Online Resources

Dear Families,

I have included a website link below that has several interactive computer games for students to play. Topics include: math, science, language arts, brain teasers and more!

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/

To find the link, you can visit www.google.com and search “Interactive Learning Sites for Education”. Click on the first link and select the topic you would like to work on.

Please let me know if you have any questions!  

Happy Learning!

Ms. Kwak

Google Classroom

Today our Grade 3 students were introduced to Google Classroom. 

Google Classroom can be accessed from any computer that has Google Chrome. Students may choose to complete a Social Studies project online (the project (written part) should be done at school, but they can search information about the project at home). 

Here is how you access Google Drive:

Click on this link: GOOGLE APPS for Education (YRDSB) 

Enter the following information: 

A username and password must be entered (the same that is required to log in to a computer at school).


Email: username(numbers)@gapps.yrdsb.ca

(example: 34535434@gapps.yrdsb.ca) 

After you are logged in, click on "Go to Google Classroom"

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Math Unit Test: Friday Dec 11

Grade 3 Addition and Subtraction Study Guide

Test Date: Friday, December 11th, 2015

- Rounding 2- and 3-digit numbers (i.e. Rounding 139 to the nearest ten is 140)

- Comparing Numbers (e.g., I know 83 is greater than 73 because 83 has 8 tens and 73 has 7 tens)

-Estimating sums and differences (23+52= ___  → 23 is rounded to 20 and 52 is rounded to 50, 20+50= 70)

- Adding and subtracting involving 3-digit numbers (i.e. 123+546, 177-58, etc.) using a variety of strategies (including standard addition/subtraction)

- Using different strategies for solving a problem

a) Addition Strategies; Doubles, Near Doubles (if 6+6=12, then 6+7=13 because 7 is one more than 6), Make 10, Fact Families,

b) Subtraction Strategies : Make 10, Counting back, Fact families

- Problem solving (Underline important parts of the question, show all of your thinking clearly and include an answer sentence)

Visual Arts and Social Studies: The First Nations Art

Bravo!! Students did a fantastic job on the First Nations Art assignment.

Visual Arts: Op Art

Grade 3 students did a fantastic job with the Op Art project! 

Literacy activity: Procedure Writing

Dear Parents/Guardians,

In the next couple of days, your child will be starting a Procedure Writing Unit. One of

the tasks in this unit is shared procedural writing. Your child will work together to come up with

a list of procedures. I would like to try and create fun ways for the students to learn new

concepts and we are very lucky that the holiday season is coming up. For this activity, each

table group will be given a gingerbread house kit with no instructions. They will then have to

work together as a group to come up with a list of procedures for how to create the perfect

gingerbread house.

We would gladly take donations from parents to subsidize  the cost of a gingerbread

house kit ($2-3 per students). Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated.  Students will

not be eating the houses; however, it is a nut free kit. If you have any questions or concerns

about this activity, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Social Studies: Mrs. Ferrari's Presentation

On November 18th, Mrs. Ferrari visited us to share her experience and knowledge about First Nations (Iqaliuit). We had a chance to see the "real" Norval Morrisseau's art work, a soap stone carvings done by First Nations artists, a leather pair of moccasins (made by animal hides). We also got to smell sage that was used at the Sweat Lodge ceremony, and watched interesting short video about Iqaluit's life. 

Thanks to Ms. Ferrari for the visit!! 

Social Studies: Field trip to Gardiner Museum

On November 16th, grade 3 students visited Gardiner Museum. In the morning, we attended presentation about First Nations and we took a tour of the museum as we reviewed different types of glasswares that were designed during 1700s to 1800s. Also, there was a special installation by Kent Monkman who is a First Nations artist of Cree and Irish ancestry. In the afternoon, we got to create an animal sculpture out of clay with a ceramic artist! We had so much fun!!

 

Literacy: Making Connections

In literacy, we have been learning about Making Connections. We started by discussing how we all have different life experiences, memories and how the story of our life will help us to understand the story that we are reading. 

We also read couple stories together and wrote a paragraph about Making Connections. 

There were several things that needed to be included in the paragraph:

1. The title of a book and author's name

2. Identify the connection (Text to Text, Text to Self, Text to World)

3. Restate the part of the text with a page number from the book 

4. Explain the connection in detail 

5. Explain how making connection helped to understand the text better 

Remembrance Day Presentation

Our class put together a video presentation and a beautiful art work for the Remembrance day assembly today.

