Ms. Mayer's Blog - Room 24

2012-01-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

HI All,

Just a few reminders...

We are back to normal with the Homework Packet; it's due on Friday. Remember that the first new Lit. Circle assignment is due on Tuesday. Kids may bring it in on Monday and just save it in their desk until Tuesday. They must also bring in their books to use during the meeting.

Continue practicing multiplication facts. Students will find that the better they know their multiplication, the better they know division. Math homework will be smoother and easier for those kids who have their multiplication facts memorized. On Friday, we will have another timed test on multiplication facts 0-5.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2012-01-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Well, now we are back to the routine after a long Winter Break and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday! The Homework Packet given to the kids last Wednesday is due this Friday. In addition, the kids will be bringing home their new Lit. Circle assignments on Tuesday. They are due the following Tuesday, January 24th. From now on, students will receive their assignments each week and will be responsible for attending their Lit. Circle on Tuesday with the completed work and book in hand. Please help your child stay organized with this new task, as the reading and "job" should be completed over several days, not on Monday night!

In Math, we are moving on from geometry to division. While we will be focusing primarily on the concept of division, those students who have their multiplication facts memorized will have a much easier time with the work.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-12-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope you have enjoyed this chilly weekend. This week, we will be gearing up for the break. We are concluding our third theme in Language Arts, and taking a Math Benchmark. I will also have students reassess on the AR STAR, so some kids may have new reading levels for their independent reading during the break and new year. We will not have a Homework packet this week, and math homework will be sent home on Monday and Tuesday only. Please send back permission slips for our January field trip to the Natural History Museum, as well as the $2.00 contribution for the museum.

This Wednesday is not a Restructured Day. We will have our Pajama Day on Wednesday, and students should also bring books for the Room 24 Book Swap (up to 5 books).

Our class party is scheduled for Friday, at 12:15. If you did not receive an email with information about the party, please contact me and I will forward it to you.

Finally, please know how much I am enjoying your kids this year. I am finding this class to be a kind and thoughtful bunch, and I really appreciate their great spirits.

If I don't have a chance to check in with you before break, have a wonderful holiday, and I will see you in the new year!

Carroll Mayer

2011-12-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed our unexpected "snow day" on Friday.

Students should turn in Friday's homework, and be ready for the spelling test on Monday. A new spelling packet will go home on Monday, as usual, and is due on Friday. We will also have a multiplication test this Friday, focusing on the facts for 0-4.

This week, all of Rio del Mar looks forward to the choir concert on Wednesday at Aptos High. The performance schedule is staggered, due to space. Please plan on arriving 15 minutes before your child's performance time. The second and third grade are scheduled at 6:00. The kids have been practicing weekly and are very excited about the show.

Permission slips for our field trip to the Natural History Museum in Seabright are going home on Monday. The trip is scheduled for January, but I'd like all permission slips and money before the winter break. Also, if you volunteer to drive, be sure to note the date in your 2012 calendar! (It's so easy to lose track of events scheduled after the new year.)

Finally, Room 24 will be having a winter "book swap" on Wednesday, December 14th. Kids may bring up to 5 books to exchange with their classmates. Everyone will get to take home the number of books they bring in, but all kids will get to choose at least one book.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-11-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

There will not be a homework packet this week. There will be math homework on Monday. On Tuesday, we will be having a short test on the Ohlone Indians; last Thursday students brought home a brown folder with information and notes from this unit. The kids should be familiar with what the Ohlone ate and how they got it, the materials their homes were made of, and how they used baskets.

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful week.

Carroll Mayer

2011-11-13T13:36:00.001-08:00

HI All,

Report cards will go home on Monday, November 14th. I have given the kids goals for their AR Reading this trimester, and many of them are also reading at a new level. Their current grade equivalent in AR is noted on the report card, and they should be reading books at about that level. It is easy to check book levels on the AR Book Finder, which is on the Rio del Mar website.

They will have a homework packet this week, but not the week of Thanksgiving. Although we are now focused on Geometry and Measurement in math, students should continue regular practice of multiplication facts. I will be giving occasional timed tests, and will have the kids note their time on the test. My habit is to give everyone the same test, and a lot of time. Kids work to improve their own personal time. Those kids that memorize their multiplication facts this year will be very glad as they move into the intermediate grades and use their skills in more complex applications.

On Tuesday, the kids' groups will be doing brief presentations on the Ohlone Indians. After the presentations, they will be bringing home short notes to study for a small quiz on Thursday. Please encourage your child to review their notes.

Take care, and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-11-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

While it seems ages ago, thank you all for the contributions of time and energy to make the Halloween party a success. The pumpkins were adorable, and the kids had a great time. The food was delicious too. Thanks, especially, to Christa for organizing it!

I hope everyone is having fun with the landform projects, which are due on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing a variety of terrain, as well as materials. The kids will get to see the landforms in the other classes, and then they will bring them home on Tuesday afternoon. (There is not enough room to display them in the class for any length of time.)

This past Friday, I sent the kids with this week's Homework Packet, as Friday is Veteran's Day.

The homework will be due on Thursday, and that is when we will have the spelling test. In Math, we will be wrapping up the study of the concept of multiplication this week. (We will come back to it later when they learn multiplication with regrouping.) We will also continue regular practice, homework, and occasional timed tests to develop automaticity with multiplication facts.

Report cards for the first trimester will come home next Monday, 11/14. This week is the beginning of the second trimester. I will be giving all the kids point goals for their AR Reading this term, so that they can have a target to work toward. The goal varies according to the current Independent Reading Level of the student. The kids may take AR tests on their Lit. Circle reading, Read-Alouds I do in class, the books they note on their Reading Log, and any other reading they do throughout the week. Many of the kids did a great job with AR this past trimester, but others will need some pushing to follow through with the tests when they complete a book.

Finally, just a brief reminder about Lit. Circles. I am giving the kids about 2 hours spread throughout the week to work on their assignments, including the reading and the jobs. For most of the kids, the time has been sufficient to complete their responsibilities. A few kids each week have needed extra time, and know they are expected to take home their Lit. Circle assignment on Friday, and complete them by Tuesday morning. (I do a "check in" with each kid to remind them of this.) In January, the entire Lit. Circle assignment will become homework, and it's my expectation that the kids will be able to complete this homework very independently. In class, they are doing great work with minimal support!

Have a nice week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-10-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend. As I mentioned in my email, there will be no Homework Packet this week. In addition, we will take Monday night off from math homework, but will continue with multiplication concepts this week. A few students needed to work on Lit. Circles this weekend, but the majority of the class appears ready for the first Lit. Circle meeting on Tuesday morning. Finally, students brought home a handout explaining the landforms project, which is due in about a week.

Have a Happy Halloween, but please keep the candy at home!

Carroll

2011-10-23T19:39:00.001-07:00

HI All,

Tomorrow (Monday) is our field trip to Aptos History Museum. We will leave school at 10 AM and return at 11:30 (before lunch.) John Hibble will talk to the kids about local history, including the Ohlone people and Klaus Spreckels. Also on Monday, all 3rd graders will be gifted with a dictionary by the Rotary Club.

This week, we will continue with the concept of multiplication in math, and students should also be memorizing these facts. The spelling concept this week is "long i".

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-10-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

It was great to meet with you this week and discuss your great kids.

This week in math, we will continue learning about multiplication, including the Multiplication Properties. We will also begin discussing various strategies to figure out multiplication facts that are not yet memorized. However, it is my goal for each student to have these facts memorized by the end of the year, and will be information that they will find extremely important in the next several years. Please encourage your child in this endeavor. I always tell the kids that their parents know multiplication, and that they can practice these facts while driving in the car, standing in line, or working around the house!

We are also beginning a short unit on maps and landforms. In about 2 weeks, students will be bringing home a fun homework/craft project on landforms as a conclusion to the unit.

Finally, a big thank you for the great books many of you were able to purchase and donate from the book fair. This benefits our class and the school library! In addition, thanks to the Parent Alliance, for providing the staff with a great lunch on Thursday. The soup was yummy.

Have a great week.

Carroll

2011-10-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I'm looking forward to meeting with most of you this week; with a few conference already held, or scheduled in the future! Please make every effort to be on time, even if you are coming from another class. Most of us have our conferences scheduled back-to-back, and so there is a domino effect if people aren't on time.

This week the kids have "regular" homework, with a spelling packet and nightly math. Many students elected to receive the packet on Friday afternoon, so that they would have a little extra time on it. This is completely up to you and your family. I did find that there were more errors on last week's spelling tests than previous ones, and so many students may have realized that additional practice time is needed now that we are learning harder words. The kids are also doing a great job on the reading logs, which I realize are a step up from the ones in 1st and 2nd grade. Please remind your child that they may take AR tests on the reading they do at home, as long as there are tests available. We will finish regrouping in math this week and move on to multiplication. However, many kids are still struggling with accuracy in subtraction facts which is why we have been practicing these facts weekly. In general, the kids have really gotten into the rhythm of the weeks, and are doing careful, consistent work.

I also had many more volunteers than necessary for our next field trip ( Aptos History Museum), which is a great problem to have! Please send me an email if you volunteered and would like to opt out. There will be several other great museum field trips this year, including the SC Natural History Museum, SC MAH, and Agricultural History Museum.

Many thanks for all your enthusiasm. I am having a great year with your kids.

Carroll Mayer

2011-10-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

First of all, let me compliment you on your hard-working and flexible children! As you may have heard, two separate dental procedures and a drug reaction took me out of the class quite suddenly for most of last week. Mrs. McElroy stepped in, and had nothing but praise for the class and its behavior. This is wonderful to hear, but not surprising as it supports my own observations of our class.

As you may also have noticed last week, the math homework was a little different on several days. This was intentional, in order to give students some extra practice. We have begun regrouping in subtraction (borrowing), which is a difficult concept for many kids. This week we will return to the regular format. However, please take extra time to carefully review your child's math homework, as even the strongest students may have occasional glitches with this concept. In addition, many of the kids are still struggling with accuracy in subtraction, so the correct procedures may still yield errors! The homework packet this week will also be a "normal" one.

Several of you have sent questions regarding the conference schedule for the week of October 10th. On Tuesday, I will send home copies of the current conference schedule. If you need to make a change, please note 2-3 possibilities, and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

Finally, if you have not returned the permission slip for our October field trip to the Aptos History Museum, please do so, along with a dollar for the museum.

Thanks,

Carroll

2011-09-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week the Homework Packet will be smaller than usual, with no spelling words or practice book page. In class, we will be reviewing and assessing some of the Language Arts skills addressed during these first weeks of school.

A permission slip for the next field trip, to the Aptos History Museum, will be coming home this week. Please return it ASAP with a $1.00 donation for the museum.

