Monday, February 24, 2020

Dear Parents,

Another beautiful weekend in the books!

This week the class will wrap up our Opinion writing and Mystery Units in ELA.  Kids can continue to read mystery books at home, but in class we will be shifting to a biography unit. I have a lot of biographies in class, and I will be encouraging student to read chapter books and picture books about people that interest and engage them.

The class has earned a party through their good behavior. The kids have chosen a "Market Party", which is something Mr. Avey has done many times, successfully, but is new to me. I am sending home a paper letter with details, but the gist is that kids may craft items to sell in a shop, or bring "garage sale" items to resell. The money exchanged is our class moola. I am not included any food items, as Mr. Avey tells me that gets out of control, with an excess of baked goods. The date for our market party is March 6th. Kids do not have to bring items to sell if they don't wish to, but many kids enjoy crafting bracelets, tech decks, key chains, etc.

Thanks to all of you who were able to support our aquarium field trip by driving and chaperoning. It was a great success! "The most engaging field trip I've ever been on," said one parent.  And guess what, we have a lot of field trips coming up over the next 1-2 months! Please consider driving for one or more of them. These trips are all by grade level.

For Third:

March 26, 2020--Neary Lagoon  (With Mrs. Checkouras)
April 9, 2020-- Agricultural History Museum (With Mrs. Nosky)
May 26, 2020--SC Museum of Art and History (With Mrs. Maraldo)


For Fourth:

March 5, 2020--SC Symphony (With Mr. McMillan & Mr. Avey)
April 17, 2020--Cabrillo College (With Mr. McMillan & Mr. Avey)

As you can see, the symphony field trip for 4th Grade is coming up very soon! Please connect with me if you are a 4th Grade parent and able to drive on that day. (It is in the morning, at the SC Civic. I am not sure of the exact times yet.)

Other than field trips, please remind your child to sustain their focus and energy for school work. We have a lot more to learn during this last third of the year. (The second trimester ends March 6th, and report cards go home March 20th.)

Have a great week!

Carroll Mayer

Tuesday, February 18, 2020


Dear Parents,

I hope you enjoyed our last (February) 3-day weekend! We had some beautiful weather.

This week our class, along with the two 4th Grade classes, will be heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I have enough chaperons, and we actually exceed their number of volunteers by one. Kids need to arrive at school on time, and we will be leaving Rio del Mar right as the bell rings. We are expected at the aquarium at 8:45. Kids should bring lunches with water or a drink, wear comfortable shoes, and have an appropriate jacket. We will be in a lab/classroom for part of the time, and walking around the aquarium for another portion of the trip. We will eat in their picnic area. Please do not send money, as no kids will be shopping.

Both grades have also begun new units in math: 3rd Graders are studying geometry, including perimeter and area, and 4th Graders are working with fractions. We are winding up on our Opinion Writing, and should have that project finished in about a week. We are also wrapping up our Mystery Unit in reading. At the beginning of the term, kids met with me to set an AR reading goals, and must have taken the tests on books completed by March 6th. Most of the class have done a great job working on their goal, but it's a good idea to check in with your child to be sure they've made good progress. This is a new way of measuring reading for some of the kids, and they may need reminders. (I am also checking in with kids at school.)

The second trimester ends on March 6th, and report cards will go home on Friday, March 20th.

Finally, the kids have earned a class party, and have decided to have a Market Day  Guidelines are attached in the link. The kids and I are excited about this activity, but it will be a first time for all of us. Feel free to contact me to clarify your understanding of the activity.

Have a great week!

Carroll Mayer

Monday, February 3, 2020

Hi All,

Hurray!  Another 5-day week!  While it may be counter-intuitive, the 4-day weeks generally seem longer are definitely more hectic at school than the 5-day ones.

Last week, Third Graders attended a fantastic field trip at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. The kids got some additional hands-on work with replica artifacts of the Ohlone people. Thank you to the parents that were able to chaperon!

I have enough volunteers for the next field trip, to the aquarium. Thanks to those of you that have contacted me. If you have not yet returned your child's permission slip, please do so ASAP.

This week, we have another exciting event: the Math Festival. Our class will be attending the Math Festival in the cafeteria on Thursday afternoon. Like other years, kids will have the opportunity to explore various math applications by engaging in math in fun, hands-on ways. There will not be a family night this year.

Kids are bringing home information about the flu, as this year appears to be a challenging one. I have been emphasizing hand-washing after nose blowing, and before eating; please double up on this message at home.

Have a great week!

Carroll