Welcome back from Idaho, Cayman Islands, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Hawaii, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico AND, right here from home, Winnetka.
The kids enjoyed sharing and got settled in quite well. I think we all could use a little routine and structure back into our lives.
This said, please know that I have had a little discussion with the kids about 3rd grade expectations in the 2nd half of the year. I am really expecting them to put forth strong quality and effort. It is easy to allow routines to get sloppy and taken for granted. I am trying to install the importance of solid quality and effort. At this point of the year, some things are a MUST. For example: capitals, periods and re-reading a piece of work prior to visiting the teacher.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up the first two weeks of February. This is the most comprehensive conference of the year. Conferences will be held on Wed. Feb. 4th and Friday Feb. 13th. I hope to fit as many as possible on those days.
IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUT OF TOWN OR UNAVAILABLE ON FRIDAY, FEB. 13TH, PLEASE NOTIFY ME IMMEDIATELY SO I CAN ARRANGE FOR YOU TO CONFERENCE ON ANOTHER DAY.
With the conferences just around the corner, you can imagine that I am working to gather some more assessment materials fro your children. Next week, I will begin to gather writing samples, math check-in packets and reading assessments. I have had a conversation with the kids about my need to collect this data, but also, their responsibility to show their truest capabilities as well.
Finally, I want to thank you all for the generous contribution to the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute. I am thrilled to be a part of this organization, as I sit on the board and will be traveling to India next year. I am friends with Gandhi’s grandson, Arun. It is a privilege to be associated with such an honorable cause. Thank you for your support. If you wish to learn more about it, check out our website: www.gandhiforchildren.org "If we are to teach real peace in this world...we shall have to begin with the children." - M.K. Gandhi
All my best to you in 2009,
Joanna Amaral
Upcoming Events:
Wed. Jan. 14th – Pioneer Room Open House 9:30am or 7:00pm
Mon. Jan. 19 – No School MLK Jr. Day
Mon. Jan. 26 – Field Trip to Lyric Opera House
Wed. Feb. 4th – No School – Conferences
Thur. Feb. 12th – Valentine’s Day Party 2pm
Fri. Feb. 13th – No School – Conferences
Sorry that we won't be able to have our party, but I guess we can all have PJ day at home!
I'm sure all the kids are asking about our party and PJ day - just remind them all that we won our "Compliment Party" and have not yet decided what that will be, so we can have that conversation when we return in January.
Wishing you all safe travels, joyous celebrations, meaningful connections and rest & relaxation.
See you in January!
Love,
Mrs. A
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Friday December 12, 2008
Hello Moms & Dads of Room 11:
Well, here we go – just one more week until Winter Break. We are all feeling it and I’m sure we are all looking forward to it. It’s a magical time of year, to snug down with your family, enjoy good food and the gifts of our lives.
Monday is our field trip to the Pawnee Earthlodge at the Field Museum – please remember to pack a lunch in a ‘throw away’ bag – with a drink. Kids need to eat a BIG breakfast, as we will not have a snack and lunch is a bit later than our tummies are used to. Also, please have your child to school ON TIME, as we will be boarding the bus early.
Next Wed. is the Winter sing-Along – the times are as follows:
9:00 Q - Z
10:30 A - H
1:30 I – P
Please send a note if you will be picking your child up for a different time than scheduled. This helps me with knowing who WILL be in the room with me. If you are not able to come, please let me know so I can accommodate.
Next Friday the 19th, is our Holiday party from 2:00 – end of day. All are welcome. Room moms and other moms have organized a fun time for us.
See you next week.
Joanna Amaral
Upcoming Events:
Monday Dec. 15 – Field Trip to Field Museum – Pawnee Earthlodge
Wednesday Dec. 17 – Winter sing-a-long
Friday Dec. 19 – Winter holiday Party 2:00pm
Dec. 20 – Jan. 4 Winter Vacation
Monday, Jan. 5 – School Resumes
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Friday December 5, 2008
Greetings Room 11:
Winter is definitely upon us, as is the bustle of the holiday season. This week and next are my only 2 solid weeks to ‘dig deep’ with the students. This week we really worked hard on being INDEPENDENT workers. Not only did this cut down on the chit-chat, but it really encouraged the kids to dig deeper into their own abilities. I am encouraging this behavior to continue, not just for more conducive independent working time, but it is developmentally appropriate timing for them to harness their own knowledge and to take on challenges. We have been discussing taking pride in our accomplishments, especially when it was difficult.
