February

3W February Newsletter

Dear Parents & Guardians,

February crept up on us rather quickly and it’s quite a lively month too! I’m not sure about you, but I am happy to put January’s online learning adventure behind me! I really can NOT thank YOU enough for your patience and support throughout that experience. It certainly would not have been as successful without you behind us every step of the way! Both you and your children should celebrate YOUR success!

Despite the shift in learning platforms, students have been quite busy, and continue to work hard, covering numerous curriculum expectations in a variety of ways. Online learning did not slow them down!

Our February calendar hosts various events, including 3 celebrations and 1 holiday! We’ll be recognizing the 100^th day of school on Fri. Feb. 11^th! Can you believe that we’ve been here that long? The days sure are whizzing by! To celebrate our survival of 100 school days, we’ll take part in a variety of thematic activities, all surrounding the number 100. Students are encouraged to dress up as if they are 100 years old that day and bring 100 small items (i.e. Lego blocks, cheerios, buttons, coins, etc.)!

Valentine’s Day will also be a fun-filled event. In keeping with tradition, we’ll have a Valentine’s party on Mon. Feb. 14^th. During that day, students will participate in various activities, and of course, read friendly Valentine’s cards! Since our class strives to work as a team, we all agree that if we choose to distribute cards, EVERYONE will receive one. No one should feel obligated to hand out Valentines, but if they choose to, a class list is provided in this newsletter so that no one will be missed. Students are also invited to bring in treats to share among our class, as long as they’re individually-wrapped, store-purchased and nut-free.

Groundhog Day is Feb. 2! We’ll guess the outcome of our approaching spring season. Do you think Wiarton Willie will see his shadow? February also offers Family Day on Feb. 21! Hopefully you’ll all be able to find ways to relax and enjoy your time together.

February is sure to keep us busy!

***Kindergarten registration has begun! Parents are encouraged to register by calling the office.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Wiebe ☺

a.wiebe@tvdsb.ca

Our class website can be accessed at the following web address. Check out our ongoing photo collections.

https://sites.google.com/gotvdsb.ca/wiebeweaselwebsite/home

Dates to Keep in Mind...

Feb. 2 - Groundhog Day

Feb. 11 - “100 Day” (bring 100 items, come dressed as if you’re 100!)

Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Party, Red/Pink/White Spirit Day

- Report Card Day (please return envelope)

Feb. 21 - Family Day (No School; enjoy your time together)

Feb. 28 – Home Reading Due (recorded in planner with parent signature)

*Please remember to initial your child’s planner daily and sign/initial their

Home Reading each month. Thank you!*

“Teachers don’t GIVE grades, students EARN them!”

Class List for Valentine’s Day Cards

Sadie, Aiden, Leighann, Mickey, Samuel, Jaxon,

Paris, Lyla, Alivia, Elise, Gradie, Kolson,

Jadeus, Koen, Logan, Noah, June, Lydia, Lexi

Curriculum Corner

What’s going on this month, you ask? In Language, we’re going to focus on paragraph writing improving our detailed story retells along with how to answer questions effectively. We’ll also continue reviewing other writing forms such as recounts, procedures and letters.

In Science, Grade 3’s are “building” on their knowledge of “Structures & Mechanisms”.

As for Math, we’ll be “measuring up” with length, capacity, mass, temperature, area and perimeter, then we’ll “put it all together” learning about fractions and finally, well make “cents” of money! We’ll also continue to review adding and subtracting with regrouping and problem solving. It’s especially helpful to practise concepts at home that are taught at school for extra support and understanding. Many practice resources can be made at home or found online, and sometimes simple conversations are a great way to reinforce understanding. We’ve recently spent a lot of “time” telling time! Throughout the year, we revisit and review many math concepts, so please encourage your child to keep up their time-telling skills.

Keep up the great work, parents! Your positive influence, combined with continuous love and support are a true reflection of the greatness I see in your children!

Speaking of Math…. One of our goals is to be able to communicate our thinking in math. This can be challenging for some. We share and practice various mental math strategies to help with addition and subtraction skills. See if your child can demonstrate and explain how we use “jumping”, “splitting” and “compensating” in different equations. Some are easier than others, and not every student has mastered each strategy, but as we practice these throughout each grade, we will hopefully become experts and be able to communicate more effectively! Many people are familiar with algorithms (following specific steps to solve a math problem), but learning additional mental math strategies to tackle a math problem allows learners different options to learn and to show their thinking.

Check out the examples on the newsletter on our google classroom (in the "Stream"). Unfortunately the graphics don't appear in this format.