Scholastic Book Club

On Thursday, I will be placing an order for the September Scholastic Book Club.  Although I prefer to order everything at once, I am happy to place Scholastic Orders whenever your child brings in their order form and money. If you have any questions please let me know via agenda.

Math textbooks

Everyone was very excited to receive their math textbooks today! I'll have to remind them of that as the year moves on ;) In the beginning, your children will most likely need some help while they are learning how to organize their book work. I have encouraged them to always put a title, date, page and question numbers. Also, depending on your child's programming they may not bring the text home each night. Students know that text books MUST come back to school everyday. 

Guided Reading / Independent Seat Work

Guided Reading / Independent Seat Work

Each day for approximately 40 minutes during Literacy students participate in Guided Reading. During this valuable time your child is doing one of two things: Guided Reading or Independent Seat Work. Please read a quick description for both.

Guided Reading  Guided reading is an instructional approach that involves a teacher working with a small group of students who demonstrate similar reading behaviors and can all read similar levels of texts. The text (book, magazine, article) is easy enough for students to read with a teacher's guidance and support. The text offers challenges and opportunities for problem solving and understanding, but is easy enough for students to read with some fluency. The teacher chooses the reading selections to help students expand their strategies.

Independent Seat Work - Students who are not actively participating in Guided Reading use this time to work on different learning tasks independently. The strategies the practice are always introduced to the class as a whole group and are based on our monthly Literacy focus. It is an opportunity to practice vocabulary, grammar, word study, guided reading tasks, reading comprehension strategies, media literacy and oral communication among other things. Students are responsible for completing their tasks with in the given time frame independently.

*Students are responsible for their learning during this time as I am always working with a small group of readers*

students know it is their job to :
1) work independently 
2) work with out distraction (or distracting others)

Below is a link that you will surely find helpful with 'at home' Math practice.

Mathies - Math Practice

This is a site that collects all of the resources that the ministry has that would be appropriate for students and parents. These include math games (both physical and electronic), a link to Homework Help, learning tools and activities. These are appropriate for students in grades k-12. 


I will also permanently attach this link on the Blog under the heading Helpful Links.

Numeracy- Patterning and Algebra

Our first strand for Numeracy (area of focus) is Patterning and Algebra. We are off to a great start and all students are capable of making a line patterns using shapes with different features.

According the Ontario Curriculum students will (by the end of grade 3)...

• describe, extend and create a variety of numeric patterns and geometric patterns.
• identify extend and create a repeating pattern involving 2 attributes (features).
• identify and describe number patterns involving addition and subtraction.
• extend repeating, growing and shrinking number patterns.

For the next few weeks this will be our major area of focus. For those students with different learning goals, please refer to their IEP's to see the goals determined for this specific strand. Please know that while they primary goals are that of the IEP they will also be exposed to other elements within the strand as well but will not be assessed on them.

As always if you have any questions please let me know via agenda or phone.

We are currently waiting for additional grade 3 math textbooks to arrive. Until then, if you'd like to assist your child at home with extra math practice they can work on single and double digit addition and subtraction.  This skill is extremely important in all areas of numeracy and student need to become very efficient/automatic with their addition and subtraction facts. Our next strand will be Number Sense.

Team Building Activities

Working in small groups is an important part of any classroom. Today was our first (of many) team building activities. Students were asked to build the tallest structure with the materials they have been given. This activity gives me the chance to see how your children work to solve problems with one another. It also gives me a chance to see their ability to focus on a specific task to achieve a goal. Enjoy the pictures!

Take a look at the most successful structure!

All About Me

Hello,
I am so excited to be a part of the Torch family! I have heard great things about this school from my good friend and mentor Mr. Boglitch. I look forward to the upcoming school year and can't wait to get to know your children and help them achieve their academic, social and behavioural goals for grade 3. In a round about way I feel an old connection with this area. When I was young my father taught in the area and also ran a city gymnastics program out of St. Alexander. I loved driving around this neighbourhood as it always meant gymnastics was just around the corner!

I have been blessed with many fantastic teaching experiences and I hope to continue adding to these experiences during my time at W.J. Langlois. I have spent the past 10 years splitting time between St. Francis (2003-2009) and St. Gabriel (2009-2014). I have taught between grades 3-6 and have also spent time working in LSST.

Welcome Back Torches

September has arrived!

Our classroom blog is up and running! My objective for this blog is to keep you informed and up to date with what's going on in our classroom.  My goal is to create posts based on what we are learning and post pictures of student work to give you an idea of what happens throughout the day in 3P.  I may also share educational and inspirational video clips from time to time. Although new posts may not occur daily, I will do my best to keep current with what we are covering and use the blog as an added means of communication between school and home.  As the blog moderator I am the only person able to post to this blog.  You as the viewer will have the ability to read and view all posts but can not post comments.  Our classroom blog does not replace your child's agenda. Homework and assignment due dates may not always be posted to the blog.  Please continue to check your child's agenda periodically throughout the week. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our classroom blog please notify me through the agenda.  We have discussed in class the importance of always asking a parent, or adult beforing logging on to the Internet.

Thanks,

Mrs. L Plante