Home Reading & Swimming Information!

Welcome to grade 3, room 102's blog!

Here are some questions and answers about the home reading program:

When should I change my books?

Whenever you are finished reading them. Sometimes it takes a few days or weeks to finish a chapter book! You have time to change your books each morning before the announcements. If you forget, there is another chance during agenda writing and power reading in the afternoon.

Instead of reading a book, can we go on RAZ-Kids?

Yes, you can just write RAZ-Kids on your reading log and get your parent to sign it as usual!

Do you have to bring the books back in one day?

No, bring them back when you are finished reading them. Please do not take new books until they are returned to their proper book bin. You should hand in your reading log to me each day though so that I know you have read and I can see what you are reading. Ask your parents to initial the log as well.

How long do we have to read?

About 15-25 minutes should be good. Right now we are just reading English books but we will start bringing home French home reading, called Lecture Chez Moi (LCM) in the next couple weeks.

Do we read the books so we can learn more?

Yes, that is one reason to read. There are many! You will also become a faster reader the more you read. Enjoyment is another great reason to read.

What happens if we don't read?

You will have to attend the homework club at your lunch recess to catch up on some reading! This will only happen if you don't read for more than 3 days in a row without a note or e-mail from your parents explaining why you haven't had time to read.

What if a book is too hard or too easy?

If a book is too easy, it is still a good idea to read it for more practice and to build confidence. If it is not interesting for you, I can help to try to find one that is. If a book is too hard, you can return it and ask me to help you find a new one. If it is a story you are really interested in, ask a family member to read it to you! Maybe they can read one chapter every night before bed?

Swimming information:

Today a permission slip for the swimming program went home. Please return it as soon as possible. 
I will need 3 parents for each trip to the pool and hopefully at least one dad/grandpa per session to help supervise the boys in the change room. There is a sign-up sheet attached to the permission slip for volunteers. Here are the dates we will swim:
Tuesday mornings - Sept. 23 (Centennial Pool)
                               - Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21& 28 (Civic Centre)

The bus will pick us up at 10:00 and we should be back just in time for lunch at 11:25. 

June Pictures

Here are some of the vegetables we used for our soup:

We boiled the vegetables in broth!

Some students enjoyed the vegetable soup more than others!

Students helped mix our 'mud' pudding pie.

The gummy worms were the best part!

Still growing plants!

Here is our art project, edible root vegetables!

Here are our representations of the barn in Charlotte's Web.

Mme Mary came to speak to us about compost.

Worms!

Here are some photos from our trip to the Conservatory at Assiniboine Park.

Turtles

Banana plants

Fish

More worms!

Have a great summer!!!
:)

Advice for next year's grade 3's...

Ryker - Be good and have manners also. Be responsible and don't swear kids, it's a no-no. Have fun in grade 3!

Oscar - In grade 3 you need to now work hard and don't slack-off. You shouldn't interrupt or do anything bad. You should work together only if you don't need to work individually.

Emily - Don't swear at other kids. Don't be rude to other kids or the teacher.

Chase - In grade 3 you're going to have to follow instructions and do what you're told. Trust me I got in trouble a lot. Hope you guys have so much fun in this class like me.

Prestyn - In grade 3 you have to not be, say or look up inappropriate things on the internet. Don't interrupt the person speaking. Don't do handstands and cartwheels in class. Don't bring toys, only if you have to or told to.

Juliana - In grade three if you don't have an iPad ask Mme cause she can print you information you need for the projects on the iPads. Don't do inappropriate stuff on the iPads. Mme DeSousa is the best teacher in the world. I hate to leave Mme DeSousa.

William - In grade 3 you need to do a lot of group work so you need to know how to work with other people. You are also allowed to have water bottles on your desk.

Colton - In grade 3 you need to be respectful, nice, don't swear and always do your work. Mme DeSousa is very nice and I wish you good luck.

Talia - In grade three you have to be responsible for your work. You have to try and memorize information and don't swear. Don't say inappropriate words and have manners.

Holly - In grade 3, Mme DeSousa's class, you must know these things to succeed: You must be respectful, quiet and responsible. You must listen to the teacher and don't be silly. You must always be nice to the others around you and ignore bad behaviour. Mme DeSousa is the best teacher ever!

Jessica - In grade three you have to listen or you won't get to do fun things. You will have to remember a lot of things and don't interrupt. You will have lots of fun!!!!!

