Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Today at lunch we will be celebrating and thanking my permanent substitute, Miss Natalie Clark, for filling in for me during my leave. This is her last morning with us and we so appreciate everything she has done for the kids and staff in my absence!! We wish her well!
Just a couple reminders:
-Tonight is the 2nd grade Music Concert, beginning at 6:30.
-3rd grade Invention Convention projects are due this Friday, May 3rd!!!
-This weekend's events: Ethnic Fest on Saturday: parade starts at 10:00 a.m. and the Service Day at school is Sunday from 8:00-12:00.
Monday, April 15, 2013
New homework for the week is posted today-please make sure to check it daily. The spelling assignments are firm for the week but any changes in the math homework will be changed during the week. I have also re-started the homework reward program-all students who finish their weekly homework will earn a free period on Friday afternoon for movies or IPad/netbook time. I'd love to see everyone earn the time this week! I've also seen a lot of Extra Credit work come in last week in math-it's great to see not only regular homework, but extra fact practice being done-EXCELLENT! For every extra page turn in students earn minutes of IPad time!
3rd grade parents be watching for Invention Convention information to come home later this week. The students have been working on simple machines in the classroom and will then have the chance to invent a new machine, research a machine we use, or research a famous inventor. 2nd graders are working on their Earthworm unit in Science-they used their observation skills today to talk about how they look, move, change, and compare to other worms!
We are collecting two items: Pennies for the Playground and our Spring Food Drive. Please send these items with your students!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
As you know, I have been on an extended medical leave since January. I am happy to let you know that as of this week I have been cleared to return to half day instruction in the classroom. Miss Natalie Clark, who has been my long-term substitute, will continue to teach in the mornings and I will be teaching in the afternoons. Beginning May 1st I expect to be cleared for full time instruction. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for Miss Clark, my teaching assistants, Mrs. Ray and Ms Walker, and my related staff team for helping with the transitions and most importantly providing instruction and care for the children in my class during my absence. I will be updating my web page again next week, so please remember to check for assignments, special events, and notes about what is going on in our classroom. I am very happy and relieved to be back in the classroom and look forward to an exciting and productive spring!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tomorrow will be our Halloween celebration. The parade kicks off at 12:00 following the traditional route. When we return, my class will stay with Ms Little/DaCosse to enjoy some treats and fun, followed by our Fast Forward session at 1:10. The third grade haunted rooms and stories as well as the 2nd grade scary stories are completed and displayed on the large bulletin board on the second floor....pretty scary!
We finished our read-aloud "Van Gogh Cafe" last week and started reading "Pippi Longstocking" yesterday. We'll be doing some special activities along the way-I'll keep you updated.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Today begins our Parent/Teacher Conference shedule and I'm looking forward to meeting with all of you during the next few days. Just a reminder that our book fair begins today-you may send money with your child to school and we will be sure they have time to purchase books, or you may go with them before or after your conference time. I hope you will participate in our One Book One School program by donating $7 toward a book . Your donation will help offset the cost of the books for every child. We will be all reading the same book together as a school.....the title will be revealed in January but we'll be taking guesses from the students soon! Also check out all the pictures of teachers and staff that are posted throughout the building. We're all pre-reading the "secret" book!
The third graders were given a mini-project to coincide with our Social Studies unit on maps. We sent home the requirements for this project but I also have a copy posted on my Newsletter page in case you need it. This project is due Monday, October 29th. Have fun!
Both 2nd and 3rd grade classes are also working on a scary haunted house project during school time. They are writing descriptive stories about their house and then third graders are also constructing houses to go along with their writing. When they're finished they will be displayed on the big bulletin board on the 2nd floor-I'll let you know when they go up so you can check it out!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Watch for next week's flyer with information about our One Book One School plan for this year. It's going to be GREAT! It starts with a trip to the book fair at Whittier during conference week to find out how you can help us with a plan to have each child reading the same book TOGETHER after winter break!
