." The Christmas Concert is a popular event and all parents are welcome.

Always Learning in Grade 3

In Math, students have been working very hard on applying strategies when solving challenging word problems. We spent most of November working on representing, adding and subtracting money amounts to $10, as well as rounding numbers to the nearest ten. All students can benefit from extra practice with money at home, so this can always be an extra activity to reinforce your child's learning at home. Currently, we are working on creating surveys and using this data to organize and create bar and pictographs. Also, students are learning to read and interpret data from a given or created graph. We will continue working on Data Management after Christmas as well.

In Language, our grade 3's are working on a new narrative story influenced by the story, "Snowmen At Night." We are continuing to focus on the characteristics of narrative writing, such as characters, setting, problem/solution. Students will also use a variety of punctuation, including quotation marks and adjectives in their writing. In Reading, we have been working on retelling a story and answering reading comprehension questions using the A.P.E. strategy. Students will practice this strategy throughout the year in preparation for EQAO.

In Science, we have begun our unit on structures and we are very lucky to have Mr. Ball working in our class as students design and create a strong and stable bridge. Mr. Ball assists our junior students each year in preparation for the engineering challenge, as well as our weekly maker's space activities during lunch.

In the Arts, students have been very busy creating winter scenes using water colour paints. Also, our class is doing a wonderful job with drawing Advent candles/wreaths with a stained glass perspective using pastels. We will begin Dance very shortly!

Now that we are in the season of Advent students have been learning how to prepare for Jesus' coming and how we can share the message of Advent and Christmas with others. As we get closer to Christmas, our days will get busier at home and within the school. On behalf of all St. Gregory staff, I wish all families a safe and memorable Christmas as we celebrate this special time of the year.

Mr. Blais

Mathematics Support at Home

During the progress report interviews, many parents mentioned that they see the benefits from the new methods that teachers are using in the mathematics classroom. Many parents replied that they wished that they learned math in this way when he or she was in elementary school. In our classroom, we have a growth mindset approach to learning math. Our students know that anyone can learn and do math with effort and by learning from our mistakes. Since most parents are not aware of how math is presently taught, I have outlined my approach, as well as some resources that will assist you as you support your child at home.

Dear parents,

Have you noticed that your child has been showing more enthusiasm, confidence and a positive mindset toward mathematics? When you ask your child about what they learned in school today, are they speaking about their solution to a problem, or perhaps, the many different approaches that they learned from their peers? By taking an inquiry based learning approach to mathematics, our students have been given opportunities to demonstrate their creativity, use their own ideas/knowledge and they are actively engaged in their learning.

Inquiry based learning is not teaching about how to use a specific procedure to solve a problem, then asking all students to mimic the same strategy to find the answer. However, an inquiry based approach allows:

• students to use their own ideas and combine their knowledge of mathematical methods and procedures to solve problems
• opportunities for students to think critically and creatively in a collaborative setting to deepen their understanding of math
• communication and math vocabulary to resonate between students and the teacher
• a realization that there can be many solutions to a problem and they can discover new pathways from their peers, instead of one fixed methodology
• problems that are visual to create interest, curiosity and get all students thinking

When students discuss their ideas in a safe classroom environment, they are more willing to take risks and learn from each other’s errors. As previously discussed, we will continue to have several positive growth mindset lessons in our class and praise your child for contributing his/her thinking. By encouraging student thinking toward mathematics in this manner, your child will gain confidence and be more prepared to solve real-life problems that are relevant in today’s world. Here is a few resources that can assist you at home:

"Doing Mathematics with Your Child K-6"

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNumEn.pdf

"Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math"

http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/parent_engagement-math/en/index.htm

Using Manipulatives in the Classroom by Marilyn Burns
http://mathsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/1996_Hands_on_Help.pdf

Online Math Games

www.tvokids.com

Several parents have mentioned that they would like more opportunities to practice word problems at home. I am revising our "problem of the week" activities and I will begin to integrate these tasks into weekly homework.

Thank you for your support!

Mr. Blais