Scholastic : Online orders

You can order Scholastic books online. You will be able to view the catalogues and pay it with your credit card. Please visit below website for more information.
http://www.scholastic.ca/clubs/clubsonline/

Math Unit Test: Place Value

Grade 3: Place Value Study Guide

Test Date: _November 12th 2015______________________

Students should have an understanding of the following:

• Composing and decomposing 3-digit numbers (i.e. 456 is 4 hundred, 5 tens, 6 ones... 5 hundreds, 7 tens and 9 ones is 579)
• Standard name: 389; Base ten name: 3 hundreds, 8 tens, 9 ones
• Showing numbers in different ways (i.e. 45 can be shown as 4 tens and 5 ones or 3 tens and 15 ones)
• Comparing numbers (i.e. 57 > 40... Read as: 57 is greater than 40)
• Rounding numbers to the nearest ten or hundred (i.e. Round 678 to the nearest ten: 680)
• Show numbers using an exact amount of block (e.g., show 235 using exactly 19 blocks)

*For extra practice students can visit abcya.com and play the games under the “Numbers” section

Field Trip to Gardiner Museum

On Monday, November 16, 2015, our Grade 3 students will be visiting the Gardiner Museum. This field trip relates to our Social Studies Unit on Heritage and Identity as well as Visual Arts unit. At the Gardiner Museum, students will be participating in several activities (i.e., the Native North America: slide presentation, artifact handling, and follow up activities) and a tour of the gallery (Kent Monkman's temporary installation). In the afternoon, students will work with a ceramic artist and create a sculpture out of clay.

We will be departing Pleasantville P.S. at 9:00 a.m. and returning by 3:00 p.m. The cost of this trip is $25.00 per student, which includes a full day program at the Gardiner Museum ($15), and bus fees ($10.00).

Students are required to bring a lunch (nut free). Please do not send any money with your child. Students must bring a shoe box with them to take their art creations home. If you would like to volunteer, please indicate your interest below. Volunteers will be chosen on a first come first serve basis, and due to limited space in the school bus, volunteers will need to drive to the Gardiner Museum.

We kindly ask that you return this permission slip no later than Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

You can visit this website for more information about the museum. http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/

November Newsletter

It is hard to believe how fast the first two months of school have flown by!  Our class has spent a lot of time getting to know each other and developing independence around procedures and routines. Students are now familiar with many of the classroom procedures and expectations.  They are now working on making good learning choices, such as choosing good learning spots on the carpet and finding quiet learning spaces to do their best work.

Agendas

Our school agenda is a great communication tool between home and school.  Each day, students write in their Agenda to inform you of happenings in the school, notes sent home and to remind themselves of homework to be completed and returned.

Please remember to read and sign the Agenda each night.  If you read that a certain item (homework, note etc.) has been “sent home” and you do not see it in your child’s Agenda or bag, don’t hesitate to write me a note in the Agenda saying you did not receive it so I will know to send it the next day.

Please make sure you read the Agenda each night and sign to show you’ve seen it.  Please remove any notes or homework sent home to help make your child’s Agenda easier to manage.  I do check Agendas each morning but it is a good idea to write that you’ve sent something in to ensure I receive it. You could also check the class blog for additional resources and class updates. http://gr3kwak.blogspot.ca

Homework

Since our program is in full swing, I thought it would be helpful to have a summary of when things go home and when they are due back:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Spelling sent home Share-A-Text Due	Return Reading Bag	Share-A-Text sent home	Reading Bag sent home	Spelling Check-In

Additional homework will be sent home in other subject areas.  Please return this homework the following day unless another date has been indicated.  If more time is needed for a certain task, please write a note in the agenda indicating that your child needs more time.  

All folders should be returned daily, as we will be adding work to them regularly.

Grades 3s are expected to complete approximately 30 minutes of homework each night. If no homework is indicated, please spend this time reading (book bag, share-a-text or a library book).  If your child is spending well over 30 minutes completing the assigned homework, please let the teacher know.

Literacy

We have been working on sentences since the start of the school year and we are beginning to work on paragraphs. Students are also working on generating ideas and adding details and expanding on their ideas to make their writing more interesting and clear.  Students will continue to work on improving their spelling and conventions throughout the year including, using appropriate spaces in between words, appropriate use of upper and lowercase letters and adding punctuation.  

Literacy centres have now begun in our classrooms.  Students will be rotating through different centres that allow them to practice their reading and writing skills as well as guided reading with the teacher.  

