I want to thank all of you that helped us to celebrate the upcoming holidays and winter break with our feast today at lunch. The food was amazing and plentiful and I was so happy (as were the kids) that so many of you were able to join us. I also want to thank you for the many kind and generous gifts I received from so many families this week. I am always humbled by how lucky am I to work with such amazing students and families. I want to wish all of you a safe and fun winter break and hope that you enjoy your time with your families. I know that I am looking forward to spending quality time with my two young boys, Cooper and Logan. I'm also hoping to find some time to rest and relax as well so that I am ready to come back in the New Year and help guide your children through the rest of this school year. We have many exciting things to look forward to in room 14 including having crayfish in the classroom to observe during science, and starting a new writing unit on narratives.
Don't forget to check out the Dragon Dispatch as well.
http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
December 14th Update
We
will be having our cultural feast on Friday, December 21st, from 12:00-1:00,
which parents are invited to. I am asking that each family try to bring in a
labeled dish or beverage. If you cannot join us, your child may bring a dish
with them to school in the morning (the school does have a few microwaves and
an oven we can use). I’d appreciate it if you could let me know by Wednesday,
December 19th
what you will be contributing, so that we can make sure there will be enough
food for everyone (students and parents). PLEASE BE SURE TO LABEL ALL
INGREDIENTS WHEN YOU BRING THE FOOD IN, EVEN IF IT IS STORE BOUGHT due to
allergies. This is a very exciting
and educational experience for the students that we all look forward to!
**I will be sending home a flyer on Monday with students that you can detach and return indicating what you will be bringing (I forgot to include it in the Friday Folders this week).
Thanks and hope to see you all on Friday for lunch!
Mrs. Barkve
Friday, December 7, 2012
Update for December 7, 2012
Hello from room 14!
I want to thank you all for helping your children out with their Passport projects and presentations. They all turned out wonderful and I enjoyed hearing and reading about each family and their experience with immigrating to the US. Last Thursday (11/29) we had a wonderful presentation by a Park Interpreter from our local parks department. She talked with the class about different adaptations that animals have to survive in the wild and the class even got to participate in a couple of activities to help them understand what it would be like to have these adaptations. This was a wonderful introduction for our new science unit, Structures of Life. Speaking of science, we have officially started our second unit. Over the past two weeks students have looked closely at seeds and have learned that seeds are found in the fruit of a plant. Did you know that scientifically speaking a tomato, cucumber, or green bean are all considered a fruit even though we commonly think of them as vegetables? We also have set up mini sprouters and are currently seeing what happens to seeds if we just add water to them, no soil or other nutrients. In social studies we spent time this week reading California Indian Legends and discussing the importance of them and what they tell us about different Indian groups. In Math we started a new Problem of the Month this week that fits nicely into our current unit of study on geometry. Students are exploring the different atributes of polygons such as triangle and rectangles. In our problem of the month they are also looking at how they can create larger shapes using smaller ones. In writing we began discussing and writing our first multi-paragraph essay of the year. Right now we are writing the essay together as a class so students will learn the process and structure required. In music last week Ms. Weston taught the class an Isreali folksong and dance. It was a lot of fun watching the class work together to make the dance. This week in music they learned a holiday song and were able to play on different percussion instruments to accompany the song. For PE the class worked on different drills and skills such as skipping in a line, walking with high knees, etc and played a cooperative game.
Please be sure to read this weeks Dispatch to find out about all the other events going on in school in the upcoming weeks such as Dine Out, Book Fair, and Dare to Care Day.
