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Mrs. O´Neil´s Class
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Dear Parents: I would like to welcome your children to Mrs. O’Neil’s grade 3 class room and let you know a little about how my classroom is organized. The school has a new website http://www.tapsfalcons.com with links to all of our classrooms. I have started to post information in that location, but will also continue with class newsletters and planners for communication.I hope you will have a chance to view this year’s school agenda with your child. This Premier Agenda is an excellent resource that will be used at school and home. The school is asking for $2.00 to assist in the cost of each planner. If you have any questions throughout the year, please do not hesitate to write me a note in the agenda/planner. I will try to respond as soon as possible with a phone call, meeting or note as needed. Please check the agenda nightly and sign it so that I know you have done so. I will check homework and planners each morning.I expect nightly reading from the children and will offer many items for the children to borrow. Students will bring home monthly reading logs with attached instructions. Mathematics workbooks will be used 3-4 times per week for homework as part of our Nelson Math Program. The lessons will review what has been taught in class that day. Please do your best to assist your child as needed. There are often parent tips in the margin for your benefit. Your child should become more independent with the work as they get more familiar with using the textbook in class and how the workbook follows the same pattern. If, however, this is ever a problem please do not hesitate to contact me. Other homework will be assigned as needed as suggested by the school’s guidelines. Weekly words will be written in the planner starting next Tuesday. These words will go on our Word Wall and will focus our phonic and word study program for the week. I will be encouraging the students to practice the spelling of these words as they will be expected to be spelled correctly at all times in the classroom. I will send home the Nelson Mathematics newsletters for the units of study every 2-4 weeks. These notes offer some good tips on how to help your child at home. I will also send a timetable home soon so that you are familiar with our daily schedule. I look forward to enjoyable year with your child. Sincerely, Mrs. W. O’Neil The Hundredth Day of School falls on Monday, February 9 this year. Students are asked to bring 100 things to use for counting and measuring activities.Since Valentine’s Day is Saturday, February 14, it will be celebrated in the classroom Friday, February 13. Students may bring Valentines for the class on that day. Please remember that we are a Nut Aware school if you are planning on sending treats! Only packaged, peanut free treats are allowed for sharing in the school. Homemade treats cannot be shared as they are difficult to monitor. February 2, 2009 Update from Mrs. O’Neil’s class! Here are some highlights of what to expect for the remainder of the term until March Break. Language Arts Students will continue to strengthen their reading skills by reading material at their own level. As you have seen with the January/February Reading Log, written responses to their reading will become very important. It is important that children not only read and decode the written words, but that they can comprehend what they read. Part of this focuses on connecting the story to themselves or others they know, to other books they may have read or heard or to a movie they have watched. Please help your child complete the retell, relate, reflect written responses at least 2-3 times a week using the examples on the reading log as a guide. Word study (spelling connections) will continue as a part of their homework. Students are given 2-3 nights to complete the short activities. In class, we are continuing our Better Answers strategy when answering “open response” questions. A hamburger icon is used to prompt the students to remember to have 3 parts to their answer: -the top bun restates the question, -the burger adds the details from the text to answer the question -the toppings are the student’s connection to the text -and finally, the closing of the answer refers again to the question. Throughout the school, students are using this strategy to answer questions in all subject areas. Hopefully, you will find that your child is answering your questions at home better too! Students have been writing reports to inform about a topic. They have used the computer to do some research activities. Narrative writing is the school’s next focus. Students will be reading and writing descriptive stories and identifying elements of character, setting, problem and solutions. Mathematics We have been working through our units on 2 and 3-digit addition and subtraction. Various strategies have been taught and many connections to problem solving used to interest the students. Please continue to review daily math with your child and find ways to use estimating, adding and subtracting in their daily activities. This term will also include Measurement and 2-D Geometry. It is very important that students compete and return nightly homework. If students have difficulty or are unable to complete the assigned work they will be expected to complete it with me during recess time. Science Our current unit is Forces and Movement. They have invest-igated various forces that impact their lives as Pushes and Pulls. Social Science The Aboriginal part of the Early Settlers unit will begin in mid-February. The students will learn how Native Canadians helped the pioneers survive in the 1800s and the importance of recognizing the heritage of all Canadians citizens and residents. Dec. 2, 2008Dear Parents:Please remember that reports will go home Dec. 5 and Student Led Conferences will be held Dec. 11 after school. The children will be very excited to show off their accomplishments and share their goals with you. The conference will be informal, and will give your child and opportunity to tell you about our classroom. I will be available for discussion, but if you have a major concern that you would like discussed privately, please let me know. I will send home a tentative schedule from the office later this week. If this time does not work for you please send a note with an alternative time. In Language Arts, students have completed novel studies in November and read and listened to many non-fiction “How to…” pieces. They will continue to integrate their reading and science while we complete Structures and move on to the Forces and Movement unit. Procedural writing will be completed this week and we will move on to report writing following the school plan. I’ve had students enclose another 100-chart in the pocket of their planner to have on hand at home to practise mental math and math strategies for adding and subtracting. Examples of what they are expected to do mentally are: -facts to 20 including fact families such as 9+10=19, 10+9=19, 19-9=10, 19-10=9;-adding 10’s such as 20+30=50 by applying 2+3=5;-adding / subtracting 2-digit numbers using variety of strategies eg. 25+8=23 (add 10, then subtract 2), 67-9=58 (subtract 10, then add 1);-count by 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 10’s, to 100. December is a very busy month for everyone and I know the excitement of the month will continue to grow. I will try to decrease the amount of homework for this month, but continue to encourage nightly reading. The November reading log can be used for tracking if your child would like to earn a Scholastic dollar or a new December log is available.
