A reminder that we will be swimming tomorrow. See email for chaperones.
Please make sure your child has pjs at school ASAP for the musical.
Lastly, if you have not yet returned the permission slip for the May 5th field trip, kindly do so now as I am in the process of planning this event.
Wednesday 20 April 2016
Wednesday 13 April 2016
Plants & more
Bonjour!
Swimming
Please remember that we are swimming tomorrow morning. See email for chaperone names.
Homework
Our last Science topic this year will be Plants. Being new-ish to Grade 3, this is my first time teaching this unit to young ones so my goal is to pass along my own love of plants, as I fumble my way through the curriculum.
This past Monday we were studying the names of plant parts and I thought it would be more interesting to work with real plants. So I purchased living pansies from the grocery store. My thought was to "dissect" the roots, stem, leaves, & petals, and tape these parts to a piece of paper. I decided to reconsider after being faced with: "But Madame, we will be killing the plants!" True indeed. So instead we cut a flower/stem/leaf from the plant, taped it to a piece of paper, and drew the roots. Yes, we still killed part of the plant, but at least this way those who wanted got to bring the plant home. Instructions were to give the roots more space prior to putting the plants in the ground.
Today we looked at the role of bees as pollinators, as well as learning the names of flower parts in French. We will learn about the life cycle of plants, look at seeds, and grow some of our own. Just for kicks, on Tuesday I germinated seeds from a 2 year-old 8-bean soup mix. I placed a handful of beans/seeds into a baggie, added a bit of water and let them soak overnight. The next day I drained the water, and now moisten the beans twice a day. To my surprise, this morning some of the seeds had grown shoots. This would be a good experiment to try at home too.
Friendship Thursdays
Mmes Henry, MacMillan and myself have decided to spend some time on Thursday afternoons to split our students into 3 mixed groups, with a goal to have students get to know new students and practice making new friends. We will be starting this tomorrow afternoon by splitting into our groups and practicing how to ask questions.
Visiting Performances
We were delighted with 2 performances this past week. On Friday, French Immersion students watched "Mathieu Mathématiques" performed by BC's only French theatre troupe: "Théâtre de la Seizième". And today grade 3-5 students watched a one-man mime and drama performance. Both productions were very well received and touched on elements of imagination, making friends and bullying.
Willows Performances
Speaking of performances, you should have received a green newsletter to order tickets to our upcoming musical later this month. Please return ASAP.
Track
We will be starting our track season at Willows next week. Mrs. Ireton and myself will be working with Grade 3s on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3 to 4pm. This is grade 3s' first experience with track so we try to keep it simple and fun: running games, learning how to start & run through the finish line, as well as passing the baton. If your child is interested, please ask him/her to pick-up a registration form at the office. We could use parent help for simple tasks during practices, so please don't be shy about approaching us during practices.
Merci!
Swimming
Please remember that we are swimming tomorrow morning. See email for chaperone names.
Homework
- Your child should be reading in French for 10 minutes every night.
- Practice times tables. There will be a small quiz this Friday to see how everyone is coming along.
Our last Science topic this year will be Plants. Being new-ish to Grade 3, this is my first time teaching this unit to young ones so my goal is to pass along my own love of plants, as I fumble my way through the curriculum.
This past Monday we were studying the names of plant parts and I thought it would be more interesting to work with real plants. So I purchased living pansies from the grocery store. My thought was to "dissect" the roots, stem, leaves, & petals, and tape these parts to a piece of paper. I decided to reconsider after being faced with: "But Madame, we will be killing the plants!" True indeed. So instead we cut a flower/stem/leaf from the plant, taped it to a piece of paper, and drew the roots. Yes, we still killed part of the plant, but at least this way those who wanted got to bring the plant home. Instructions were to give the roots more space prior to putting the plants in the ground.
Today we looked at the role of bees as pollinators, as well as learning the names of flower parts in French. We will learn about the life cycle of plants, look at seeds, and grow some of our own. Just for kicks, on Tuesday I germinated seeds from a 2 year-old 8-bean soup mix. I placed a handful of beans/seeds into a baggie, added a bit of water and let them soak overnight. The next day I drained the water, and now moisten the beans twice a day. To my surprise, this morning some of the seeds had grown shoots. This would be a good experiment to try at home too.
Friendship Thursdays
Mmes Henry, MacMillan and myself have decided to spend some time on Thursday afternoons to split our students into 3 mixed groups, with a goal to have students get to know new students and practice making new friends. We will be starting this tomorrow afternoon by splitting into our groups and practicing how to ask questions.
Visiting Performances
We were delighted with 2 performances this past week. On Friday, French Immersion students watched "Mathieu Mathématiques" performed by BC's only French theatre troupe: "Théâtre de la Seizième". And today grade 3-5 students watched a one-man mime and drama performance. Both productions were very well received and touched on elements of imagination, making friends and bullying.