http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
I want to thank you all for helping your children out with their Passport projects and presentations. They all turned out wonderful and I enjoyed hearing and reading about each family and their experience with immigrating to the US. Last Thursday (11/29) we had a wonderful presentation by a Park Interpreter from our local parks department. She talked with the class about different adaptations that animals have to survive in the wild and the class even got to participate in a couple of activities to help them understand what it would be like to have these adaptations. This was a wonderful introduction for our new science unit, Structures of Life. Speaking of science, we have officially started our second unit. Over the past two weeks students have looked closely at seeds and have learned that seeds are found in the fruit of a plant. Did you know that scientifically speaking a tomato, cucumber, or green bean are all considered a fruit even though we commonly think of them as vegetables? We also have set up mini sprouters and are currently seeing what happens to seeds if we just add water to them, no soil or other nutrients. In social studies we spent time this week reading California Indian Legends and discussing the importance of them and what they tell us about different Indian groups. In Math we started a new Problem of the Month this week that fits nicely into our current unit of study on geometry. Students are exploring the different atributes of polygons such as triangle and rectangles. In our problem of the month they are also looking at how they can create larger shapes using smaller ones. In writing we began discussing and writing our first multi-paragraph essay of the year. Right now we are writing the essay together as a class so students will learn the process and structure required. In music last week Ms. Weston taught the class an Isreali folksong and dance. It was a lot of fun watching the class work together to make the dance. This week in music they learned a holiday song and were able to play on different percussion instruments to accompany the song. For PE the class worked on different drills and skills such as skipping in a line, walking with high knees, etc and played a cooperative game.
Please be sure to read this weeks Dispatch to find out about all the other events going on in school in the upcoming weeks such as Dine Out, Book Fair, and Dare to Care Day.
http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
Friday, November 16, 2012
Update for November 15
Hi Room 14 parents!
We had an exciting week in room 14. Students were lucky enough to see a preview of the upcoming Dreamworks live production of "How to Train Your Dragon". We also celebrated and discussed the Diwali holiday at school this week. Students were treated to some samosas thanks to the Gorthi family. We also read a couple of books about Diwali and students made Rangoli with chalk out in front of the classroom. On Thursday we had our Walkaround awards assembly. While our class did not receive a trophy this year, I was impressed by all the efforts students made in walking laps and fundraising for our wonderful school. Finally we wrapped up the week by going to see an amazing production of Beauty and the Beast in Mountain View. All the actors were children 8-18 years old and they did an amazing job singing, acting, and dancing.
Here is the link to this week's Dragon Dispatch http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your family!
Jessica Barkve
Here is what we will be up to in the coming weeks:
Science:
Our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Structures of Life Module. We will be sharing space in our classroom with plants and crayfish. It looks as if we have an interesting and exciting couple of months ahead.
In this module, children investigate the structures and behaviors of living things. You can increase your child’s understanding and interest by asking about the investigations at school and by providing experiences at home. You might search for and count the seeds found in various fruits and vegetables as you prepare dinner (children will learn that all plant parts that hold seeds are technically fruits). You could grow plants from seeds, grow and eat edible sprouts, and look for the fruits and seeds of plants in your neighborhood.
Later we will be taking care of crayfish. Anything could happen, from eggs appearing to shells molting as crayfish grow. If you happen to see other animals when you are out and about with your child, you might take a moment to watch what they do, or take note of some interesting features of an animal’s body. How might that behavior or body structure help the animal survive? Together, you become scientists searching for clues!
Math:
During the next few weeks, our class will be learning about geometry and measurement.
You can expect to see work that provides practice with identifying and classifying plane and solid figures, as well as work with finding perimeter, area, and volume. Knowing about geometric figures will help students understand the geometry that is all around them.
Language Arts:
In writing we will be continuing to work on writing summary paragraphs for both non-fiction and fiction pieces. We will continue to work on grammar, vocabulary, and spelling as well. If your child is interested in the upcoming school wide Spelling Bee have him or her see Mrs. Gauthier in the GLC for more information. We will be hosting our class Bee on Tuesday, Dec. 11th and the school wide Bee with be on Tuesday,January 15th.
Reading:
We have been focusing on non-fiction text features for the past couple of months. Starting after the Thanksgiving Break we will be focusing once again on comprehension strategies for reading fiction text. We will be talking about how good readers ask questions while they read.
Social Studies:
We started Unit 2 this week, California Indians Past and Present. Students will be reading about how California Indians lived in their region and others in California in the past and how their lives were changed by the arrival of Spanish Settlers in the 1700's. We will look at the different foods they ate, homes they built, and myths and legends that tell their history. Later in the unit students will be making a power point presentation in the computer lab about what they have learned about a specific group of CA Indians.