Finally, if you have not yet signed up for a conference, please email me with preferred days. I have opening on most of the days, with greater space toward the end of the week.

Take care, and have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-09-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

First of all, our field trip to the Santa Cruz County Fair was a great success. Thank you to all the parents who were willing to drive and/or chaperon; without these volunteers a trip like this is not possible.

Secondly, thank you to the volunteers that began their scheduled times this past week. While I didn't make it entirely clear, my plan was to start with parent helpers in the class, and most of you made it as scheduled. For the many people sharing time slots, please stay in regular contact with your partner. I've found that people can get out of sync and I have 2 parents one week and no helpers the following week.

The kids are doing much better with the homework; only a couple of children lost play time because of missing assignments. I will keep reminding them that homework is their responsibility to complete and return.

Finally, the Harvest Festival is scheduled for this Friday evening. This event is a great way for the kids and families to hang out. It's an opportunity to celebrate our school and for your child to introduce you to new friends.

Take care, and have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

It was wonderful to meet so many of you on Thursday night and begin connecting children to familiar adult faces. For those of you who were unable to attend on Thursday, or arrange conferences, I will be in touch with times. Thanks, as well, to all my new volunteers. I look forward to working with you.

This week we are back to a regular homework packet: reading log, spelling list and practice book page, and subtraction practice sheet. I have been reminding the kids that this will be the first week of consequences for students that don't have all of their homework in by Friday; they may turn it in early. Any students who fail to turn in the homework will have a "make-up" to do while others in the class have free choice. I expect the kids to be responsible for remembering their assignments and do not accept, "My mom forgot to put my homework in my backpack," as an excuse.

On Thursday, we have our field trip to the SC County Fair. I am still missing permission slips from several children. In addition, many of the drivers have not completed their Volunteer Driver Forms or submitted their insurance and CDL. These forms must be taken care of now. Thanks in advance for your help.

Take care,

Carroll Mayer

2011-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I hope you all are enjoying this 3 day weekend, especially with our -- finally-- sunny Monday.

This week's Homework Packet will just contain math practice and a Reading Log; there's no spelling due to the Monday holiday.

Rio del Mar is having Back-to-School Night on Thursday. The primary classes will meet from 6:30 - 7:15. I will be having sign ups for parent volunteers and also for the October Parent/Teacher conferences on that night.

Finally, several students still need to return their permission slips for the SC County Fair field trip. We have enough drivers, but just exactly. If you have volunteered, please make sure your driver information is handed into the office.

Have a nice week, and I'll see you on Thursday night!

Carroll Mayer

2011-08-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

The kids and I settled into a nice routine last week. I was happy to see how well the kids adapted to my expectations!

This week, the final piece of homework will be added to the packet: a spelling list and spelling practice pages. The stapled packet consisting of spelling, a reading log, and math practice pages, is due on Friday. There will be a spelling test on Friday, consisting of the 20 words and 5 sentences on the list. The nightly math homework is due each day and is designed to support content addressed on that day. There is also a small review section each night, but I have been crossing these out because we began with chapters intended for the end of third grade, rather than the beginning. In a week or so, we will begin Chapter 1 in the math curriculum, and the rest of the year will be in sequence.

Students will also be bringing home permission slips for our first field trip: the Santa Cruz County Fair. If you are able to drive and chaperon, please return the forms right away! Insurance forms must also be filed in the office. Thanks in advance for your support with this trip; it really compliments our studies of Charlotte's Web, local history, and plants and animals.

Have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-08-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Whew, we've got the first few days under our belt(s)! I really enjoyed meeting your children and those of you that stopped in to say "hi". Please be patient as it will take me a little time to connect names, faces, and kids with parents. I also want to thank the many people who sent in items from my wish list including many Ticonderoga pencils, dry erase pens, gift cards to Staples and Palace. You can be assured that we will consume all these items and more this year!

Hopefully, your children came home from school this week comfortable and confident that Third Grade will be just fine. Many of our activities last week were about getting to know each other and establishing the classroom behaviors. However, we did jump right into math! Next week, in addition to the nightly math homework, there will be a reading log and page of subtraction facts to practice. (The AR level on the Reading Log will be explained at Back-to-School Night.) This homework is due on Friday. There is also a Mystery Bag assignment due on Wednesday. Finally, if you haven't sent in the office Information Card and the signed Computer Use Agreement, please do so.

And just a reminder that this Wednesday is not restructured...

Finally, please feel free to email me with any questions. I check my PVUSD email daily, but not throughout the day. If you have an urgent message, please phone the office, and they will relay the message, or send a note.

Take care, and have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-08-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Third Grade! We are going to have a great year.

A short supply list is posted. Please don't send pencil boxes, as they take up a great deal of space and are underused by the kids. I will have communal boxes with markers, colored pencils, and other supplies, which we will pull out as needed.

In addition, if you have copies of Charlotte's Web, please bring them as we will start reading this wonderful book right away.

We are also going to hit the ground running with math homework on Wednesday night. In addition there will be a Mystery Bag assignment that will be due on Wednesday, August 24th.

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday morning at 7:55. Have a great weekend!

Ms. Mayer

2011-05-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I cannot believe we have arrived at the last week! I've had fun this year. Even with some challenges, your children have been an interesting and fun bunch. I know you will have lively summers.

This week, the second group will be presenting their Famous American speeches on Tuesday, with a few more on Thursday. The kids who did speeches on Friday did really well; I was very proud.

On Wednesday, we are heading to the beach. Please be sure to review Patti's email so that your children are properly prepared for the outing.

Finally, thank you all so much! So many of you have helped in the class, on field trips, and with organizing parties and field trips. You make the school year easier, smoother, and a lot more fun. You are truly appreciated.

Have a great summer, and come visit me next year!

Carroll

2011-05-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Wow, has this year zoomed by. Please send in those permission slips for the End-of-the-year Party. There are several children that have not returned their form or 5 dollars. I am also still short on drivers, by 9 students.

I will send math homework on Monday and Tuesday, but this week the primary homework is preparing for the "Famous American" speeches. The children have worked hard, and most of them have a 3-4 paragraph speech written in the first person, in draft form. Many of them have also been able to rewrite their drafts onto index cards, or to type them. On their day, children should arrive with their speech, and a "dress up" costume. Please find items for the costume around the house! Students' assigned days are indicated below, and anyone that is assigned to Tuesday, May 31, may switch to June 2nd. (I know how frustrating it can be to have an assignment due when you are leaving town.) However, please let me know by Thursday, May 26th, if you are switching to June 2nd. Parents are welcome to view the speeches and take photographs or video. I will not be recording this year's performance.

Friday, May 27th: Abigail, Gigi, Grant, Indy, Izzy, Jack, Jacob, Jaden, Jake, Jamie, Katelyn, Katherine, Lauren, Madisen, Ryan

Tuesday, May 31st: Amelia, Brett, Christian, Gabby, Gage, Jasmine, Jordan, Kye, Layla, Mohammed, Sean, Tara, Trevor, Zachary

Have a great week,

Carroll

2011-05-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I hope you had a pleasant Mother's Day and a relaxing weekend!

I received several responses to my email regarding missing Lit. Circle books. For those of you that did not reply, please carefully check your child's places for the books. This year I have had many more missing books than ever before, and that will have a frustrating impact on future third graders.

As the CSTs are now done, we will resume homework routines. The spelling packets over the next two weeks will look slightly different, because we have completed the HM spelling curriculum. The packets contain words that we frequently see misspelled in children's writing. There are only 14 words to study for Friday's test, but the packet is 2 double-sided pages, with a multiplication practice sheet attached. This homework is due, as always, by Friday. We will also resume nightly HM math homework.

In class, students are working hard on their "Famous American" note taking. These notes will be written into paragraph form over the next 2 weeks. Homework for the week of May 23-27 will include practicing the first person speech, and copying it into final draft form. Speeches will begin (in class) on May 27th, and continue during the last week of school!

This Thursday night is Rio del Mar's Open House. Please make a point of visiting our classroom between 6:30 and 8:00 and seeing your child's work place.

Finally, information about the class party (at the beach, beside 1st and 2nd grade) will be coming home shortly. This is always a fun and social way to wrap up the year.

Take care,

Carroll

2011-05-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I hope you all enjoyed the break; the last few days have finally felt like spring! Today I had the lovely surprise of a May Day bouquet hanging from my door. Thank you, mystery giver!

This week, we will continue with CSTs in Language Arts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.

As we have completed the math section of the CSTs, there will be math homework this week. We will not have a spelling packet. In addition, parent volunteers will not be needed this week, except for Wednesday Lit. Circles.

On Thursday the class will be going to the Agricultural History Museum. All drivers who volunteered will be needed, and please make sure your driver info. is current in the office. Several students have not returned their permission slips or $3.00. Please bring these in ASAP.

Finally, students will begin researching their "Famous Americans". We will print our articles in the computer lab on Monday, but all students should have a biography about their person as well. Please confirm with your child that they have chosen a person and located a book.

Have a great week,

Carroll

2011-04-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Wow, the dioramas were wonderful! The kids took a lot of pride in sharing their projects and visiting the other third grade classes and dioramas as well. It is impressive to see the time and thought kids put into their work.

This week we will begin CSTs (state testing). In order to pace ourselves, we will continue after the break as well. Kids should come to school well-rested. They may also bring gum to chew (in class, during testing only.) Because of testing, there will be very little homework this week: Lit. Circles and reading logs only. I will not be needing volunteer parents, with the exception of Wednesday Lit. Circles.

On Friday, permission slips for our final field trip, to the Agricultural History Museum at the fairgrounds, were sent home. Please return the permission slips and $3.00 this week. The trip is one of my favorites, interesting and well-organized. The kids really love the hands-on activities.

Finally, most children have selected a "Famous American" to begin reading about. If your child has not made a choice, please discuss possibilities and support him/her in making a decision. We will not begin formal note-taking and writing until after break, although children are welcome to read about their person during the week off. Please do not have them write reports during this time, as we have a specific structure.

Have a wonderful week off. I think we are all ready!

Carroll Mayer

2011-04-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week students will be bringing home their Animal Reports to complete the final drafts, which are due on April 15th, along with the diorama. Directions regarding the final drafts are attached to students' folders. Some students may need to complete part of their writing as well, but this will be noted on your child's folder if it is the case. The spelling homework is light this week, with no multiplication attached. In addition, children do not need to do the writing assignment on the bottom of the Practice Book page, as it references a story we will not be reading until next week. Most of the class is doing a great job with multiplication, with many achieving a time of less than 4 minutes for 100 multiplication facts. Continue to encourage your child to practice their math facts regularly, particularly if they are struggling to complete the facts in a reasonable time.

