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Dear Parents, September, 2008
Welcome to a brand new school year in Division 6, a straight grade three class. I am excited and looking forward to working together with your children for a fresh year of exploring and learning activities.
We will be going to Outdoor School this year. We are attending with Carisbrooke Elementary from March 30 to April/09. At Outdoor School, children will have a wonderful opportunity to learn about their natural environment first hand. We are very fortunate to have such an incredible learning experience in nature. The cost is $125 and more information will be provided as the date approaches.
The students will be responsible for remembering to use their agendas daily. They will copy down the homework, which I will initial. Once they have completed the work, they check it off √ and ask you to initial it. Please check it daily, as it is a valuable means of communicating back and forth. I appreciate your help in this matter.
Homework will include daily reading, math drill practices (Speedos), spelling practice and completing any special assignments. Spending quality family time is important, and since the students work hard at school, homework will be limited. Should you have any questions regarding homework, or any other issue concerning your child, please feel free to talk to me about it.
Beginning of every week (usually on Mondays) there will be a pre-test in spelling, which is written in agendas. Throughout the week students complete work related to the spelling patterns and there is a post-test on at the end of the week (usually Fridays). At the beginning of the week, I will also send home a sheet of easy math drills (Speedos). The students are asked to complete one column per day and return the completed sheet by Friday. Through these drills, my hope is that students memorize their basic math facts. Later in the year we will switch to multiplication. Please ensure that your child returns it by Friday, marked (by an adult), and corrected (by the student).
Every Friday, in a Home Letter Log, we will be writing letters describing our learning experiences for the week. Over the weekend, we ask that you read and respond in writing to your child’s thoughts and have it returned by Mondays. This will be a fun and valuable writing and communication activity bridging home and school.
The goal in this classroom is to create a community of learners who are respectful and responsible. We have four agreements that we will be discussing in depth with the students. These agreements include mutual respect, attentive listening, right to pass/participate, and appreciation /no put-downs. My expectations are that we follow these basic agreements at all times. I will encourage cooperation and collaboration to help them become better thinkers and learners, as students learn best when they can share and discuss their ideas with others. My goal is to get students moving and sharing, being actively involved in their learning whenever possible.
I will be sending home Scholastic book order forms each month. If you would like to purchase something, please return the completed forms with a cheque made out to Scholastics Canada (please note the BC cost amount for the items selected).
There will be a Curriculum Night on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 6:00 pm. I look forward to meeting all of you then.
I look forward to a wonderful year with you and your children.
Sincerely,
Musa Kalaora
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