We had an exciting week in room 14. Students were lucky enough to see a preview of the upcoming Dreamworks live production of "How to Train Your Dragon". We also celebrated and discussed the Diwali holiday at school this week. Students were treated to some samosas thanks to the Gorthi family. We also read a couple of books about Diwali and students made Rangoli with chalk out in front of the classroom. On Thursday we had our Walkaround awards assembly. While our class did not receive a trophy this year, I was impressed by all the efforts students made in walking laps and fundraising for our wonderful school. Finally we wrapped up the week by going to see an amazing production of Beauty and the Beast in Mountain View. All the actors were children 8-18 years old and they did an amazing job singing, acting, and dancing.
Here is the link to this week's Dragon Dispatch http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your family!
Jessica Barkve
Here is what we will be up to in the coming weeks:
Science:
Our class is beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Structures of Life Module. We will be sharing space in our classroom with plants and crayfish. It looks as if we have an interesting and exciting couple of months ahead.
In this module, children investigate the structures and behaviors of living things. You can increase your child’s understanding and interest by asking about the investigations at school and by providing experiences at home. You might search for and count the seeds found in various fruits and vegetables as you prepare dinner (children will learn that all plant parts that hold seeds are technically fruits). You could grow plants from seeds, grow and eat edible sprouts, and look for the fruits and seeds of plants in your neighborhood.
Later we will be taking care of crayfish. Anything could happen, from eggs appearing to shells molting as crayfish grow. If you happen to see other animals when you are out and about with your child, you might take a moment to watch what they do, or take note of some interesting features of an animal’s body. How might that behavior or body structure help the animal survive? Together, you become scientists searching for clues!
Math:
During the next few weeks, our class will be learning about geometry and measurement.
You can expect to see work that provides practice with identifying and classifying plane and solid figures, as well as work with finding perimeter, area, and volume. Knowing about geometric figures will help students understand the geometry that is all around them.
Language Arts:
In writing we will be continuing to work on writing summary paragraphs for both non-fiction and fiction pieces. We will continue to work on grammar, vocabulary, and spelling as well. If your child is interested in the upcoming school wide Spelling Bee have him or her see Mrs. Gauthier in the GLC for more information. We will be hosting our class Bee on Tuesday, Dec. 11th and the school wide Bee with be on Tuesday,January 15th.
Reading:
We have been focusing on non-fiction text features for the past couple of months. Starting after the Thanksgiving Break we will be focusing once again on comprehension strategies for reading fiction text. We will be talking about how good readers ask questions while they read.
Social Studies:
We started Unit 2 this week, California Indians Past and Present. Students will be reading about how California Indians lived in their region and others in California in the past and how their lives were changed by the arrival of Spanish Settlers in the 1700's. We will look at the different foods they ate, homes they built, and myths and legends that tell their history. Later in the unit students will be making a power point presentation in the computer lab about what they have learned about a specific group of CA Indians.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Update for November 2, 2012
What a busy and exciting week! Our Halloween parade and party on Wednesday was so much fun for the kids. Thank you to all the families that sent in snacks, drinks, plates, and napkins for our celebration. I know that I saw many of you with cameras during and after the parade. If any of you got any great shots of the class I would love for you to email them to me so that I can include them in our yearbook page.
Since next Tuesday, November 6th is Election Day, the third grade classes will be participating in center activities that will teach them more about the election process as well as what it takes to be president of the United States. Be sure to ask your son or daughter to show you their Election Day folder and explain to you what they learned from the various activities on Tuesday.
Language Arts/Writing:
For the past couple of weeks students worked hard at writing a description of a Haunted House as if they were trying to sell it. They turned out really well and are currently on display in room 14. I encourage you to stop by the classroom and take a look at some wonderful examples of descriptive writing. In the coming weeks we will be shifting our focus on writing during workshop time to writing summaries. Students will learning and practicing the process for writing summaries for both fiction and non-fiction pieces of writing.
We will also be resuming our normal spelling schedule for the upcoming week. Please take the time each evening to remind your child to proofread all their work. I have been seeing a lot of errors on their spelling homework lately that could have been fixed had they checked their work once it was completed. Thank you for your help with reminding them to do this at home.
