Thank You!

A big thank you to Mrs. Spinelli and Mrs. Gaeckle for organizing a baby shower on Friday with the class. They had a wonderful time and I have to say, this has been a special group of kids. I appreciate the Ergo Baby Carrier you all pitched in for. Once our little boy is ready to venture out, I'll stop by the school to show him off.

Here are a few reminders for the upcoming week:

Monday, we'll begin talking about Famous American Biographies. Students should start THINKING about who they would like to research. They have to choose a famous American (whom is no longer alive) that has contributed to our country as a whole. All 3rd grade classes will complete this project. The final project will include: a research report (typed), a poster, and an oral presentation. Most of the work will be done in class using an outline generated by the 3rd grade teachers. The speech, however, will need to be practiced at home. Many students last year memorized their speech and/or used note cards. A letter will be sent home outlining the requirements of this project within the next few weeks.

Tuesday, all 1st-3rd grade classes are going to see a play at the Mello Center in Watsonville. If you haven't sent in $7.75 for this trip, please do so ASAP so I can give the money to Parent Alliance.

Thursday our class is going to the MAH in Downtown Santa Cruz. We will leave Rio by 8:30 sharp and arrive back at school by 11:30.

Spelling packets this week will consist of 12 frequently misspelled words due by Friday. Also due on Friday is the December/January reading log. If you've misplaced it, please have your child ask me for a new one or just use a piece of binder paper to log the books they have read.

Weekly reports were sent home on Friday. I don't include the Excel math pages because most of this is done and corrected in class. If it isn't, then your child should bring it home for your review. Also, if you would like to see your child's math or spelling tests, ask your child to bring them home. I pass them out each week to every student.

That's all for now! Have a great week!

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

First of all, I'd like to thank you for the generous gifts you gave me for Christmas. I truly appreciate it.

As much as I enjoyed my time off to relax, it was nice to see the smiling faces of your children on Tuesday morning. The week went well and students seemed excited to get back into the groove of learning. We were off to slow start, but now that we're back, we have a lot to do.

Spelling packets were sent home but aren't due until Friday, January 23. I have made a few changes to the Houghton Mifflin math homework. On Tuesday/Thursday when I send this home, the students are to choose 3 problems on the back for them to do. These problems begin easy and get very hard as you have noticed. A few parents commented on the difficulty and frustration, so I have made adjustments based on your child's math level. Everyone needs to continue memorizing their times tables. This is a 3rd grade standard and if kids don't learn them this year, it makes 4th grade even harder. Most of the students are on their way, but now that we have begun division, it's apparent that most of the kids don't have these facts memorized yet. I'll continue giving timed tests once a week.

As you are well aware, we have 2 field trips in the same week coming up. The first is to the Mello Center on Tuesday, January 27. All classes 1st-3rd will be attending and taking the school bus to Watsonville. Parent chaperones are encouraged to carpool since the parking is limited. This field trip costs $7.75. We are allowing 3 parents per class to chaperone and their admission is free.

The next trip is to the MAH (Museum of Art History) in Downtown Santa Cruz on Thursday, January 29. When we collected $11.00 earlier this year, that covered the cost of this trip(not the Mello Center). So there is no need to send in money. Ms. Landman will accompany our class as well. This will be a nice opportunity for her to meet the kids and parents who attend.

I hope you are enjoying this lovely 3 day weekend. I can't believe it's the middle of winter. What a way to begin the school year!

Happy Holidays!

Hello RM 23 parents! Our last week of school for 2008 is already here and the excitement is in the air with your children. We have a busy, but fun week ahead of us. The beginning of the week will be pretty routine. Regular homework packets will go out tomorrow, math will be given, and Lit Circles will meet on Thursday. Most groups will be assigned chapter books to read over the holiday vacation. Remember, students can count these books on their reading log.

After school program ends on Tuesday and Wednesday is NOT a restructured day. On Thursday from 12:20-1:15 we'll have our class party consisting of 4 different center activities. Then on Friday, we're off to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for a field trip.

I have really enjoyed your children this year and am sad to take a leave come February when my baby arrives. THANK YOU to all that help me in the classroom in one way or another. Without your help, I would be elbow deep in things to do. If I don't see you before Friday, have a wonderful, relaxing vacation!

So much to do, so little time...

The kids were back to school this week energized and ready to learn. Some extra days off really does a body good! This past week was work as usual, but with only 2 weeks to go until Winter Break, we have a lot to do. Due to our field trip to the Museum of Natural History on Friday, December 19, our class will be having a holiday party on Thursday the 18th. Mrs. Gaeckle and Mrs. Spinelli are already on board and planning on a few center activities. There will be no food involved this time, just a few art activities. If you would like to volunteer to run a center or help set up, please let us know. Have a nice weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm sure we are all anxious to get some time off to enjoy with our families. The next 2 days should be fairly low key as some kids will be out due to early departure of vacation. There will be no spelling packet this week, only math homework (Monday) and Lit circles from last Thursday. The November reading logs are due on Tuesday, but your child can turn it in when we return to school on Monday, December 1.

Tomorrow, students will say farewell to Jenni, the Spectra Arts teacher. They have enjoyed ceramics with her and will bring home some of their finished pieces. She will be on campus the rest of the year, but working with other classes.

We have a field trip scheduled to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History in Seabright scheduled for Friday, December 19. I will send home permission slips after the break.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and safe travels where ever you may go!

Is it summer again?

Hello parents! I hope you're all enjoying this lovely Fall weekend. It's a great way to end the short week. This time of year always seems to fly by with all of the upcoming holidays and time off from school. If you have planned a trip during Thanksgiving week, please send a note to let me know. The district changed the calendar after many families anticipated the week off. It's only 2 days, so your child won't miss too much.

Things should be back to normal beginning Monday. We'll have a full week with spelling packets due on Friday and nightly math. We dove into multiplication the past 2 weeks, so I will be giving weekly multiplication tests to monitor student progress. Please work with your child at home on the facts if you see that they are struggling. Also, I have noticed that some students are still forgetting to write their names on the homework. If you can take some time to check homework frequently, this would be helpful.

Thanks to those of you who were able to chaperone on the past 2 field trips. We have one more coming up to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. This trip is scheduled for Friday, December 19 (the last day before winter break). Permission slips will be sent home soon, so mark your calendars if you'd like to attend.

That's all the news for now. Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Halloween!

A big thanks to Jen and Kelly for organizing the Halloween party. It was a huge success! Also, thank you to all the parents who were able to donate items for the party and their time setting up. I hope your children had a fun time trick or treating in the rain last night. I'm sure your sifting through all the candy this weekend and trying to have some down time. Just think, 365 more days until next Halloween! Please limit the candy in your child's lunch this week.

This Thursday, we'll be going on our field trip to Nisene Marks. If you haven't turned in the permission slip, do so ASAP. Children will not be allowed to go if their permission slip is not on file with me. We will leave school at 9:15 and return at approximately 11:30 (lunch time). Students will be eating lunch back at school because we have rotations beginning at 12:20, and I need some time to get settled. I recommend packing a hearty snack to eat in the car before the hike. Last year it was a bit tiring, so it's good to fuel up before we go. There will be no food allowed on the trail. If any one is able to bring a few extra snacks, that would be great.

Also, Lit Circle groups will not meet on Thursday. The assignment is still due, so I will collect it and hand out their new job and book. I may have the groups check in on Friday to discuss their books.

Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend. I'm looking forward to the extra hour. How about you!?