May already?!? Hard to even think about how quickly the month of April flew by. Students are working very hard! I am proud of them!
We have moved into studying our science units- plants and soils. We have begun discussing our own Grade 3 school gardens (three planter boxes outside our classroom window that were built by our high school carpentry class two years ago). This summer, students in Grade 3 have priority in participating in becoming a Garden Caretaker for one week this summer. In being a Garden Caretaker, students/families can help themselves to any vegetables that are ripe and ready over the summer. Please keep an eye open for a handout being sent home by teachers this week. It is a k-3 project that can involve siblings in older grades as well. Priority is given to Grade 3 students because they are the leaders of this project. We have begun discussing what vegetables they would like to plant. We will make arrangements to purchase those seeds from Vesey’s and soon will start them in our classroom using our light garden and little greenhouse tent set up in our class.
Homework:
Reading: 20 minutes and talk about their book
Math: 10 minutes on IXL
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Thanks so much- fingers crossed for sunshine, Julie
Sunshine! We are definitely moving deeper into Spring! Fingers crossed for warmer temperatures very soon! This week is a short one for students- no school on Friday, May 3. We will be sad to say goodbye to our student teacher, Ms. McCarron. She will be finishing her time with us this week.
Persuasive Writing
Students are working very hard on their persuasive writing pieces. Last week, students began working on creating a persuasive poster project. Sttudents will write reasons why students at West Royalty should become Garden Caretakers. They will design a poster to display around our school to help create an awareness of our garden project (three planter boxes available for student/family involvement in the upcoming months) with K-3 students.
Reading
Students will begin working through a series of Lucy Calkins lessons based on the book Because of Winn Dixie. We will be exploring character traits of the main character, Opal and finding evidence in the text that supports our understanding of her.
We will be discussing a series of important questions during our read alouds and independent reading.
Math
Students have been doing an excellent job demonstrating what they know in various areas of math. We reviewed their school based math assessment last week and discussed areas that may have an challenging. This week we will move into fractions.
N13: Demonstrate an understanding of fractions by:
Explaining that a fraction represents a part of a whole
Describing situations in which fractions are used
Comparing fractions of the same whole with like denominators
It is important for students to have opportunities where they can see fractions are part of their everyday lives. For example, asking them if they could have a large piece of cake, would you cut the cake into thirds, fourths, or tenths? Asking them: “is half a lot or a little?” Allow them to explain their thinking. Folding strips of paper to see and compare the size of the fraction is relative to the whole. For example, ¼ of a large strip of paper looks different than ¼ of a short strip of paper. Situations such as money, a quarter 0.25 is one fourth of a dollar, can help students understand how fractions exist in real world contexts. Even taking a handful of fruit loops (ie.,10 of various colors) can allow students to see fractions and help them to understand fractions. They might notice 4/10 of the fruit loops are blue, 3/10 are pink, etc. Have fun exploring with fractions at home!
Homework:
Reading - 20 minutes of independent reading with some time to discuss book
Math-IXL
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me anytime. Thanks so much for your continued support, Julie
Hi Parent(s),
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. As you know Monday students will be dismissed two hours early on account of the solar eclipse later that day. It is important to note that any students who regularly go to Mighty Oaks after school as part of their plan, will not be able to do so on Monday because Mighty Oaks will be closed. If your son/daughter usually attends Mightly Oaks, please send a note with him/her to school on Monday (no emails to me please) indicating how they will be getting home (ie., picked up by a parent, family member, etc). It is important to note that all other buses are at full capacity so that is not an option. Thank you for your understanding and help in avoiding any confusion at the end of the day. Please discuss the change in routine with your son or daughter so they are aware of their plan as well. Mrs.MacLean indicated that students will be following their early dismissal plan that was filled out at the beginning of the year. Thanks in advance!
Math:
Students have moved into working on the concept of division and are doing well with concept. N12: Demonstrate an understanding of division by:
:• representing and explaining division using equal sharing and equal grouping
• creating and solving problems in context that involve equal sharing and equal grouping
• modeling equal sharing and equal grouping using concrete and visual representations, and recording the process symbolically
• relating division to repeated subtraction
• relating division to multiplication. (limited to division related to multiplication facts up to products of 36 with single digit factors)
Dates to Remember:
April 18 - Pie in the Face fundraiser for Easter Seals
April 19 - Professional Learning Day (no school)
April 23 - Spring photos for KA, KB, KC, 2, 4, 6
April 24 - Spring Photos for KD, KE, 1, 3, 5
April 24 - Easter Seals Ambassador tour visit
Hard to believe we are down to our final four days before our March Break! Where has the month gone? It was a pleasure meeting with you all over the past two weeks for parent teacher interviews. You have amazing, hard working children who are a pleasure to work with. We had a fun-filled week- our agriculture field trip to the Eastlink Center, neon dance party for Easter Seals, introduction to multiplication, and welcoming a new student Abdul Rahman to our class- in no particular order!
This week students have a popcorn and pj/ movie day to look forward to on Thursday, March 21- as a fundraiser for Easter Seals. Students are asked to bring in a toonie to help support our Easter Seals campaign.
Our playground is a huge mud puddle this week! And of course, children sometimes get a bit closer than they planned to with so much mud around. Please pack/send in an extra pair of socks/pants with your child. They can leave this in their backpack or feel free to bring it in a separate bag that can be left hanging on his/her hook in the hallway.
Thanks in advance for this!
Homework:
Reading- 20 minutes/day
Math-10 minutes IXL or XtraMath
Wishing you all a wonderful March Break whether you are traveling or staying close to home! Thanks and take care, Julie.