Reading:
Students have been learning all about non-fiction text features as we read our National Geographic Explorer magazines. We will also be working on the inferring strategy used while reading fiction pieces.
Math:
We will be wrapping up our unit on multiplication this upcoming week and students should expect to take a unit test next Friday (11/9). The next unit that we will be working on will be on Measurement and Geometry skills.
In class I have been talking a great deal with students about the importance of showing all their work and thought processes while completing their math assignments. This is most import when they are solving word problems. I am not as interested in the answer to a problem as I am about the process they used to solve the problem. Please help me by encouraging and reminding your children to use correct labels while solving problems and to explain their thinking fully as well on their math homework.
Science:
We are also about to wrap up our first Science unit of the year (Matter and Energy). I have been assessing students as we go and I will be collecting and grading their science notebooks sometime next week. Between units we will be focusing on our drug and alcohol awareness program, Too Good For Drugs. We will begin the next science unit, Structures of Life, the last week of November.
Social Studies:
We are wrapping up yet another unit in social studies right now. Students have worked to create posters that show what they have learning about different geographical features and resources found in the four main regions in California. They are also currently working on writing a paragraph describing a geographical feature found in their region. We will be starting the next unit later this month on California Indians.
Please be sure to read this week's Dragon Dispatch.
http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
Have a great weekend!
Since next Tuesday, November 6th is Election Day, the third grade classes will be participating in center activities that will teach them more about the election process as well as what it takes to be president of the United States. Be sure to ask your son or daughter to show you their Election Day folder and explain to you what they learned from the various activities on Tuesday.
Language Arts/Writing:
For the past couple of weeks students worked hard at writing a description of a Haunted House as if they were trying to sell it. They turned out really well and are currently on display in room 14. I encourage you to stop by the classroom and take a look at some wonderful examples of descriptive writing. In the coming weeks we will be shifting our focus on writing during workshop time to writing summaries. Students will learning and practicing the process for writing summaries for both fiction and non-fiction pieces of writing.
We will also be resuming our normal spelling schedule for the upcoming week. Please take the time each evening to remind your child to proofread all their work. I have been seeing a lot of errors on their spelling homework lately that could have been fixed had they checked their work once it was completed. Thank you for your help with reminding them to do this at home.
Reading:
Students have been learning all about non-fiction text features as we read our National Geographic Explorer magazines. We will also be working on the inferring strategy used while reading fiction pieces.
Math:
We will be wrapping up our unit on multiplication this upcoming week and students should expect to take a unit test next Friday (11/9). The next unit that we will be working on will be on Measurement and Geometry skills.
In class I have been talking a great deal with students about the importance of showing all their work and thought processes while completing their math assignments. This is most import when they are solving word problems. I am not as interested in the answer to a problem as I am about the process they used to solve the problem. Please help me by encouraging and reminding your children to use correct labels while solving problems and to explain their thinking fully as well on their math homework.
Science:
We are also about to wrap up our first Science unit of the year (Matter and Energy). I have been assessing students as we go and I will be collecting and grading their science notebooks sometime next week. Between units we will be focusing on our drug and alcohol awareness program, Too Good For Drugs. We will begin the next science unit, Structures of Life, the last week of November.
Social Studies:
We are wrapping up yet another unit in social studies right now. Students have worked to create posters that show what they have learning about different geographical features and resources found in the four main regions in California. They are also currently working on writing a paragraph describing a geographical feature found in their region. We will be starting the next unit later this month on California Indians.
Please be sure to read this week's Dragon Dispatch.
http://bit.ly/Dragon_Dispatch
Have a great weekend!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Weekly Update 10/26/12
Good afternoon and happy Friday!
Just a few quick notes before I let you enjoy your weekend. Just a reminder that this coming Monday (10/29) is a Teacher Learning Day so there will be no school for students. Since it is a short week (and Halloween is on Wednesday) I have decided to not do spelling this week and instead I will be supplementing the Language Arts homework with other activities. Also our Halloween party will be held on Wednesday afternoon immediately following the school wide Halloween parade at 1:00pm. If you would like to sign up to bring something for the party the sheet in by the front door of the classroom. If you have not already done so please send back the signed permission slip and a check made out to Dilworth for our upcoming field trip to see Beauty and the Beast on November 16th. If you need another copy of the permission slip please let me know ASAP.