We are beginning a new project on April 18th. Students should be thinking about and selecting a "Famous American" that they would like to research and write about. Each student should have selected their person and found a book to read about their choice. I have many biographies in class, as does the school and public library. We will also be researching on-line. The kids have been instructed to choose a person who has made a contribution to the U.S.; and not to choose people who are celebrities unless they have done something to support our country beyond their "claim to fame".

Also, we are in desperate need of wipes, which we have been using heavily during Spectra!

Take care, and have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week students will continue working on their Animal Reports in class. On Monday, they will also be bringing home information regarding the Diorama about their animal. This part of the project will be completed completely as homework. In addition, students will be bringing home edited drafts of their reports to type. While many kids enjoy the challenge of typing, parents may assist with this final draft. However, please resist making changes.

In math, we will continue multiplying, using bigger numbers. Most of the class has made good progress with automaticity in multiplication, and are easily applying the math facts to larger numbers. Students with solid math facts will also discover the benefit when they learn long division.

The kids will enjoy the 3rd of 4 Pottery sessions on Monday, from Jenny Ward. The opportunity for Spectra is through your hard work at fund raising.

Take care, and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-03-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week students will continue learning multiplication with greater numbers, including regrouping. For the most part, students are catching on; but some are finding out how difficult it can be to multiply 2 and 3 digit numbers, if you don't know your basic multiplication facts. I have reminded them that they will be using these facts in math for the next several years, and that knowing the facts will really serve them well.

As you may have heard, the kids have begun taking notes for their mammal reports. Most have articles we've printed from the Internet, and many have books from the school library as well. We will be taking notes from this material this week, and then rewriting the notes into paragraphs. Third grade teachers will send home a note regarding the homework portion of this research project shortly.

Finally, a big thank you to Patti Long, Jennifer Benson, and Cynthia Jacque for coordinating a little St. Patrick's Day celebration. The kids enjoyed the yummy cupcakes, green milk, and beads.

Take care, and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-03-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This week the Spelling Packet contains review words from the last 3 weeks, and no sentences. In math, we are returning to multiplication -- this time, with larger numbers. We are also beginning a series of 4 Spectra Art lessons on pottery, from Jenny Ward.

The kids are beginning research on their mammal reports; most found articles in the computer lab and books at the school library. Information regarding the homework portion of this project will be coming home soon.

Take care and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-03-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

This week students will bring home the Spelling list for the story, Trapped by the Ice! The spelling homework includes a writing task so please make sure that your child completes it along with the practice book pages. As you may have noticed, the multiplication portion of the packet is primarily a cumulative review. I am also testing the children weekly on their multiplication facts. Please be sure your child continues to practice these facts until they can multiply with automaticity, which is a 3rd grade math standard.

Report cards go home on Tuesday. Please return your child's envelope, with your signature, on Wednesday.

Finally, thanks to Lisa Bird and her daughter, Taylor, for their work on Friday with the class on the Auction Art project. According to Miss Butler, the class had a great time and did very nice work. I look forward to seeing the complete project!

Take care,

Carroll

2011-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope you enjoyed the weather this weekend. I had the pleasure of seeing Scotts Valley blanketed in snow during the wee hours of Saturday morning, and it was like a postcard!

This week I will be gone from class on Tuesday and Friday to attend Data Team trainings, but the kids will be in the capable hands of our former student teacher, Joy Butler.

Two important fundraising events are on the horizon. On Friday, students will be participating in the Jog-a-thon, so be sure to send in your sponsorship dollars. As you all know, this fundraiser makes our Spectra Arts program possible. The kids will also be working this week, with Lisa Bird, on their Auction Art project. Without the money raised at the Auction, there are countless academic supplies, resources, teachers, that our students would do without. Thank you in advance for your support of these two activities.

The students took a multiplication timed test this week. I will be repeating this test weekly, giving the class 12 minutes to complete 100 problems. It's my goal that everyone will complete this test in well under the 12 minutes by the end of the year. We will also continue working on fractions in our HM math program, addressing addition and subtraction this week. In spelling, the kids will be working on the difficult -ough and -augh words. Please continue to support your child in organizing their homework time appropriately, so that all work is completed in a high-quality, timely fashion.

Have a great week!

Carroll

2011-02-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed this 3-day weekend. This week we will continue working on the story Across the Wide Dark Sea. The homework packet, which students received last week, is due this Friday. Students are doing a much better job handing in homework in a timely fashion since I began consequences for missing homework on Fridays. Please continue to support your child in organizing themselves so that they complete homework when it is due. There are still a few kids forgetting or not completing their Lit. Circle assignments.

In math, we have moved from division to a unit on fractions. However, students should continue practicing multiplication facts, which will support their studies when we return to division later this year. We will have a multiplication facts test this Friday, which will cover the facts from 0-10. Our goal in third grade is for students to learn to multiply with automaticity, so that they can focus on the more complex aspects of math problems that require multiplication.

Take care and have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-02-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope you have enjoyed this first of two three-day weekends; I know I have! And a Happy Valentine's Day as well. On that note, a big thank you to Patti Long, Sandi Kolassa, Jennifer Benson, Maria Meade, and Amy Humphreys, who worked to make a cheerful Valentine's celebration for our class.

This week, the students' Spelling list and homework will be good for two weeks. Therefore, it is not due until Friday, February 25th. I have found the students to be doing a better job at handing in their homework since instituting our Friday consequences for missing homework. Each week there have been fewer students with Friday "make ups" during our Finish Work block.

Finally, a few people have checked in regarding upcoming big projects. In March, third graders will begin researching their mammal reports. We will be asking students to select mammals from specific websites that have age appropriate readability and content. Most of the work will be done in class, but final drafts may be homework. There will also be a diorama component to be completed at home.

Have a good week,

Carroll Mayer

2011-02-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

The class and I said "goodbye" to Miss Butler on Friday. The students wrote letters to her, and signed a card and lanyard. Thanks to Patti Long for coordinating a gift and card from you all; Joy was very excited about the Borders gift card and all the children's notes. We do look forward to seeing her subbing at Rio, and possibly in Room 24 sometime in the future.

This week the kids will have a review spelling list, with 3 Practice Book pages instead of the usual 2. In math, we will continue with division, but I expect to complete this unit fairly quickly. Those children who have memorized their multiplication facts are finding that it really pays off in division as well. We will have another multiplication test soon, covering all facts from 2-10.

Finally, I've seen a big improvement in homework consistency since establishing consequences for those students who don't have their homework in by Friday. Please continue to support your children in planning and organizing their homework.

Take care, and have a good week.

Carroll

2011-01-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Back to five day weeks!

The kids are bringing home a spelling list focused on three rules for adding suffixes: doubling the consonants in short vowel words, dropping the "silent e" in long vowel words, and changing the y to i in words ending with the vowel sound y. We are also wrapping up the geometry math unit this week, and will be reviewing lots and lots of math words in class. We will also send home some unit review homework before the test toward the end of the week.

The new homework policy really reinforced your children's attitude about their math homework. By Friday, we were only missing a couple of math assignments, and only 2 students had to do the "Make- up Homework." Unfortunately, some students are still coming unprepared to Wednesday's Lit. Circles. Please remind your child that he/she is responsible for reading the assignment and carefully preparing for their role in the group. It is apparent that some kids neglect this homework until Tuesday, and then find themselves doing several days work in a sloppy and rushed fashion. These assignments are a great time to develop good work habits.

Anyway, have a great week -- the weather is supposed to be excellent!

Yours,

Carroll

2011-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I hope you are enjoying this 3 day weekend. It provides a nice, gradual re-entry into our regular schedule, especially with last week's 3 day school week.

As Sheila Hurley notified you, I wrote an incorrect date on the Spelling packet, which is due this Friday, 1/21. The kids will have their spelling test on that day as well. On that topic, I have established a new policy on math homework. While most students are very responsible and rarely miss completing and turning in their math homework, there are a few who are regularly missing this practice, or neglecting to turn it in. For students who have not turned in all the assigned math homework by each Friday, I will be providing an extra "make up" practice sheet that will focus on that week's concepts. The students will complete this paper while the majority of the class is enjoying "Friday Finish", which is a finish work and free play time.

Some other new things are beginning this week. First of all, Miss Butler will be solo teaching our class for the next 2 weeks. As many of you have had the opportunity to observe, she is a talented and energetic teacher. I will be on campus throughout this solo time, but will be in and out of the class. I will be using this time to further develop my own teaching practice by observing some of my fellow Rio teachers. In addition, our class will begin Spectra Art, which parents and supporters pay for through the Parent Alliance's fundraising activities. The class will have 4 weeks of cartooning. Later this year, we will have an additional 5 weeks of pottery with Jenni Ward, who we have enjoyed as a Spectra teacher for the last 3 years.

Finally, permission slips are due. There is one from Miss Butler regarding her program and a second one for our field trip to the MAH, which is the museum in Downtown Santa Cruz. At this point our class needs 1-2 more drivers for the trip, but many students have not returned their permission slips and money.

Have a great week. Feel free to send in notes or email if you have any questions.

Carroll Mayer

2010-12-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just a brief note to wish you all a wonderful vacation, and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it.

There will be math homework on Monday and Tuesday, but no spelling this week. Please encourage your children to read daily throughout the vacation; they have Reading Logs for December/January. Otherwise, there is much to discover about our selves and our world outside of the school environment. Enjoy it!

Finally, thanks to those who are participating and/or supporting our "Snowman" party, especially Amy. The kids are excited to kick off the vacation with a celebration of an iconic winter activity.

Peace and love,

Carroll

2010-12-12T14:41:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

This week students are bringing home a spelling packet for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The spelling focus is homophones (words that sound the same, but have different meanings and spellings.) It's essential that students study the meaning of the word along with the correct spelling, because I will give the test using examples of the word in its correct context. For example, a sentence for "hear" might be, " I hear birds chirping in the tree." I am not including multiplication practice in this week's packet, but students should practice all facts from 0-5 in preparation for a test on Friday. In January, we will begin practicing the facts from 6-9.

A big thank you from me to all the wonderful parents that drove and chaperoned on our trip to the Natural History Museum, and to Sandi Kolassa, our extraordinary field trip coordinator. The museum trip does a great job of reinforcing our study of the Ohlone people and culture.

Finally, Amy Humphreys has been in contact with many of you regarding our holiday party. The theme is "snow man" and the party is scheduled for Wednesday, December 22. Please contact Amy if you missed the email.

Have a great week,

Carroll

2010-12-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

We had great days last week with our new student teacher, Joy Butler. The kids received a letter from her and wrote letters in response. Miss Butler worked with small groups, individual students, and began teaching a few whole class lessons. She has already proven herself to be a wonderful addition to Room 24!