I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. It was lovely to meet with some parents last Friday for Parent-Teacher Interviews. The storm on Thursday played havoc on our busy interview schedule. The schedule for this week's interviews on Thursday after school/evening remains the same as last week. I did have to email a couple of parents regarding rescheduling their times- thank you in advance for your flexibility. Please let me know if you have any questions. We have a lot taking place this week in 3A- please note important dates below.
Field Trip
If you have not already sent in a student permission form and money for the field trip on Tuesday morning (March 12), please do so on Monday. We will be leaving on the bus first thing Tuesday morning and returning to the school in time for lunch that day. It would be helpful if your son/daughter packed a snack that could be tucked in his/her pocket and thrown out rather than in a reusable container that might be misplaced for that day. I’m sure the students will enjoy learning about agriculture and visiting all the learning stations set up at the Eastlink Center on Tuesday morning.
Math
We will be finishing up perimeter in our measurement unit mid week and launching into multiplication! Students always seem to be excited about learning multiplication in Grade 3. We will continue to review measurement concepts in our morning warm ups as well. If students could focus their homework time working on measurement concepts and activities on IXL each evening that would be helpful as well.
N11: Demonstrate an understanding of multiplication to products of 36 with single digit factors by:
Representing and explaining multiplication using equal grouping and arrays
Creating and solving problems in context that involve multiplication
Modeling multiplication using concrete and visual representations, and recording the process symbolically
Relating multiplication to repeated addition.
Relating multiplication to division
In Reading and Writing, we will be moving our focus from NonFiction and learning about text features to persuasive text. Students at this grade level already seem to be very skilled in the area of persuasion! Beware, our family expanded with the addition of a golden retriever through the art of persuasion a few years ago!
They will be selecting a topic of their choice to write about and try to persuade people to:
convince someone to do something or think in a particular way
have an identified position or desired action
Provide arguments that have supporting statements (from facts, personal opinion, and promises)
Homework:
Read 15-20 minutes
IXL- focusing on perimeter and measurement in math
Upcoming Dates
March 12- Field trip to Eastlink Center for Agriculture
March 14- 3A concert at 11:30 (Storm date is March 15)
March 14 - Parent Teacher Interviews
March 22-28 - March Break
March 29 - Good Friday (No School)
April 1 - Easter Monday (No School)
April 4 & 5 - Spring Photos by Everest Solutions
April 8-12 School Based Math Assessment for Grade 3 students
Please do not hesitate to connect with me if you have any questions or concerns at all.
Thanks so much for your continued support, Julie
I hope you all have a terrific week ahead! I am looking forward to meeting with you all during parent teacher conferences. If you were not able to find a time to suit your schedule, please email me to see if we can find an alternate time. The school online scheduling program closed on Friday, so it is not available at this time. I would love to meet with you all! Thanks in advance
In math we are focusing on measurement:
SS5 Demonstrate an understanding of perimeter of regular and irregular shapes by:
• estimating perimeter, using referents for cm or m measuring and recording perimeter (cm, m)
• constructing different shapes for a given perimeter (cm, m)
• to demonstrate that many shapes are possible for a perimeter
SS3 Demonstrate an understanding of measuring length (cm,m) by:
•selecting and justifying referents for the units cm and m
•modeling and describing the relationship between the units cm and m
•estimating length using referents
•measuring and recording length, width, and height
We will also be continuing to review strategies used for adding and subtracting 3 digit addition and subtraction problems, also presented in story problem contexts as well.
In reading, we will be continuing to focus on identifying the main idea and supporting details, along with various text features.
In writing, we are putting the finishing touches on our NF booklets and hoping to have them organized, adding text features such as captions, bolded words, glossary, and an About the Author page, etc.
Blaze Pizza Fundraiser
ENJOY A FAST-FIRED PIZZA AND SUPPORT OUR CAUSEWEST ROYALTY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL AT A SPECIAL FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR on March 5, 2024 from 4pm to 8pm at
Blaze Pizza Charlottetown-Restaurant: Bring in a flyer which you can get in the office or show it
on your phone before paying.
Online Orders: Orders must be placed online via the Blaze Pizza App or blazepizza.com. Enter
code 1403A into the 'Promo Code' field at checkout to have the transaction count toward the
fundraiser. If entered correctly, you'll see a $0.01 discount applied to your check which confirms
that 20% of your transaction will be counted into the total donation.
March 5- Learning Reports go home with students
March 7 and 8- Parent Teacher interviews
March 11-15 book fair
March 12- Field trip to Eastlink for Farm Day (permission slip sent home last Thursday)
March 14- 3A concert at 11:30 (Storm Date is March 15).
March 22-28 March Break
March 29 Good Friday
April 1- Easter Monday (no School)
April 8-12- Math assessment for grade 3 students
Thanks so much for all your continued support and looking forward to meeting with you all this coming Thursday and Friday. Take care, Julie
Brr! It sure was nice to have a lovely winter weekend with an extra day to spend with family and friends for some of us. We welcome our new student teacher, Ms. McCarron who will be with us until May. She’s getting to know students already.
Reading
Students have been working hard on their NF reading, identifying the main idea and providing supporting details from their text. We have been using boxes and bullets to organize this information. Students are getting along well with this concept. We have been continuing with our guided reading groups at school and working on identifying and understanding how text features support us readers. Please let me know at any time if you feel that your son/daughter is not reading a just right level book for homework. I am at this point in the year giving them more opportunity to choose their own books to read. I will still provide them with their homework books in case they don’t have other text they would prefer to read or would be more of an interest to them. I do not want to assume that they have books at home. But please be sure to know students are encouraged to read books of their choice that they are interested in reading as long as they are JR level books.
Math
Students are moving into measurement- we will be exploring cm and metres.
SS3:Students will: demonstrate an understanding of measuring length (m) and(cm) by:
selecting and justifying referents for the units m and cm
Modeling and describing the relationship between the units
Estimating length using referents
Measuring and recording length, width, and height.
