First Quarter is almost over!

It is hard to believe, but first quarter ends on Wednesday, Oct. 28! The students have worked hard to adjust to the pace & demands of third grade. In content class, we have learned about making responsible choices, how to handle stress, how to use I-messages to resolve conflicts, how to stay healthy physically, mentally & emotionally, and with our family & social relationships. We have reviewed and added to our emergency awareness skills so we can stay safe at home, school, play and during emergency situations (fires, tornadoes, severe weather, and accidents). We talked about and drew fire escape plans of our homes. We have enjoyed the sparky.org online games. We are also working on the properties of light, the phases of the moon, why the Earth has seasons, how planets & moons rotate & revolve, and measuring temperature in F & C. We are looking forward to experiencing Old Salem and what life was like for children who lived in the 1700's. Have a good mini-Fall Break, Oct. 29- Nov. 1.

Awesome first day of school!

My third graders came in quietly, followed directions, paid attention, and tried their best! I am very proud of their excellent choices! They have earned 12 marbles for compliments...on the FIRST day!
We set up our desks, looked up the moon's phase for each student's birthday using our Smartboard, and we practiced procedures. It takes time to learn the third grade ropes, but we had a great start today.
VIP folders will be sent tomorrow. Please complete and return the stapled pack of information papers (from the Open House VIP) as soon as possible...thank you!

We had a GREAT Open House!

Thank you to all the parents, family members & students who came by Room 119 during our August 19 Open House! We had a fantastic turn-out: 17 out of 19 families plus several former students. It is always nice to see former students! The 2009-2010 third graders seemed excited, a bit nervous (that is OK... I get nervous too sometimes!), and very happy to see friends and to meet their teachers.

School starts Tuesday, August 25. Please complete & return to school all of the items in the stapled pack. The VIP folder you picked up at Open House has the stapled pack, a present for my new third graders :-), and a ton of additional information. I know it can take some time to read through the additional information, but please return the completed stapled pack sometime the week of August 25-28. I'll need the VIP folder Tuesday so I can pack it with... you guessed it... more papers!

Third grade is a year of transitions. It takes time for students & families to learn about how third grade works. We will take bite-sized chunks! You'll see... third grade ROCKS!

Good News

Students: please share one thing that you learned, a connection you made, a strategy that helped you, and any other good classroom news.

Parents/Guardians: please share something that YOU learned or enjoyed hearing about each week.

I will post things that I have learned from students, parents/guardians and other teachers, compliments and other good news items.

We are a learning community!