We had a great week of buckling down and delving into really good work. This group has really been moving along with their writing skills. We have been concentrating on organization of thought (order, categorizing, sequencing, as well as elaboration with details). As you have probably seen in the homework pack, I have transitioned them from use of the “umbrella organizer” to the “oval organizer”. They have certainly impressed me with how well they are taking to this structure and using it correctly and to their advantage. I have taught 3rd grade for 11 years and I must say this group is ahead of the pack!
In the spirit of this great writing I am seeing here in class, I’m sure you are seeing some of it in the homework pack, as well as in the new writing journal for homework. Since I am working with them in class and through the homework pack on more “technical” writing, I encourage and allow “free” writing in the homework journal. If you prefer to give your child prompts, feel free to do so, but it is not mandatory. Some have asked about spelling and punctuation and cursive. Again, I am just trying to encourage the flow of written thought and allowing for creative freedom. However, it is always good to continue good habits. I always tell the children that it depends on the style of writing that is being used. We have been exploring poetry and learning to share feelings through writing. If you are writing in complete sentences, then treat them accordingly. If you are sharing brief thoughts or playing with poetry, then different rules apply.
As I have mentioned, we have been working with some poetry here in the room. The kids have really enjoyed this. First, we create a poem every month to help decorate our “Poet Tree” in the room. Just recently I have introduced the “read & respond” with poetry. We take a poem and read it 3 or more times. I read it, the kids take turns reading stanzas, then we discuss some words, if necessary, then I read it again. This is followed by 15 minutes of silence. During the silence, the kids take the poem and reflect on it. They may circle stanzas or phrases or words that they connected with. They take time to journal their thoughts and feelings, or what they got from the poem. I play some quiet music during this time. Once it is time to stop, we share a bit. Ask your child about a poem or part of a poem that has “spoken” to him/her.
Fondly,
Joanna Amaral
PS – You probably heard that I was not in school on Friday – I arrived to work feeling extremely sick. I was sent home and Mrs. Rich (from the Learning Lab) was able to take over for the class. I plan to be back on Monday.
Upcoming Events:
Monday Dec. 15 – Field Trip to Field Museum – Pawnee Earthlodge
Wednesday Dec. 17 – Winter sing-a-long
Friday Dec. 19 – Winter holiday Party 2:00pm
Dec. 20 – Jan. 4 Winter Vacation
Monday, Jan. 5 – School Resumes
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Room 11 Parents:
Tuesday, Dec. 2nd
Today your child is bringing home their journal for Writing Homework. Please be sure to read the orange sheet with your child so you are both clear about the expectations.
This week's homework packet does not have the writing page in it, but I will be sure to include it next week.
I am asking for the kids to write for a minimum of 10 minutes a day. Even if all they write is: "I am writing in my journal today because Mrs. Amaral wants me to....." Of course, I am encouraging them to express feelings, or write a story, or poetry, or thoughts, etc. If they want to draw, they may, but the drawing portion does not count as writing time.
The important thing is to help the children to grasp the flow of language through writing. This 10 minutes a day helps to create that flow.
I also understand that in addition to the 20 minutes of reading, you may feel a crunch. Please help guide your child to developing good habits. If you need to structure your time differently, I support that. If there is writing expected in the homework pack, as there is this week, you may count that towards 2 nights of writing time. If it all just seems too much, feel free to write me a note on the Reading and Writing Log page of the homework that your child will make up the time over the weekend, or whatever other timing you work out. I don't want this to become a struggle, but it is important for this age to practice these skills.
Thanks for supporting my efforts.
The Friday before last, I had the wonderful opportunity to observe at the Waldorf School of Chicago. This school is very rich in the arts and works with integrating them into the core subjects while building great respect for nature and those around you. Every other year, tenured staff is up for evaluation. On the evaluation year, Maureen sends out to other schools (in district and out of district, public and private) for observations as part of our on going professional development. Every time I do this, it stirs up some ideas within me. I'm not sure exactly what will make its way in this year, but it was truly an enriching experience. I was very impressed and moved by the natural simplicity they had to offer.
With the Thanksgiving break, it has been a while since I have given an in depth update, I will do so this week, so be looking forward to another update soon.
Thanks for staying in touch.
Joanna Amaral
Please turn in Permission slip for Field Museum if you have not done so already.
I love this time of year. We have really been able to buckle down and settle in since Halloween and Election day has passed. November always brings a cozy and “hunker-down” feeling.. With the transition of the seasons, comes the transition into our classroom community. There seems to be an unsaid knowing in the group that we are a group. For better or worse, we are a group. We’ll be stuck indoors more, we’ll go through the holidays together, we know the dynamics in the room and we know how each person fits in. This is the time of year that I often point out the ‘gifts’ we all bring to the group. Oh, but I don’t sugar coat it – for we all have our strengths and weaknesses. For where ever there is the sunny side, so is the shadow. I believe in celebrating our differences – positive and negative – learning to accept each other for who we are so we can all learn and grow together.