SS5:Demonstrate an understanding of perimeter of regular and irregular shapes by:
Estimating perimeter using referents for cm and m
Measuring and recording perimeter
Constructing different shapes for a given perimeter (cm, m) to demonstrate that many shapes are possible for a perimeter.
Writing
Students have been working hard on revising their NonFiction books incorporating text features, elaborations, NF facts along with their ideas, etc. I’ve been very pleased with their hard work.
Homework
I will be sending home another sheet for students to complete using the number line to teach someone at home how to use the number line for subtracting three digit numbers. I only had a few complete this last week so we will have another go at it this week. Many thanks in advance!
Also, students are encouraged to continue practicing their math facts using XtraMath (+/- up to 18), or IXL for 10 minutes/day.
I am encouraging students to read NF books this week and practice identifying the main idea of the text they are reading. It should be more specific than “elephants” such as “African elephants and Asian elephants have many differences.” They are encouraged to dig a bit deeper when identifying the main idea of the text they are reading.
Many thanks- please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at all. Take care and thanks, Julie
Wow! What a blustery winter day! Lots of snow and wind this weekend. I just wanted to share with you what hard workers your children are each day. We have been getting into some challenging concepts over the past couple of weeks and I have been so impressed with how students have embraced the challenge and dove right in.
Valentine’s Day
Firstly, we have Valentine’s Day quickly approaching. Typically students usually enjoy exchanging small Valentine’s cards with classmates. This of course is welcomed - please ensure all students in our classroom are included. We don’t want anyone missed or feeling left out. If you do send in a treat (sometimes Valentine’s candies come in class sets like Smartie boxes, etc), they are by all means welcomed as long as they are nut free. Many thanks!
The following 24 students are in our class:Ayushi, Ava, Liam, Emma D.,Wyatt, Zia, Charlie, Myron, Henry, Abbey, Cole, Xander, Kade, Rhett, Kerrigan, Emma M., Ami, Johnny, Pritpal, AJ, and Anna.
Community Fridge
In the spirit of giving at West Royalty School, our Grade 3 class has been invited to participate in bringing non-perishable food items to our classroom to be donated to the Community Fridge. This is an initiative that began a couple of years ago at our school and it has inspired other schools and businesses to participate. We have been assigned the month of February. We will have a box or two set aside in our classroom for food donations- please give what you can or are comfortable with sharing. We recognize these days can be challenging for many families- no pressure at all. At the end of the week, the several students from our school along with our guidance counselor, Ms. Burt deliver the food items to the Community Fridge in Charlottetown to help stock the shelves for those in need. Students get a sense of helping their greater community and see the difference a collaborative effort can make. Please send donated items with your son or daughter this week or next.
Math
Students are continuing to work on adding and subtracting two and three digit numbers, and are encouraged to continue practicing +/- facts up to 18. We will be participating in a provincial math assessment early April. Students are encouraged to continue to review their math facts up to 18 on a daily basis (for example, 3+?=10, 17-5=). These facts should be answered with a three second recall- very automatic!
We have been working on adding and subtracting 3 digit numbers. In subtraction, we have been using the number line to show how we can start at the smaller number and make jumps up to the largest number to find the missing part. So 345-289= we would start at 289 and find out the missing part to get to 345 (see nexamples in previous updates). This week for homework, I will be sending home a sheet for students to complete and teach parents/siblings their new way of learning.
We have also been spending some time subtracting 3 digit numbers using base ten blocks, showing trading hundreds, tens, ones, etc. Then we’ve spent some time using the traditional algothorim (the way parents are typically familiar with). This can be somewhat abstract for some students as they rely heavily on procedural steps as opposed to thinking about the numbers and checking to see if his/her number makes sense.
Writing
In the next week or two, students will participate in a writing prompt (different for each grade level) providing a sample of student writing. Students will be asked to write about a topic they are an expert in, draft the table of contents, and select one chapter to write about. This has been in line with what students have already been working on in their NF writing.
This week students will continue to revise their NF writing piece and add text features that will help their reader understand their topic. I have been very proud of the hard work students have been doing in their writing.
Reading
Students have been exploring NF texts and identifying the main idea and supporting details in class. I have been working closely assessing students reading for this upcoming reporting period. They have been working very hard. I would encourage all families to use the sample comprehension questions in their homework duotang when your son/daughter reads. These are helpful to gauge how much of the book they are understanding and also helps them become familiar with how to better answer comprehension questions. Students who understand what they are reading should be able to readily discuss the text (beyond literal questions).
Upcoming Dates
February 14 - Red and White day for Valentine’s Day
February 19- Islander Day- no school
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to connect at any time, Julie
Brrr! It’s feeling like winter outside these days. Please ensure children are dressed appropriately- snowpants, warm mitts/gloves, warm boots, and hat. Students are expected to go outside for temperatures under -20, and with a wind that can feel cold so we need students to be bundled up warmly.
Ms. MacLean and Mrs. Cameron have asked teachers to remind parents that students are not to be dropped off to the school prior to 8am each day. Supervision does not begin until 8. They have been noticing several students getting dropped off daily much earlier than this and are requesting parents to do so after 8am. Many thanks for your understanding!
Students have been working very hard these days! We are preparing some artwork using marbles and paint for Valentine’s Day to help brighten our hallways. They turned out beautifully!
Writing
We have been focussing on Nonfiction writing and texts in our reading and writing. In writing, students selected a topic of their choice, something they are an expert on to write about. Students are encouraged to include specific words that will help their reader become familiar with the topic and will include these words in a glossary.