Book bags have started to go home.  Students are encouraged to read the book several times to build fluency and comprehension.  Students should keep reading the book until the story becomes familiar and their reading is fluent.  If you find that your child could benefit from keeping the book for another week, please write me a note in the agenda to let me know.  If you find the book is consistently too easy, please let me know.  Keep in mind comprehension is also a factor when deciding your child’s reading level.  Please ask your child to tell who and what the story was about.

Math

We have now begun our unit on number sense.  Students have been using tools to represent, add, subtract and compare numbers including hundreds chart, number lines and tens and ones blocks. We will be moving into addition and subtraction and students will start using iPad Apps to practice adding and subtracting. Students will be learning some mental math strategies to help them recognize and solve simple math questions. Students should be aware of their doubles facts (e.g. 8+8  16). We will then be moving into 3-digit addition and subtraction.

Students have signed up for a prodigy account at school.  This is a fun way for students to practice math skills at their level.  From time to time, students will receive assignments on their prodigy accounts for them to work on at school. Prodigy will provide the teacher with data after the completion of their assignment.  Please note that prodigy is free, but there are some features of the game that can be purchased.  Students understand that paid features are not needed to enjoy the game.

Science

We have recently completed our unit on forces. Students have learned that forces such as pushes and pulls, gravity, friction, buoyancy and magnetism all effect the movement of objects. They learned about the importance of safety devices and how they relate to the impact of forces as well as how forces in nature impact the natural and built environments (e.g., lightning).

Social Studies

In Social Studies, students started to learning about Early Settlers and First Nations as part of Heritage and Identity unit. Students will be learning about some issues, and challenges faced by Early Settlers, as well as conflicts between First Nations and Early Settlers. We will also discuss how an Early Settlers life was different than our current life.

Scholastic Orders

Scholastic flyers will be sent home regularly to provide your family opportunities to purchase books. Scholastic offers a selection of reading material that appeals to children and allows parents to choose books that are age appropriate.  Reading levels are included in the flyers to help parents choose books that might be a good fit for your child.  When you order from scholastic our class will earn rewards allowing me to purchase books and materials for our classroom.  Please only send in cheques for your Scholastic orders, as cash is not accepted. You can also view catalogues online and place an order online. http://www.scholastic.ca/

Allergies

We are a nut free school and we ask parents to check the ingredients of all food items being sent to school.  Please take the time to examine food ingredients to help keep our classroom safe for all students.

Math: Apps for iPad

Apps for iPad

Here are the Apps that will be used in the Math class starting next week (November 12th).

These Apps are free to download. Please download them before November 12th.

1. Show Me

2. Math Tappers (Practice Adding and Subtracting) - This can be searched under “iPhone” apps, but can be downloaded on iPads.

3. Prodigy (Math game)

4. Thinking Blocks Addition

5. Sushi Monster (Adding and Subtracting game)

Science: Forces Causing Movement

In science class, we've been discussing the idea about Forces (push and pull, motion): Gravity Force, Muscular Force, Friction Force, Buoyancy Force. We will discuss more about Magnetic Force, Static Force, Direct and Indirect Force next week.

Today, we watched a short clip about "Why do things float?" and experimented with several objects. Also, we discussed the idea about Buoyant objects (float) and non-Buoyant objects (sink).

Helpful reading websites

1. Raz- Kids

https://www.raz-kids.com/ 

Raz-Kids is an award-winning teaching product that provides comprehensive leveled reading resources for students. With hundreds of eBooks offered at 27 different levels of reading difficulty, it's easy to put the right content in every student's hands.

Kids access their levelled text through an interactive learning portal designed to keep them motivated and engaged. Every eBook is available in online and mobile formats, and allows students to listen to, read at their own pace, and record themselves reading. Students then take a corresponding eQuiz complete with an extended answer response to test comprehension and determine future instruction needs. Once a child has read ten or more of the leveled eBooks and passed each of the corresponding eQuizzes, they advance on to the next reading level where they have access to lengthier and more difficult text.

2. Storyline Online

http://www.storylineonline.net

Developed by The Screen Actors Guild Foundation, Storyline Online features accomplished actors and actresses reading some of their favorite children’s books.  Each story comes with a free Activity Guide and can be viewed on YouTube or SchoolTube.  Rainbow Fish, Wilfrid Gordon Macdonald Partridge, and To Be a Drum are just a few of the books available.

3. Read to Me

http://readtomelv.com

Similar to Storyline Online, Read to Me features popular children’s books being read by famous performers.  There are activity guides with hands-on ideas, discussion questions, and lesson plans that can easily be adapted to the Common Core State Standards.  Entirely free, the site is colorful and engaging.

