Today we watched some more videos as we continue to learn about this celestial phenomenon. Your child should spend some time this weekend teaching you all about solar eclipses. To assist them (and you) they have their blue eclipse folder with a packet of information, their Google Classroom account (access via Clever), and materials in their Thursday folder - on Friday - (Scholastic News issue with an article about eclipses + separate sheet about the eclipse myths of different cultures + a simple 2-page pinhole projector they should prepare for you AND LEAVE AT HOME WITH YOU so that you can observe the eclipse on Monday morning while they are at school.
Parents/grandparents are welcome to join us on Monday morning. Check in at the front office and bring your colander if you can (your third grader should be able to explain why)
Math - The Topic 11 test was returned today (Friday) in the Thursday folder. This was a short, but not sweet, test. It was tough and students overall did not do as well as they had on recent tests. It involved word problems with multiple steps and some of the wording was confusing.
But let me please remind you that the test your child took very closely mirrored the assessment pages in their math book. We worked through those two pages together in class. I will say that, these days, most students do not work with me. Rather, they copy what I say and write. No amount of reminders that they will need to do the math with me when we are working together in order to be prepared to do it themselves on their test seems to convince most of them. I notice that many students do not complete the homework pages in the math book. So it should come as no surprise that your child performs poorly on a test if they aren't practicing the math at school and at home.
I do continue to read any/every question to any student who asks, but I do not explain how to do the problem. Our newcomers use their iPad to translate the test into their first language.
Sack Lunch on Wednesday - By now you will have received an email with a Google Form that you can use to order a sack lunch from the cafeteria for Wednesday. Please submit it no later than Monday morning at 8:00am if you want to order a Keppel cafeteria sack lunch. If your child will bring a sack lunch from home on that day, it is not necessary to submit the form (though I did leave that as an option).