Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Important Note:

As part of the Grade 3 Social Studies unit on Communities in Canada from 1780-1850, and in recognition of Treaties Week next week, we will be having a special guest visitor coming.  Gail Johnston, who is a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island, will be doing some story telling in our classrooms on Monday, November 4^th, 2019. 

This is part of our deep commitment to meeting the Calls To Action as outlined by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn more about our partners in education on Georgina Island and the rich histories of the First Peoples on Turtle Island.  This experience has been generously paid for by the Inclusive Schools Team in our school board.

On Monday, representatives from the York Region District School Board will be coming in to film/photograph/videotape the story telling with your children.  A consent form will be coming home tonight giving permission for your child to be recorded.  Please sign and return the form tomorrow.

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog

Just a friendly reminder..

1.  Arts Package due
2.  Swim to Survive form with School Cash Online reference number
3.  Research books from the public library to assist your child's science inquiry
4.  Math homework due on Tuesday
5.  Please return signed portfolio
6.  Monday is a P.A. Day 

Below are some photographs capturing students' artwork using mixed media. 

Mrs. Garlow's Classroom Blog - Revised

Reading

We are about half way through our first novel study and our mentor text, Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. Through this novel, students are learning the foundational skills of envisionment and prediction which allows readers to look carefully at the character, walk in the shoes of a character, and anticipate and co-construct the story line. They are also learning ways to check their comprehension and use fix-up strategies when they lose the thread of the story.

The grade 3s are also learning about the importance of comprehension and how it contributes to the meaning of the story.  Young readers often focus on reading the words accurately that they forget to take the time to think about what they're reading.  They 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.  Any time your child can't remember what is happening in the story, remind them that they can back up and reread.  

Writing

In our Writers' Workshop, students have been busy working on writing true stories about their personal lives.  We have studied the craft moves of several mentor texts including Owl Moon and The Night of the Veggie Monster.  We have also dissected the texts and examine how we can borrow some of those craft 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.

By the end of the week, students will choose one of the true stories they have written and begin the process of publishing.  Writers will choose a story that reflects a memorable moment in their life they feel readers would be interested in reading.

        

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 review basic addition and subtraction facts on a regular basis 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 with all math units, an emphasis will be on the application of mathematical concepts in 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.  

  

Below are some of the math games students played over the past week to reinforce the concept of place value.

Social Studies

Over the past two weeks, we have had the privilege of watching a couple more presentations delivered by Ms. Saygnasith and Mr. Estabrooks.  Themes of overcoming hardships, the strength and bond of family, trying to acclimatize to a new homeland, navigating through cultural differences, and the sacrifices these families have made to seek a better future threaded through these stories.  A big thank you to all who were able to come into our classroom community to share your stories.

 

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 of peoples 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

Students have started their first inquiry in our Strong and Stable Structures unit.  In partnerships, they have chosen a natural or manmade structure to research.  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 as well as the impact of the environment on these structures. 

Please visit the public library to sign out books that are age-appropriate for your child's research as the books in the school library are limited.

Visual Arts

In visual arts, we have been learning about Environmental Art or Eco-Art.  Environmental 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 our community.  Here are some photographs that captures the process and some of the exciting discoveries this past week!

   

Reminders

• Visit the public library to sign out books for your child's science research inquiry
• Poetry reading response is due on Tuesday.
• Swim to Survive and the Arts Package on School Cash Online.
• October 14th is Thanksgiving Day - The school will be closed.