Joshua - In grade 3 you need to learn manners. If you think to say an inappropriate word to a person keep it inside. If you're outside don't push, punch or kick and if the teacher is talking don't, I'm saying don't, interrupt.

Jaden - In grade 3 try to use juicy words! Do not interrupt Mme.

Cassidy - When you're in grade 3 be responsible for your stuff you take out, you have to put it away where you found it. Try to be good for the whole year. Be good to your friends and like my teacher Mme DeSousa.

Elsir - In grade 3 you need to listen. Ask Mme if you need help. Pay attention in classes. Don't fight. Play nice. Try to do your best. Do your homework and home reading. Don't swear. Play nice. Listen to Mme. Listen to the substitutes too.

Brady P. - In grade 3 be responsible. Do more work. Be a good boy. Don't be bad.

Carson - Be a good boy or girl. Be responsible. Have manners. Don't be inappropriate. Don't swear.

Sara - In grade 3 you need to...be nice, kind, not be bad, responsible, read, manners, memorize things, try, learn, don't be inappropriate, work with juicy words and cooperate with people. Have fun in grade 3!

Bradi B. - When you're in grade 3 you have to be respectful and responsible and follow all the rules. Try your hardest when you're working. Keep your desk clean (that's a mistake I made.)

Andreas - You must be good. Grade 3 students must be nice to the teacher and ask her when they need help. You must do your work. You should skip lines in sentences like in your own journal. Do not say bad things. Do not interrupt when the teacher's talking.

Braxton - In grade 3 you should know that Mme DeSousa is an awesome teacher. She is nice and gives us treats and reads good books to us. Even if people are bad she still gives them treats sometimes. But if you are bad she is still usually nice. You're lucky if you get her!

Kiera - In Mme DeSousa's class never, not ever, talk back or roll your eyes and always be nice. If you get homework do it because Mme will either make you go to homework club or have extras. (copies) Always do your home reading. Never ever, ever, be inappropriate, never swear or type bad stuff on the iPads. Do what you're told. Always cooperate, never rip someone's work or hurt someone. Never have a fit or a spaz attack.

Journal Entries

Comments about a news story we watched and read about:
Bradi B. - I think it is very crazy, wrong, rude, unkind and unfair that people are stealing goose eggs from geese. People should respect nature and just slow down!

Emily - I think we should reduce the amount of cars instead of geese.

Jessica - You can fix a car all you want, but you can't rebuild a goose!

Prestyn - It's heart breaking. You can fix a car instead of killing nature.

Assiniboine Park Trip:
Jaden - Today I went to the Assiniboine Park Conservatory and Nature Playground.

Colton - First we learned about plant adaptations.

Oscar - We learned about plant adaptations, it's how they survive without important things to survive (food, water, space and sunlight).

Kiera - We got to go in their rainforest and we got to feel, look and touch red wigglers.

William - We had two presentations about plants and soil. We also ate lunch in the Nature Playground.

Holly - Did you know that there are plants that smell like mint and popcorn?

Ryker - I saw four turtles and a lot of fish. There was a turtle in the fish pond!

Elsir - I discovered an ant hill and red wigglers, that's a type of worm. We used trowels to dig things up.

Brady P. - It was disgusting playing with worms!

Braxton - My favourite part was when we went on a scavenger hunt in the indoor rainforest and we learned about adaptations. We also played Simon Says in the rainforest, it was fun.

Chase - I learned a lot more about plants than I used to know!

Things we learned:
Andreas - My favourite thing was chapter books like Charlotte's Web.

Sara - My favourite part of grade 3 was Charlotte's Web because it's a great book.

Talia - We learned how to use Keynote, it was fun! Everybody did a different country on Keynote and everybody tried.

Prestyn - This year in grade 3 I learned...of course how to speak French in French, Science, Math, Music, etc...

Juliana - This year my favourite activity was being with Mme DeSousa playing Bingo. We watched The Magic School Bus, it was awesome.

Carson - The things I liked the most in grade 3 was when we watched The Magic School Bus and Charlotte's Web and when we read Ramona the Pest. I liked doing the Keynote project.

Emily - This year my favourite activity was working in our book for handwriting. I like handwriting because it looks really fancy.

Cassidy - On Cinco de Mayo we ate lots of Mexican foods. We were reading Charlotte's Web and then we watched the movie. The end was heartbreaking.

Oscar - Also, I really liked gym, I got good exercise with M. Senecal. I will really miss Mme DeSousa.

