Hello and welcome! If you scroll down below you will find information on:
(This letter will be snail-mailed to each student the first week of August)
Dear Student,
Congratulations on your promotion to third grade! We are looking forward to the arrival of your class. We (Ms. Mello and Ms. Tourigny) are busy planning many fun activities and interesting lessons to keep you motivated while you learn. We are team teaching this year with Ms. Olivieri, and in effect- you will have three classroom teachers throughout the day. We are going to have a great year together!
You may find third grade to be a little different than other years at school. You are growing older now and this year, you will be asked to do many things for yourself. Here are a few examples:
-Keep a portfolio (collection) of your best work
-Attend parent/teacher conferences so you can help set goals for yourself
-Work with others cooperatively (we will have tables and cubbies instead of desks)
-Manage your time with homework (packets are given every Friday and due on the following Friday– so you can plan your week)
-Take an active role in the classroom (participate in lessons, classroom jobs, discussions, independent studies, group projects, etc.)
There are many ways you can be successful in third grade:
-Keep a positive attitude- crying, whining, and complaining are never allowed
-Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, when you learn from mistakes, they become lessons! (We will never be upset with you for trying your best)
-Be honest, there is no need to lie about anything or make up excuses
-Ask questions- we prefer a good question to a good answer any day!
-Be kind and respectful to yourself and others
-Look up words you don’t know in a dictionary or a computer (we will help you with spelling and show you how to find words quickly in a dictionary)
********STUDY YOUR ADDITION & SUBTRACTION this SUMMER (5-10 min. a day)************
-READ, READ, READ! (Do this in the summer and all your life… It’s fun!)
Just some of things I think you’ll like about being in our class:
-You can have a healthy snack anytime that is good for your energy level
-You can keep a mug of water at your work area
-We move around, a lot!
-There is often music, art, acting, nature, and computers integrated into lessons
-You get to make a lot of decisions, think creatively, and solve problems
Those are just a few of the many things you can look forward to this school year! Feel free to email/snail mail us during the summer with any ideas you may have, stories you’re writing, or if you would like to tell us about a good book you are reading.
In our class, it is most important that you always do your own work. So please, if you write to Ms. Mello or Ms. Tourigny, do it with your own hand. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just the best you can do. We can be much more helpful teachers when we know what you can and cannot do. When we read your writing it also helps us understand what you might need to learn next.
We hope you are having a great summer!
Ms. Mello & Ms. Tourigny
Supplies for Third Grade
Ms. Mello & Ms. Tourigny’s Room 2010/2011
The following items are what students need to bring to school and keep in their own cubby. These items are not shared with others:
· (5) 1 subject -solid colored -no design- notebooks with lined paper, 3-hole punched is preferable
· (1) Hand-held Pencil Sharpener- your child should mark it with their initials
· (1) 2″ Solid White (PLEASE, no designs) 3-Ring Binder- preferably the kind with a clear sleeve on cover to put a photo in- this binder is for your portfolio
· Mug, old shirt, towel (see below for explanation)
*Please do not write on the notebooks and folder- just bring them in blank. We will label them with student names, ID numbers, and subjects in school. For classroom management purposes, we need them to be the same- so please do not do this ahead of time.
*Please, NO mechanical or novelty pencils, and scented or swirled colored ink pens. These only distract kids and take time-off learning. Novelty erasers are also a huge distraction! Trapper keepers will not be needed. In short, think simple when buying supplies. The special “bling” will come from your work.
*All students should bring in an old long sleeve shirt or apron that can get dirty and keep in school. This will be kept in their locker for the year. An old beach towel is also a good item to have as we go outside frequently, and this will help protect clothing when sitting on the ground. Bring things you don’t care about if they are ruined.
* All students should bring in a mug that you do not care about if it should be lost or broken… Students may keep water at the table with them throughout the day to stay hydrated. We will also be using the mugs for hot beverages when we hold Reading Cafés.
In our classroom we sit at table instead of desks, and we share most supplies. We also share responsibility in taking care of our common work areas and supplies.