Homework packets go home tomorrow for the spelling words for Raising Dragons, and continued multiplication practice as well. Students are generally responsible about the Friday packets, and the nightly math homework. Two problems that arise every week are missing Literature Circle assignments, which are always due on Wednesday (and hurt the entire group when not completed), and "Nameless" homework assignments. Please insist that your child develop good homework habits; in the upper grades this work has a big impact on the students' grades.

On Thursday, our class is visiting the SC Museum of Natural History. Kids need to bring sack lunches that day. Also, if you are driving and need to update your Driver Information, please do so early in the week.

Finally, I've asked the kids to hold back on wearing Santa hats until the last week before break. I find that the class is excited enough as the break approaches, and that the hats are just an extra distraction.

Take care,

Carroll Mayer

2010-11-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

I hope you all had a joyous Thanksgiving. This week, we return to a normal routine, with a homework packet on The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, and multiplication to practice. We will have another multiplication timed test before break focusing on the facts under 5. When we return from Winter Break, the entire class will move on to the 6-9 facts. Please encourage your child to practice the facts enough so that they can do them automatically. This week's Lit. Circle assignments were sent home before Thanksgiving, with children having 2 weeks to complete the assignment. Please make sure your child is giving these assignments the appropriate time and energy to produce good quality work.

Our field trip to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is coming up fast. If you have volunteered to drive, please be sure to update your driver information in the office. This is required by the district at the beginning of each trimester. There are also a few students who have not returned permission slips or have not handed in their $2 for the museum. Please be sure to send in these items if you have not already done so. If your child's permission slip has been misplaced, the school website has a link to a slip to print out, or send a note requesting a duplicate.

Finally, I know you will join me in welcoming our student teacher, Joyanne Butler. She will be with the class for 8 weeks. The kids and I will surely benefit from this additional academic support.

Take care, and have a great week!

Carroll Mayer

2010-11-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Just a few reminders for this very short week! First of all, please send your child with a cup of something to contribute to a communal "trail mix" on Tuesday. Secondly, the only homework the kids have this week is math on Monday, and the Reading Log. Finally, for those that haven't brought in permission slips or $2 for the SC Museum of Natural History, please bring these in ASAP.

Have a great week, and a lovely Thanksgiving Holiday.

Carroll Mayer

2010-11-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

I hope you enjoyed this long weekend; I know I did! Tomorrow students will bring home their first trimester report card. Please spend some time discussing the report card with your child and setting goals for the new term. Have your child return the signed envelope on Tuesday, as we reuse them for all 3 report cards.

This week we will also be having a normal amount of homework. We will be reading the Dogzilla story, and the spelling and multiplication packet for it is due as usual on Friday. Literature Circle assignments are due, as always, on Wednesday. Some students are saying they don't have time to complete the Lit. Circle, despite being given a week to read and do the "job". Please make sure your child organizes their time, and doesn't look upon the Lit. Circle homework as a task to start on Tuesday night.

Finally, if you haven't returned the permission slip and $2.00 for the Museum of Natural History, please do so.

Have a great week!

Carroll

2010-11-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Thank you to the parents who drove on the field trip to the Aptos Museum on Friday. The kids had a great time and learned some valuable local history. We have another field trip coming up in December to the Museum of Natural History in Santa Cruz (across the street from Seabright Beach). Permission forms will be sent home on Monday. We are asking $2.00 per student for the cost of this field trip. If you are driving, you will need to resubmit driver insurance information because the new trimester begins this week.

Due to the Veteran's holiday, there will be no weekly spelling homework packet sent home. Nightly math homework from the Houghton Mifflin program will continue, as well as Lit Circles. I will not stamp Reading Logs this Wednesday; they can be turned in the following week on Friday.

The report cards for first trimester will go home on Monday, November 15th.

Take care and have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

2010-10-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

HI All,
I hope you enjoyed a busy Halloween weekend. The party was great. Thanks so much to Jennifer, Patti, and the team of parents that helped and/or sent in goodies. All the photos are really cute too! (Thanks Maria.) Many of the kids said they had never had a caramel apple, so you provided them with a cultural experience. This holiday is fun; however, please have your children save their candy for after school treats.

Last week, the kids took a set of multiplication quizzes on 2-5s. Most students were well-prepared, with mostly accurate responses. While I gave the kids 2 minutes for each 18 question section, I'd like to see them completing each part in 40 seconds or less. Very few kids met this goal. We will continue to practice the 2-5s on the weekly homework packet, and retest again in a few weeks. The homework practice will be reinforced with our in-class studies, as the current Math Unit is on the concept and practice of multiplication.

This Friday is our field trip to Aptos History Museum. There are quite a few children who have not returned their permission slips, and we are still a little low on drivers. Please send the slips in right away, or let me know if you need a duplicate. Many people also need to send in the dollar donation to the museum. On that note, I am finding that students are really slacking off when it comes to homework. Please remind your child to properly load and unload their backpack, and note that papers are not returned without a stamp or corrections on them.

Have a great week!
Carroll

2010-10-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I hope you have enjoyed this cozy indoor weekend weather; I know I have!

This week will proceed as normally as possible (given students' increasing excitement as Halloween nears.) The homework packets covering the spelling words( three letter consonant blends and unexpected two letter patterns) as well as practice sheets on x3, 4 and 5, will be coming home on Monday. Please supervise your child's work, making sure that they write their name on each page and do them accurately and carefully. Every week I receive many pages without names. In addition, Lit. Circle assignments are due first thing on Wednesday morning. Kids should bring their book and completed assignment, and should also be prepared to read from their work. Make sure your child can fluently read everything he/she has written.

Permission slips for the Aptos History Museum field trip are coming home this week. This is an interesting (and short) trip. Please try to drive and attend if you are able.

On Friday, all of Rio del Mar will have our annual Halloween parade. After that we are going to try to do some work, including a spelling test and a multiplication test covering 3, 4, and 5. The class Halloween party is scheduled for Friday afternoon after lunch. Thanks to all of you who have volunteered to send in supplies or help with the party. I am sending a special thanks to Jennifer Benson for organizing the party, and Patti Long who is assisting.

Have a great week,
Carroll

2010-10-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

It was great to see you all this past week, and have a chance to discuss your children's progress so far this year. I enjoyed running into many of you at the Harvest Festival, as well. I feel so fortunate to be part of a learning community that supports children in so many ways.

This week, we return to a more normal schedule. As we have begun LIt. Circles, the weekly homework is now at the level that it will remain for the rest of the year. Please be certain that your child is completing (and turning in) math homework every day. The Spelling/Multiplication Packets and Reading Logs are due on Fridays. Finally, the Lit. Circle assignment are due on Wednesdays. Each week students must bring their book and assignment to be fully prepared for the Lit. Circle meeting on Wednesday morning at 8 AM.

Thanks for all your hard work, at home and at school. I realize that Third Grade is a jump from Second Grade, and some kids may need extra support and monitoring with their homework.

Take care, and have a great week!
Carroll

2010-10-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
This week every day will follow the restructured schedule so that teachers can meet with parents at Conferences. Students will be dismissed at 12:20 and there is no Homework Club. Conferences begin at 12:45 and are scheduled in 20 minute intervals, so please arrive on time. The Scholastic Book Fair is in the library and will be open during school and conference hours. You can send your child with money after you have identified purchases you would like to make, or you can stop by yourself before or after your conference. This is a great time to select holiday/ birthday gifts. On Friday, Rio caps off the week with the Harvest Festival. Please try to attend. It's a fun community-building activity and a great time to see your child mingle with their peers.

This week's homework will also be slightly different. There is no spelling in the homework packet. Instead, students will have a one page reading comprehension passage. They are to read the passage and identify the main ideas and details. Attached to this sheet are multiplication practice pages for 3s and 4s, which we are still working on. In addition, the Landform project is due on Tuesday. Students will view each other's project, and those of other classes as well. Finally, the first Lit. Circle assignment is due on Wednesday. New Lit. Circle assignments will be sent home each Wednesday and are always due at least one week later. Please make sure your child paces herself on the assignment; the reading and work tasks should be done over a period of days, not minutes.
Enjoy this busy week!
Carroll

2010-10-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

This week the third graders at Rio will have the good fortune to receive new dictionaries from the Rotary club. They will be getting the dictionaries on Wednesday and will be able to bring them home, or keep them in their desks. We will be writing Thank you notes on Wednesday as well! The dictionary gift is particularly timely, because I will be sending home Literature Circle assignments later this week, and some kids will need them for their "jobs".

In addition to the Lit. Circle assignments, students also have a special homework this week: the Landforms Project. Kids in our class brought home a description of this assignment last Thursday, on orange paper. In Social Studies, Mrs. Maraldo explained the various landforms. The students are to make models that include three of the landforms, and label them. This is a project the kids really enjoy, and an opportunity to discuss which aspects of geography interest them most. I encourage you to make this a fun project.

Thank you to all of you who continue to send in donations of pens, pencils, prizes and cash. And you also fund raise! Your support is so valued, and makes a huge difference in our classroom and school.

Finally, please remember that conferences are scheduled a week from Monday, October 11-15. This week I will send home reminders for the days and times you have scheduled. The Harvest Festival wraps up conference week; and there will be a Scholastic Book Fair in the library during the week as well. All of these are community building events, and important to your child and the school.

See you soon,
Carroll

2010-09-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Unbelievably, we have already completed the first theme in our Language Arts anthology. This week's spelling words will be a review of the last three weeks. We will also be having a Theme One Test. Students will need to recognize the different types of sentences--statement, question, command, and exclamation. They will also need to identify the subject and predicate in statements. In math, we'll continue to focus on rounding up to the thousands place. We will have a special homework on Monday with additional practice on rounding to the tens, hundreds, and thousands place. On Tuesday, I'll send home a Unit Review, and the test will be on Wednesday (with no math homework that day.) At the end of the week, students will also be "quizzed" on their multiplication facts for 2s-4s. Fact practice has been part of their homework packet for the last 4 weeks. Children have generally been quite responsible with homework. Please remember to review and initial your child's work. Ideally, you are "spot checking" for sloppy errors or misconceptions. A few students have handed in incomplete or poorly done homework, which is noted on your child's paper when it's returned. Your supervision will reinforce your child's work habits. Please note that Homework Club staff does not check your child's work, although they happily support students with questions.

Thank you for the swift return of the Highlights parent forms. I was able to order pencils, stickers, and squishy pencil grips for FREE. Our first Scholastic Book Order is due by September 28th. Ordering online really streamlines the process, although anyone wishing to use the traditional method is welcome to. Scholastic gives our class many free books based on the quantity of items ordered, and is most generous with their Bonus Points at the beginning of the year.

