- only three grades took pictures today - smart thinking, Ms. Tonoli & Dr. Hakopian!
- all the PTA volunteers who kept classes organized and even checked hair (your child may have come home with a new comb)
Additionally, there will be a picture makeup day on Wednesday, October 25th. We had a few students absent today and that's when they will get their pictures taken.
Be sure to check the Thursday folder tonight. I've sent home the i-Ready diagnostic results for your child, and stapled to the top is a letter with details as to what those scores indicate for your child's use of i-Ready lessons at home.
One non-academic thing we are working on in 1321 is "taking care of our bodies." This means that students should use the toilet and wash their hands BEFORE coming up to the classroom in the morning, after recess, and after lunch. For a variety of reasons, I only allow two students out of the room using the restroom at one time. We are all drinking a lot of water these hot days, we've got a few "frequent fliers" who are leaving class as many as 4-5 times per day to use the restroom. Please impress upon your child that their body is their responsibility and so is their education. That means they need to use their free time to take care of bodily needs so that they can be focused on learning. Thanks!
Finally, I taught the class the 1321 Birthday Song because today was Narek's birthday. Yes, it's true, we have our own song, but it wasn't actually written for us. Rather, a music teacher where I taught years ago wrote the song for that school and now it's become my class birthday song. (Teachers are master borrowers - haha!) It even has some fun motions that go with it. It might take another birthday or two for your child to have it memorized, but you could ask them about it tonight.
Besides the song, the other thing we do in 1321 is write a "birthday paper" for the birthday kiddo. It's just a page - a VERY small moment from third grade so far - and includes an illustration at the top. We are working on our narrative writing skills as we create a fun batch of third grade memories for each student. The originals go home with the birthday kiddo once everyone has finished, but I also make a B&W copy of all writing your child does and bind it in their writing portfolio at the end of the year. So it's a nice memory for them, too, and a record of their writing progress.