 - We are incredibly fortunate this year to have two teachers dedicated to your children! Mrs. Van Horn will be teaching Monday through Thursday and Mrs. Curry will be teaching every Friday.
- Each day our class begins with Morning Meeting. This is an opportunity to greet each student and share something about ourselves. Each child has the opportunity to speak and this helps to build our classroom community from the very beginning. As the year progresses, this meeting time will be completely student-run by our Meeting Leader. This meeting lasts 10-15 minutes and is held every day.
- Reader's Workshop is scheduled every day and we follow the Daily 5 model. These reading sessions include:
- Read to Self
- Read with Someone
- Word Work
- Listen to Reading
- Teacher Time
During Teacher Time, students will be taught a brief minilesson and read authentic literature at their "just right" level. With the help of our literacy tutor, they will hold discussions about their reading and receive more individualized instruction. We constantly assess, both formally and informally, to ensure that children are reading at their appropriate level and are participating regularly in their reading. - Writing time is held every day using the Writer's Workshop model and Being a Writer curriculum. This time is set up with 5-10 minutes of direct instruction followed by guided practice and then independent work. During this independent time, I will be conferring with kids about their writing. At the end of many Writer's Workshops, students are invited to the Author's Chair to read their pieces aloud and gather feedback from the class.
- Spelling is comprised of several resources, but many lessons come from Primary Spelling by Pattern and the high-frequency word list. This year we will focus on patterns, word families, and spelling words correctly in writing, as well as once-a-week tests. Spelling lists will be sent home the week prior in Friday Folders to give your child ample time to study for the quiz on Thursday. They will also be working on mastering misspelled high-frequency words, and this list will be individualized for each student. For ideas to help your child master words that he/she may still be struggling with, please see our Spelling page.
- Math Groups begin in September and continue until April. Children are split into various groupings to ensure they are being taught at their level. Mr. Smith, Ms. Nicky, and I are teaching 3rd grade math and Mrs. Gibson is teaching 4th grade math. You will receive a letter prior to math groups and can contact your child's math teacher via email with questions. For more information on 3VH/3C's Math Class, go to our Math Class page.
- We alternate between teaching Social Studies and Science throughout the year. I love using technology and WebQuests with the kids whenever possible. There are several links from this homepage that can help reinforce some of the concepts covered in class. If you should ever come across a site that you think fits, please email it to me so I can add it. Some of the best came from parents and students!
- Birthdays~ I am hoping each student gets the chance to celebrate his/her birthday this year. Please drop me an email to let me know your child will be bringing in treats so I can make sure enough time is allotted. Students participate in a "Birthday Circle" followed by a song and then treats. You are more than welcome to join us and celebrate! If your child has a summer birthday, you may want to have them celebrate on their half-birthday, or choose another day special to them.
- Snack~ Please send your child with a healthy snack and water each day. If children would like to keep water bottles in class, that is a-ok. Please do not send your child with soda, juice, or flavor packets to add to water~ while some may be unhealthy, the real concern are bugs and other critters that are not a nice addition to our class! Many thanks for your understanding in this matter~ if there is a specific concern, please feel free to email me and we can definitely find a solution :)
|
|