Finally, I have the majority of conferences scheduled. I will send home a note confirming your child's time in the next week or so. If you have not yet scheduled your child's conference, please email or send in a note.

Once again, thanks for all the parent help in class. I was at a training on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, so I didn't get to touch base with some of you, but your presence is much appreciated. Lit. Circle parents, I'll see you soon!
Carroll

2010-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It was great to connect with so many of you last Thursday, both at the fair and at BTS Night! Hopefully, your immediate questions have been answered. Feel free to send in notes,write emails, or leave messages with the office (or our new messaging system) as additional questions arise! At Back-to-School NIght, we had sign ups for conferences and for the class roster. I also went over the Volunteer Schedule. If you were unable to attend, please email me so I can get you up-to-date on these items.

A big "Thank you" to the parents who attended the fair with the kids. Without your help driving and supervising, so many of the rich experiences our kids have on field trips would be impossible. For those of you who work during the school day, I would like to encourage you to schedule time off to attend one of our field trips. Your child will appreciate it, and you will enjoy putting faces to the names you hear from your kid when discussing school. It's also interesting to see your child interact with his/her peers. Most kids are at their best on field trips, and we go on a lot of really interesting outings. Once again, thanks to all the parent chaperons.

On Monday, students will bring home the homework packet for The Waterfall spelling words and multiplication packet for 2s-4s. The spelling test will be on Friday; the multiplication test a week later on October 1st. Most students are working carefully and responsibly on their homework packet. However, please continue to check their work for quality, as a few were missing names or were not complete. This is true even if your child attends Homework Club.

Volunteers should begin this week, except the Wednesday morning Lit Circle people. You will not begin until we have completed Charlotte's Web, and all the Lit. Circle jobs have been taught. The weekly volunteer schedule is below, although sadly the blog would not let me copy it in!

Monday: 9:30-10:30 Alysen Lanagan and Patti Long alternating
12:15- 1:00 McBrides

Tuesday: 8:30-9:10 Kelly Morrison
9:30-10:30 Jennifer Benson

Wednesday: 8:00-8:30 Karen Fisher, Lisa Bird, Amy Humphreys, Lisa Zahraie (not for a few weeks)
9:30-10:30 Maria Meade

Thursday: 8:30-9:10 Shannon Pryor
9:30-10:30 Hurleys

Friday: 8:00-8:30 Wendy Rice
8:30-9:10 Melissa Irwin
9:30-10:30 Michael Jacque

Scholastic: Lisa Bird
Art Project Prep: Sara Fernandez
"Home" Work: Ellen Abelar & Beth Catesi

Have a great week,
Carroll

2010-09-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

This week students will have homework packets on more short vowel spelling words, The Ballad of Mulan Practice Book pages, and 6 more pages of multiplication practice (2s, 3s, and 4s). I was impressed with the quality of most students' homework last week. The assignments were completed neatly and accurately. Thank you for looking over your children's work and initialing the pages. I think this added accountability helps the kids understand that good quality work is something that we all expect of them! We will have a multiplication test on the 2s, 3s, and 4s in a couple of weeks, so encourage your child to use the practice sheets to memorize the facts.

On Thursday all four third grade classes will be going to the fair. We will be there all day so students must bring a lunch including a drink. They are NOT allowed to buy anything so please don't send them with money. Adult chaperons will not be treating kids to drinks etc., although we are asking the drivers to cover the $5 cost of the fair parking. Thanks so much to the six parents that volunteered to spend the day at the fair!

Also on Thursday, at 6PM, we will have Back-to-School Night. I will go over the organization of the classroom and give you an overview of the academic highlights of the year. This is an adult event, so please arrange to leave kids at home. I look forward to meeting you all.

Have a great week,
Carroll

2010-09-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

HI All,
I hope you are enjoying the lovely three day weekend!

This week I will be sending home a questionnaire for parents who wish to volunteer in the classroom. Please respond by Friday, as I will be scheduling volunteers according to responses to the form. In the past, I've had sign-ups at Back-to-School Night, but that can be problematic for people with several rooms to visit. I will attempt to give everyone their preferences for volunteer time, but depending on response, may need people to alternate weeks. I will send out a schedule and begin with volunteers on the 20th of September. I'm looking forward to working with all of you who are able to come into the classroom. For those of you who can't volunteer regularly, I encourage you to schedule one or more days off during the year to chaperon on a field trip. It really makes a difference to your kids. Finally, I will also have some "at home" volunteer opportunities.

On Tuesday, students are bringing home a complete homework packet (usually Monday.) The work includes a spelling list and sentences to study for Friday's test, a Practice Book page addressing the spelling concept, and multiplication practice pages. All of this work is to be completed and handed in each Friday. In addition, students are to turn in their Reading Logs on Fridays, and math homework every day. While the majority have been responsible, several kids have forgotten their Reading Logs or math. Also, please check over your child's work for completion, and quality (including neatness). Let me know if your family would prefer to receive the packet on Fridays, in order to work ahead on the weekend.

Finally, I received quick responses to the Fair permission slip and have exactly enough drivers. If you have not returned your child's permission slip, please send it in on Tuesday. Some drivers still need to submit forms and information to the office. If you are one, please send it in on Tuesday as well.

Thank you for all your hard work at home,
Carroll

2010-08-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Whew! What a first week. After Tuesday's hot weather I sure was happy to see that Aptos fog roll in! The kids and I are all settling in, getting to know one and other. We have been working on routines and procedures this week. I have introduced two of the six Lit. Circle "jobs", and we've jumped right into the math curriculum. As you probably noticed, the math homework is quite rigorous. I appreciate the support I've seen parents giving their kids with this work. The quality has been good, and most students have returned their work each day, as expected. I do accept late homework, but I prefer the kids to keep up and develop the habits that they'll need throughout their school and work life. I'll explain more at Back-to-School Night on the 16th of September. A few students also need to bring in their Mystery Bags, which were due on Friday. We will look at 5 or 6 bags each day this week.

This coming week students will bring home a homework packet on Monday. This packet is due on Friday, but may be turned in sooner. There will be a test on Friday of each week that will include the words and sentences on the list. This week's spelling words are the months and days of the week, but there are no sentences to study. The packet also includes September's Reading Log. Children are to read OUT LOUD for 15 minutes each day and return the log to be stamped on Friday. This is an ORAL reading contract and doesn't include the hours of silent reading your child may do each week. Please sign the log each day, but your kid can fill out the rest.

On Monday students will also be bringing home a permission slip for our first field trip, to the SC County Fair. Please return these slips immediately, especially if you are volunteering to drive. The district is requiring us to hand in the Driver Forms well in advance of the actual field trip, on the 16th of September. The first six volunteers to return their slips will get free admission to the fair; all others will have to pay their own admission. Students get in free.

Several kids also brought home a second copy of the PVUSD Internet Agreement. Every child must have a copy on file before we can use the Computer Lab. If your child has a copy of this agreement in their folder, please send it in on Monday. In addition, please return your green forms and yellow cards if you have not already done so.

Thanks you for all the great support this week. The kids jumped right into their homework responsibilities, which will grow throughout these first few months. Clearly, they had great support and guidance at home. We also received many donations, both monetary and material, toward classroom supplies, and several donations for the classroom funds, which are more general.

I'm looking forward to a great year. As you can tell, the 16th will be a big day for the third grade, and a wonderful opportunity for me to meet you at the fair and Back-to-School Night.

Yours,
Carroll Mayer

2010-08-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Third Grade! We are going to have a great year. There are a few changes to the school schedule, with a slightly later start (7:55) and ending (2:10). I am very happy to have Wednesdays back for Restructured Days, although the first one is a full day.

A short supply list is posted. Please don't send pencil boxes, as they take up a great deal of space and are underused by the kids. I will have communal boxes with markers, colored pencils, and other supplies, which we will pull out as needed.
In addition, if you have copies of Charlotte's Web, please bring them as we will start reading this wonderful book on Monday. Apologies to last year's second graders, who have already read the book. I will try not to have you repeat a lot of activities, but I love this book and have read it many,many times myself!

We are also going to hit the ground running with math homework on Monday night. In addition there will be a Mystery Bag assignment that will be due on Friday.

I look forward to seeing you on Monday morning at 7:55. Have a great weekend!

Ms. Mayer

2010-05-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I can't believe that we have reached the last week of school. This year has rushed by!

As I'm sure most of you know, we were unsuccessful with our chick hatching. Some of the other classes also had trouble, but it was still disappointing and sad for the kids. Fortunately, they were able to visit and observe the chicks in the other second grade classrooms during Rotations.

This week we will focus on finishing up odds and ends, and cleaning and organizing the classroom. I have not received all the permission slips or money for the Wednesday beach party, so be sure to send those in if you haven't already. I am also still low on drivers. Many of the parents involved in organizing the party are committed to being at the beach to set up. Please let me know if you can drive to and from the beach.

Finally, thank you so much for all your efforts to make this year a spectacular one! Your support week in and week out really enabled me to address two grade levels with confidence. I know that this year has been a growing one for your children, likely more than in an average year because of the responsibility they have shared in successfully mastering learning in a multi-grade classroom. Thank you for the opportunity to share in this growth!

Yours,

Carroll

2010-05-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
It was great to see so many of you at Open House. I know the kids were excited to show off their desks, classroom, and schoolwork!

This week homework will continue as usual, although the third grade spelling packet is one of those shorter ones. Continue to read and record in Reading Logs, study for Timed Tests, work on nightly math homework, and --for the 2nd graders--Red Hot Readers. Lit. Circles will be completed for the year on Friday, May 28th.

This Thursday our class will be attending The Princess and the Pea at the Mello Center, along with the other primary classes. Several people still need to return their permission slips and $7.00. If there is a hardship, please let me know. The second graders have an additional permission slip for the second grade only field trip to the farm, where they will see the home of the hatched chicks. A few second graders need to return that permission slip as well. Our class is currently incubating chicks which should hatch on May 26th. Assuming all goes well, we will arrange for home visits with interested second grade families and will continue them into the summer as needed. I will let you know about this once we have hatched chicks.

Take care, and have a great week!
Carroll Mayer

2010-05-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
As I am certain your children shared with you, we began CSTs last week. Both second and third grade took the first 2 portions of the Language Arts test. Fortunately, no one was absent on Wednesday or Thursday! We will continue this week, wrapping up the ELA and then moving into the 3 math sections. Your kids have been working hard, and have behaved responsibly by remaining quiet until all their classmates have had time to complete the tests. They have also enjoyed the gum, and snacks provided by the district. Please continue to avoid absences, unless your child is ill!

