The students have received their permission slip for our field trip. Have you seen it? It’s light purple. We have been talking a lot about the trip. I showed the students the website (www.tgms.org). The field trip directly ties to our study of Earth science.

Math Night is on Tuesday, February 7th. Your child received a bright pink flyer. I am one of the teachers on the committee. Please join us from 5-6:30 p.m., if you can.

Have you and your child been talking about math and science? Math has been all about measuring inches and learning about feet, yards, and miles. Science has been all about layers of the Earth, properties of rocks, and types of rocks. I really love what I am teaching!

I arrived at school at about 6:45 a.m. It was still dark. It’s 5:45 p.m. now and on its way to darkness again. I’ve promised myself (and my son) that I will leave here at 7 p.m. There is not a planning period on Tuesdays. I had three meetings after school. I’ve placed phone calls to parents and email messages to staff members. I’ve planned for tomorrow in depth and am about to go make copies. There are at least one dozen other things waiting to be done too, and I will continue working at home once I eat some dinner.

I’m not complaining. I really do love being a teacher. I expect this kind of craziness. It is my life, by choice. I’m just explaining why I do not post messages every week, like I would like to.

So, here’s what happening in Room 16. Fractions. Fractions of a whole object and fraction of a set of objects. Comparing and ordering fractions. Equivalent fractions. Adding and subtracting fractions. Cutting out paper fractions. Using paper plates of different colors and pieces of different sizes to show fractions.

Here’s what else is happening in Room 16. Rocks. There are hundreds of rocks in here in baggies, in boxes, and on display. There are dozens of magnifying glasses. There are books and posters. There are papers. There are videos. There are websites. Layers of the Earth. Types of rocks. Minerals and fossils. We will be busy with this earth science topic all quarter.

Want to see your child in action? Me in action? Visit us. Anytime. Call or email me first so we can expect you. I love what I do and doing it with all 51 students.

Just two weeks left of school until report cards are sent home again… I hope that you ask your child every day what papers he/she has. It would be fantastic if 3rd grade students remembered to take out their Take Home Folder daily and show it (and its contents) to you. Hopefully, you have given your child a bit more independence as a 3rd grader but not complete independence.

I intend to update the right side of my website right now. Check it out soon! Happy December!!

It’s Fall into Reading Week. The students are having a good time so far. Yesterday, there was an assembly in the morning to get the week started. Today, there was the annual Storybook Character Parade. Tomorrow, hopefully, you and your family will be joining me and the other teachers and students at 5:15 p.m. for some performances and shopping at the Book Fair. There will be another assembly Friday afternoon.

A new student, Anthony, joined my morning group before Fall Break. Another new student, Marcus, will be joining us tomorrow. We now have 27 students in the morning group. There are 26 students in the afternoon group.

Has your child told you about the plant investigations that were started last week and what has happened since then? Ask your child if he/she has completed all of the assigned pages in the math workbooks and if the answer is “Yes!”, ask your child what math activities he/she does on the carpet.

Ask your child if he/she has received a Cougar Pride paper recently from me and if so, for what reason. Does your child keep a water bottle at school? Students with water bottles can drink water without having to wait in a line after pe class or recess.

Looking forward to the cool temperatures returning and hopefully sticking around… Although the morning temperature is always cool, it seems to get too warm too quickly.

Some of our plants are growing, and some are not. Many plants have been sent home, and more will still come home between now and Fall Break. We have more investigations (experiments, projects) planned. It’s been very exciting in here during the daily science lesson. Ask your child what is happening.

The students created their own new nametags recently. Ask your child to describe it to you. The students created Cougar Pride notebooks today. Ask your child how many Cougar Pride Papers he/she glued in it.

Is your child happy? Are you happy? Questions? Concerns? Comments? Please be in touch. I am practically always at school!!

Little by little, the students are learning what is expected of them regarding work and behavior. They need to work hard and be nice. Everything ties back to those two simple statements.

Today, I took 39 students (one absent) into the computer lab. Yikes! First, I gave them directions in my classroom, modeling on the Smart Board. Then, we went into the library computer lab, and I assigned seats. Amazingly (to my delight!), most of the students remembered what I told and showed them in the classroom. Ask your child about the website, That’s a Fact. Ask your child if he/she can remember the steps taken to reach that website.

Has your child told you what the students are planting and what experiments they are conducting during science lessons? Ask your child if he/she has taken a test in math class yet. I have seen some great grades. Remember, the students have math homework each day, Monday through Thursday. There will not be science homework, although materials will be requested from time to time. The students seemed to enjoy the fruit/seeds activity yesterday. Ask your child about the seeds that were counted and the fruit that was eaten.

I intend to update this blog weekly or at least every other week. I have a note to myself at school to do so. We’ll see how that goes…

Six days of school have come and go, and everything is going quite smoothly. I often have to remind myself that it has only been six days! Once I start teaching, it’s easy to forget that summer vacation was not too long ago. I hope that you have received the two letters that I have sent: one on fancy stationery and a four-paged/two-sided one on light green paper.

Math homework will begin on Monday, August 22nd and will be sent home daily, Monday through Thursday, to be returned each Tuesday through Friday. There will not be math homework sent home on Fridays. There will not be science homework sent although I will frequently ask for inexpensive materials for projects, explorations, and experiments.

In math, the students have been working with place value. In science, we are “doing” all things plants. Please do ask your child about what he/she does while in my classroom. Although the schedule is different this year, everyone seems to be getting used to it. We have fun. The students are actively engaged in learning.

Open House for students in grades K-5 is Tuesday, August 23rd. Please bring your child with you if you can and visit Room 16! If I haven’t already met you, spoke with you on the phone, or emailed you, I look forward to meeting you soon. 

Our classroom is overflowing with book reports. I still have the January, February, and March ones here. I know… they should have been sent home by now – the classroom will look empty without them. The final April book report is due this Friday, April 29th.

Library books need to be returned by May 6th, if at all possible. Lost books need to be paid for. Can you child multiply? Are the facts memorized? There will be a pizza and cupcake party for students who can correctly complete 100 facts in 5 minutes (95-99 correct will also be accepted). The students have been learning multiplication facts since early September.

Twenty-something days left in the school year… so much to do… I get sad and happy at this time of year.

 The students changed seats one final time. Ask your child who his/her Rocket Math partner is. How successful has your child become with multiplication facts? There will be a 3rd grade multiplication party (pizza and cupcakes) in early May for all students who can complete a 5-minute 100-facts test with 95% or better as a score.

The students will be working on research papers during writing time. Your child will find facts about B. Franklin, T. Edison, or A. Bell. I have the materials (books and printed Internet articles) in the classroom. I have begun reading A Cricket in Times Square aloud after lunch. Ask your child about Tucker, the mouse; Harry, the cat; Mario, the boy; and Chester, the cricket. It’s an AR book worth four points.

Speaking of AR (Accelerated Reader), the last day to take an AR Test will be on May 6th (for the purpose of collecting points to shop in the AR store in the library and for final points). At the May Spirit Day Assembly, the students who earned the most points at each grade level (top three students) and in the entire elementary school will be recognized and rewarded.

Information will be forthcoming about our Poetry Party, the final days of school (special activities), and our last day of school celebration.