Also, thanks to a contribution from PTO I was able to order 32 books for our classroom library! The titles include easy chapter books, biographies, Fancy Nancy, Shoo Fly Guy, Magic School Bus, as well as some non-fiction selections. The kids are loving them! We are also finishing up our read-aloud book, The Van Gogh Cafe, by Cynthia Rylant.There have been some beautiful, detailed drawings of the "magic that happens in each chapter. Our culminating activity will be making a cooperative mural showing all the "magic" that happens in the story.
Monday, Sept. 24, 2012
Tomorrow is picture day! If you are planning on purchasing class pictures from both my classroom as well as the mainstreamed classroom you will need to order those pictures in separate envelopes. The office has extra envelopes available or you can send me an email/note and I can set up the correct envelopes for you. For example, if you want to order a package with my class and individual pictures you would fill out the first envelope. If you also want a class picture with Ms Little or Ms DaCosse you need to fill out a second envelope to order just the class picture. We are using a different photographer this year so this procedure is different than in years past.
I am beginning to schedule conference times for Wed., Oct. 17th and Thursday, Oct. 18th. Please let me know your preference of time and day if you did not sign up on Curriculum Night. I will be sending home a form for you to fill out with your preference.
Our reading and math groups are moving along well. Please be sure your child completes nightly homework in spelling and is reading at least 15-20 minutes per night in their SLANT books. We have homework in math 2-3 times per week-please check the assignment page if you're not sure. We also started Fast Forward last week and everyone has finished the demos and is ready to start the program. GREAT work!!
Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
Yesterday the third graders started a Map Skills unit in Ms Little's room. We will be working on using different types of maps, using the compass rose, map key, and the scale. Each student should bring in a map to share with the class. It can be any type of map but we'd especially like it to have a key, scale, and compass rose on it.
Today I am sending home the SLANT books for the first time. Students should read only the starred (*) pages and should spend 15-20 minutes per night practising and reading those word, sentence, and story pages. They need to bring this book with them EVERY day to school-it's our reading "textbook" that we will use every day in group. Also, don't forget to have them practise their spelling words on Spelling City (see the link on the assignment page).
It was great seeing so many of you on Tuesday evening! Have a restful weekend...we're looking forward to four straight weeks of uninterrupted learning! Mrs. Boult
Tuesday, Sept 4, 2012
Wow! We have been busy getting used to new classrooms, routines, rules, and teachers!! This week we are starting our regular schedule so we have new words in SLANT, new workshop activities, math groups, Treasures groups, and Writing in our classroom. With Ms Little and Ms DaCosse we are starting units in Social Studies and Science! Here is the Specials schedule for each classroom:
2nd grade: Ms DaCosse:
Monday: Spanish, Music; Tuesday: Spanish, Music; Wednesday: Art; Thursday: PE, Spanish; Friday: Spanish
3rd grade: Ms Little:
Monday: Spanish, PE; Tuesday: none; Wednesday: Spanish; Thursday: Art, Music; Friday: Music
I'll let you know which day we will have Library as soon as that schedule is finished. Hope to see you tonight at Open House/Curriculum Night. I will be in my classroom for the first 2 sessions at 6:30 and 7:00 and in the mainstreamed classrooms at 7:30. Mrs. Boult
August 2012
Welcome to our class website, a place where I hope you will visit often to learn important information about what we're doing in our classroom as well as around Whittier School. You will be able to find information about procedures, events, and learning activities for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year.
I hope you had a fun and relaxing summer break and are ready for our first full day of school on Wednesday, August 22nd! Please watch for a letter to come home the week before school starts with some information about the beginning routines and procedures, a supply list, and your students' first assignment of the year!
As soon as we have our schedules up and running I will begin to post our weekly spelling assignments as well as any math or language arts homework.
I'm looking forward to seeing all of you soon and I know we will have a fun, but productive school year!
Mrs. Boult