Our other big activity this week is writing the animal reports. Most of the third graders, and all of the second graders, have completed their research and are drafting the reports. Those third graders that need additional time will be bringing home paragraphs to edit and/or recopy throughout the week. In light of this, there will be no spelling homework. This extra time should also be used to work on dioramas, which are due the following week, on May 11th.

Finally, remind your child to work on Lit. Circles throughout the week, and hand them in on Friday. Several students forgot their Lit. Circles this past week. It really hurts the group when students are not prepared.

Have a great week; hopefully it will continue to be sunny!
Carroll

2010-04-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I hope you all are enjoying our beautiful spring weather; I know I am!

This week, on Wednesday, we will begin CSTs. Because of this, I will not need Parent Volunteers for Wednesday through Friday of this week, or any days the following week. In addition, please make sure your children get to bed on time, and eat a good breakfast before school. Students may bring sugarless chewing gum to have in the classroom during testing, but please send enough to share. It is also helpful if you avoid scheduling doctor and dentist appointments during these weeks, particularly in the morning.

If your third grader has not yet printed an article on their chosen animal for animal reports, please have them do so right away. The kids are very enthusiastic about this project and it streamlines the process if students locate their research materials at home. Second graders are making great progress on their animal reports, which are being written during Rotations with their second grade group. And a reminder: second graders and all interested third graders should also have their Science Fair projects well under way.

Finally, please stay on your kids about homework. There have been several kids who have not turned in Lit. Circles, which are due every Friday. If your child forgets their Lit. Circle, it effects the entire group. A sense of responsibility is an important component of homework process. For the third graders, fourth grade --with graded homework-- is just around the corner. Students in both grades should also be studying nightly for their math timed tests. If your child is stuck on a particular level, it's time to re-evaluate his/her math practice sessions. However, during the testing period there may be some days when your child will not have the regular math homework because we will be doing CSTs in math.

Have a great week! As we enter this testing period, I will be working to keep the environment in school both focused and relaxed.
Carroll

2010-04-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

We have another busy week ahead!

On Thursday, our class is heading to San Jose to visit the Discovery Museum. All students must bring lunches on that day, as we will be gone from 8:00 until about 1:30. All of the parents who signed up for the trip are needed as I have exactly the right number of spaces for our class. Parent drivers need to send in money for their own tickets to the museum, as well as their kid's. At this point I have permission slips and money from all students but one, however many drivers need to send in their money. Thank you to all of the non-drivers who sent in extra cash to offset the cost of parking in San Jose. Drivers on this trip are: Mr. Bettencourt (3), Mrs. Benson (3), Mrs. Kolassa(2), Mrs. Jaque(3), Mrs.Lanagan(5), Mrs.Broxton(3), Mrs.Woodley (3). Thank you so much for your help.

This is our last full week before CSTs begin. We are doing some practice tests in class, which gives us an opportunity to review concepts addressed earlier in the year. Practice tests are also a chance to expose 2nd graders to the testing format, as this will be their first "state tests." Testing (for real) begins on 4/28.

We are also beginning our second block of Spectra Art. Claudia Stevens will be teaching drawing and painting for the next 5 weeks on Monday afternoons from 11:45-12:45. We are happy to have a real art teacher. Thank you, parents, for the fund-raising that makes this possible!

Third graders are beginning mammal reports this week and should locate articles on-line. Please help your child print a readable (to them) article. They may also bring books with information about their mammal. Details about the at-home component of this project (the diorama) will be coming later this week.

Third graders have spelling homework again this week. In general, some students are getting less reliable with homework, particularly Lit. Circles and math. Remind your child that it is his or her responsibility to carefully complete the homework, and get it from home to school.

Finally, a reminder to keep going on science projects. These are required for second, optional for third. However, many of the third graders are eager to do a project, which they didn't get to do last year.

Thanks again, and have a great week.
Carroll

2010-04-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome back! This week we are back to the routine of 3rd grade spelling homework, as well as the nightly math assignments, Lit. Circles, and 2nd grade Red Hot Readers. The third graders will also begin mammal reports. During the break, students were encouraged to select a mammal, but were not expected to work on the report. This week we will send home guidelines so that students can locate articles on their chosen mammals. Our second graders have already begun their animal reports, on animals other than mammals.

Just prior to the break, I sent home Science Project organizers with the third graders. This is an optional activity for third grade, but it is one they didn't do last year in second grade. Several of the third graders expressed an interest in doing a project this year. It is mandatory for the second graders. The projects are due in May, so there is plenty of time to develop a hypothesis and test it out. The second grade plans looked great!

This week we will also begin reviewing for CSTs. The testing window is only a couple of weeks away, so we will spend some time practicing with the testing format, and reexamining concepts addressed earlier in the year. In addition, if you have not turned in your parent education survey, please do so.

Finally, we are still short on drivers for this Wednesday's field trip to the MAH. This is a very cool field trip; the kids learn a lot about local history. We also need drivers for the field trip to the Discovery Museum the following week.

Thanks to all,
Carroll Mayer

2010-03-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Parents,
Just a few reminders...

Third graders' "Famous American" speeches have moved from Tuesday to Wednesday due to the 1st grade play on Tuesday. When I scheduled the speeches, I was not aware of the timing of the first grade school performances.

Secondly, I sent home 2 permission slips for April field trips. One is scheduled just 2 days after we return from Spring Break. I am still missing EIGHT permission slips. I am also short on parent drivers for both trips. If you have not sent in your child's permission slip, please do so right away.

Finally, Literature Circle assignments will be due on Thursday this week instead of Friday (since it's a holiday.)

Thanks so much,
Carroll

2010-03-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I hope you have been enjoying this beautiful spring weekend! The kids certainly seemed really stimulated last week, between St. Patrick's Day, Daylight Savings, Red Hot Readers, and "the Big Read". We also worked on our class's auction project with Alysen Lanagan and Cynthia Jauque! I expect this week to be much calmer, however there will be a substitute in class on Thursday and Friday, so that I can attend a district training.

I am looking forward to receiving the completed biography reports from third graders this Wednesday, March 24th. I have decided to postpone students' speeches from March 30th, to March 31st. The change in day is due to a schedule conflict with the first grade play. I know both second and third graders look forward to seeing the younger kids perform, and their play for the school is on March 30th. I have not heard from any parents volunteering to videotape, so if you've thinking about helping in this way, please let me know. I will also be working with second graders in wrapping up their "game cards" project this week.

Last week I sent home 2 permission slips. Just to clarify, both grades will be attending both trips. While the third graders have already gone to the Discovery Museum, it's a place that can be revisited year after year. They were quite insistent that they really wanted to go on this trip.

Thanks again for all your hard work. Combination classes can be tricky, and you and your children have been a real pleasure.
Have a great week.
Carroll

2010-03-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents & Students,
Sorry to miss posting last week; the days just seemed to run away! First of all, I will be out of the class this Monday, March 15th for a training. Mrs. McCraw will be substituting.

Monday will be the last day third graders will have time in class to work on their biography reports. The class has had many hours to do research and work on writing but students' progress has varied. Some children will be typing or handwriting a final draft at home. Other children may need to complete the first draft, or even do additional research. The completed report is due in class on Wednesday, March 24th. The report should be 3-5 paragraphs long. Each of the boxes of the graphic organizer should be a paragraph, with the first 2 parts possibly combined into one. Students may have help with typing, or may do their work in neat printing or cursive. The speeches will be scheduled for March 31st. Because I want third graders to focus on completing their report, and then rehearsing their speech, there will be no spelling homework for the next several weeks. Additional information regarding the report and speech will come home on Tuesday, March 16th.

As for second graders, they will continue working on their biography game cards in class. Most students are ready to word process their clue cards. Second graders really enjoyed the Egg Drop this Friday. Many children in our class came up with successful packaging, but "scrambled eggs" teach just as much. Information about the 2nd grade Science Fair projects is coming home on Monday, March 15th. This project is to be completed at home in its entirety. Mrs. Hegerle, the 2nd grade science teacher, has reviewed the scientific method several times throughout the year. This project is not as involved as the 6th grade one, but is an opportunity for the kids to initiate and investigate a question. The projects will be on display at Open House on May 13th.

Finally, a heads up about several more field trips. Our class will be going to the Museum of Art & History on April 14th. The following week we will be going, along with all of 2nd grade, to the Discovery Museum. Our third graders will attend the Discovery Museum field trip too.

Have a good week,
Carroll Mayer

2010-02-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Here it is --March already!

Last week, third graders began note taking on their Famous American, using an organizer. They will continue with their research, and then begin writing a report on their person. Second graders should have a person chosen, and an article, by Tuesday. They will also be doing research, and taking notes for their game cards. All of the research and writing for both groups will be done in class. The third graders will do their final drafts at home, which may be typed or hand written.

Please remind your children to pace themselves and plan ahead for their Lit Circle assignments. It is evident when the kids are poorly prepared, and effects the whole group when children come to school with sloppy work, or unfinished assignments. This is the only mark that will be lowered if it is turned in late, because it impacts the entire Lit. Circle.

A big thank you to the parents who offered to provide the class with more dry erase pens, and thank you Benson family for sending them. I've found the white boards to be an invaluable tool for math class. The children really enjoy using them, and we save paper too!

Finally, please remember to send in the permission slips for the Natural History Museum. Both second and third graders from our class are attending, although this is typically a third grade trip. I still need drivers as well. I do not need money,however, as this is the trip the was originally scheduled and paid for in December.

Have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

2010-02-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Room 24 Families,
Happy birthday George Washington! As you all know by now, third graders will begin researching their chosen "Famous American" subjects this week. The kids will work on this project in class for the next several weeks, and then bring home a draft to copy or type, and to rework into a first person speech. The second graders will also be reading biographies, but will complete a different project. Second graders will be researching a "Famous Person" and then designing game cards that highlight the achievements of their person. Parents of second graders are encouraged to discuss potential figures for their children to research. Please encourage your child to select people who have contributed to our society's well-being. Books and articles are most easily located on historical figures, but the kids' options are open.

Have a good week!
Carroll

2010-02-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Well, I hope you enjoyed this last three day weekend! It will be a long time until we have another one.

First of all, thank you to all the parents who made the Valentine's Day party successful, especially our fabulous room parents: Cynthia, Sandi, and Jennifer. The kids really enjoyed the party and didn't get too sugared up.

This week third graders should make their final choices of their Famous Americans, and locate a book and Internet article. The completed "Bibliography" is due on Friday instead of a spelling test or homework. Second graders will also be doing a Famous Person research project, but I have not sent home the requirements yet.

Finally, I've rescheduled our field trip to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. It will be on March 10th and I will send home permission slips and requests for drivers shortly.