Reading
In our reading, we have been learning about Nonfiction text features and how they help us as a reader. Students will read to discover the main idea and supporting details, pausing often to recall portions of what they read to build on their comprehension and use of NF text features. Also, Students have been practising using boxes and bullets, as well as using the palm of our hand and fingers to support us in how we organize new information. We pause after chunks of text and summarize content identifying the main idea (palm, or box) and supporting details (fingers or bullets). Students will have a chance to practise these two strategies with NF books and articles in the days ahead.
In math, we will be focusing on:
N6 Describe and apply mental math strategies for adding two 2 digit numbers
N7 Describe and apply mental math strategies for subtracting two 2 digit numbers
N8 Apply estimation strategies to predict sums and differences of two 2 digit numbers in a problem solving context
N9 Demonstrate an understanding of addition and subtraction of numbers with answers to 1000 (1, 2, and 3 digit numbers)
In math, we have been focusing a significant amount of time on subtracting using the number line. For example 326-278=
We start with the smaller number (278) and recognize it isn’t the easiest number to work with so we made jumps and add numbers to try to make is a friendlier number that is easier to work with. What do I need to add to 8 to make 10? A jump of 2 that will get me to 280. Now what do I have to add to 80 to get to another hundred? A jump of 20 will get me from 280 to 300. Now, the number 300 is an easier number to work with. What do I have to add to 300 to get to 326? A jump of 26 will. Now, I go back and add up my jumps: 2+20+26=48. So, 326-278=48. This strategy helps children make connections to numbers in a meaningful way as well as understanding place value. It is much like a “think addition” approach to solving subtraction problems.
Research suggests that lining numbers up in the traditional algorithm method we were taught to do is not the most effective way to add or subtract because it’s too abstract and students do not demonstrate an understanding of place value when doing so. We are exploring several strategies to support student learning.
Homework:
Reading -20 minutes, try reading a NF book and using the palm of your hand (main idea) and finger strategy (supporting details) to retell main idea and supporting details.
Math- IXL or XtraMath for 10 minutes each day
Wow, the excitement is building! Students have been working so hard on their assigned work and activities. The final full week of school before our Christmas break has arrived and you can feel the excitement in the air. We look forward to some fun-filled days ahead.
Christmas Gift Exchange (Homemade from the heart)
Many thanks to those who have already sent their homemade Christmas gift to school last week. A huge thanks for your support from home for this act of kindness and classroom fun. I still have a few students who have not yet brought theirs in yet- . I would love to have them collected and sent to school on Monday, Dec. 18th so we can make plans for our class exchange. Please see last week’s email for more details about our Homemade Christmas Gift Exchange and discuss specifics with your son/daughter if you are unclear. We are looking forward to seeing all their creativity!
Students worked very hard on their published stories and we are looking forward to sharing them with 3B early this week. We will continue with our list of Christmas activities such as cookie decorating, creating Christmas cards for seniors, Christmas artwork, Reader’s theatre in class, and a few surprises as the week unfolds.
Homework- enjoy some extra time with family and friends in preparation for the holidays! Of course, reading is always encouraged but I understand the hectic schedule for students and families leading up to the holidays. Enjoy!
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very special holiday. Please take some time to enjoy those special days with your family and loved ones. You have special little people who I feel fortunate to spend my days with-enjoy every minute!
Take care and Merry Christmas, Julie
Dates to Remember
December 18 Bring Christmas Homemade Gift Exchange to School
December 22 School Wide PJ Day
Dear Parent(s),
It was wonderful connecting with each of you last week to discuss your child’s progress in Grade 3. You should all feel very proud of them- they are special little people who I feel very fortunate to spend the best part of my day with every day. Be sure to give each of them a big hug for all their hard work. So hard to believe that the month of December is upon us this Friday. We will be kicking off the fun filled month with PJ day on Friday, Dec. 1st.
Writing
We are continuing to work on our small moment unit in the upcoming days with an opportunity to select a writing piece to publish and hopefully share with another class. This week we will explore how to develop the heart of a story. Revision is a big part of the next few lessons. At times, students think that revision is done when a piece of writing is not done well. But it is actually the opposite. You revise and make changes to a piece of writing that you believe in and has the potential of becoming better.
Math
In math, we have been exploring some new strategies and we will soon move into adding two three digit numbers. We’ve been using Front End Addition: 53+34= 50+30=80, then 3+4=7, so 80+7=87. Another strategy we will soon explore for adding two and three-digit numbers is Break Up the Bridge. For example, when adding 43+35= first we keep the first number as it is (43), then break up the second number into tens and ones (30 and 5). So, it is 43+30=73, (adding the tens first), then adding the ones 73+5=78. The same would happen using a three digit number except the first number would stay as it is, then the second number would be broken up by hundreds, tens, and ones.
We will continue to practice some more subtraction using the number line over the course of the next couple of weeks as well. I’ve been very pleased with their progress so far! The children have been having a blast using a number line for subtracting and using the front end addition strategy. They have been catching onto it all very quickly. Please continue to work on +/- facts up to 18 to make life a lot easier, particularly subtraction facts (ie. ,13-7, 15-9, etc). Everything we do builds onto this so the more automatic and confident they are, the easier working with larger numbers will be going forward.
Reading
II understand the month of December is a busy one. Please encourage your child to read every night for 20 minutes as much as possible in the coming days. I completely understand this isn’t always possible when trying to squeeze in Christmas concerts and festivities and can appreciate those busy evenings. Students have been recording their book title in his/her reading log daily. Encourage them to discuss what they are reading about. Sample questions are in their homework agenda. We will be discussing the themes of books in the upcoming days. Sometimes this can be challenging for students so there will be lots of classroom discussion about the author’s message in the days ahead.
