Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Halloween Dance

Thank you to all for your support in our first Halloween Dance-a-thon. The students had such a great time working up a sweat!

Math

In math we have been learning how to add using the context of measurement.  We have moved from counting and adding on a concrete number line to adding on an open number line.  Students are learning to look at numbers in more flexible ways such as keeping a number whole and splitting the addend (the other number) so the whole number can become a landmark number. 

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, students had the opportunity to scoop out pumpkin seeds from pumpkins and counted all the seeds.  They worked on using various strategies to add up all the seeds.  It was exciting to see students using efficient strategies they learned earlier this year.  We then added the seeds from all four pumpkins to find out how many seeds we had altogether.  Look at the mathematicians develop their mental math skills!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Social Studies

This past week students investigated various artefacts set up in the classroom.  They shared their observations, their thoughts, and questions.  We will continue our discussion this week and build an understanding of what life was like for different groups of people in Canada between 1780-1850 and how these communities responded to the challenges in their lives.

Math

Students have been busy with a series of investigations by measuring various lengths of art paper.  They are applying their understanding of five and ten-structures from our previous math unit of counting and place value.  We will progress into an open number line - a helpful tool used to explore and represent strategies for multiple-digit addition (and later subtraction).  An open number line is an empty line used to record children's addition and subtraction strategies.  For example, if adding 18 + 79, a strategy that can be modelled on the open number line is to keep the 79 whole and decompose the 18 into smaller numbers, moving to a landmark number of 80 (79 + 1 + 10 + 7), it would be recorded on the open number line like this:

Using the open number line helps children move beyond strategies like counting on by ones to strategies such as taking leaps of ten, splitting, and using landmark numbers.

Student-Led Conferences

It is important for families to register for Edsby as RHPS will be using this platform to schedule our Student-Led Conferences happening in November.  Parents/guardians will need to accept the invitation sent to them from Edsby and create an account in Edsby in order to, in future, schedule a time for the student-led conferences.

Invitations to join Edsby were sent out October 19, 2018 for families.  Please check your junk mail folder if you are unable to find this invitation.  If you require another invitation to join, please contact the school office.

Picture Re-take Day

Photo re-take day will be Friday, November 2nd.

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Literacy

Students are thoroughly enjoying the novel study of our mentor text: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Through our mentor text, students are learning the foundational skills of envisionment and prediction. Students are learning how to look carefully at the characters to anticipate and co-construct the story line. Students are also learning ways to check their comprehension and use fix-up strategies when they’ve lost the thread of the story.

In writing, students have been busy working on crafting true stories about their personal lives. We have studied the craft moves of several mentor texts including Owl Moon, The Leaving Morning, The Night of the Veggie Monster, and Come On, Rain! Together, we have dissected the texts and examined how we can borrow some of those moves in our own writing. Students are learning how to find story ideas (small meaningful moments) that are focused and important, telling it in small detail bit by bit.

 

Science

Students started their first inquiry in our Strong and Stable Structures unit made by living things. We will continue with our unit and look at what kinds of materials are used in human constructions and animal constructions. We will also be investigating the impact of the structures on the environment and the impact of the environment on these structures. Please continue to bring in toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls as we still need some more for an upcoming experiment.

Math

We will continue to build our understanding of Number Sense and its relationship with Measurement. Through investigations, explorations, and practise, students have begun applying their knowledge of the 5 and 10 frame structures and using it as a landmark number for measuring and adding.

We will then move onto perimeter and adding and subtracting three-digit numbers with and without regrouping. Please regularly review basic addition and subtraction facts with your child at home. Quick recall and proficiency of these basic math facts is essential to their success with adding and subtracting larger numbers.

As in all math units, an emphasis will be on problem solving and justifying answers. Students must be able to explain their thinking. The Grade 3s have been working on solving problems in a variety of ways by making their thinking visible and using mathematical vocabulary. Students should also practise counting forward and backwards from various starting points and to skip count forward to 1000. Here is a link to some math games for Grade 3 students:

Grade 3 Skip Counting Games

https://mathies.ca/games.php

Don't forget that Monday is a P.A. Day. There is no school!

