Upcoming Events for Dec.12-21

This Tuesday our class will be going to the Animal Hospital of Soquel. I sent home the green parent chaperone forms on Friday. Please let me know if you are coming on this field trip and did not receive one. If you have any pictures from a former field trip, send them in soon. I have only about 10 pictures in the box for our yearbook and would like to have more for Mrs. Field to look through when the time comes.

The class holiday party will be Friday, December 21st from 12:20-1:15. If you have any ideas for a fun center, let me know. Also, if you have any scraps of wrapping paper or extra cards you are not using, please send them in with your child. I would like to use these items to make cards for our kinder reading buddies.

One more request:
Please send your child in with several pencils and a sharpener to use on a daily basis. Many students are wasting pencils and/or not coming to school prepared. When they do not have pencils, class time is wasted.

Thanks for your support and all you do for our classroom and students!

Field Trip

Hello all! The permission slips for next weeks field trip to the Animal Hospital of Soquel were sent home on Friday. Attached was a note from the 3rd grade team regarding field trip costs for the remainder of the year. Please make the checks payable to the Parent Alliance. In the memo, note "field trip funds for Mrs. Maraldo or Room 23." Thanks!

With the holidays coming up, if anyone has an art project they would like to share with the class, please let me know. A few parents are coming in this Friday to teach about Hanukkah. Students always enjoy having their parents share in the classroom.

That's all for now! Happy December!

Welcome Back!

Thanks to all who helped put our Thanksgiving potluck together. The class had a great time and it really did feel like a family. Also, I'm not sure who put the flowers on my desk, but thank you.

Updates:
This week, all 3rd grade classes will be testing for Theme 2 of Houghton Mifflin (our reading program). This test will consist of reading comprehension, fluency, writing, grammar skills, and spelling. If you are interested in seeing how your child did, I can write a note on next weeks weekly report. Students should be able to read at least 85 words per minute at this point of 3rd grade.

Literature circles are due this Thursday. I assigned them extra pages because of the vacation. This week, I'll have students get onto the computer to take a short quiz on their Literature book for the week.

Please be sure your child is practicing multiplication facts 1-12. I know this can be trying, but it is important for them to learn all facts this year. I got a multiplication rap from Mrs. Chapa that I will try out. If you have any other fun activities that have worked at home, maybe you can come and share them with the class.

See you Monday!

Spectra Performance/Potluck

The Spectra performance is on for this Wednesday with Christopher. Performances will not begin until 10:15. I mentioned that they would start at 10:00, but Christopher would like the students to rehearse briefly before you arrive. So please come closer to 10:15.

The potluck is also in the works for Friday. We can begin set up around 11:00 and have the class sit down to eat at about 11:15 or so. It looks like we'll have a lot of food, so come ready to eat!

Another change this week will be the time of Literature Circles. We have a school assembly at 8:00 on Thursday, so I would like to have Lit. Circles after recess (promptly at 9:40). Your child will be assigned their regular job to be turned in the Thursday we return from vacation.

Report cards will also be going home on Friday. So please look for the manila envelope with your child's name.

Change in Dates

It was brought to my attention that I posted the wrong dates for some upcoming events. The Spectra Teacher would like to invite the parents on Wednesday, November 14 at 10:00. I would like to have a pre Thanksgiving potluck on Friday, November 16. Sorry about that!

Back on Track

Hello 3rd grade families! Hope you are all enjoying the extra hour and beautiful weather. I sure needed it after the week of Halloween. A big thank-you to all of the parents who helped get the Halloween party off to a nice start. The kids had a great time and it seemed like we had just the right activities for them.

The Spectra Arts teacher, Christopher, has been coming into our classroom once a week to work on drama with the students. His last day with our class is Wednesday, November 16. He thought it would be nice to invite the parents to a short performance on that day. If you can make it, please come from 10:00-10:55. The kids would love to share their talent with you.

I was also thinking about having a Thanksgiving potluck on Friday, November 18, beginning around 11:00 with the students. Since we are sort of a family (we do spend a lot of time together), I thought it would be a nice way to acknowledge our thanks to one another. What are your ideas?

Upcoming events:
1. We'll have 1 more book order before Winter Break.
2. Students should have the 4's memorized by now and should be learning the 6's for multiplication.

