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!