Due to tough times and an extraordinarily tight budget, teachers were not able to purchase specific supplies (art supplies, tissues, etc.) for their individual classrooms this year. Our classrooms will be supplied with the most necessary items like writing paper and pencils so we will have everything we really need. I also like to do projects by recyling items others may consider trash. If you have a mass amount of anything (bottle caps, can tabs, felt, unused drawing paper, etc.) that you would throw away, please flash me us email at tellannasomething@gmail.com or stourigny@lanesboroughschool.org and maybe it is something we could use for an upcoming project. We really don’t want families to go out and buy things, you’d be amazed at how resourceful we can be! We do ask families that want to donate once or twice during the year for the following items so we can share them as a class:
On a side note:
In the past, some classes have chosen to send in “shared” snacks to keep in the cabinet and distribute when kids forget their snack. Throughout the year someone would randomly send in a box of Cheerios or crackers at just the right time. Other classes have not done this at all and that has worked out fine too- kids forget less when they know one will not be provided for them. It’s really up to you. You may also send in a box of something for just your child to eat and we will put their name on it and keep it in the cabinet. They can take out a portion at a time. This helps in the battle of trying to remember to pack one every day and may save you time. Also, spoons are always available for yogurt, fruit, and other such snacks.
We cannot adequately stress the importance of providing a healthy snack for your child to help both their focus and energy at school. We see time and time again how good nutrition, adequate sleep, and exercise are consistent habits of successful students.
Items to have at home:
Computers are great for third graders if possible, but please know we will never assign homework that requires one.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions Tellannasomething@gmail.com or stourigny@lanesboroughschool.org.
Thank you!
Ms. Mello & Ms. Tourigny
Once we start the new year, you will be given a username and password for IXL math. This is a great program where you can earn medals and chart your progress. Until then, we are posting this link: http://www.aplusmath.com/ so that you may have an easy place to practice your math facts. You will be charting mastery of facts this year for + & – (up to 10) and x & / (up to 12s) It is important you come to third grade having memorized your + & – facts so that you will be ready to learn multiplication and division (x & /).
Good news! Spelling is f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s.l.y fun in Spelling City! You can learn and study your spelling words a mulitude of ways! Third Grade spelling lists coincide with the weekly story you’re reading in class. You can find the word list you need to study located under the title of that week’s story.
You can study your spelling words for this week by clicking here to go to my Spelling City list. If you try, ”Write a paragraph” and then click “submit” it will be automatically sent to us. Have fun!
To order online go to http://pcool.scholastic.com/parentordering/login.jsp
Username for third grade is: mellosmaniacreaders
Password: love2read
You may pay by credit card or send a check in to Ms. Mello attached to an order slip. Checks should be made out to Scholastic.
The next order is due, Friday, October 1,2011 for sending slips in w/a check and the following Sunday @ 7:00 pm is the cut off time for ordering online. Slips will be sent home as I receive them in the mail, although you can peruse the catalogs online at anytime. Please note, sometimes there are catalogs posted for which there are no paper slips. You can still peruse and order from these catalogs online. Payment can be by using a credit card online, or by sending in a check. The easiest way, if possible, is to order online with a credit card.
Guide to Catalogs:
While many of the titles of catalogs are self explanatory, please note LUCKY is for grades 2-3, and ARROW is for 4-6. I’ve listed both options in case your child is an advanced reader, you’d like to have some good read-aloud books to share with your child, or in the event you may want to purchase gifts for older children.
Questions? Need help? Email Ms. Mello @ tellannasomething@gmail.com
Ms. Mello’s class is in charge of writing and reporting L.E.S. News…
“That’s Lanesborough Elementary School news in LESs than a minute!”
Every morning a third grade student will report the day’s weather, pledge of allegiance, announce birthdays, and/or any other special events going on at school. This news report takes place at 8:40 every morning and is usually written (as volunteer homework) the night before by a lead editor/reporter. Ms. Mello will be looking for students who are interested in taking this responsibility for the 2010-2011 school year. All third graders who would like to report the news over the loud speaker will have a chance during the year, however, only one to three students will be in charge to ensure that it is written every day, edited, and practiced by that day’s reporter. Out of respect for the entire school community, it is most important that it is accurate, read clearly, and read in less than a minute.
Are you up for the challenge? If you are organized, responsible, like to write, and love to work with others you may just be the person for the job!
188 Summer Street in Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Our contact information is:
Telephone: (413) 443-0027
Fax: (413) 447-9958
Mrs. Ellen Boshe (eboshe@lanesboroughschool.org)