Dear Families of J3T, I hope you had a chance to get out into the world today and take in some of this warmer weather. It is finally spring (again!) and we in J3T could not be happier. Here's what we are happily talking about in class: J3 Adventure Day: Bear Mountain Today, the children are bringing home the permission slips for the J3 Adventure Day trip to Bear Mountain happening on May 18. The slip is attached below, along with the agenda for the day. I have asked the children to return the slip as soon as possible, and no later than Monday, May 16 (Sooner is better!). Thank you to those of you who have offered to chaperone; I really appreciate your willingness to help. Adventure days are a "Parent Free Zone," with the goal of building independence and supporting the "Can Do" spirit that we hope to foster in the children. As you will see in the agenda, we have a strong cohort of UNIS teachers accompanying us for this fabulous day. The children are very excited, and have asked that we start to train for the day. You will notice in the homework menu that I have asked them to work with their parents to plan a nutritious lunch and snack for the day. We have agreed that chips and heavily processed, fatty foods will not be great for our working bodies. I am excited to see what they plan for the afternoon to help fuel them during the climb. MATH: In Math, we continue our work with the "Muffles Truffles" unit that supports multiplicative thinking leading to division. This is a rich unit, full of multiple entry ways for the children to extend their base understandings. Please ensure that your child continues to practice the times tables so that they are solid in their recall of basic facts. LITERACY: The children are so excited about our current writing unit! I have found myself begging them to stop writing so they can go out to play- this is such a luxury teacher problem!!! The children are working to develop their skills in crafting engaging, rich fiction stories. To support this, I have asked them to read as much fiction as possible, paying attention to the ways the author draws them into the story. In reading, we will begin literature circles (book clubs) on Wednesday. The children will be reading and analyzing fiction stories, looking at the plot structure, character development, and author's craft. I have been really amazed by the dialogues the children have been having about our read- alouds. Tiger Rising and Ameilia's Roads have proven to be wonderful stories that help the children show their empathetic sides while also developing strong analytical skills. Sometimes I forget that I am chatting with 9 year olds! SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: Last week we started the conversation about our mindset, and the way that we talk to ourselves. We have visited this topic a few times, and it seemed to be one the children were ready to revisit. We have been talking about the idea that sometimes we talk to ourselves in ways that we would never talk to others, and if we are to be working on Building Into Relationships and Spreading Kindness, we need to start with ourselves. To that end, we have been practicing flipping some of the "negative talk," that sometimes creeps into our heads. The children have been very receptive to this, and eager to gain strategies to help deal with stress, self imposed pressure, and self esteem. I have also started to tap into their feelings about moving on to fourth grade, and am working to help prepare the children for this exciting transition. Soon, we will send home information about the "moving up" day to take place in June. I will also share strategies that you can do at home to help with the transition process. UPCOMING DATES: May 14: International Food & Fun Day 10:00 - 4:00 detailhere May 18: J3 Trip to Bear Mountain May 25: JS Parent Coffee - Year in Review May 27 - May 30:Memorial Day 4-day Weekend June 2: 11:45 Dismissal for JS (TH Graduation Day) June 3: J2 & J3 Concert - Theatre at 9:00am That's all from me! I hope you get to enjoy some of this gorgeous weather with your families! Yours in Spring Time Happiness- Ms. Erin M. Threlfall
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SnapshotsA peek at life inside of J3T , curated by Ms. Erin M. Threlfall Archives
June 2016
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