Important Dates:
December 1- PJ Day to help kick off the month of December
December 22- last day of school in 2023
It will be lovely to be back with students again on Monday. This week ahead of us will be a busy one with parent teacher conferences to look forward to on Thursday pm and Friday. As mentioned in last week’s note, online bookings were available until Nov.15th. If you missed the opportunity to book online, please reach out to me by email to set a time up to discuss your son/daughter’s progress. I would love the opportunity to meet with you. Please note, as of now I have not had any parent reach out to me requesting an interview with an interpreter. These interviews are scheduled by administration in the office on a date outside of times offered on Thursday or Friday this week. Please let me know ASAP if you require or would feel better supported with an interpreter at the interview.
Math
This week, we will be continuing to work on reviewing our math facts (+/- up to 18), and move into solving one step addition and subtraction equations representing an unknown number, such as 15- ?= 6. We will also move into learning how to solve subtraction problems with two digit numbers using a number line.This will be exciting for students and piggy back on how they use their make ten strategy to help them get to an easier number to work with. For example, 53-28= we would start at 28 and consider what to add to it to get to a friendly number such as 30. We know 8+2=10, so adding 28+2=30, then we could make a jump of 10 to get to 40, another jump of 10 to get to 50, then add 3 more. In the end, I would add my jumps to get my final answer: 2+10+10+3=25. I can check to see if 28+25=53. Children usually connect with this strategy because it uses addition to help make meaningful connections with numbers.
Writing
We will practice becoming storytellers with a seed story we previously wrote about and take that story through the writing process, using elaboration and finding the heart of their story. In Grade 3, much of our writing involves elaboration and revisions to help make our writing better.
Homework
Please continue with our weekly homework routine:
20 minutes reading with an opportunity to discuss story
10 minutes on XtraMath/IXL
Upcoming Dates:
November 21: Learning reports sent home
November 24: No school (parent teacher interviews)
I look forward to working with students on an art project this week as well. Hopefully they will be finished and on display for our interviews. Looking forward to highlighting all the hard work and learning your son/daughter has been doing over the past few months when I meet with you later this week. I appreciate your flexibility in scheduling interviews- I know you are busy and understand available times are not always ideal with work schedules, etc. I recognize this as a parent trying to get to my own three children’s school interviews as well. Thank you in advance for your time and flexibility! Take care and thanks so much, Julie
Dear Parent(s),
Hoping you had an opportunity to enjoy some sunshine this weekend. Please check the school website to sign up/book for parent teacher interview appointments. It will only be open for appointments until Nov. 15th. Please book for an appointment prior to this time. I would love to have the opportunity to meet with every parent to discuss your son/daughter’s progress.
We have a short week of school ahead of us on Tuesday and Wednesday. I would love to see students spend some time working on their math facts +/- up to 18 for homework each evening when possible. I am noticing that some students are feeling confident with their facts and others not so much. I believe a few minutes of daily practice can make all the difference.
Upcoming Dates:
Nov. 16th & 17th- PEITF Convention (no school for students)
Nov. 21- Learning reports sent home
Nov. 23- Parent Teacher interviews (pm)
Nov. 24th- Parent Teacher interviews (no school)
Have a terrific week! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks and take care, Julie
What a spooktacular week last week was with Halloween and the first snowfall all in the same week! Lots of excitement between sugar rushes, full moons, and pumpkin seeds galore! Looking forward to a bit more calmness this week.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Online scheduling becomes available on Monday, Nov. 6th for upcoming interviews. I would love the opportunity to discuss your son/daughter’s progress thus far. Please book an interview time that suits your schedule online through our school website.
Writing
Students are working very hard on their small moment stories. They have been generating several writing pieces and practising using their storyteller’s voice (rather than a newsreporters voice). A storyteller’s voice shows not tells. It describes actions that took place, uses dialogue, describes what we saw, smelled, tasted, or felt, and a storyteller describes images around the storyteller. It is not a summary (news reporter) Please take some time to discuss ideas for small moment stories with your son/daughter (picking out the perfect pumpkin, pet getting sprayed by a skunk, wiping out on a bike/skateboard). Discussing ideas helps prepare your son/daughter for the writing process. Soon, students will be selecting one piece of their writing and taking it through the writing process, starting with rehearsal. They will practise storytelling their story verbally to capture lots of details.
Reading
In reading, we’ve been working on making connections to what we are reading (Text to self, text to text, text to world). We have also been continuing to identify characteristics of fiction and Nonfiction text. We have been working on retelling fiction books (characters, setting, problem/solution, and important events in order). Please take a few minutes to discuss what your son/daughter are reading each evening.
I have been switching up student books each week with 5 new titles for students to read/week. Sometimes these consist of picture books and others may have some picture books and/or a chapter book. As mentioned in my previous notes, students are welcome to take a book from home they are interested in reading to read during independent reading time (in class), as well as for homework.
As students progress and display they are comfortable selecting just right level books, and move into chapter books, I allow them to select their own chapter book whenever possible. Not all students are necessarily reading chapter books at this time of the year. If you ever feel that homework books are not a good fit or JR level, please do not hesitate to let me know. My number one objective is for students to enjoy reading and learn how to select just right level books they want to read. Keeping in mind, students may need their books switched up sooner as well- we aim for 20 minutes of reading for homework and this may mean more than one book an evening for some.
Math
Our class had a great time estimating and counting the number of pumpkin seeds inside a pumpkin (one pumpkin/table group). Students placed groups of 10 seeds in dixie cups, when they had ten dixie cups on their place value mats, they put those 100 seeds into yogurt containers. Some groups had over 600 seeds in just one pumpkin. Then we combined table groups to see the number of seeds two of their pumpkins had altogether. Lots of hands-on learning!