Thank you again for your support and I look forward to seeing you on Dec.11. Sincerely, Mrs. O’Neil Mrs. O’Neil’s October NewsletterAs we have been getting to know each other in the classroom and establishing classroom routines the 4 TRIBES agreements have been reviewed. Ask your child what the agreements mean to them. Attentive listening, Mutual respect, Appreciation and Participation.Character Education for the whole school focused on respect for September. This month honesty will be our goal. Assemblies and monthly certificates are a part of this program. Students meet once a week with a buddy from Mrs. Chinnick’s SK class. This is a great way to foster social skills and community learning.
Reading Logs The grade 3s did a great job with their September Reading log. This month’s goal is at least 15 nights of reading! Students are focusing on the difference between non-fiction(fact) reading and fiction reading. Use the helping hands to have your child retell what they have read. In class, we’re making connections to our reading to help us understand and enjoy stories.
Writing We’re continuing our writing of personal recounts. Students are following the writing process to improve their stories and follow a modeled writing sample.
Mathematics Chapter 2 reviews place value concepts. Students should practice comparing and ordering numbers. Addition and subtraction facts to 10 should be reviewed also. eg. Fact family 6+4=10, 4+6=10, 10-6=4, 10-4=6
Social StudiesStudents started by reviewing Canada. Early Settlers will be the focus of the term. Students will learn about life in the 1800s and why pioneers came to Canada.
Happy ThanksgivingMonday, October 13! P.A. Day October 31. Oct.30 will be Black & Orange Day!
Please continue to check nightly homework and sign planners.Word study work and math is sent home on a regular basis. Many students still need some assistance to complete homework, but will become more independent as the year continues. Tuesday, September 2, 2008 Dear Parents: I would like to welcome your children to Mrs. O’Neil’s grade 3 class room and let you know a little about how my classroom is organized.The school has a new website http://www.tapsfalcons.com with links to all of our classrooms. I have started to post information in that location, but will also continue with class newsletters and planners for communication.I hope you will have a chance to view this year’s school agenda with your child. This Premier Agenda is an excellent resource that will be used at school and home. The school is asking for $2.00 to assist in the cost of each planner. If you have any questions throughout the year, please do not hesitate to write me a note in the agenda/planner. I will try to respond as soon as possible with a phone call, meeting or note as needed. Please check the agenda nightly and sign it so that I know you have done so. I will check homework and planners each morning.I expect nightly reading from the children and will offer many items for the children to borrow. Students will bring home monthly reading logs with attached instructions. Mathematics workbooks will be used 3-4 times per week for homework as part of our Nelson Math Program. The lessons will review what has been taught in class that day. Please do your best to assist your child as needed. There are often parent tips in the margin for your benefit. Your child should become more independent with the work as they get more familiar with using the textbook in class and how the workbook follows the same pattern. If, however, this is ever a problem please do not hesitate to contact me. Other homework will be assigned as needed as suggested by the school’s guidelines. Weekly words will be written in the planner starting next Monday. These words will go on our Word Wall and will focus our phonic and word study program for the week. I will be encouraging the students to practice the spelling of these words as they will be expected to be spelled correctly at all times in the classroom. Spelling quizzes will take place occasionally to check student’s proficiency with the words.I will send home the Nelson Mathematics newsletters for the units of study every 2-4 weeks. The first unit is on the back of this newsletter. These notes offer some good tips on how to help your child at home. I will also send a timetable home soon so that you are familiar with our daily schedule. I look forward to enjoyable year with your child. Mrs. O’Neil Hi! Welcome to Mrs. O’Neil’s class of 2008-2009. I am excited to get to know each of the children in my room as their grade 3 teacher and I look forward to working with all of the families to make this year a successful one. I will begin to use this site to keep families aware of what is happening in the classroom throughout the year and to post useful information for families regarding our classroom and school community. It is essential that students continue to use their planner for homework and home/school communication and I am requesting that you sign the planner each night as you review the day with your child. Please feel free to contact me at any time during the year about any concerns you may have. A quick note in the planner is still the best way to reach me. I will respond with a note, phone call or meeting as needed as soon as possible. |