Sunday, April 26, 2020

Hi All,

I hope you have enjoyed the past week. It feels like a long time since Earth Day, but it was only last Wednesday! I loved hearing about all the things you did to celebrate our planet, via your posts to our daily question, and in our 3rd Grade meeting on Thursday. This week we will return to our normal schedule, and have a whole class meeting on Monday at 9:30, 4th Grade on Tuesday, 3rd on Wednesday, and Office Hours on Thursday and Friday. All the meeting are from 9:30-10:30, and we will continue to use Google Meet (link on Classroom). I also loved seeing many of you in the SeaHawk News. If you haven't sent in photos to Mrs. Avey in the past, you have another chance this week!

Here is our Room 9 Distance Learning Choice Board for this week.

For 3rd Graders only, a reminder that copies of Riding Freedom are available at Rio on Monday, in the same place that parents pick up packets. If you don't get a packet, you can still get the book. I have also linked an audio version of the book, starting over at the beginning, on this week's Distance Learning Choice Board, so you can enjoy the book even if you don't have a copy. When/if you pick up a 3rd Grade packet, please remember that we don't have exactly the same activities as those that are in the packet. Follow our assignments listed on our Choice Board.

For everyone, please remember that I am expecting you to read, write and do math every school day. Some of you are sending in everything you are assigned, and I appreciate how hard you are working.

  1. How do I know you are writing? You have turned in your final draft of your story, and returned the grammar worksheet via a scan or photo. 
  2. How do I know you are reading? You have written a signpost for you book on KidBlog, taken an AR test, done the assigned Newsela article, and completed your Lexia minutes (40).
  3. How do I know you are doing math? You have returned math Exit tickets,  (this coming week all assignments), and are doing your Khan Accelerator minutes(45).
Families, please let me know if your household is having trouble completing these assignments. I will do all I can to support you in making this work during the remainder of the school year.

Have a terrific week! Kids, remember that you can add to the agenda for our class meetings by emailing me, or by posting on the document attached to Meeting "assignment" on our Google Classroom. 

Take care,

Ms. Mayer


Sunday, April 19, 2020

Hi All!

Well, it's been another beautiful week! I feel fortunate to be a part of a community that continues to work hard to support one another: to keep people safe, and yet still be together as a collaborative and spirited group. I was so impressed this week with the level of student participation in the various activities, both required and not required, and the quality of interaction in our Zoom meetings, Google Classroom comments, and emails. You are rising to this challenge!

On that note, we have another wonderful  Seahawk News.😃

In addition, here is this week's Distance Learning Choice Board. It is also posted in the Google Classroom, along with links to pages to print out or hand write. The REQUIRED items are clearly marked, and those will be the activities I look at when determining kids' level of participation each week. Please let me know if your family is having trouble with one of these activities, or are addressing the grade level standards in some alternative way.

I have again scheduled 9:30 virtual meetings each day. The schedule is the same as last week's, and is also listed below. The links/codes are on the Google Classroom, as they are subject to change.

Monday--Whole Class
Tuesday--4th Graders
Wednesday--3rd Graders
Thursday & Friday--"Office Hours" --anyone with questions or  a need

This week kids in both grades will be continuing to learn about fractions in math. We will be working on fractions for several more weeks, and then will finish the year out with a few weeks of Geometry. Fourth Grade parents, it will be ideal if your child has a protractor when we begin this material in the middle of May. as a big part of this unit is learning how to measure angles. Protractors are not needed in 3rd.

Third Grade families can pick up this week's packet on Monday, but a reminder that not all of our activities are aligned with the other 3rd Grade classes. Please bypass the reading assignments, as our class has different work, and follow the schedule laid out on the Room 9 Distance Learning Choice Board.

This week kids will be finishing up the stories they drafted last week. I am enjoying reading their work, and am making comments so that they can revise and edit their work to the best of their ability.  There are also ideas for publishing/illustrating the stories on the Choice Board. Next week, kids will begin researching their Famous American (3rd) or Artist (4th). There is a sign up on the Choice Board, so that only one kid in the class researches and writes about a given subject. Please make sure that your child has chosen their person by the end of the week. I have made collections of books in Epic, and can also support some with articles using Encyclopedia Britannica and Reading A-Z.



Have a great week, and please don't hesitate to contact me with for additional support,

Carroll Mayer

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, and have found ways to celebrate your health and faith as a family.

Rio del Mar has many resources available to support you during these times, including links for PE, Art, and the school library. These are all on the Choice Board.  In addition, here is a message from Natalie Hanneman, our counselor :Letter to Family

Here is one of my favorite things: Seahawk News


It seems like we are developing some successful routines, and I'd like to build on structures that are working.

Class Meetings via Zoom at 9:30--Links/codes posted on Google Classroom

  • Monday--whole class
  • Tuesday--4th Grade 
  • Wednesday--3rd Grade
  • Thursday & Friday--"Office Hours" --I will be on Zoom, available for kids to log in and ask questions about classwork or technology.

Here is our Distance Learning Choice Board for the week. It will also be posted in the Google Classroom. For Third Grade parents: our Choice Board and assignments are not EXACTLY like the ones included in the weekly 3rd Grade packet available at Rio from 8-10 on Mondays. Picking up the packet saves you and your child some printing, especially of math papers, which I am syncing with the other classes. We do NOT have the same reading assignments, so stories referenced in the packet are not accessible to Room 9 kids. Please use the Reading Routines (also linked on Choice Board) to structure your child's weekly reading.

It's my expectation that you are all reading, writing and doing math on each school day. There are a lot of other things on the Choice Board, and they are so you don't get bored. I know you are also good at thinking of interesting, creative and fun things to do.

Finally, I am checking in and responding to your emails and submitted work every day. I love to see and hear how you're doing, and am eager to help you as challenges arise. I really like getting the work on Google Classroom, but I also welcome pictures sent via email.  I miss you!


All the best,

Carroll Mayer



Monday, April 6, 2020

Good Morning,

I hope you all had a great vacation, and enjoyed our beautiful and sunny home. It was even nice to settle in and get cozy these last few days while it rained!

This week my expectation is that the kids will be reading, writing and doing math daily--Monday through Thursday.   All assignments are listed in the Distance Learning Choice Board, and are duplicated in the Google Classroom. I am doing this to support kids in their organization. I've been getting back work in a variety of ways, and have seen very little from a few kids. Hopefully, this will help all understand and manage classwork.

I also sent a lengthy email, so please let me know if you did not receive it. I will verify your email address and forward the information. In addition, the kids should now be able to access Gmail, by going to the "waffle" in the right corner of their screen after they log in and open their Google Drive. I am sending all emails to the kids, as well as parents. I am happy to get email directly from the kids, and am responding as soon as I can when they alert me to various challenges, or simply let me know how things are going.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Ms. Mayer