We will continue to work on building, representing and ordering numbers up to 1000. We will also spend some time reviewing strategies for adding and subtracting facts up to 18 and play some math games to help practice using strategies. We will soon move into reviewing some strategies for adding and subtracting two digit numbers and build on competency. Students are encouraged to work on XtraMath and/or IXL for 10 minutes/day for homework. Here are the outcomes that we’ve been working on since September:
3.N1 (FL) Say the number sequence forward and backward from 0 to 1000 by: 5s, 10s, or 100s,
using any starting point.
3.N2 (FL) Represent and describe numbers to 1000, concretely, pictorially and symbolically. 3.N3 Compare and order numbers to 1000. Curriculum Guide
3.N5 Illustrate, concretely & pictorially, the meaning of place value for numerals to 1000.
3.N10 (FL) Apply mental mathematics strategies and number properties, to determine answers for basic addition facts.
3.SS1 Relate the passage of time to common activities using non-standard and standard units (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years).
3.SS2 Relate the number of seconds to minutes, the number of minutes to an hour and the number of days to a month in a problem-solving context.
Upcoming Dates
November 10- Remembrance Day assembly (at school in am)
November 13- Remembrance Day- no school
November 15 & 16- PEITF Convention- no school
November 21-Report Cards sent home
Students are working very hard! I am proud of their hard work over the past couple of weeks. Congratulations to Wyatt on his hard work making it to Cross Country Provincials in Mill River. Also, many thanks for sending in so many batteries for our battery blitz- wowzers! Keep them coming if you can! Many thanks for sending in headphones with your son/daughter. If you haven’t already done so, please do so as we will be putting them to use mid week. Also, administration has asked teachers to remind families that students should not be dropped off to the school prior to 8:05am. Doors will remain locked until 8:05 as supervision for students does not begin until 8:05. Many thanks for this in advance!
Math
In math, we will continue to work on representing numbers up to 1000 using base ten blocks, pictoral representations, expanded form, and written expressions (number sentences). We will focus on skip counting by 5’s, 10’s, 100’s forwards and backwards from any number up to 1000, as well as skip count by 25’s. We’ll continue playing games that strengthen our use of math strategies (doubles, doubles plus 1, Make Ten, Think Addition, etc). Time spent on IXL (teacher recommended activities) and XtraMath is helpful!
Reading
In reading, I’ve had the opportunity to continue working on reading assessments last week and into this week as well. I plan to continue working with small groups of students in guided reading as well. If your son or daughter is interested in a particular series of books or has a book from home he or she enjoys, feel free to bring it to school. That book can also be enjoyed for homework reading time as well - as long as it’s a Just Right Level book. We want time spent on reading to be as enjoyable as possible.
Writing
Our writing stamina has been increasing this week and it’s been exciting to watch students dive into their writing. We will be working on writing using a storyteller’s voice- telling stories bit by bit in a way that allows others to feel like they are right there with them. We will continue to distinguish the difference between using a story teller’s voice vs a new reporter's voice where just the facts are shared.
A storyteller’s voice:
describes actions that took place
uses dialogue
describes what we saw, smelled, tasted, or felt
describes images around the storyteller
Students worked on Halloween art using glue and chalk pastels last week. Very spooky!
Homework
Reading- 20 minutes
Math- 10 minutes (IXL or XtraMath)
If you have any questions or concerns at all, please feel free to reach out anytime. Thank you for your continued support! Take care, Julie
Upcoming Dates:
October 24-last day to purchase tickets for Halloween dance
October 25- Picture Retakes- please send in a note or email me if you’d like your child to have a retake
October 26- Halloween Dance (6-7:30)
October 27- No school (PD Day)
October 31-Black & Orange Day
A little sunshine when we don’t expect it goes a long way. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Students worked so hard last week! What a beautiful group of caring little people they truly are. Be proud! I am enjoying my time working with each and every student in our class.
Halloween Dance
Students were sent home with form last Thursday in their homework pouch about our upcoming Halloween dance being held at the school on Oct. 26. Tickets can be purchased by sending in the form with money with your student to school up until Oct. 24th. The office asked us to clarify that everyone who comes to the dance needs to have a ticket. Students must be accompanied by an adult and the adults need to purchase a ticket also. It sounds like a fun event!
Headphones
Students are encouraged to bring in a pair of headphones to use when on the chromebooks. I have discussed this with students and many children have already brought a pair in. Thank you in advance for this!
Batteries
Kudos to you all for sending in all those batteries for our battery blitz. Wow! Keep them coming!
Cross Country
Congratulations to the students who participated in the cross country meet last Wednesday-always an exciting day! Congratulations to you for your hard work and commitment.
Breakaway For Books
Several students have already returned their bookmarks and received a certificate for a ticket to an Islanders game. Keep them coming in! New bookmarks are passed out to help encourage them to keep reading and cheering in the stands.
Upcoming Dates:
October 24-last day to purchase tickets for Halloween Dance
October 25th- Picture Retakes
October 26th-Halloween Dance (6-730)
October 27th-PD Day (No school for students)
Many thanks for your continued support! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at jalynch@edu.pe.ca.Take care, Julie
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend with a little extra family/friends and delicious food. Good for the soul! We would like to welcome a new student to our class, Anna. I know students in 3A have been helping to make her feel at home in our class and helping to support her at our new school.
Thank you for the wonderful support in ensuring students had an opportunity to personalize and decorate their own Writer’s Notebooks. Wow! We certainly enjoyed our “show and share” time last Tuesday. If anyone missed having an opportunity to “decorate” their writer’s notebook but would still like to, please let me know and I will send it home for an evening or weekend.
Also, many thanks for beginning to send in so many batteries for our battery blitz- wowzers! Keep them coming if you can!