Joshua - Grade 3 is almost over but my friends are still having fun. Everyday me and everybody are changing, we're becoming wiser and more mature. My favourite part in grade 3 is recorder at music class.

ABC's of Grade 3

Assiniboine Park, Aboriginal Day, Autobiographies
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Charlotte's Web, Compost, Cinco de Mayo, Cranberry Thanksgiving
Division
Egypt, Ernest Thompson Seton
Forces, Fish, Fire House Safety, Fractions
Gravity, Geometric Shapes
Halloween monsters, Hoop dancing
I-pads, I-movie
Juice at the Cinco de Mayo party
Keynote
Length
Mexico, Mosaic, Magic School bus
Natation, Nouveau Bébé
Organs
Plants and soil
Quimby Family
Ramona the Pest, Roots, Robert Munsch, Recorder
Soil, Sea Animals, Symphony, Silhouettes, Shading
Times, Tipi, Tomie de Paola, Ti'Bert
Underground (digging)
Vegetable soup
Words their way, Worms
Xylophone
Year of grade 3
Zillions of things to learn, Zoom out of school on the last day!

May Update

Here is what grade 3, room 102 had to say about May:

The play 'Le nouveau bébé' only had two actors in it. One of them played one part and the other played two parts. 

We had a party called Cinco de Mayo. It is a traditional Mexican holiday. We had juice of mango, pineapple and orange because those fruits grow in Mexico.

We had tortilla chips, guacamole and salsa. We made the guacamole by skinning avocados and then mushing them up in a bowl with guacamole spice. 

We also had taquitos. We were writing about Mexico and getting pictures of Mexico on the classroom iPads. We made brochures and we printed them in colour!

There was an artist who came to our classroom. We are sketching plants, animals and other objects. Our artist is Mme Weibe. She helped us learn about an artist named Ernest Thompson Seton. 

We made pastel resist water colour owls. They were really fun!

Holly, Cassidy and Kiera made wolves because they weren't there when we did it. 

One day we went around the classroom looking at different parts of plants and investigating them. We used magnifying glasses to investigate them. There were roots, parts of bark, dirt, leaves, seeds and flowers. 

We helped Dimitri make part of the mosaic on the wall. This is the Tree of Life. There are some animals like bears, wolves, big foot, bison, beavers and turtles. This is some very beautiful art. There were different groups making different parts. 

In English we are reading a chapter book called Charlotte's Web about a pig named Wilbur and his friend Charlotte the spider. We answer questions about the chapters in our booklets. We decorate and draw things from the book, like crates.

We focused on division in May! Everybody was in groups and one of the groups was doing division. We learned how to divide bingo chips using an egg carton. The other groups worked on the iPads or building geometric solids.

We had a great time in May!

April News

We had an assembly and it was fun. All the classes did Earth themed poems for Earth Day. We got to sing Notre planète c'est la Terre!

In science, we are growing plants and lots of them are growing. Some of the bean plants are getting huge! Some of our plants are wrinkled up. Each day we water them and write in our journals. We count how many leaves and measure our plants.

In social studies, we are learning about Mexico. We know that they speak Spanish. It's really hot in Mexico, there's no snow. They only have 2 seasons. Their rainy season is in September.

For math we are doing centres. One of the centres is answering questions using QR codes on the iPads. We started learning division, which is the opposite of multiplication. We are also studying geometric shapes and solids.

We have been reading Charlotte's Web in English. The author uses roman numerals to number the chapters. So far, Wilbur the pig has met a new friend, Charlotte the spider.

In health, we are learning about organs like the brain, kidneys, etc.

At the symphony we heard beautiful music and one of us feel asleep!

We heard songs and the pigs kept complaining at the grade 4 and 5 musical, The Trial of The Big Bad Wolf.

In gym we did soccer baseball, we played hockey and soccer.

Here is a picture of our geometric shape designs.

Here is a picture of our French poem. We each took a turn writing it out on the big chart paper.

Here is a picture of some of our plants growing in the window.

A note from Mme DeSousa:

- New home reading calendars are going home today for May and June. You just have to initial the day your child read and note the approximate time they read. Students should be reading in French daily. 

- Plants will be sent home eventually. Since it is not really outdoor planting weather yet, you might want to start collecting plastic containers to transfer the plants into until they can be planted outside, if you wish! Sour cream, cottage cheese or yogurt containers all work great for this. The egg carton can be planted right into the soil. Happy planting!