Wednesday and Friday of this week, the children have had a substitute in the room. Wednesday I was at an all 3rd grade teachers meeting for the district. We have these four times a year. Twice are during lunch, once is ½ day and once is full day. Friday, I will be attending a professional growth seminar. Our district is very good about supporting teacher growth and renewal. I am grateful for this opportunity.
Here’s a snapshot of our studies at this time:
SS – we continue to concentrate on the Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands. Science – we are finishing up our unit and experiments with circuits. Math – we are concentrating on multi-digit addition with carrying or partial sums strategies. Reading groups have continued. The kids are really getting the hang of our Literature Circle Jobs and are starting to take responsibility for leading conversations in their own group. Writing – this week we have started working on the next big step. Before we had the Topic, 3 Supports and Conclusion. This week we discussed and worked with ways to expand our writing to elaborate and add details (three for each support).
Just a reminder:
The homework pack is specifically developed to help children learn to manage his/her time. Next year, in 4th grade, students will receive nightly homework. It is our hope that this format will help them take the necessary developmental steps to be successful in the growing expectations that lie ahead. If your child is unable to read 20 minutes every night, then 40 minutes here or there or make up over the weekend is fine. I’m just trying to instill good habits. Families and parents often have different needs and schedules. I trust your judgment. Please just email me or send a note along, if there is something that needed adjusting.
Fondly,
Joanna Amaral
Upcoming Events:
November 26 - 30 - Thanksgiving Vacation
Monday Dec. 15 – Field Trip to Field Museum – Pawnee Earthlodge
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REMINDER:
Tomorrow - Monday November 3 we are going to see the mini version of the Magic Flute Opera in the Neighborhood.
No chaperones are required for this one.
Please send your child to school with a lunch to be eaten in the classroom before we board the bus.
Also a great big THANKS to all the moms who helped make our party a blast!
Hope you all had a great Halloween.
Happy November.
Joanna Amaral
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Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008
Happy Halloween, Room 11:
BOO!
Tomorrow is Halloween! No costumes in the morning. We will have time to change at lunch. Ghost walk will be at 1:00. The party is to follow (1:45 or so – 3:00). Parents have signed up for the food, activities, etc. You are all welcome to join in – but I have one rule – only positive comments allowed about MY costume!
We have really had some fun this week. Not only was the homework pack full of Halloween fun, but we have been working on some ghoulishly fun work here at school, too. Halloween Adjectives (to describe our costumes), Pumpkin Math (estimation, prediction and reality of weight, circumference, longitude lines, and seeds), Crack the Code of Witches, Ghosts and Pumpkins, Crosswords and Graphs.
Next week – Monday, Nov. 3 – we will be heading to “Opera in the Neighborhood”. Please send back the permission slip ASAP and send your child to school with a lunch, as we will need to eat in the classroom before heading onto the bus for a 12 noon performance.
We began a new round of Collaboratives this week. Our last round was focused on introducing the different cultural areas of the Native Americans, this time we will specifically focus on the Eastern Woodland Indians (which includes Illinois).
Worktime - weekend homework is most often to be avoided. I have spoken to the children about this. It is understandable if the child is just requiring more time to accomplish the tasks, but not acceptable if it is due to wasted time or misuse of time. In teaching time management, it is important to work on the importance of responsibility, concentration and self-control. Therefore, if a student is found to be misusing his/her time, the weekend homework will come home with an attached note regarding this. You will need to sign this and send it back with the completed homework. Thank you for your support in this area.
Some children will be coming home with a Green “Winnetka” mathbook. This needs to be completed ASAP, as we are now moving into the next level.
We have been learning about the election process, here at HWS. Last week we held the conventions for the “Fairy Tale” party and the “Tall Tale” party. The candidates decided are The 3 Little Pigs vs. John Henry. Every child in the school had a “voter registration card”. Next Monday, they will vote. Be sure to ask your child about it. Thanks to all the efforts of the Resource Center, this has really been an enriching learning experience.
By way of reminder: Next Tuesday, is only a ½ day. Don’t forget to VOTE!
Finally, my apologies for not sending out a note last week, the computer network was down last Friday.
Trick or Treat!
Have fun with your Goblins!