Reminders:
Library day is every Tuesday morning for our class. Many students are forgetting to bring in their books. Please remind them at home. Also, it is important to keep the Literature Circle books in a safe place so they do not get lost. Homework packets are being turned in without names. Make sure your child writes their name on each page of the packet.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Halloween Week

Did anyone else do some last minute Halloween shopping? I'm sure there will be a lot of excitement tomorrow with the thought of trick-or-treating this week. It seems like we will have some great Halloween activities for the students on Wednesday. Thank you Michelle for organizing this fun event.

This week, I will be sending home a new reading log for the month of November. Please be sure to have your child turn in the log from October, due this Wednesday. Tomorrow, and every Monday, I will send home the weekly report for each student for you to sign and return(the bottom portion only). This is a quick way for me to communicate with you on a regular basis. Also, I have had a few students not turn in their literature circle job on Thursdays. When your child does not come prepared they have a difficult time participating and lose focus during this activity. If you have any questions or concerns about literature circles, please let me know.

Another field trip is coming this Friday, November 2. We'll be going to the Aptos Museum. If you would like to come along, please let me know if you have NOT received a green chaperone agreement form. I sent them out last week but may have missed a few parents. We'll be leaving at 9:40 (after morning recess) and returning back to school at around 11:20 (before lunch). You do not need to worry about a sack lunch since we'll be back in time to eat in the Cafeteria. Since the energy level is hightened during field trips, please be sure that your group stays with you at all times.

Multiplication update:
This week I will give a pop quiz on the 4's, so please take time to practice with your child. For the students who know the facts up to the 12's, I will be making additional math packets with challenge problems. I've noticed that many kids are struggling with word problems, so I may include some pages for that as well.

Wish List Items:
-pencils (sharpened if possible)
-computer covers to keep the dust off
-anti-bacterial wipes
-CD player, I have one in the class, but it won't play any CD's. If anyone has an
extra they aren't using, GREAT!

As a school-wide effort, we are trying not to waste disposable water bottles. If you have a Nalgene bottle(or similar) please send one in for your child to use.

What a busy week!

Hello Room 23 parents! I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get back to the normal schedule. I enjoyed having the chance to talk with all of you about your children. They are all working very hard and seem to be enjoying 3rd grade.

Here are some upcoming events for our classroom:
1. The Halloween parade in the morning of the 31st (8ish, I believe)
2. Classroom Halloween party from 11:30-12:00
3. Field trip to the Aptos Museum on Friday, November 2

In addition, I will be out on Monday, October 22, so Mrs. Landmann will be taking over for the day. Weekly reports will still go home as well as the spelling packet. I'll be testing the class on the 3's when I return, so please have them practice over the weekend. The following week we'll do the 4's and so forth until we have them memorized. It's an important skill to learn this year, so please help your child if they are struggling.

Thanks for all of your support and for those of you who have gotten me books from Scholastic, the Book Fair, and any other classroom supplies.

Wish list items:
pencils - sharpened (these tend to go fast)
bottled water (or send your child with a bottle to refill daily)
computer covers

Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Conference Week

It looks like everyone's scheduled for conferences this week. If for some reason you can not make your time, please let me know as soon as possible so we can reschedule. Since the conferences are back to back, I will keep them at 15 minutes. If you have any concerns please bring them up early in the conference so they can be addressed.

The field trip to the Museum of Natural History on Friday was a success. I think the students enjoyed themselves and got a glimpse of the Ohlone culture. Our next field trip will be Friday, November 2 to the Aptos Museum. This will be in the morning so the class will return back to school by lunch time. Permission slips will be sent out Monday along with the weekly homework packet. We finished the Theme 1 test on Thursday so we are back to our normal schedule.

See you all this week!

Upcoming events

Hello parents! This Friday is our field trip to the Museum of Natural History in Santa Cruz. This week, I will introduce the Ohlone Indians to the class so they become familiar with the native people who once lived in this area. The museum has a lot of Native American artifacts for the kids to see. If you are a chaperone, please be sure that your group is respecting and following the rules, especially when there are fragile items involved. Sometimes the kids need to be reminded that you are in charge as their chaperone. I believe that we will have 2 docents, so the class will be split in half. I will send out the green chaperone forms either Monday or Tuesday to those of you who would like to join us. If anyone has some extra blankets to bring, we will be eating our lunch on the grass near the museum. We also have some art projects coming up, so if anyone has any string or round butter containers, please send them in with your child.

