Welcome to a NEW YEAR!!!

I am so happy to beginning my 12th year at W.T.Page ES and my 5th year in Grade 3! It has been a great first week of school so far, with my 20 new Penguins- with lots of learning, "getting to know you" and team building activities and creation of our classroom rules and expectations.

I look forward to meeting parents at Back to School Night next Wednesday, September 9 from 7-8:30pm. We will discuss the curriculum your child will be learning this year, classroom and homework expectation and it will give you a chance to see your child's classroom up close and get to know me a bit better.

Please teak some time to check out my blog and familiarize yourself with how it has been used by my students for the past 2 years- it has over 5,000 hits! On the left, you can find helpful sites for parents and students to use.

This year, W.T.Page's instructional focus is reading, specifically guided reading. Being a strong reader is so important! Did you know:

• Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year. 
• The more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher students are in reading proficiency, according to the Educational Testing Service.
• The imbalance between reading and television has a significant effect on academic results, the Michigan researchers found. Every hour of weekly reading translated into a half-point increase on test scores, while each hour of TV watching corresponded with a tenth of a point drop in scores.

Click here to get some ideas and tips on how you can help your child become a stronger reader.

Just some food for thought- looking forward to meeting you all at Back to School Night!!!

End of Grade 3 Wrap Up!!!

Whew! This year has really flown by- I feel that way every year but this one has really snuck up on me and here we are with only a few days left.

A few important notes as we wrap things up:

-It is so crucial that your child completes the reading and math packets this summer. "Summer Slide" (where students regress over the summer) is a real concern and happens to many children every year! The children will be rewarded for completing them, but is an expectation and is considered required!

-Additionally, I have signed up- and gotten a FREE trial!- for all of my students for Splash Math! I have never used this program before, but it really sounds great and I am eager to hear your feedback! Students brought home a sign up form with an access code today.

-Read, read, read! There is a great Summer Reading Program at the Montgomery County library, please participate! They also have summer reading lists by grade for your child.

- By the end of the week, your child will bring home all items from their desk and their data notebook with all of their best work. Please let me know if your child will not come to school on Monday, June 15 (which is a half day!) so I can ensure they do not leave anything behind this week!

-This Friday, the class earned an end of year pizza party. Please let me know if you'd like to send in any additional treats for our last party of the year (cookies/cupcakes/juice boxes). No nuts!

Here are some last pictures of our end of year fun- field trip, author's tea and vacation presentations!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and exciting summer

full of learning and fun!

Multiplication Mania!

As many of you (students and parents) have heard me say- Students need to master their multiplication basic facts (through 10 X 10 at least) by the end of the year.  I keep repeating it because it is a key to success in 4th grade math- students cannot move on to multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers and fractions and decimals unless they have mastered these facts.

In marking period 4, we will dedicate more class time to this goal- students will take timed quizzes multiple times per week, quiz each other with flashcards, play multiplication games, do additional worksheets and use websites to practice their facts.

Some students are close to demonstrating mastery already, while others continue to be "stuck" on their 3's or 4's facts and not moving forward.  Here are some ideas to try at home to get "over the hump":

Multiplication websites that have timed quizzes and games!  There are a few listed here on the left side of your screen. Multiplication.com (my personal favorite) has multiplication videos, self correcting quizzes and engaging games for the kids to independently practice their facts for 10-15 minutes per night.

The Joy of Music! Tune into some multiplication songs to help your musically inclined child remember their facts.  This has really helped some of my students in the past who have struggled. You can find tons of options on youtube: Here is an example of a funny 8's times table song. You can also look up CD's on Amazon and purchase one for when you are cruising around town. I have a CD in the classroom for down time and transitions and some kids really enjoy it.

Speaking of Amazon, you could also consider buying a good old fashioned multiplication workbook, flashcards or a game to help them learn and practice.  Many of these things can also be found at Target, Staples and dollar stores!

Have other ideas for ways to help the students master their multiplication facts?  Please comment and share them!!!

The children who are having the most success have shared with the class that they practice at home! Thank you for the support!!!

Photo Extravanganza

I think I was able to fix my browser/blog troubles and add some photos to the blog, so here is a little show of photos I've been holding on to upload.

The kids are currently familiarizing themselves with their very own chromebooks in the classroom- such an amazing addition to bring into the classroom- they are currently trying out some fractions games- the link can be found at the right. This morning, we were able to log into the PARCC system and begin a practice English/Language Arts test on the chromebooks as well.

Learning to Type: A Crucial 21st Century Skill

This winter break, when your child (or you!) needs a bit of quiet time, have them jump onto the computer and practice their typing skills!  This year, we are focused on trying to improve students' typing capabilities and the only way to improve these skills is through practice and familiarity.  A great first step is having your child type up their Holiday Project, spelling sentences or other small assignments weekly.  Additionally, Mrs. Bradley has collected a bunch of great sties on her blog that help students learn to type! Check some of them out!

Scholastic Writing Contest

Here is the link to tonight's fun little extra credit writing assignment!!!

All I want for...a Happy Holidays!

This holiday season, I am putting together a little wish list for parents.  As you do your holiday shopping, please consider giving to our classroom community!  Here are some things we could really use:
-Headphones that plug into laptops.  Soon we'll be getting a class set of chrome books (Yipee!).  I want to be able to have student use them during center time to listen to books and answer questions and also to play math games that reinforce skills from lessons.  Many of these require sound.  I'd like headphones that go outside of the ears so they can be shared, rather than earbuds,
-Hardcover Books. As you can imagine, the books in our class library get a lot of use and wear and tear, especially the ever popular "Diary of Wimpy Kid" or "Big Nate" books.  I'd like to start re-stocking and replenishing.  Also, any high-interest non-fiction books about science and nature would be wonderful.
-Addition, Subtraction or Division BINGO. I have a very popular Multiplication BINGO.  I'd like to add to the collection for review and challenge.
-Your Time. If you have any time to make copies, feel comfortable laminating and cutting our items, helping me to organize my class games and center, this would be a holiday gift the whole class (especially me!) can benefit from! Also, classroom visitors are always fun and exciting for the students- can you donate an afternoon to share with us about your career or to help do a hands-on experiment or project? I would love to have some help at our "Holiday Party" at the culmination of our December project- please e-mail me if you can make it!
-Cleaning Products. I use small pump bottle of hand sanitizer as my bathroom passes and go through it pretty fast.  Also, cleaning wipes- both baby wipes and Lysol wipes, as always very useful to have in stock.
-2 new fish and vacation fish feeders. Our bottom feeder has passed away (RIP Stompy) and our tank is starting to look a lil green.  We could use a new fish or 2 to brighten the place up.  3 and 7 day feeders are always good have for winter, spring break and long weekends.
-Fun Classroom Supplies: Handy things that all teachers can use: Colored Sharpie Markers of different sizes, regular Crayola markers, post-its in fun shapes and colors, neat stickers, stamps and stamp pads...


Thank-you for all of your contributions to our classroom!!!