We Give Books

http://wegivebooks.org

A Pearson Foundation Initiative, We Give Books offers students a unique opportunity to read for social good.  Each book that is read results in a book that is donated to a charity for children.  While the books are not read aloud, they allow students to practice “Read to Self” with a good fit book during center time.  There are books for children in preschool through fourth grade.

TumbleBooks

http://tumblebooks.com

http://www.tcpclibrary.org/tumblebooks.htm

http://www.portlandlibrary.com/kidsplace/tumblebooks.htm

TumbleBooks is a pay-for-use site that traditionally sells licenses to libraries and schools.  Many public libraries, such as the Tell City, IN Public Library, offer free access to their TumbleBooks account.  Students can follow along as the text is read them to help improve comprehension and fluency.  Choose from picture books to chapter books. Portland Public Library also has free access to TumbleBookCloud which gives access to Middle and High School level books.  If your school decides to purchase a school license, there is also access to the Common Core Portal that includes lessons and quizzes to accompany the books.

ABCya!

http://abcya.com

Children can listen to short stories read aloud to them as they follow along with the highlighted text.  ABCya! has a variety of educational games in addition to the featured stories.  Free resources and materials are available for grades K through 5.

National Geographic Young Explorers

http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/index.html

National Geographic Young Explorers is a magazine designed specifically for kindergarten and first grade students.  Children can listen to the magazine being read to them as they follow along with the highlighted text.  It is a great way to bring interesting non-fiction stories into reading center time.

Reminder: Signing Agenda+ Reading log & Reading questions

I would like to kindly remind you to sign the Agenda and the Reading log everyday. I asked students to read at least 20 minutes everyday and record what they read in their Reading log (a green duo tang). 

It is very important for students to learn to ask questions before, during, and after reading.  Questioning provides a purpose for reading and keeps the reader engaged in the text.  Questions can be answered in many different ways: in the text, by prior knowledge, by inferences, and through further research.  At home, you can ask questions to ensure your child understands what he/she is reading:

Before Reading:

-       What do you think is going to happen?

-       What is the story about?

-       Who is telling the story?

During Reading:

-       What would you do?

-       How does the character feel?

-       I wonder why…?

After Reading:

-       What was the main idea?

-       Do you know someone like…?

-       What would have happened if?

The value of making mistakes

We watched following video clips during our Math class. We discussed the idea about how we learn from our own mistakes. :) 

<Michael Jordan's Failures>

< Famous Failures >

<Don't give up- Olympic Runner> 

Tip Sheets in 15 languages

This tip sheets will help you understand the school system (EQAO test, Special education and etc.) and how you can help your child succeed.

http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/how-does-education-work/multi-lingual-information-for-parents/

Welcome to Ms. Kwak's class!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to another exciting year at Pleasantville Public School!  My name is Jasmin Kwak and I have the pleasure of teaching your child for the 2015 – 2016 school year.

This year, your child will have Ms. Neumann for Health and Physical Education, Ms. Mangat for music, and Ms. Bekiaris for Drama and Dance class. I will teach all other subjects in room 141. All of your child’s teachers will be working together to ensure your child has a successful year. 

I am counting on parental support to help your child adjust to their new grade. The single most important tool available to your child to ensure success is the agenda. I believe in a strong partnership between the student, their parents and the school.  To help keep you informed, I would appreciate if you could please review and sign the agenda nightly.  Also, on most Fridays, students will bring home a “Go Home” folder that will contain any returned work, notes from teachers and self-evaluation sheets.  Returning the folder each week and signing the agenda will ensure that you are kept up to date on your child’s progress and successes.  You can also access our class website at http://gr3kwak.blogspot.ca for information and important deadlines. 

Our class is scheduled for gym every Day 4 and Day 5. It is essential that all children wear appropriate clothes and footwear in order to participate fully in the gym program. To prepare for the winter weather, please ensure that your child brings indoor shoes everyday. In addition, I will provide school supplies, such as pencils, erasers, duo tangs, and etc. Binders and dividers are optional but highly recommended to help organize your child’s schoolwork.

If you have any books or any type of games (i.e. board games, card games.. appropriate for grade 3 students) that students can enjoy during an indoor recess period at home that you wish to donate to our classroom library, it will be so helpful for our students. 

Thank you in advance for your support in establishing a strong start to the 2015 school year.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me through your child’s agenda or by voice-mail at 905-884-7431, extension 141.

We are still a growing school and your child has the unique opportunity to make meaningful and lasting contributions to the school culture.  I’m looking forward to a great year! 

Sincerely,

Ms. Kwak