HOMEWORK:
This week there will be no weekly packet. The 3rd grade classes will be taking the Theme 1 SCOOE test for Houghton Mifflin. So, the only homework they will have is their literature circle job and excel math. Please make sure that your child completes their reading assignment for the week as they will be sharing with their group. This kind of sharing is good for the students and when their job is not done, they feel left out.

Thanks for all you do!

Literature Circles

Last week, our class finally finished reading Charlotte's Web. So on that note, it's time to begin Literature Circles. I have placed students into 4 different groups based on their reading levels. I will pass out books tomorrow(Thursday) along with each job. They will have 1 week to read their book and complete their assignment: Discussion Director, Summarizer, Word Watcher, Illustrator, Passage Picker, or Connector. Your child may need a little support in getting started. A few jobs were fairly simple for them while others needed more scaffolding. I will send home the rubric again that I passed out at open house. If you still have a copy then you can send the extra one back or keep as a reference for your child. The books will be fairly simple this first go around to get the students and parents familiar with each job. Also, since the landform project is due on October 2, I didn't want to overwhelm the kids with too much homework. Next Thursday, students will present their job to their group and the class in order to learn the process of the Lit Circles. I will then pass out new books and assign a new job. This will happen every Thursday. Please email me if you have any questions.

Since we finished Charlotte's Web, our class will watch the movie this Friday. It's the older cartoon version and rated G. If you have any popcorn around the house, feel free to send some with your child this Friday.

Another reminder that book orders are due Friday as well. So far I have only received the order from 1 student. Please submit you order form if you'd like to purchase books.

I'll see you all very soon during conferences. If you have not received a conference time, please let me know. I sent the reminder paper home yesterday (it was yellow). If you have more than 1 child at the school, then you probably just received 1 paper with the siblings names listed.

Book Orders Due Friday, Sept. 28

Hello all! If you are interested in ordering from the October Scholastic Book Catalog, please turn in your form, along with the payment, by this Friday.
Mrs. Smith has been kind enough to volunteer for this job and will take care of the order for our class. Thanks Lisa! If you would like to contribute to the classroom library, I would love to get book sets of 6, since we will begin Lit. groups this week. Here are a few Lucky Book packs:

Geronimo Stilton...Thief (6 book pack) $19.95
Horrible Harry...Revenge (6 book pack) $4.95
Ivy & Bean...Ghost (6 book pack) $9.95
Kids of the Polk...Contest (6 book pack) $9.95

Molly's Pilgrim (1 book) $0.95 (It would be great to have a set of 6)
Any of the Magic Tree House books are good too.

Thanks again for supporting your children with books. This group loves to read any chance they get. We also began book buddies with Mrs. Varni's kinder class last week. They have been looking forward to being a BIG buddy this year.

HOMEWORK & SCHOOL NOTES

Tomorrow, I will send home the new weekly homework packet. Please be sure that your child has his/her name on ALL pages of the packet. I have received several papers without names and sometimes they come unstapled. The monthly reading log will be due this Friday as well. I will send home the October log next Monday (I can't believe October is right around the corner). Keep an eye out this week for yet another field trip form to the Santa Cruz History Museum. If you would like to be a driver and have not attended a field trip yet this year, please let me know so I can get you a chaperone form. I'd like everyone to have an opportunity to come along.

See you tomorrow!

Nisene Update

Hello parents! The forecast calls for showers tomorrow, but we all know that the weather is always changing. I spoke to the docent from Nisene and he said if there is a little drizzle, we should be fine. In the forest, the trail shouldn't be too muddy and the trees do provide some shelter. He will give me a call in the morning if it is too wet, otherwise we'll plan on going. You may want to bring or wear a rain jacket, just in case. The tour is from 10:30-12:30. There will be 2 docents available for our hike so I'll split the class in half. After the hike, we'll eat lunch at the picnic tables by the creek. He also mentioned that the kids do not need to bring backpacks along. I can bring a plastic box to store the lunches in. So, please make sure your child's lunch bag is clearly marked with his/her name.
Let's hope the weather cooperates with our trip!

Homework

Hello parents! A reminder to students that weekly packets are sent home on Monday and due on Friday. I had several students forget to turn them in on Friday. Also, the golden reading logs will be due at the end of the month, so be sure to have them filled out and ready to turn in. Thanks for you support!