Have a great week,
Carroll

2010-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
We get to have another "normal" week! Tomorrow, and every Monday, student leadership is requesting that people dress in Rio clothes, or the school colors (blue and white). This Monday we will also have our second class with Jenni, the Spectra Art teacher. As the next 2 Mondays are holidays, our art class will stretch into March. We will also have our second meeting with Catherine Murray, the Spanish teacher.

Lit. Circles continue to go well. Once again, every student remembered their assignments and was ready to participate in the group. Unfortunately, several third graders neglected their spelling homework. "Seal Surfer" was due last Friday and "Two Days in May" is due this week. I am also seeing an epidemic of "No Name" papers. When you look over your child's homework, or when you look at returned papers, please note if this is an issue for your kid. If it is, please reinforce the development of this important habit.

Finally, a big thank you to the Benson family for their purchase of a vacuum cleaner for our class. As you all know, the floors of the classroom can get bad, especially after special projects.
Have a great week,
Carroll Mayer

2010-01-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
What a week we've just experienced! The field trip was an informative one. Parents seemed to learn as much about Aptos history as the kids. Thanks to all of you who were able to support the class by chaperoning.

The kids are now great at the rainy day routines, and have learned how to manage umbrellas, raincoats, etc. They have even learned at school in the dark!

This week, we return to a regular schedule. Third graders will bring home a homework packet on Monday which is due this Friday. Both grades have Lit Circle assignments, also due on Friday. The kids were very successful at remembering to bring in last week's Lit. Circle, although several said that they had done it all the night before. Please continue to remind them to pace themselves and not save all the work for Thursday afternoon. One of the important lessons of homework is time management, and work quality really suffers when that habit is not established.

Finally, we are beginning Spectra Art (pottery) with Jenni Ward. She will teach our class on Mondays for the next 4 weeks. Later in the year the class will have Spectra Art on a different topic. As I hope your child has shared with you, we also have the good fortune to begin Spanish class with Catherine Murray on alternate Fridays. She is a dynamic teacher and really sets a positive tone about learning a new language. Thanks to all of you for the fund raising that makes these great activities possible!

Take care, and have a great week.
Carroll Mayer

2010-01-18T18:40:00.001-08:00

Hi All,
I hope you all enjoyed this 3 day weekend. My family and I really appreciated the time, and even enjoyed the rain.

This Friday, all the homework I sent home last week will be due. Third graders will take their spelling tests, and students will share their Lit. Circle assignments. I saw many Lit. Circle books noted on Reading Logs last Friday. Just a reminder, these are due every Friday! In math, Second graders will be finishing their unit on regrouping in subtraction, and Third Graders will begin a unit on fractions. I appreciate all the parent support in math. I find this program to be interesting and rigorous and I'm glad to have parent comments regarding the homework.

This Wednesday, I will be at a District Training. Mrs. Nigh will be substituting.

On Thursday our class will be going on a field trip to the Aptos History Museum.
Thanks to all the parents who volunteered to drive. However, many students have not turned in their permission slips; please make sure to do this right away.

Thanks again,
Carroll

2010-01-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome back!

This week we are going to start gently. Third graders will have a spelling packet, but it won't be due until a week from Friday, on the 22nd. As promised, Literature Circle assignments will now be homework. Students will bring home their new "jobs" and books on Wednesday, but this work will not be due until the 22nd as well. After that, students will receive their weekly assignments at the Friday meeting, and have a week to complete it. The reading portion of this assignment may be noted in the Reading Logs. Just a reminder, this homework must be completed on time as the prepared discussion is an important part of Literature Circles.

See you soon,
Carroll

2009-12-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Wow! the second graders did a fantastic job in the play. I know all the parents and their fellow students really enjoyed this year's performance. Thanks so much to all the parents who helped make the show possible, especially Sandi and Jennifer and Patti, who organized the refreshments. Thanks as well, to the other second grade teachers, who rehearsed day in and day out, while I was upstairs with our third graders.

On Thursday our class is going on a field trip to the Natural History Museum. If you signed up to drive, please update your driver information in the office. It has to be renewed each trimester. On Thursday, there is also a performance from the Rio Rock Bands. Our class will be attending after we return from the museum, at 12:30.

Finally, there will be no third grade spelling homework or test this week. There will be math homework this week, so try and maintain consistent routines through the week.

Happy Holidays!
Carroll

2009-12-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

This week second graders will be performing their play. Second grade families have been asked to donate toward the cost of refreshments for the parent performance on Friday. Please send in your envelope ASAP.

In addition, there are still several students who have not returned their permission slips for our field trip to the SC Natural History Museum on Thursday, December 17th. I am also a little low on drivers. Please return your forms for this trip, along with the $1.50 for the museum.

Finally, thanks again for all you do. The kids had a great time with the Red Hot and game party on Friday. We had healthy snacks and some treats. It's great, with your support, to be able to recognize the kids' efforts in academics (Red Hot) and behavior (the games).

Have a great week. If it looks rainy, please send your child in rain gear or and/or with an umbrella: it's quite a trek to the restroom from Room 24!

Take care,
Carroll

2009-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I hope you all found this week off as restorative as I did. It was a wonderful time to take stock and take a breath before the last burst of activities for 2009. Thanks so much to our room parents, Sandi, Cynthia, and Jennifer for the fantastic feast and celebration. If you haven't already, take a look at the pictures Cynthia posted. They really reflect the tenor of the day.

This week students are bringing home information about Flat Stanley. All second graders are participating and it's optional for the third graders, although many expressed interest in doing this activity again. I'd like to encourage the third graders to send their Flat Stanleys abroad, if they are able.

In addition, all of the class will bring home permission slips for our field trip to the Museum of Natural History. This field trip is an opportunity to learn about the Ohlone Indians, and also plant and animal life in our area. We are asking for a dollar per student for this field trip, which will be on the last Thursday before Winter Vacation.

Second graders continue to work hard on their play, which they will perform for parents on December 11th at 8:20. The third graders from our class will see it the day before with the rest of the school.

Thanks for all your support, both inside and outside of the classroom. Continue to set high expectations for your children with their homework; it should be complete, timely, and well done.

Take care,
Carroll Mayer

2009-11-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Report cards were sent home on Friday. Hopefully, this has given you and your child a chance to reflect on their progress, and set goals together for the future. Please remember to send in signed report card envelopes on Monday, as they are re-used each trimester. I'd also appreciate it if you left the second sheet (report card "back") in the envelope, as that will allow me to save on time and copying next trimester.

On Friday of this week the Room Parents are planning a Thanksgiving style gathering. In addition,make sure your child has brought in his or her decorated thankful feather. Amazingly, this is our last week before Thanksgiving!

Finally, Scholastic book orders went home on Thursday and are due this Friday. You can order on line or in class the traditional way. This will be the last order before Christmas, and I'm happy to keep any gifts behind my desk until parents can pick them up.

Have a great week!
Carroll

2009-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hello All,
First of all, thanks to Sandi Kolassa, Cynthia Jacque, and Lisa Zahraie for chaperoning our 2nd graders at Seacliff State Park to view and learn about fossils. Your extra support is much appreciated.

The class also had the good fortune to receive new dictionaries as a gift from the Aptos Rotary. The children will be writing "Thank you" notes on Monday. Also on Monday, the entire school will continue with our weekly flag ceremony, held first thing in the morning unless it rains. At these meeting we say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing a patriotic song, and discuss admirable character traits. This month's trait is pride. The students were asked to think about and share instances when they felt proud, and why. Mrs. Dorney will select some to share with the entire student body.

Finally, just a reminder that Wednesday is a holiday, but Tuesday is still a Restructured Day. This week is also the beginning of the second trimester; report cards will go home on Friday.
Have a great week!
Carroll

2009-11-01T17:48:00.001-08:00

Hello All,

First of all, thanks so much to all the parents that worked so hard to design a great Halloween party for the class, especially Jennifer, Cynthia, and Sandi. The kids really enjoyed and appreciated the party, and the fantastic decorations.

This week the second graders will begin rehearsing the play. They will attend play practice daily while I remain in Room 24 with our third graders. Second graders will also be going on a field trip this week to Seacliff State Beach as a supplement to their study of fossils in science. On Thursday, please remember to send your second grader dressed appropriately for walking, possibly in cool weather, and with a sack lunch.

Have a great week!
Carroll

2009-10-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I hope your children had a chance to tell you about the assembly we attended on Friday: a musical performance by Shoreline Middle School's band. It was so impressive and a great reminder of the value of music in our schools.

This week will begin in a new way at Rio del Mar. We will be having a flag ceremony every Monday morning, outside on the intermediate playground. I will bring our class down today, and when Mrs. Dorney and Mr. Coffin feels the students are ready, we will have the kids independently gather and line up for classes down there. During the flag ceremony we will be discussing character traits. This month's trait is pride. We will talk about taking pride in our school and our own behavior, and taking actions of which we can be proud.

The bookend to this first flag ceremony will be the Halloween parade on Friday. The class will meet at Rm. 24 and then head down to the other playground at the usual time-- I believe it's 8:15. Each class "parades" around the basketball courts so that the rest of the school can see their costumes. Parents and younger siblings are welcome. Our class will be having its party at 9:40, after the first recess.

Have a great week. While the kids usually start escalating in their excitement as we head toward Halloween, let's remind them that we still expect their usual strong efforts. The third graders will still have their spelling test on Friday, and the second graders retaking the "Envelope Test" will do it then as well.

See you soon,
Carroll

2009-10-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
What a wild week! Conference week is always a little different, but the weather and power outages were an interesting twist. Fortunately, I was able to meet with most of you (sometimes in the dark) and we had some great conversations about your kids.
The remainder of the conferences will be made up this week, or on an individual schedule.

It was also fun to celebrate our first Red Hot party this week (in the dark.) Thanks to all of you who contributed such fun and healthy red foods. I think the kids felt proud of their accomplishments.

It will be a relief to get back to the regular schedule. However, both grades will be taking Unit 3 tests in math on Monday, so there will be no math homework on Monday night.

Despite the weather, the Landforms Projects turned out really well! The kids were excited and eager to share their projects and explain what landforms they included and how they made their models. Some students picked out specific places to model their landforms after, which was very cool. The second graders enjoyed seeing the models and are eager to have their chance next year. We also toured Mrs.Terribilini's and Mrs. Maraldo's rooms to see the other third graders' work.

I will be out of class on Wednesday this week, attending a training. Mrs. Nigh will be substituting this week, and also for a half a day next week.

Finally, a big thanks to those of you that attended the school book fair and purchased books for your kids and/or our class. The book fair is another great way to support our school. If you were unable to attend, I understand they are extending it for 2 more days (Monday and Tuesday) because of the power failure.

Keep in touch,
Carroll

2009-10-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

October 11, 2009

Hi Parents,

As this week will be restructured (short!) every day, I've decided to cancel Language Arts centers. Those of you that volunteer in the second academic block, from 9:40-11:00, will have the week off.

