Month: October 2013
News from room 25
Hey all! October has flown by so fast. We have finished our monster stories and we will celebrate tomorrow by sharing our stories and enjoying cutie jack-o-lanterns and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. We have been working really hard to publish our stories and you can see them on display in the library in November. I will send them home with you at conferences.
Field Trip
Matt is taking our class on a science field trip on Friday November 15th. You will be walking to the 205 foot bridge and counting cars. He would love it if a few parents would come with him because he doesn’t know our class as well. They will leave school at 10:05 and come back before 11:40.
Book Clubs
Speaking of volunteers we have only one confirmed person who is willing to head up a book club. It would be about a 1/2 an hour somewhere between 12:20 and 1:30. You can do it any day of the week (Wednesday gets a bit tricky but still doable) and it is super fun and awesome to talk about books with students. If you are thinking that weekly would not be possible for you but 2 times a month you could get done, let me know and I will see what we could work out.
Math
This week we finally connected our math work to the traditional algorithm for adding and subtracting. I know it is a happy day for many of you who have struggled to support them in truly learning math not just learning to do a formula to solve a problem. They have been working with it yesterday and today and really see the efficiency of this new strategy. Some are able to regroup and some are not. If they are showing you this new skill encourage them to tell you why they are carrying and borrowing. It’s ok if they are not 100% sure. It’s also ok if they are not yet 100% steady in using the traditional algorithm. They have only been exploring it for a few days.
Halloween sign up
Hey guys I know I said 3posts but then I just remembered a 4th. We need volunteers for the Halloween party. The organizer for the Halloween party is from our class so we got the best booth. This is a beloved event for our students and it only works if we have enough people pitching in. Come by the class or let me know if you are available and I will sign you up. The party is Friday October 25th
Volunteers
Hi, I know lots of people are chomping at the bit to get in here. I am so lucky to have such a supportive group of parents.
Book Group We have 16 kiddos who have already met their end of the year benchmarks in reading (Wow I know). That means that they have shifted their focus from learning to read to reading to learn. One of the best ways to do this through a book club. Thinking about literature in a way they might not have before. Groups are great but they do require an adult to help them focus and discuss their books. It is super fun. I love reading the novels and getting in their with them. I also want a reward for students who are ready for a more advanced reading program. If you would be interested, it could happen any day of the week, but it must happen between 12:20 and 1:35. They usually take around a half an hour.
Please respond to this post if you are interested in volunteering for this or anything else so I can get a list going.
Hello all!
I hope everyone is having a good late start. I just thought I would check in with you all about what room 25 has been up to since back to school night.
Writing: we are working on an imaginative October piece about monsters. It is a really fun piece and they will publish their stories in their very own book. Hopefully they will be on display in the library in the month of November and the. We will send them home. They are working hard on revising their work to make good writing great.
Math We are working on our more complicated addition and subtraction skills. We are looking at 3 digit numbers and experimenting with ways to add and subtract them. We are currently using a mats, strips and units strategy to more easily see place value and see what “borrowing” really means in subtraction. The traditional algorithm is on the way!
Reading We are fully in our daily 5 routine. Students are making reading and writing goals and they are using their time to work toward these goals. I spend my time conferencing with students about what they are working on. Check out the volunteer post if you might be interested in being part of a book club.
Storyline Our newest storyline will be starting in November!
Rose city make it and take it.
The first annual Rose City Make N’ Take is a day for teachers, students of all ages, families, and anyone interested in exploring, experimenting, and creating. Join us for this great opportunity to learn and play!
Saturday, October 19th
9AM-2:30PM (open house)
Forest Park Elementary
9935 NW Durrett St. Portland, OR 97229
Stay for lunch then discover more:
Teriyaki Beef Bowl (Cedar Mill)
Pizza Schmizza (Barnes Rd.)
Join different workshops and activities throughout the day offered by:
SparkFun-PDX DIY-Surplus Gizmos-ADX-Tinker Camp-PDX Young Makers-Plus Others!
Activities Include:
LED Pop-Up Cards
Laser Cutting
Origami
Paper/Bottle Rockets
Sewing
Programming
Ubuntu Laptops
Pico Board, Lily Pads, Makey Makey
Underwater Robots
Conductive Painting
Call or Email with Questions: gpoujade@pps.net or 503-916-5400
CSS 3rd Grade 