The First Week

We had a great first week!  Transition to 3rd grade and all the new demands that being a “big kid” can bring, are tough but this class handled it like champs.  I am so excited for the year and all the new stuff we will learn.  If there is anything you want to know or you are wondering about please ask in the comments.  Weeks are so full of great stuff that I often find myself at a loss for what to say in these newsletters.  I will do my best to only email you once a week (sometimes bi-weekly).  I know that you get inundated with emails from CSS.  I really hope that you can find the time to read mine so that you can know all the important details.  

All School Storyline

This year our all school storyline will be using the book The Starry Messenger.  It is about the life of Galileo Galilei and how he spent his life using critical thinking skills.  We will spend the whole year flexing our critical thinking muscles and looking at different ways to do that.  We will focus on 1) Asking Questions 2) Challenging Assumptions 3)  Thinking About Thinking 4) Seeking Evidence 5) Considering Other Ideas.  

Worktime

In my classroom we spend a large portion of the day in something that I call Worktime.  We have 3 different sections of Worktime.  Storyline Worktime, is a chunk of time where we work on Storylines, writing and exploring our passions.  Math Worktime, a time where we spend learning new skills, practicing old skills and looking for ways to put our learning into practice by following what interests us in Math.  Daily 5, a time where we work on what makes us better readers and writers.  Students spend time reading and writing what they believe are important texts as well as working with me individually and in small groups to improve on reading and writing skills.  What all three times have in common is that it is time spent with a lot of choice about what they are learning.  You will find me in front of the whole class for a small period of time just pointing out the nuts and bolts of the session.  Showing them where to find supplies, reminding them of due dates or showing them examples of work.  The rest of the time is spent with students making choices.  They have certain assignments that must get done during the week, some easy and some more challenging.  I meet with individuals and small groups teaching the necessary skills to complete the assignments.  This model allows me to group kids based on their needs and appropriately challenge all students for the maximum amount of personal growth in all subjects.  This freedom is amazing for some students and other students find it more challenging but by the end of the year all of them will be experts of managing their own worktime.  

Volunteers

Volunteers are the heart and soul of our school.  We are so fortunate to have so many parents willing and able to come into the classroom to help out.  The way that I use volunteers is primarily in book groups and field trips.  Book groups will start in January and they are a really fun way for students to get some small group attention with an adult and learn how to interact with a book.  They are super fun, some say even more fun that the book group you might have with your own friends.  I will start recruiting for Volunteers in December.   Field trips come on an as needed basis.  Our new Principal would like to minimize Field Trips with parent drivers.  I am in favor of that change as those trips make me incredibly nervous (if not for the bleach I think I would be completely gray from field trips;).  We will try our best to take Trimet and School Buses if possible.If you have an idea about how you want to contribute, please let me know.  

 

Random Notes

If you have an extra fan around your house we would love to borrow it for a couple of weeks.  

They are itching to have stuff for the invention center.  Although what they were able to create with extra laminate alone was pretty impressive. 

 

Ok that got long fast, sorry I promise to be more brief in the future and please let me know if there are specific things you want to hear about.   

Allison