Picture retake day is tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Thursday, November 28th, is our picture retake day. Please write a note in your child's agenda if you would like him/her to have their photo retaken. Thank you!

November Newsletter

Math

We are still working on our Number Sense unit in math and will next be moving on to Patterning.  We will be looking at a variety of Geometrical and Numerical patterns.  We will also be answering a number of word problems in which the children have to determine the pattern rule in a given pattern to answer the question asked.  The curriculum expectations that we are focusing on are the following:

•  identify, extend, and create a repeating pattern involving two attributes using a variety of tools 
•  identify and describe, through investigation, number patterns involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication, represented on a number line, on a calendar, and on a hundreds chart 
• extend repeating, growing, and shrinking number patterns
• create a number pattern involving addition or subtraction, given a pattern represented on a number line or a pattern rule expressed in words
• represent simple geometric patterns using a number sequence, a number line, or a bar graph
• demonstrate, through investigation, an understanding that a pattern results from repeating an action, repeating an operation, using a transformation, or making some other repeated change to an attribute 
• determine, through investigation, the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction
• determine, the missing number in equations involving addition and subtraction of one- and two-digit numbers, using a variety of tools and strategies 
• identify, through investigation, the properties of zero and one in multiplication
• identify, through investigation, and use the associative property of addition to facilitate computation with whole numbers

I encourage you to please continue to work on adding and subtracting with and without regrouping (borrowing/carrying) at home as Number Sense plays a part in all Math strands.

Language

We have finished Recount writing and have moved onto Descriptive writing. We began describing a pumpkin that we carved using the 5 senses.  Extra writing practise at home is highly recommended. When writing sentences, I ask that the children focus on spelling, punctuation, capital letters where necessary, use of adjectives and creating simple and complex/compound sentences using linking words.  An example of a complex/compound sentence would be: "The fluffy black dog ate the large bone because he was very hungry." The word “because” would be the linking word. Instead of stopping at bone, the sentence was made longer by adding "because" and then the rest of the sentence. The children usually do write longer sentences, however, many times the linking word is missing and it becomes two sentences with no punctuation. For example: "The dog ate the bone he was very hungry."

For reading, the children will continue to independently read stories and answer questions in which they have to go back through the story to find the answers. They have to use specific details from the story to support their answers.  In Grade Two, reading comprehension is typically assessed through oral assessment.  As the students move on to Grade Three, to display comprehension and to prepare for EQAO, they are assessed through written responses.  One thing the children often have trouble doing is writing enough detail from the text, and their own ideas to show that they understand.  We have discussed this at school and will continue to work on this skill throughout the entire year.

Learning Skills

Our learning skills focus for this coming term will be Independent Work and Organization. I will send home more details of what is expected for each of the skills.

Science 

We continue to investigate Forces and how they act upon objects.  We will have a formal test at the end of the unit.  A review will be sent home with enough time for your child to study. The next unit we will be studying is Forces Acting on Structures. In this unit we will be investigating the forces that act on a structure and some design elements that can help to make a structure stronger. If there are any parents who work in this area and would like to talk to us about their work, please contact me. We would love to learn from you!

Homework

Homework is shared by the beginning of every week on your child’s Google Drive. Instructions to get there are on the Homework page of the website.  Thank you so much for ensuring that your child has completed it as it reinforces what has been done at school and/or other learning skills that we may not be able to focus on at school.  I have asked that it be completed by Friday.  Please send me a note if it cannot be completed or more time is needed. We will continue to have a weekly Word Wall Word Quiz every Friday. Please review the words with your child on a regular basis as these are words they are expected to know how to spell by the end of grade three. 

Important Dates

November 5th: Parent Teacher Interviews – Please sign up through the link that was     sent home with report cards.
November 11th: Remembrance Day Liturgy
November 14th: Humane Society Presentations for Grade 3
November 15th: PD Day (no school)
November 28th: Picture Retake Day - Please make sure to let me know if your child will be getting retakes done.

Call for Volunteers

We could use some help with a reading and writing program in our class, to help us prepare for EQAO. If you are able to give some time during the week to read or practice some writing with a few students it would be greatly appreciated. We can work around your schedule. Thank you!