Weekly Updates 9/28-9/29

NEWS/EVENTS

• WEDNESDAY'S FARM TRIP HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14th! It is supposed to rain (heavily) in Cairo this week, and we decided not to take the chance. We are sending home an updated permission slip tomorrow and ask to have them returned by this upcoming Friday.
• A big thanks to all families for joining us last Friday for Family Friday. We had a great time.
• A big thanks to Colette and Amanda for volunteering to be our class parents!
• Sorry for swimming confusion last week- our FIRST official day in the pool is this Friday first period. Please encourage students not to be late!

HOMEWORK

Monday: Read for 30 minutes and update reading plan, complete workbook pages 19-22

Tuesday: Read for 30 minutes and update reading plan, comple the "Rounding to the Nearest 10" Worksheet

Wednesday: Read for 30 minutes, complete workbook pages 27-30

Thursday: Read for 30 minutes, complete workbook pages 37-38

Friday: Read for 30 minutes and update reading plan each day over the weekend

CURRICULUM

Reading: This week we are starting to work more closely with reading partnerships and small groups to help reach our goals.

Writing: Today students committed to a piece of writing that they would like to see taken through the entire writing process. Later this week we will explore various strong leads and envision ways to hook our readers, and we will also engage in some goal setting for the unit using our on demand writing piece and teacher feedback.

Math: This week we are reviewing how to round to the nearest 10 and 100. Our hope is to start new math groups by next Monday, 10/5. More information on the way.

Social Studies: This week we are reviewing map reading skills and using hemispheres, lines of longitude and latitude, and a compass to determine directionality.

Bus Routines

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all of your help and support as we work to establish dismissal routines with the kids. With all of the days off, it has been very confusing.

A quick note regarding bus routines and procedures:

• If your child is assigned a bus route on any given day, they will always be sent to the bus group at the end of the day. If children are being picked up by parents and students are not taking the bus on a given day, they will meet by the ramp of the big yard (and picked up DIRECTLY from the bus line).
• The only time I will dismiss bus students is if bus children are attending after school.

Thank you for your help with this, and see you Friday!

Harvesting Sage

Today we had the opportunity to harvest sage for the PS 11 Cafeteria! Here is the recipe we tried out...

Weekly Updates

NEWS/EVENTS

• Tomorrow we have a special opportunity to prepare sage for the PS 11 cafeteria from 9-9:30. If you are interested in joining us to help, please email me!
• Next week on Wednesday, September 30th we are going to Stoneledge Farm. William and David will be joining us as chaperones! If you are interested in volunteering for a trip there will be other opportunities throughout the year.
• This Friday September 25th is Family Friday. I will be sending a note with further details in the next few days with more specifics.
• If you have not returned Welcome Packets please do so ASAP.
• This Friday is 3-509's first day of swim class. Please send swim materials to school that day-towel, bathing suit, etc.
• Our weekly special schedule is the following:
• Monday: Computer
• Tuesday: Music
• Wednesday: Science
• Thursday: Science
• Friday: Gym (swim)
• *****IMPORTANT: Photo consent forms MUST be returned to PS 11. We have many events this year where students might be photographed. If you have not filled out a form please do so ASAP.

HOMEWORK

Monday: Read for at least 30 minutes, Workbook 3A p.5-8

Tuesday: Read for at least 30 minutes, Workbook 3A p. 11-14

Friday: Read for at least 30 minutes, Workbook 3A p. 15-16

CURRICULUM

Reading: This week we are continuing to work on goal setting, building reading habits, and increasing stamina. We are also learning about ways to share ideas with others.

Writing: This week we are generating ideas for our writing pieces by making lists and then writing long about those ideas.

Math: This week students will use place value as a means to compare, order, and rank numbers.

Social Studies: We are continuing to learn about continents and major bodies of water.

Meet Laura Schwartz

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to introduce Laura Schwartz, our fabulous intern from Teacher's College. She has put together a brief introduction to our class for our blog:

I could not be more excited to begin my internship with Ms. Bouchard and her exceptional 3^rd graders. I am currently enrolled as a graduate student at Columbia University Teacher’s College where I am studying to be a Literacy Specialist. Prior to my studies, I worked for 4 years in a public, bilingual school in Washington, DC. I taught first grade in their Dual Language program. I speak both English and Spanish, but I am constantly trying to add new languages to my repertoire. My favorite book is The Little Prince and I love hiking, camping and the outdoors. In my free time I am also trying to learn how to play the ukulele! Thank you for welcoming me into the classroom!

Weekly Updates 9/16-9/18

NEWS/EVENTS

• On Wednesday September 30th we are traveling upstate to visit Stoneledge Farm. Please have students return permission slips by next week. Please email me if you are interested in chaperoning.
• Please fill out the Important Information Survey for my records.
• Please let me know your child's t-shirt size by Friday. Fill out the T-Shirt Size Survey.
• Return Welcome Folders as soon as possible.
• Please email me if you are interested in being a class parent.
• Our first Family Friday is next Friday, September 25th from 8:50-9:35 am.

Homework

This week I am asking students to continue to read for 30 minutes each night. We are also decorating writing notebooks on Friday- please send students in with pictures that inspire them as writers (people, places, things).

Curriculum

Reading- This week we are focusing on establishing reading routines such as:

• What the environment should feel like
• What tools/materials do we need
• How to find a "just right" book
• How to set goals

Writing- This week we are building tools that will inspire us to write stories. We are also decorating writing notebooks on Friday- please send students in with pictures that inspire them as writers (people, places, things). We are also annotating strong writing noticed in a student mentor text and are marking up things we love with the help of our Narrative Writing Rubric.

Math- We are reviewing the various ways we can represent numbers (standard, expanded, written, pictures) as well as place value. We are also taking final preassessments.

Social Studies- We are applying for jobs in our own class community. We are also started to look at map reading skills such as identifying bodies of water and continents.

Our First PS 11 Farm Stand Date is Wednesday September 16th from 8:00 am -8:45 am!

Hello Parents of 3-509!

Next Wednesday September 16th is our first class opportunity to man the PS 11 farm stand. Our time slot is from 8:00-8:45, but today when we met with Ms. Debbie she said students could arrive as early as 7:50.

Here are more details...

• Miss Debbie meets our class by the tent in front of the school.
• Students will learn the ropes of selling local farm produce from Stoneledge Farm.
• Students will be sent directly to our classroom once our scheduled time has ended.
• If your child takes the bus, he/she may miss farm stand time. To ensure the most time, arrange an alternate drop off for that morning.
• Students may arrive to participate any time between 8-8:45. The earlier they arrive, the more time they will have.

Thanks for your support, and have a great weekend!

Aimee Bouchard

Child T-Shirt Size

Hi Everyone!

It was wonderful to meet many of you this morning. I meant to collect -shirt size information for the kids...would you mind filling out this 5 second survey by next Wednesday to help me collect this information?

T-Shirt Sizing Information

Thank you!

Welcome, Students and Families!

Dear Parents and Students,

I am thrilled to work with you this year. I love the excitement of September, the feeling of embarking on an exciting journey. When I originally created this blog, the words of the famous German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang Goethe inspired me to create a name that captured the essence of the work we do throughout the year. The following quote touches upon the sense of risk-taking and grit that we encourage at P.S. 11:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." 

Welcome to 3-509! I can't wait to see where boldness takes us this year.

On a side note, families please take a moment to complete the "Important Information" Google form for my records. It will help tremendously! Thank you.