One last thing, I would like to thank Er Zhang, Frank’s mom, for coming to our class this morning and sharing an important presentation on Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying. It was very informational and students walked away from this with some important rules to keep in mind while on-line.
Be sure to read this week’s Dragon Dispatch.
Have a good weekend,
Jessica Barkve
Just a few quick notes before I let you enjoy your weekend. Just a reminder that this coming Monday (10/29) is a Teacher Learning Day so there will be no school for students. Since it is a short week (and Halloween is on Wednesday) I have decided to not do spelling this week and instead I will be supplementing the Language Arts homework with other activities. Also our Halloween party will be held on Wednesday afternoon immediately following the school wide Halloween parade at 1:00pm. If you would like to sign up to bring something for the party the sheet in by the front door of the classroom. If you have not already done so please send back the signed permission slip and a check made out to Dilworth for our upcoming field trip to see Beauty and the Beast on November 16th. If you need another copy of the permission slip please let me know ASAP.
One last thing, I would like to thank Er Zhang, Frank’s mom, for coming to our class this morning and sharing an important presentation on Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying. It was very informational and students walked away from this with some important rules to keep in mind while on-line.
Be sure to read this week’s Dragon Dispatch.
Have a good weekend,
Jessica Barkve
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT PACKET:
Dear
Parents,
I
would like to welcome you all to room 14 and the 3rd grade here at
Dilworth Elementary. I look
forward to working with your children this year. I hope to provide them with the social and academic skills
that they will need in order to be responsible and productive citizens.
Classroom Management
Working together, the class has come up with a set of agreements to ensure that our days run smoothly. Students have all agreed to the following:
- Always be kind
- Always be respectful
- Always be safe
- Always raise a quiet hand
- Always follow directions
- Always cooperate with others
Students
are aware of the consequences if they decide not to follow any of the
agreements. Warnings are given as
a chance to correct their behavior.
Students who persist will miss part of recess so that the two of us may
sit down and discuss the problem and possible solutions. If the problem still does not improve,
then he/she will sit down with me again during recess and fill out an Action
Plan, which will need to be signed and returned the following day.
Homework
It
is important that there be a block of time set aside each night for your child
to complete homework, 20-30 minutes for 3rd grade. Homework is meant to be a review and done
independently. Parents are
expected to help as needed and to check that the work is complete. I expect all homework to be returned
the following day unless otherwise noted.
Please ask your child about their homework log and help him/her to
develop organizational skills this year.
Homework
will generally be assigned Monday through Thursday and not given on weekends or
holidays. Students may sometimes need to work on long- term projects on
weekends (the use of time management on the students part will determine
this). Be sure to watch your
child’s homework log, and newsletters for due dates of special reports and/or
projects as well as for test dates.
Every
Friday, the Friday Folder will be sent home with completed work samples as well
as notes and information from the school.
Please look through these with your child, sign, and send the folder
back to school every Monday.
Communication
Communication
is the key to making this year a productive one for your child. Since my job is to educate your child,
we will be in close contact throughout the year. Conferences are scheduled in October to set individual goals
for achievement. This year they will take place October 4-10. We will be talking about where your
child currently is and where we want them to be by the end of the school
year. Progress reports will
be sent home only for those who are not meeting grade level standards. Report
cards come home 3 times a year on November 30, March 22, and the last day of
school in June. If you have
social or academic concerns about the school day please send a note with your
child, call me at school at 253-2850 ext. 214, or email at
barkve_jessica@cusdk8.org. Also please be sure to check out our classroom
website when you have the chance.
The address for our site is http://dilworthroom14.blogspot.com/
I try to update it as often as possible with my classroom newsletters, important
dates, spirit days, etc. Please
let me know any way that I can assist your family with your child’s learning
this year.
