September 11, 2011
Dear parents,
Ms. Cartagena's Classroom Website:
Please remember to check the website every Sunday afternoon for the weekly Parent Newsletter. The Newsletter will contain any important news for the week and the topics we are covering in every subject. Also you are encouraged to check the website for updates daily. All students are expected to check the website daily for homework updates and reminders. The website will be updated by 3pm every day so please check after 3pm for updates. Please note that the Newsletter will no longer be printed on paper after Open House. Please fill out the Paper Request Form if you and your child do not have internet access.
CHAMPS Classroom
We have been working on building a CHAMPS classroom. We use the acronym CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation and Success, to outline the expectations for activities and transitions throughout various moments of the day. We continue to revisit the expectations for activities so that students can self regulate and stay on task throughout various tasks. We use CHAMPS to help us all be successful in the classroom.
Water bottles (Pop-up bottles only)
I will permit students to drink water in the classroom however they must bring do so out of sport pop-up bottles. Such sport pop-up bottles can be found as the refillable style or as a disposable style. Students who do not bring the sports pop-up bottles to school will not be allowed to drink water during class time and will only be allowed to use the drinking fountain during recess and lunch break. Hydration is important and I strongly advice bringing a pop-up bottle to class so that water is always available for your child.
Lunch Bags
All students must bring their lunch in a suitable lunch bag so that they may hang them on the side of their desk. Loose snack items get lost and are not easy to store.
Homework Schedule Sheet
This sheet is sent home daily in your child's Homework Folder. The sheet contains your' child's homework. Please remember to check that your child has completed the homework on the sheet and then sign. All students are expected to have their sheet signed daily to be prepared for class. If you wish to contact me please write a note on the homework sheet and I will get back to you. I will also use the sheet to send home any messages to you which will require your signature.
Class rewards system: Marble Jar
Students will be rewarded for working together and behaving as a whole class. The class incentive is adding marbles to the marble jar when the whole class demonstrates a great line in the halls. They also obtain marbles for CHAMPS behaviour during other classroom activities. When the students fill the jar after several days the whole class will get a reward.
Individual rewards: Good Job Ballets
When a student is caught doing something exceptionally good they will be given a little ballet that says "Good Job!" Students will write their name on the back of the slip and put it into the draw box. I will draw 1 name from the box every Thursday. The student who is picked in the draw then gets to choose a special coupon from my coupon box.
This week:
Language Arts
Spelling (posted on website): sat, felt, last, send, next, best, went, hand, stand, past, grand, stamp, belt, lend, checked. The first spelling test will be on Thursday, September 15, 2011 (Day 4).
Reading: We will spend 2 weeks for each story we cover this year. This week we start "Officer Buckle and Gloria" found in the yellow zebra textbook pages 16-35.
Core Vocabulary: Students will learn 30 new vocabulary words every quarter and go through a series of in class practice activities to help their comprehension of the words. At the end of Quarter 1 they will be tested on 25 of the words. The goal is to do 4 words per week and continuously review the growing list of words throughout the quarter. Quarter 1 words start this week.
Math: Starting Chapter 1 - Place Value in the orange Math textbook.
Social Studies: Chapter 3 in the Communities Textbook.
Ms. Cartagena
Grade 3-3
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PAPER COPY REQUEST
Optional form Grade 3-3
The classroom newsletter will be sent home on paper for the next few weeks until Open House. After that date, in an effort to save trees and keep from wasting more paper than we need to, I will be changing to an electronic only version of the Newsletter on our classroom website.
Class website: www.mscartagenasclassroom.blogspot.com
Posting the Newsletter online instead of having it on paper means that you can refer to it whenever you like on your personal computer. If you do not have access to the internet and would like me to print off the newsletter weekly please indicate below.
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The classroom newsletter will be sent home on paper for the next few weeks until Open House. After that date, in an effort to save trees and keep from wasting more paper than we need to, I will be changing to an electronic only version of the Newsletter on our classroom website.
Class website: www.mscartagenasclassroom.blogspot.com
Posting the Newsletter online instead of having it on paper means that you can refer to it whenever you like on your personal computer. If you do not have access to the internet and would like me to print off the newsletter weekly please indicate below.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I, _________________________________ (parent name), do not have access to internet which means I will not be able to read the Newsletter or any other updates on the classroom website.
_______________________ ______________________ ______________
Student name Parent Signature Date