In addition, I've scheduled a "Red Hot" party to celebrate our students' achievements in Reading & Spelling, and Timed Math. Students received a sticker to place on our chili pepper every time they passed a Red Hot Spelling list, or a Timed Math Test. (This way 3rd graders could be included.) Please have your child bring a red food on Tuesday to share. If this is an inconvenience, let me assure you that there will be other parties and that you may pass on this one. Please email me if you wish to bring something sweet, but let me encourage you to think beyond sweets to healthier foods like: tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon and red peppers. If you participate, just send a small amount (like a bite or piece for each child). Finally, the children should wear red on Tuesday if it's at all possible.

I'm looking forward to seeing and meeting with all of you this week to discuss your children's progress and our goals for the year. Please arrive on time, so that we may keep our room, and your other children's teachers, on schedule. Feel free to let me know if you need to wrap up a conference to head to another room. (It's somewhat of a hike from our room to the rest of the campus.)

Thanks,
Carroll Mayer

2009-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
I hope you are enjoying our lovely autumn weather. I saw many people at the Harvest Festival on Friday, having a great time. The playground was jammed when I left! I'm so glad our school began such a pleasant, community-building tradition.

This week, third graders will not bring home spelling homework. I am giving them the week off, and I expect them to use the extra time wisely, working on their Landforms projects. The projects are due on Wednesday, October 14th, and will not be accepted late. Students should have brought home a handout explaining the details, but if it has been misplaced, please let me know and I will send a replacement. Only third graders will be doing this project, although second graders will get to see them, and tour the other third grade rooms when we visit and admire the students' handiwork.

This week, second graders will bring home a permission slip for their field trip to Seacliff to study fossils. Our second graders will join Mrs. Werner's class on this trip, and I will be staying back at school with the third graders. We will need 2-3 parent chaperons for our 10 second graders. Second graders will also be discussing fire prevention this week. Students from our class will join Mrs. Hegerle's students for a presentation on fire safety from a local fire fighter. They will have homework supporting this presentation during the week of October 12th, after all the classes have met with the the fire fighter. The week of October 12th is also conference week so you will be receiving notice of your conference time as soon as I do. Let me know if there are any problems.

Have a great week. I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Carroll Mayer

2009-09-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
What a lovely weekend! Fall around here is such a pleasure, from the heat to the fog!

This week in math, third graders will begin multiplication. We will be working on the concept, using arrays and pictures, and we will also review the math facts addressed in 2nd grade: 2s, 5s, and 10s. From there, we will work our way through the times tables. In a few weeks I will be shifting all the 3rd graders to multiplication timed tests, regardless of whether they passed the 2nd grade addition and subtraction timed tests. Just a reminder, that nightly practice is the best way for your child to develop automaticity, whether they are working on addition, subtraction, or multiplication.

In addition to flash card practice, third graders take home a spelling packet each week. Unfortunately, some students don't put forth their greatest effort on this homework. Please take the time to glance over your child's spelling, especially the sentences. Some kids are returning papers with glaring errors, such as missing periods, or misspelled SPELLING WORDS. Let your child know that that quality of work is unacceptable.

The second graders have been working very steadily through the Red Hot Readers lists. Please let me know (with a note or email) if your child hasn't been tested within several days of returning their list. While we occasionally get backed up, in at least one case the list was misplaced and I didn't know the student was ready to be tested. On that note, please remind your child to put their name on their list, otherwise we don't know who to test!

Second graders are also beginning a new unit in math:money! Please give your child every possible opportunity to practice with real money. While we will be addressing the concepts in class, the kids that really understand what they are doing are the ones with practical knowledge. The same holds true with measurement and telling time.

Finally, don't forget about the Harvest Festival this Friday, October 2nd. The kids really look forward to this event each year and it's a great way to celebrate our community.
Yours,
Carroll

2009-09-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
I only have a few brief reminders. First of all, this Wednesday our entire class -- along with the two third grade classes -- will be attending the fair. On that day students should come with sack lunches, including drinks, and be dressed to walk around the fairgrounds. They are not to bring money, and no adult chaperons will be buying snacks for kids at the fair. We are fortunate to have wonderful chaperons that make this fair day possible and safe.

Secondly, now that we're fully into the year please be sure that you make time for a consistent homework routine. Students in both grades should be reading out loud, doing math homework, and practicing math facts every week day. In addition, 3rd graders have a spelling packet and 2nd graders have the self-paced Red Hot Readers Spelling program. Most of the class have been turning in carefully done work, but please continue to monitor your child's homework. As I am only expecting students to do 2 of the 6 leveled story problems, they should be answered carefully and completely. Furthermore, the spelling sentences that are part of the third grade spelling packet have varied in quality, so please have your child show you the work before turning it in.
I hate to return papers for a redo!

Finally, thanks for all your help. It's been great these last 2 weeks as I get to meet all of you parent volunteers. I've been finding the help invaluable and our class is settling into some great routines.
Yours,
Carroll

2009-09-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

I hope you have enjoyed a refreshing 3 day weekend! It's amazing what an extra day off can do for the psyche.

This week we will continue building the routines that we began last week regarding Centers, although the schedule is slightly shifted with the extra day off. Parent volunteers may find themselves with slightly different tasks this week, but I still need lots of copying and collating of workbook pages in order to keep the class running as smoothly as possible. We may also be watching the President's speech on Tuesday morning, although there is some concern that our technology infrastructure on the district level may be overwhelmed. We will do our best, but I encourage you to check in with your child and watch at home if we are unable to do so at school. Goal setting--the speech's topic-- is a valuable exercise for all of us.

Have a great week; I imagine it will fly by!
Carroll

2009-08-30T15:26:00.001-07:00

Hi All,

It was great to see all of you on Thursday night. I know my presentation was somewhat breathless, but it seems like there is so much to cover in such a short amount of time! Hopefully, everyone has a clearer picture of the class, its organization, and my expectations. If you volunteered to help in the class, please begin this week. In addition, if you find yourself unable to come, please notify me and/or arrange for a substitute. Danyiel Woodley and Wendy Rice both volunteered to be substitutes, so contact them if you need help.

As for homework, the spelling packet I am sending with 3rd graders this week is typical of what they will be doing for the balance of the year: practice book pages, alphabetizing and writing sentences for the 8 "challenge" words, and studying the list for a Friday test. Second graders should receive their first Red Hot Reader list this week. I am trying for Monday, but as I was gone for most of last week, I'm behind on copying, etc. As I explained at Back-to-School Night, the Red Hot Reader program is self-paced. When your 2nd grader is prepared to put all the words on their list in sentences orally, as well as read and spell them; they are responsible for notifying me that they are ready to be tested. In addition, while I am not yet prepared to send math facts flashcards home with either grade, that doesn't mean they can't be practiced. Encourage your child to test himself, or practice the facts orally in the car.

Finally, you will be receiving a permission slip for the SC County Fair this week. We are going on Wednesday, September 16th and I will need 4-5 drivers for the day. (They are limiting the amount of adults we can get in free to one for every four students.)

Looking forward to seeing many of you this week!
Carroll

2009-08-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I was very impressed with your children's responsibility this week. Kids came to school with completed homework and "unpacked" carefully. I am only missing one Reading Log and NO MATH HOMEWORK! Impressive. We will continue building routines over the next several weeks. I encourage you to incorporate them into your own at home time, as well. It is always great to see students who take responsibility for their own homework folder. (I should NOT hear, "My mom forgot to put my homework in my folder.") Even if your child occasionally forgets to do it, this is a great job to turn over. When students are in the upper grades, late homework is marked down, so it's great to build habits before that time!

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday night at Back-to-School Night. I will be having sign-ups for parent helpers, and the jobs will begin the following Monday. I will also explain what students will be doing this year in Room 24. On a side note, I will not be in class Wednesday- Friday, but will see you Thursday evening. (I will be attending a district training.) Mrs, McCraw will be substituting.

See you soon!
Carroll Mayer

2009-08-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

We had a fun first week, getting to know one another and discussing expectations. It was a surprise on Friday to have indoor recess in the afternoon, due to poor air quality. However, it was a fun way for the kids to interact, and an opportunity for them to explore the various Rainy Day games, including Legos and Twister.

This week students will begin to have homework. For 2nd graders, there is a Reading/Learning Log and a daily math page. Parents should fill out one square of the Reading Log each day after students read aloud for at least 15 minutes. The parts of the Reading Log that say Flash Card Practice and Red Hot Readers will be explained at Back-to-School Night. Additionally, students should do the front of the math homework entirely (labeled Homework in the upper right corner.) Your student must also do 2 of the 6 story problems on the other side of the paper (labeled Leveled Problems.) The math homework is due each day; the Reading Log on Friday.

Third graders should follow the same procedure as 2nd in regards to Reading Log and daily Math. In addition, 3rd graders will bring home a Spelling Packet on Monday that is due on Friday. Third graders will not have Red Hot Readers or a place to document Flash Card practice.

Both grades are also bringing home a Mystery Bag assignment. This is a special, fun project. Students are to select 3 items to place in a bag. The items should be clues about their interests, and are a way for the class to get to know each other. Names should not be on the outside of the bag. The bags are due this Wednesday, the 19th.

Thanks you for your timely support with all the supplies listed on the Class Placement letter. I've stored many of the pencils and erasers, as well as the wipes and Kleenex, so that they can be pulled out and used throughout the year as the need arises. I look forward to meeting you all at Back-to-School Night on August 27th, and getting to know you as the year progresses.

Yours,

Carroll

2009-08-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It was an exciting first day. Our class did many getting-to-know-you activities, especially crucial when combining 2 grades. We will continue through this first week with community building. Your children were kind, friendly, and inclusive.

Thanks to all for the prompt response regarding supplies. Most of the students were well prepared with these materials, and the class should have enough Kleenex and wipes for a few months. Our class has also been loaned a digital projector for the year!

Please feel free to keep in touch via e-mail or notes. However I will not usually reply to notes until after school, and I don't check my email until the late afternoon.

Thanks again, you've raised some wonderful kids!

Carroll

2009-08-02T13:43:00.001-07:00

Hello Room 24 Families,
Welcome to a great new year! I am excited to begin the year and get to know you all. I'm sure many of you are familiar with the location of our classroom. (We have a great spot, right by the playground, next door to Speech and Bob!)

During these last few days of summer vacation, as you enjoy yourself, try to get into a bedtime routine so that the adjustment to school is not so tough. I will be in meetings on Monday, and busy in the classroom on Tuesday, planning some interesting activities for the first week.

Have a wonderful few days, and I'll see you on Wednesday at 7:49.

Yours,
Ms.Mayer