Joanna Amaral
Upcoming Events:
Monday, Nov. 3rd – Opera Field Trip – eat lunch at school
Tuesday, Nov. 4 - 1/2 Day - Election Day - 11:25 dismissal
November 26 - 30 - Thanksgiving Vacation
It has been so wonderful to get to meeting with you all over these past few weeks. I love getting to know you all better. It gives me a better perspective of each child and allows me to really focus deeply on every student. Besides, I’m a natural extravert and love chatting with folks! Oh yes, I’ll get to see you tonight at the Kaplan’s for the class cocktail party.
Reading Groups & Worktime
This week we began out reading groups. We will begin with meeting once a week during “Worktime”. Worktime is the name for our independent practice time. They receive about 45 minutes a day for this work. Every Monday, they receive all the work that is to be completed by Friday. The children choose the order in which to complete it, as long as it is all done by Friday. This mirrors the habits of the homework pack, but is here at school. By third grade, it is developmentally appropriate for students to have some independent working time to bring together, integrate and show their knowledge. I have a new mantra: “You know it – now you show it!” This is the time that they take all of the pieces of their past learning and integrate them: Cursive, spelling, punctuation, organization of thought, etc. This is difficult and needs practice. Worktime also allows for me to meet with the students in smaller groups, such as reading groups. This is important so I can differentiate the needs of learners in my classroom.
Writing
As many of you know, third grade is a big writing year. I have already begun to help them differentiate between styles of writing. I have not used the terms “narrative”, “persuasive” or “expository”, but we have begun discussions on the differences. Also, we have begun to work with the organization of thoughts that go into written works. Writing homework will be coming home in many different forms. Beginning after Thanksgiving, I will send home a homework writing journal. Also, they will receive writing homework included in the homework pack.
Piven – Drama
Finally, I just wanted you all to know that we are having a wonderful time with our Piven instructor, Sarah. She is working with us for 30 minutes a week on Fridays for the next 7 weeks. We are thrilled to have this chance to work with Drama in the classroom. We will be working with story structure and relate it to our Native American studies.
It’s been so good to have time to talk with most of you. I think I have only two more conferences. Though our next scheduled conference is not until early February, always remember that I encourage and welcome conversation if there is anything you feel needs discussion.
Checking Work:
These past two weeks, your child has been working with my “grading system” for completed “Worktime” work. I encourage students to do their work in a timely manner, but not hastily. I expect turned in work to be thorough and solid quality. Much of this work is independent work, so they are responsible for having it done by Friday, in whatever order they choose. This allows for a great deal of freedom and I like to help them frame the expectations so they can be successful in this independence and responsibility. I use a CHECK PLUS, CHECK, and CHECK MINUS system. Papers or work receive a CHECK PLUS (& star*) if it is displaying careful, thorough and quality effort. If the paper is marked with a CHECK only, then it is receiving the equivalent of an “OK” – not great, some things could be better or improved upon, but enough to pass – this can be (& is encouraged to be) upgraded and fixed to a CHECK PLUS status. If a paper is turned in with low quality and many corrections are needed, the paper will receive a CHECK MINUS. This MUST be corrected and upgraded to receive a CHECK and be “OKed” by me. Once a CHECK MINUS us received, the chance to get a CHECK PLUS is eliminated. I always encourage students to work at a CHECK PLUS level since much of this independent work is maintenance or practice of new skills.
Fall Here:
This is the time of year that always tricks us. Cool mornings and warmer afternoons, kids often forget to bring home the jacket/sweater that came to school with him/her in the morning. Please remind your child to dress appropriately in layers and be responsible for them. Labeling clothing is a good idea, too. I have a temperature rule that I have shared with the kids. If it is below 50 degrees – a coat MUST be worn. If it is between 50 – 60 degrees, then I call the “long-sleeve” rule. Anything above 60 degrees is their call. Hopefully this will help them to monitor good choices to keep their bodies healthy.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Fondly,
Joanna Amaral
Final Conferences:
Tues. Oct. 14
9:10 Eskandari
9:35 Brodwolf
Upcoming Events:
Monday, Oct. 13 – No School – Columbus Day
Friday, Oct. 17 - Class Parent party at Kaplan's 7:30pm
Friday, Oct. 31 - Halloween 1:00 Ghost walk 2:00 party
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Friday, Oct. 3
Dear Room 11 Parents:
What a wacky week! Just when we get the routine going, we have an odd week like this just to goof around with us! We have had a good week, nevertheless.
Thanks for putting up with my many attempts to make sure all were on board with receiving these notes. Don't forget past notes are still attached below.
Next week we will begin spelling books. These books are great for working on patterns (Oral and Written), sounds and how they relate to spelling, word meaning and reading directions.
Today's notes are short for the short week, but also due to all the time I will be giving to conferences.
I look forward to my time with each of you. Building the partnership for your child's education is very important.
