October Newsletter 2017

It’s hard to believe that it’s already October! The first month of Grade 3 has flown by! We’ve been working hard on learning routines and have jumped into all our beginning units.  Here’s a quick peek at what’s been going on in the four cores!

LA:  I P.U.T. Reading First Home reading challenge

Reading Strategies: Read like books are gold! / Choose within reach books/Set goals

Writing Strategies: Crafting True Stories/ I remember/Map it out/ think about someone important

Math: Patterning Unit/Math Number Games

Science: Scientific Method/ Hearing and Sound Unit

Social: Mapping Unit coming soon

Themes: BFG, Fire Prevention Week, Halloween

                                                                               Big Ideas: Pay it Forward

Spelling Program

We are starting our spelling patterns program this month called Words Their Way and spelling lists will come home every other Monday in agendas and will be practised for 2 weeks. The students will be working on these words in school but will also have a list of activities to choose from for practise each night. Please take 10-15 minutes each night to help your child choose an activity for pattern practise. 

Spelling tests will happen every other Friday (unless there is no school, then we will have it on Thursday). I have completed a spelling inventory of your child’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to spelling patterns and have grouped them so each child is getting instruction on the patterns they struggled with. We do word sorts and hunts with these patterns throughout the two-week rotation with the goal to help your child recognize these spelling patterns and to apply them to other words rather than just memorizing for the test.  The goal is to apply the patterns during real world writing or typing. 

Thanks so much for your help getting this program up and running! Your time at home is greatly appreciated and I hope to see some great gains for our spellers this year!

Important Dates to Remember

Oct. 8-14 Fire Prevention Week “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out”

Oct. 9 NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Holiday

Oct. 10 NO SCHOOL Professional Learning Day

Oct. 13-17^th Scholastic Book Fair 8:00 – 4:00 / except Friday 14th 8:00 – 12:00.   

Oct. 13 Deadline for hot lunch orders

Oct. 18, 25 After school skating at Nicholas Sheran 3:30

Oct. 19 Dismissal at 11:35 today/NO SCHOOL in afternoon Professional Learning Day

Oct. 20 Professional Learning day: NO SCHOOL

Oct. 23 Picture retake day /4:00 clothing exchange at Wilson

Oct. 24 Hot Lunch Day Gr. 1,2,3: The Chopped Leaf/3:15-8:00 pick up fundraiser orders

Oct. 25 Fieldtrip to Helen Schuler Nature Centre 9:30-11:00/Drivers needed leaving at 9:15am

Oct. 26 Spirit Assembly 12:45

Oct. 31 Halloween parade 12:45 (kids change into costumes at lunch) (Thanks for volunteering to send treats for our party, if you signed up you will be receiving an email/dojo soon! We have 22 students and no nut allergies but 1 pineapple allergy!)