Santa Cruz County Fair

I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful day at the County Fair! A big thanks to all the parents who were able to come along and drive. The students seemed to have a great time and were excited to finally meet their penpals. A reminder that the field trip to Nisene Marks next week has been changed from Friday, September 21 to *Thursday, September 20. We will eat lunch at the park so please be sure to pack a sack lunch.

Also, we are in the midst of finishing Charlotte's Web next week. Once we are done, I will send home books for Literature Circles. I'll keep you posted.

Have a restful weekend!

Wish List

Hello! Here is my wish list as requested:

bottled water (always great to have in the classroom)
pencils (sharpened if possible)
handiwipes
project board (students call them an "office") They have some at staples by Elmers. 1 board can be cut into 2 smaller boards.


A big thanks to all of you who have donated supplies and/or your time in the classroom. You have been terrific!

Hello everyone! I'd like to thank all of the parents who attended back to school night last week. I felt that it went pretty smooth and hopefully your questions were answered. You can always email me at athena_giovannis@pvusd.net if you have any further questions. Also, I appreciate all who were able to sign up to voluteer in the classroom.

Here are some upcoming events I'd like to tell you about:
The field trip to the county fair is coming up soon. Be sure that you send in your child's permission slip if you haven't done so. In addition, I have 6 parents who will be driving, so we are all set. I forgot to mention at back to school night that we will begin penpals this week with another 3rd grade class in the district. The kids are excited and will have the opportunity to meet up with their new "friend" at the fair.

We are also scheduled for another field trip to Nisene Marks on Friday, September 21. I just send home permission slips today and will be looking for more drivers. If you are interested, please let me know so I can give you the chaperone agreement form.

Last but not least, the 3rd grade homework packets will be sent out next Monday. The format is a bit different than what you have seen the past few weeks in my class, but will remain the same throughout the year.

I'd also like to give a big thank you to everyone who has donated supplies and/or money to the classroom fund. Your support is greatly appreciated!

I hope everyone enjoyed their first week of 3rd grade. The class seems to be a nice, bright group of kids to work with. Thank you (parents) for all of your support in supplying your children with the supplies they need. Monday we will begin a weekly homework packet as well as the monthly reading log. It may differ from the other 3rd grade classes for the next 2 weeks. Once we begin our reading program in September, we'll send home the same spelling lists. I know there have been so many papers sent home the past few days, but be sure to submit the after-school program application. This is on a first come, first serve basis. Program will begin Monday. See you bright and early tomorrow.

Homework

During the summer, the third grade team decided it would be a good idea to have the same homework for all classes. The homework will be as followed:

Each child should read a minimum of 15 minutes per night: A monthly reading log will be due the last day of each month (This will begin Monday, August 20)

Excel math: homework Monday - Thursday. Tests will be given on Fridays.

Spelling packet: This will include ABC order, sentences, and a page from the HM Practice Book.

I may send home additional homework related to science/social studies on occasion.

Thanks for your support. It's been a pleasure meeting some of the families today. I look forward to seeing all students bright and early tomorrow. I'm sure we'll all be tired. Let's have a GREAT week and year!

I'm sure the students are all getting excited to do some back-to-school shopping. Here's a list of items I would like them to come prepared with on the first day of school, August 15:

1. Several sharpened #2 pencils.

2. Big Mouth "Backpack Filer" by Wilson-Jones *An accordian file that holds papers and fits into any backpack.$7.99 at Staples.
**Please label the pockets as follows:
•Homework agenda
•Homework
•Completed Work
•Teacher/Parent Notes
•School Notes

3. Pencil Sharpener with receptacle/casing to contain the shavings. $1.00 at Staples

4. One REGULAR (not rolling) backpack.

5. Pencil box or pencil pouch. You can get these as low as $0.50 at some stores.

6. Red ball point pen.

7. Expo or any dry-erase markers (4 pack) and 8 1/2 x 11 dry erase white board.

8. 1 container of anti-bacterial handwipes (we do not have a sink in the classroom so these are a great substitute), box of tissues

9. Wide ruled paper notebook with easy tear out pages. Staples has a 3 pack for $0.99.

*Please use a permanent pen to write your child's name on all supplies, including their backpack. Thanks a bunch! :-)