Wishing you a nice weekend - Fall is definitely here!
This has been a fabulous week in our room. The kids are clearly settled in and I feel like we are really getting into the swing of things.
This week we began our first round in Collaboratives. We have begun our study of Native Americans. This round helps to teach the children about the vast differences between the many nations and tribes. We also focus on how much these people depended on the land and natural resources around them.
We have also begun our Keyboarding work up in the Resource Center. We will be going up every other day for 20 minute periods. We are using a program called Dance Mat - it is free through the BBC online. If you wish, you can Google "Dance Mat" and get the link and practice it at home, too!
What a group of sew-ers I have! The pillows are coming along nicely. I must say, these third graders are very good at sewing. If you have anything that needs mending, ask your child!
Book Orders went home yesterday. If interested, please get your order in by Thursday of next week (Oct. 2nd).
In science we had some great exploration of systems and work with electrical connections. Be sure to ask your child about it.
Please be sure to fill out the yellow FALL REFLECTION form and send it in by Wed. This is good for me to have prior to our meeting.
Below is the conference schedule. I am keeping it updated as changes are requested. If you need to change, please see the availabilities and get in touch with me ASAP.
Don't forget - next week is a bit wacky - no school Tuesday (Rosh Hashana) and no school Friday (conferences).
I look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming conferences. Have a fabulous weekend.
Today a yellow sheet is coming home. Please take some time to fill it out and get it back to me prior to your conference - I appreciate having some time to go over it before our meeting.
Great to see so many of you last night! Thanks for coming out. The room was filled with glee this morning as they all scrambled to find evidence or your visit - too cute!
Not much to mention this week, since we had a chance to share last night. At the end of these notes, I have posted the Conference Schedule. If you have not yet signed up, please contact me ASAP. If you make changes, please keep me updated and I'll also update the list and send it out again.
If you ever feel behind on notes, please know that I always keep the past week's notes at the end (below).
If you have ANY questions or concerns, please contact me! I really believe in open doors and clear communication.
This week has been a busy week. We have been getting to know each other better and learning some of the expectations and routines of Room 11. You might have heard about “Goodies & Yuckies” – a time for each child to share about his/her weekend or SQUIRT – super quiet un-interrupted reading time.
The children have learned more about the patterns and consistencies of the room. We have also been learning about the expectations and behavior management plan. Ask your child about table points or three strikes.
We also began our pillows and launched into our weekly work called “Worktime”. Worktime is their independent working time for the week. At the beginning of the week they receive all the work for the week. They are given time each day to chop away at the work. By Friday, they should have completed their work, so they can enjoy a choice time.
Volunteer needed:
This is a great time of year to build your home library for your child. I’ll be sending home Scholastic Book Orders. Please let me know if you are interested in helping me to tally them and send it in. I have already set up the online ordering protocol. Now I just need a helper with organizing it all when it comes in.
Next week Thursday is Picture Day and Go-to-School Night. We are the 7pm slot – get your babysitters lined up! If you need another picture day order form, please pick one up from Mrs. Kuzel. Also, we will begin homework next week. Your child will bring home a packet on Monday (that will be due Friday). There will also be a note outlining the expectations.
Just an FYI – I will always post a hardcopy of these notes on the bulletin board by my door.
(If you are receiving this as last year's parent and wish not to - please follow steps to unsubscribe).
I use www.schoolnotes.com as my major form of parent-teacher communication. If you are not familiar with this tool, please take some time to log on and set yourself up to receive my weekly notes. I try to update my notes every Friday. Also, there is an easy to use email link to my email, as well as a way to set up reminder emails to come to you whenever I have updated the notes.
In the name of saving paper, I would love to be able to communicate this way and do all, or at least most, of my newsletters and notes digitally, but I understand that hard copies work better for some folks. Please indicate below what works best for you. Also, please zap me an email to let me know that you are on board.
It has been a pleasure to get to know your children through this past week, but we are still working on getting into the full swing.
This week was a busy week of working through the newness of the group and how things go in Room 11.
Next week I will begin to take some inventories of reading, vocabulary, spelling and math. These might feel like a “test” to your child, but is meant more as an indicator of where they are so I know how to best meet them there and then move on from there. I will also be able to share some of these inventories with you at our Intake Conferences in October.
Thanks for sharing your children with me. I really feel like we are off to a great start!
Fondly,
Joanna Amaral
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, Sept. 18 – Go-to-School Night
Tuesday, Sept. 30 - No school - Rosh Hashana
Friday, Oct. 3 - No School - Conferences
Thursday, Oct. 9 - No School - Yom Kippur
Monday, Oct. 13 – No School – Columbus Day
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