Reading
We will continue to review some characteristics of fiction and non-fiction books this week and gain more confidence providing examples for each. As students get more comfortable, they can indicate whether their homework book is fiction (f) or non-fiction (nf) in their reading log. Some students have indicated they enjoy reading chapter books for homework. This is lovely and perfect as long as it’s a Just Right (JR) level book for them. If it is at all possible, take a few minutes to discuss the book or portion of the book they read. If he/she is unable to talk about the book, it may be too challenging. At times, students may be concentrating on word solving but lose track of the story. Having a conversation with them about what they read can be helpful and an important part of their reading time. I typically put 5 books in students’ homework pouches for the week. If students are reading 20 minutes/day and read their books before Friday, I can always provide new books. And of course, students might be spending 20 minutes/day on their reading and not read all 5 books which is perfectly fine as well. The goal is for them to enjoy reading, choose JR level books, and to read what interests them- whether that be books from home, library books that they select, or classroom levelled text.
Math
We have been and will continue to focus on:
N2 -Represent and describe numbers to 1000, concretely, pictorally, or symbolically
N3-Compare and order numbers to 1000
Next steps with greater focus in upcoming days include:
N1-Skip counting by 5’s, 10’s, or 100’s from 0-1000 using any starting point
N10-students will apply mental math strategies -Doubles, Making 10, Think Addition for subtraction (ie.,13-8=? Think 8 plus what =13) to recall basic addition facts to 18 and related subtraction facts
SS2-relate the number of seconds to minutes, the number of minutes to an hour and the number of days to a month in a problem solving context
As I mentioned during Meet the Teacher night, XtraMath is helpful to review and solidify basic facts to 18 (N10) and a great use of time particularly at the beginning of Gr. 3. IXL is another excellent program that our school is paying for and provides lots of variety for students. I have some activities suggested on IXL (teacher recommended) that students can explore that target some of the above learning but are not limited to. Students are encouraged to spend 10 minutes a night on IXL (recommended activities would be best) or XtraMath. Each week the IXL program outlines the amount of time each student in the class focuses on what skill area/overall time spent on math program- keep up the excellent work 3A! We took some time last week in class to explore IXL and to try out some recommended activities and ensure students were comfortable navigating the site.
Upcoming dates:
October 10 - School-wide assembly at 9 a.m. - Truth & Reconciliation
October 11 - Cross Country meet at Eliot River (morning only)
October 18 - Gord McNeilly here to do a UFit session at 1:15 p.m.
October 25 - Picture Retake day
October 26 - Halloween Dance (6:00-7:30 p.m.)
If you have any questions or concerns at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to me anytime. Many thanks for your continued support - so appreciated! Take care, Julie
It’s hard to believe we are starting our second full week of school. Students are setting into routines nicely and adjusting to expectations and routines. They are a beautiful group of students who are showing kindness and thoughtfulness to one another each day. They make me smile!
Homework Pouches
Students are expected to bring his/her homework scribbler (blue folder) as well as keep homework books in his/her homework pouch and bring them back and forth to school daily. This allows me to switch books when necessary.
Last week I sent home books that were considered easy (hopefully!). Please indicate otherwise on your son/daughter’s reading log (or by emai) if they were too challenging. I want reading homework to be a positive experience especially as we get back into routines that may be forgotten. My goal is for students to understand what his/her “just right” reading level is. Ask your child to explain this to you this week. I sent home a bookmark that outlines what it means just in case you are unclear. Typically I put 4-5 books inside your child’s homework pouch each Monday for the week ahead. It is very possible that he/she reads 20 minutes each evening but does not finish all 4 books- that is quite fine! I would rather send more than not enough. Twenty minutes daily reading is key!
Notices and forms are sent home throughout the week. Please check your child’s homework pouch daily to ensure you keep informed and sign/return necessary forms. Many thanks in advance for this!
Also, I try not to repeat information that is listed on our school blog, so please subscribe to it as there is important information listed regularly.
Writer’s Notebooks
The children were quite excited about the prospect of trying out their creative ideas for the design of their Writer’s Notebooks. I mentioned this during our Meet the Teacher Night. As a special student project, students are asked to decorate his/her writer’s notebook. Students can cover their writer’s notebook with scrapbook paper, brown/white butcher paper, or sturdy gift wrap paper. The main focal point of the cover should be their name. Students are also encouraged to decorate their book with family photos or special pictures that are meaningful to them.
I will be sending home their writer’s notebooks on Thursday, Sept.28 this week. Please ensure the notebooks are completed and returned on Tuesday (Oct. 3) as we will be having a sharing about them. Also the notebooks will be used for continuing our writing project at the first of week on Tuesday morning (Monday is a holiday). Some students were interested in making their book design similar to an Adventure book I have in the classroom. I will be mentioning to them that the protective covering over the scrapbook paper is called Mac-Tac (clear covering which can be purchased at Staples/Michael’s) but it is not necessary. Keeping in mind, students’ name should be the main focal point on the cover and feel free to include photographs too. I’m looking forward to seeing the creative ideas students came up with. Have fun!
Terry Fox Run
Our school will be participating in a Terry Fox Run on Wednesday, Sept. 27th. Students are encouraged to donate what they’d like to this cause, $2 has been a suggested amount but feel free to donate what you choose. Feel free to make an online donation as well:: https://schools.terryfox.ca/WestRoyaltySchool.
Book Orders
Book orders are typically sent home once a month. If you could have any orders placed online one week from the day they are sent home, that would be lovely. Once you place an order on-line once it will save your information and it makes it very easy to do it online each month. I will not be accepting cash for Scholastic Book orders this year. Thanks in advance!
Upcoming Dates
Sept. 27th- Terry Fox Run at school, donations welcomed!