Math
The
main priority for math instruction is teaching for understanding. Students will be taught to follow
directions and to analyze their own errors. They are always allowed to make mistakes but it is important
that they learn from them. It is also VERY important that students show all their work when completing math
assignments even if they can do the math in their head. A portion of the focus in math is on
the process students go through to solve problems, not just the result. Much of the grades for this
subject will be based on end of chapter tests, unit tests, class participation,
class work and homework assignments.
We will be using the district adopted text, Houghton Mifflin Mathematics, as well as other supplemental materials
this year.
Reading/Language Arts
The
district has adopted the Houghton Mifflin Reading program for all grades. We will occasionally be using this
series as well as other supplements such as National Geographic Explorer
Magazine throughout the
year. In addition, we will be
using Step Up To Writing
to teach writing skills throughout the year. It is important that each student spend time out side of
class reading, I recommend no less than 20 minutes a night. I will be assigning a book report once
a trimester and will give more details when they are assigned.
Students
will write in all subject areas.
Many assignments are graded for content only and are intended to foster
creative thinking and joy in writing.
At other times, the writing process is emphasized through pre-writing,
drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
Spelling
Most
spelling practice will be completed for homework this year. Each child will be
working on an individual list and set of activities throughout the week. I will be pre-testing students at the
beginning of the week on a large set of words. The first 10-15 words that they spell incorrectly will
become their spelling words for the week.
After completing their spelling activities they will once again be
tested on their words at the end of the week (usually Friday).
Social Studies
We
are using the social studies curriculum by Scott Foresman, which was selected by
the district and meets the California State standards.. Much of the focus will
be on California and the different regions found here and how people adapt to
their surrounding in order to build communities. Students will learn about the
past and be able to sequence some historical events.
Science
The
science curriculum is composed of three units of study that meet the state
standards. The three units of
study will be Structures of Life, Sun, Moon, and Stars, and Matter and Energy.
These units are put together by the district and focus on inquiry, making
observations, predicting, analyzing, and concluding results. These units are very hands on. We will begin the year with Matter and
Energy. Also throughout the
year we will look into Too Good For Drugs, the districts drug and alcohol
awareness program.
Fine Arts/Music
Art
and Music activities will be interspersed throughout the school year. Students will receive 30 minutes of
music instruction weekly with Ms. Weston. In addition we will complete art activities
in class. Many of the activities
will focus on developing particular skills or will tie in with what we are
working on in the academic areas.
Technology
Technology
will be integrated into the curriculum when ever appropriate. Students will have access to the
computer lab for various units of study. At the beginning of the year, third
grade students will participate in a program that helps them to develop
keyboarding skills.
Physical Education
Students
will have P.E. this year once a week for 30 minutes with a P.E. teacher where
they will participate in a variety of activities. The remaining of their P.E. will be with me during the
week. It would be wise to
encourage children to wear comfortable attire those days, especially
shoes. We also will be using a new
program brought to the district by Santa Clara County called Fit For Learning,
which teaches children the importance of making healthy choices for themselves
involving diet and exercise.
Book Clubs
I
will be sending home book orders approximately once a month with your child. You
are under no obligation to buy anything. I will send
home forms from Scholastic Lucky and any other special editions that look
good. These clubs offer a variety
of books and many different reading levels. They are a great way to add to your child’s library and the
prices are usually very good! The
more books ordered by you, the more bonus points that the class gets, and the
more books that I can get to add to our classroom library.
Birthdays
Birthdays
are a very special time in a child’s life. If you would like to celebrate your child’s birthday with
the entire class, please let me know a week in advance. In order to promote healthy choices for
children and because of food allergies that many students have, I ask that you
not send in cookies, cupcakes, or other sweet treats. A box of juice and/or a goody bag (pencils, stickers, etc)
work well. You could also donate a book to the classroom or the Dilworth
Library instead. Students with birthdays in the summer are also invited to
celebrate during the school year.
If your child is going to have a birthday party, please make sure that
unless EVERYONE in the class is invited, invitations are not to be passed out
at school. You will need to
arrange for invitations to be given outside of school. This will prevent hurt feelings because
someone was left out.
