September 22nd - 26th

What did students do this week?

This week, students learned about Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, which happens on September 30th. This is a day to remember and honour the children who were sent away to residential schools in Canada. We wear orange shirts to recognize that every child matters. The students learned the importance of recognizing the truth and working towards reconciliation. We can do this by learning about and from Indigenous people, history, teachings, and cultures. First, students recognized Canada's past by reading stories and discussing residential schools. Then, they read other stories about how to walk along a path together in reconciliation. The students reflected on what they can do moving forward. Another way the students have done this is through learning about The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe. These teachings come from Indigenous peoples of Canada and help guide us to live in a good way. Each teaching is connected to an animal that helps us remember its meaning:

Love – Eagle

Respect – Buffalo

Courage – Bear

Honesty – Sabe

Wisdom – Beaver

Humility – Wolf

Truth – Turtle

Learning Outcomes - (I can...)

• recognize that individuals can participate in community events that contribute to quality of life, as well as share and appreciate diverse cultures

• recognize how individuals and communities live together (e.g., respect, cooperation, responsibility, and valuing diversity)

• value peaceful, respectful relationships

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What is Truth and Reconciliation?

• What does the sabe represent? How have you shown honesty in the classroom and school community?

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 September 15 - 19th

What did students do this week?

Monday, September 15th was International Dot Day! This is a day to celebrate the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. This book encourages people to discover the power of positivity, creativity, and how to “make their mark”. After reading the book, the students did the following tasks:

-created painted dot art and wrote inspiring words

-designed dots with loose parts

-made mandalas or dot art out of natural materials found in the learning grounds

-drew a monster friend out of one dot

-wrote about their monster dot friend

Learning Outcomes - (I can...)

• I can go through the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing)

• I can sequence sections of writing in a logical order

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What is the author’s message in the story The Dot?

• What inspiring words did you write?

• What did you enjoy about creating a dot out of loose parts and natural materials?

• Tell me about your dot monster friend! What does it look like?

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September 8th -12th

What did students do this week?

In math, students started exploring place value into the 10 000s. They practiced building numbers using base ten blocks, reading and writing numbers, and explaining the value of each digit in a number (for example, in 7 382, the 7 is in the thousands place and is worth 7 000). The students also played a game to work on their number sense.

Mathematics Learning Outcomes - (I can...)

• I can understand place value within the 10 000s.

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What is the value of the digit 4 in the number 4 327?
• Which place value is the 6 in the number 14 365?
• How would you say the number 8 953?

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What did students do?

In addition, in wellness, the grade threes explored ways to solve problems by standing up for yourself through using an "I Statement." They based these statements off a self-regulation book called Speak Up, Wonder Pup by Angela Murphy.

Wellness Learning Outcomes - (I can...)

• I can practice conflict-resolution or problem-solving strategies that support friendships.

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What are the three steps to stand up for yourself? (Say 1) Name 2) I don't like it when .... 3) Stop.)
• What is important to remember when sharing your I Statement? (body language, eye contact, and voice volume)

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A for the Day/Week

We ended the week by sharing something that was awesome or amazing or something that we appreciated!

September 2nd - 5th

What did students do this week?

We had a great first week in grade three. We spent time getting to know one another, learning new routines, and establishing expectations. We also had great conversations about what it means to be a classroom community!

The students participated in the Cup Challenge. For this, in small groups, students were tasked with building a pyramid using plastic cups. The twist was....they couldn't touch the cups with their hands or bodies. So, together, the students used an elastic band and strings to move the cups. Following this, and after a number of read alouds, we had discussions about collaboration and what is important to create a community.

To get to know one another, we read a story and reflected on what makes our hearts happy. In addition, students wrote letters and completed a math task all about themselves!

Wellness Learning Outcomes - (I can...)

• I can work collaboratively with others.
• I can act responsibly and make good choices. 

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What was your favourite part of your week back at school?
• What task did you enjoy most? Why?
• When you did the Cup Challenge, how did you contribute to your group? What was challenging about this task? What helped your group be successful?
• In your classroom community, what did you all decide was important? (Our class list of expectations)

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Student Quotes

We ended our week with A for the Day/Week. This is where students shared something awesome/amazing or something they appreciated about the week.