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Math Unit Test

Just a reminder that students have their math unit test for number sense tomorrow. Happy studying!

Food Drive

Please consider donating any non-perishable food items which we will be sending to the Aurora Food Pantry to help those in need.

School Dance-a-Thon Fundraiser

Our school's Halloween Dance-a-Thon fundraiser is ongoing. Students will be looking for pledges. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Portfolio

A math mid-unit check in went home today in students' portfolios.  Please go over the work together with your child, sign it and return the portfolio to school on Monday.  Just a note that this is not a final assessment. It provides a glimpse into math concepts they learned and understand as well as areas where they still need to improve on.  Students will write their math test on Wednesday October 17th.

To support your child with problem solving, have them follow the steps:

Social Studies

Last week we learned how to make our very own cornhusk doll.  It was such an honour to have Nikki Auten share her knowledge and expertise with us.

Visual Arts

In visual arts, we have been learning about Nature Art or Eco-Art.  Nature Art or Eco-Art involves the use of natural and found objects to create temporary sculptures in the natural environment.  We are looking forward to doing this all year by capturing the environments in the community.  Here are some photographs that captures the process.

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Library

Just a reminder that we have library book exchange on Day 4.  Students are reminded to bring their books to school for an exchange.  If your son/daughter is ready to exchange their books before Day 4, they may do so during morning recess.

School Dance-a-Thon

We are having our first ever Dance-a-Thon fundraiser this month!  In the spirit of Halloween, the dance will be held on Wednesday October 31st.  Students were given a pledge form last week and are encouraged to help raise money for the school to support academic, literacy, arts, and athletic programs.  The class that raises the most money will win a pizza party!  

RHPS Fall Food Drive

The Aurora Food Bank is in need of our help! From now until October 19th, we will be collecting non-perishable food items such as canned goods, dry pasta, rice, cereal, pasta sauce, baby food and formula to donate to The Aurora Food bank.  Thank you for your continued support!

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

A Message from the Teacher

We have had a successful first month of school!  This month we will continue to practise the routines and expectations that have been established in September.  Building children's love of reading is already under way.  Students have been reading up a storm!  We have been reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts and started our first novel study of the year: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.  Through our mentor text, the foundational skills of envisionment and prediction will allow readers to walk in the shoes of a character, anticipate and co-construct the story line. 

Reading

We are learning about the importance of comprehension and how it contributes to the meaning of the story.  Young readers are often so focused on reading the words accurately that they forget to take the time to think about what they're reading and don't realize they've lost comprehension until the end of the story.  To help your child with this strategy at home, have your child stop periodically when reading and have him/her tell you what the story was about and what happened in it.  Ask questions about the important ideas in the story.  Remind your child that nay time they can't remember what's happening in the story, they can back up and reread.  Students will learn ways to check their comprehension and use fix-up strategies when they've lost the thread of the story.

Writing

We have been learning about different strategies for generating ideas to write about. Students have been making lists and brainstorming webs in their Writer's Notebook. Later this month, students will choose one of their ideas to craft a true story in our personal narrative unit.

Math

We are wrapping up our unit on the place value system. A study package will come home some time next week. Keep an eye out for it!

Social Studies

We will continue our unit on Communities in Canada 1780-1850.  Students will learn about the challenges that different groups and communities faced in Canada during that time period and we will compare ways of life among specific groups in Canada around the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Science

In science, students have been learning about strong and stable structures.  Some of the big ideas that will be explored in this unit are:

• a structure has both form and function
• structures are affected by forces acting on them
• structures need to be strong and stable to be useful

Reminders

• Please pay for the Arts Package on School Cash Online
• October 8th is Thanksgiving - No school
• Please donate a non-perishable food item for our school Food Drive