The first week of school has been a great success! Students settled quickly to their new routines, classroom expectations, and reacquainted themselves with friends. I was so impressed! As students continue to practise their new routines over the next few weeks, I will be assessing each student to familiarize myself with their individual strengths and areas of growth.
The work and focus for this month will set the groundwork for the year ahead. We will be establishing classroom norms (accountable talk, knowledge building circles, community circles, expectations, etc.), creating a safe environment by building a relationship built on trust where children see themselves reflected in the classroom and in the curriculum, and to have students think critically about their identities. Over the year, students will examine the interconnection of their identities, how it relates to their immediate community and environment and to the greater community. The Grade 3s will also begin to reflect on their collective responsibility as contributing citizens in this world to make not just a difference, but real change.
This past week, Mrs. Shadlyn came to volunteer her time in our class. She is a retired secretary from our school board and a wonderful friend with a passion for helping children. Mrs. Shadlyn is also wildly creative and will be a frequent guest in our classroom community this year. This week students created their own paper bag books reflecting who they are, their families, interests, fears, favourite things, and their hopes and dreams. These books will be included in our classroom library so classmates can learn about one another.
Below are some photographs that captures some of the learning this past week:
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Mental math with a string of related questions looking at using the 5 and 10 structures with teacher modelling students' strategies. |
Reminders
- A Name Research sheet went home on Friday for students to interview family members and relatives to learn about the significance and meaning of their name. Please have your child return this sheet to school on Monday as they will be presenting the information to their classmates. This information will also be a reference point for writing and a future art project.
- Please have your child bring in some photos and magazine clippings, photographs of family and friends, photocopy or printout of images, personal sketches, meaningful words from magazines, stickers, etc. for the cover of their Writers' Notebook. This will be one of the sources for children to record their thoughts, ideas, stories and inspirations this year. Your child will need these for Monday as we will be decorating the covers in class.
- We will be getting dirty and messy in art class this year and using a lot of artist quality mediums that use pigments rather than dyes. These artist quality materials are richer and more intense in colour but will permanently stain clothes. Please provide an old t-shirt or apron for your child to use as a smock for art class. Remember to label it with your child's name.
- If you have not already done so, please provide $5 for an agenda book for your child as this will be used daily to record homework, reminders, and upcoming events.
- Please return all school forms to school as soon as possible.
- Just a reminder that Scholastic orders are due this Friday for those who are interested in ordering books.