Willows Performances
Speaking of performances, you should have received a green newsletter to order tickets to our upcoming musical later this month. Please return ASAP.
Track
We will be starting our track season at Willows next week. Mrs. Ireton and myself will be working with Grade 3s on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3 to 4pm. This is grade 3s' first experience with track so we try to keep it simple and fun: running games, learning how to start & run through the finish line, as well as passing the baton. If your child is interested, please ask him/her to pick-up a registration form at the office. We could use parent help for simple tasks during practices, so please don't be shy about approaching us during practices.
Merci!
Friday 1 April 2016
Update
Bonjour!
Welcome back from Spring Break and Easter. I hope you are all well-rested and had a break filled with fun adventures.
Next week:
We will have a funny week due to interviews & a pro-d day.
Monday: No school as teachers are going back to school to study the new curriculum.
Wednesday: Early dismissal at 11:50, parent interviews in the afternoon
Thursday: Early dismissal at 11:50, parent interviews in the afternoon
More details about interviews in the email.
Swimming:
Our swimming lessons will be starting this Thursday. Thank you to those of you who are able to accompany us. Please see the email for the chaperone schedule. Remember that we will be walking to & from the pool so your child should be dressed appropriately.
Climbing:
On Thursday May 12th, we have been invited to attend a climbing activity in Central Saanich. More information to come. We will be requiring parent drivers for this outing.
Homework:
Spring is typically a time where children become more involved with after-school sports and activities, all of which contribute to make them the special little people they are. I recognize it can be difficult to juggle school demands when the weather brightens up. Before Spring Break I noticed that marks on Spelling and Dictées were starting to slide, so I have decided to stop our weekly quizzes for this year.
That being said, there are still 3 full months of school left and we have lots left to learn! I know your time is valuable at home so would like students to focus on the most important stuff at home. If my mind this is what it is:
As for words, we will continue our word studies in class. In French we will study thematic words to do with the plant world, and continue with the Spelling units in English.
Math:
We will be diving into multiplication next week. Students will be making multiplication flashcards for numbers to 10 x 10. We will be using them in class and I encourage students to also practice them at home, in the car, ... Knowing multiplication facts is a skill they can keep forever. I know from past experience that I will not be able to proofread all flashcards, so please take a quick look at them at home to make sure they are correct.
Welcome back from Spring Break and Easter. I hope you are all well-rested and had a break filled with fun adventures.
Next week:
We will have a funny week due to interviews & a pro-d day.
Monday: No school as teachers are going back to school to study the new curriculum.
Wednesday: Early dismissal at 11:50, parent interviews in the afternoon
Thursday: Early dismissal at 11:50, parent interviews in the afternoon
More details about interviews in the email.
Swimming:
Our swimming lessons will be starting this Thursday. Thank you to those of you who are able to accompany us. Please see the email for the chaperone schedule. Remember that we will be walking to & from the pool so your child should be dressed appropriately.
Climbing:
On Thursday May 12th, we have been invited to attend a climbing activity in Central Saanich. More information to come. We will be requiring parent drivers for this outing.
Homework:
Spring is typically a time where children become more involved with after-school sports and activities, all of which contribute to make them the special little people they are. I recognize it can be difficult to juggle school demands when the weather brightens up. Before Spring Break I noticed that marks on Spelling and Dictées were starting to slide, so I have decided to stop our weekly quizzes for this year.
That being said, there are still 3 full months of school left and we have lots left to learn! I know your time is valuable at home so would like students to focus on the most important stuff at home. If my mind this is what it is:
- Reading: Please continue to give your child the gift of reading by reading at least 10 minutes a day in French. Continue with English reading at home also. If you would like me to connect your child with either French or English books, from the classroom or library, please write me a note in your child's agenda. Just so you know, at this age students are usually better readers in English than in French. Ask your child to read a bit out loud and make it sound expressive. Model what it should sound like, it's fun!
- Math: Jump Math practice. Also - the good old addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Students who know how to add/subtract numbers to 20 (without a ruler or counting on their fingers) are able to apply these skills to all numbers above 20. They are more confident and attentive in Math lessons. Playing games involving counting (dice, cards) are a good way to practice these skills.
As for words, we will continue our word studies in class. In French we will study thematic words to do with the plant world, and continue with the Spelling units in English.
Math:
We will be diving into multiplication next week. Students will be making multiplication flashcards for numbers to 10 x 10. We will be using them in class and I encourage students to also practice them at home, in the car, ... Knowing multiplication facts is a skill they can keep forever. I know from past experience that I will not be able to proofread all flashcards, so please take a quick look at them at home to make sure they are correct.
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