Sept. 28th- Writer's Notebooks sent home (see note)
Sept. 29th- No School PD Day
Oct. 2 - National Truth and Reconcilliation Day (no school)
Oct. 3- Writer's Notebooks Due back to class decorated
I’m not sure if I actually communicated to you yet what a beautiful group of students I have the pleasure of working with this year. They really are lovely and I am enjoying my time working with them. Many thanks for your support!
Take care, Julie.
What a beautiful group of students I have to work with each day! We are starting to settle into some routines and just finished our first full week of school. It was a pleasure to meet many of you (or at least see you from a distance!) at our Meet the Teacher night last Tuesday. I didn’t realize how important this evening was until we didn’t have it because of Covid.. Our time was short together but it allows you to see our classroom space and get a sense of important routines and expectations. I recognize that families have many commitments and attending isn’t always possible. Here is a brief recap of homework that will be starting this week (point form rather than slideshow):
Reading -(20 minutes/day). Your son/daughter should record the book title and date in the Reading Log each evening. A few minutes will be provided to record a book title each morning, however he/she may need to complete it at home if more time is needed to do this (depending on arrival time, etc). I have added a page of some comprehension questions in your son/daughter’s homework duotang that I will be sending home this week. It is important to take a few minutes to discuss his/her reading whenever possible.
Math- (10 minutes/day) I have provided students with XtraMath login information, as well as his/her IXL login information on the inside cover of their homework duotang. I would love to see students focus their attention on XtraMath for the first month (September) just to see if we can dust off those cobwebs off our math facts (+/-up to 18) and build some efficiency.
Homework Pouches
Students are expected to bring his/her homework duotant as well as keep homework books in his/her homework pouch and bring them back and forth to school daily. This allows me to switch books when necessary. Please encourage your child to be responsible for having his/her homework pouch signed and packed into their backpack/brought to school each day. Computer logins and passwords have been glued to the inside cover of his/her homework duotang for quick easy reference as well.
This week I will send home some books (4-5) at a level slightly easier than what they were reading at last June. Hopefully these books will be considered “easy”. Please indicate otherwise on your son/daughter’s reading log (or by emai) if they were too challenging. I want reading homework to be a positive experience especially as we get back into routines that may be forgotten.
My goal is for students to understand what his/her “just right” reading level is. Ask your child to explain this to you this week. I will be sending home a bookmark that outlines what it means just in case you are unclear. Typically I put 4-5 books inside your child’s homework pouch each Monday for the week ahead. It is very possible that he/she reads 20 minutes each evening but does not finish all 4 books- that is quite fine! I would rather send more than not enough. Twenty minutes daily reading is key!
Notices and forms are sent home throughout the week. Please check your child’s homework pouch daily to ensure you keep informed and sign/return necessary forms. Many thanks in advance for this!
Tidbits
One thing I forgot to mention at one of our Meet the Teacher sessions was the importance of packing utensils daily for students. Our lunch programs do not provide forks or spoons, so it’s very important that your son/daughter bring them each day. Many thanks in advance for this!
Field Trip
What a fabulous field trip we had with all the Grade 3 classes on Friday! We all walked away from the morning adventure of visiting two farms learning a ton (teachers included!). Who knew cows slept on memory foam, had back scratchers, and we could make fresh apple juice in a matter of minutes. It was a very cool experience and a lovely way to jump start our year together.
Upcoming Dates
September 21- Lifetouch Photos for Grade 3
September 25 - Home and School meeting at 6:00 p.m.
September 26 - Earth Rangers assembly at 9:15 a.m. in the gym for Grade 2-6
September 29 - Professional Learning Day
September 30 - Orange Shirt Day
Remember that September is an important time for building homework routines and making back to school adjustments. We are all still adjusting-be kind to yourself! It’s my goal for school to be fun and meaningful for students.Take care and please don’t hesitate to connect with any questions or concerns, Julie
We are off to a fabulous start to our grade 3 year. Students are settling into new routines well and have been working hard. Please note that much of the specifics of our day are outlined at our Meet the Teacher Night which is being held (thankfully!) on Sept. 12th. I’ve enjoyed having the chance to meet your son/daughter and begin to get to know a little more about them. By the end of the week, we were starting to settle in together as a “school family” nicely.
I will send you a link by email as well for our classroom blog. My classroom blog will soon become available through our West Royalty School website but for now, the link will take you to it. Please check this site regularly for updates as I won’t be sending paper updates after this note. Typically, I update our blog on Sunday evenings for the upcoming week.
Starting next week, I will be sending home books that I would like your child to read. Reading practice is the most important part of your child’s homework. I ask that he/she read a minimum of 20 minutes per night. I ask that he/she write the title of the book they read in their homework agenda and to record beside the title, the page numbers they have read (if possible) and for parents to initial it each evening. This reading log form will be located in his/her homework duotang. I will be aiming to build confidence with reading and it is my plan to send home books that are a couple of levels easier than where they left off last June. Getting back into school mode can take a bit of time to adjust and I would like it to be as positive as possible.
Each week, I ask that your family select 5-6 words (from our 103 No Excuse word list) for your son/daughter to study and learn. This will be your family’s responsibility to monitor. In class we will be selecting a different focus for our word study/phonics each week and work on activities.
Email updates- I have already communicated with each family via email. Occasionally email addresses that are on file are not accurate. If you have NOT already received an email from me by now, please email me at jalynch@edu.pe.ca as soon as possible so I can add you to my parent contact list.
Food Orders- I encourage you all to explore the new lunch program that allows all students (pay what you can program) access to healthy meal choices. The choices look amazing!
Bundle of papers-thank you to the many parents who have already reviewed and returned signed papers and forms last week. We have a field trip scheduled for Friday morning- starting our year off with some excitement!
Students in Grade 3A worked hard in the past week and almost filled their noodle jar! Way to go, Grade 3! Stay tuned for news on their reward time…