Field Trips
We
have planned a number of wonderful and exciting field trips for the year that
will tie into the 3rd grade curriculum. You will get permission slips before
all field trips. If you are
interested in chaperoning any of our trips just volunteer on the permission
slip. Remember that even
chaperones on field trips must have a current PPD (TB) test on file with the
office. I will try to inform
you of all the dates as early as possible so that you can make arrangements
ahead of time. We make a field
trip T-shirt four each of our students to wear on the field trips. This way it is easy for us to spot our
students. We are asking for a $10
donation to cover the cost of the shirts.
Checks should be made out to Jessica Barkve. If you wish to use last years shirt that is fine, just
please send in your child’s shirt so that I have it for all our field
trips. I will have the shirts by
our first trip.
I
look forward to a wonderful year of working together with you and your child.
Thank
you,
Jessica
Barkve
Monday, August 20, 2012
Welcome To Room 14!
Dear Parents and Students,
I would like to start by
welcoming you to the third grade at Dilworth School. My name is Mrs. Barkve and
this is my tenth year teaching at Dilworth. I hope you had a wonderful summer
and are all ready to begin an exciting and challenging school year. I am looking forward to working with
all of you!
During the first few days of
school we will be very busy getting to know each other, writing, establishing
daily procedures, and creating a positive classroom environment. Students will maintain weekly homework
logs and folders to help them keep their work organized. Please check the homework log each
evening.
Homework will be assigned
Monday though Thursday and will be reinforcing and extending the classroom
lessons. I expect all
assignments to be completed and turned in on time. Long-term projects will be announced well in advance of the
due date. In addition to nightly
homework I feel that it is very important for students to read every
night. They should be reading at
least 20 minutes every night in order to increase fluency, comprehension, and
vocabulary.
Donations of Kleenex, paper
towels, post-it-notes and any other classroom supplies would be appreciated
throughout the year. Please check
the classroom door wish list for items that we may need throughout the school
year.
The weekly folder will come
home on Fridays with your child’s work and other notices. Review the work with your child, sign,
and return the folder on Monday.
Please feel free to enclose a note in the folder with any comments or
questions.
Third graders will be going to
P.E. twice a week (once with the PE coach and once for grade level P.E.
rotations) and should wear appropriate clothing and shoes on that day.
All third grade classes at
Dilworth will be ordering a special T-shirt to be worn on field trips. This decision was based primarily upon
the safety of our students, but also fosters school spirit. If you wish to use
last years T-shirt and don’t want to order a new one that is fine, please just
send in the shirt with your child as soon as possible. Students will also be
receiving National Geographic Explorer 7
times throughout the year to reinforce non-fiction literacy skills. Please send cash or a check made out to
“Jessica Barkve” in the amount of $20 to cover the cost of the T-shirt and
subscription, and other classroom supplies ($10 if not ordering a new t-shirt)
as soon as possible so that we may order these items right away. We appreciate
your support!
This will be a fun and
challenging year and I can’t wait to get started working with your
children. I look forward to
meeting you all at Back To School Night on Thursday, September 6, 2012
from 7:15-8:00.
Sincerely,
Jessica Barkve
Phone: 253-2850 ext. 214
Email:
barkve_jessica@cusdk8.org
Friday, February 3, 2012
February 2012
What a busy fun filled week we had in room 14! Thank you to all the parents who were able to help out this week with the field trip (3rd grade) and Chinese New Year Centers (2nd grade). We will be having another fun celebration day coming up on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14th) with centers involving all 3rd graders and our 2nd graders. A note went home about this today. If you are able to help us out for centers please fill out the form and return it next week, thank you! I will have a sign up sheet out next week as well for items that we will need for our centers as well as the class party in the afternoon. This week the 2nd graders also wrapped up their math unit on subtraction and started the next unit on geometry. 3rd graders will finish up their current math unit on division next week and will then start their next unit on fractions. We continued working on writer’s workshop this week and students are working hard to write their narrative stories. In reading we are still working on the questioning strategy. Students practiced this during the week while reading independently and recording their questions in their reading response journals. At the end of reader’s workshop they have time to share what they’ve been reading and any questions they had and the answers if they found them.
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