Hello All,
This week the kids will return to our "normal" Homework Packet format.  The spelling words for the week focus on the long vowel sounds, spelled with the "bossy e".  For most students this is a review of a concept from previous years, but this is an essential idea for fluent reading, as well as conventional spelling. Throughout the year, the various spelling concepts are valuable because they review phonics concepts that support reading (decoding), as well as strong spelling. Math will continue with review of Addition Properties and practice.

Thanks to all who returned the permission slip for the Natural History Museum with such swiftness.  I have enough drivers for this trip, but still need some students' permission slips.  Be sure that your child has returned theirs, along with the $1.00 donation for the museum.

Finally, Conference Week begins a week from Monday. If you haven't yet scheduled your child's conference, I will send you a time.  Please remember that there is no Afterschool Program that week, and that the kids are dismissed at 12:20 every day.


Take care,
Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

I hope you are enjoying our beautiful first weekend of autumn!  On Friday, the class (and much of the school) had the wonderful opportunity to see the space shuttle flying past our community.  Hopefully, this will be something the kids remember as we move into the next generation of space exploration.  Third grade will be learning about the solar system later this year in science.  In addition, on Thursday, we had a drum/dance assembly presented by a couple from Zimbabwe.  The assembly was sponsored by the Cox family.  I feel so fortunate to be a part of a school that seizes on teachable moments when they present themselves; it makes our world so much richer.  On that note, we will be going on our second field trip in October, to the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum.  Permission slips and chaperon forms will be coming home this week.

The Homework Packets this week  are slightly different.  There is no spelling list.  Instead, we are asking that the kids memorize and prepare to recite two poems (out of 3 sent home.)  Encourage your child to practice the poems out loud, using a slow, clear voice.  In addition, they should focus on good posture and eye contact.  We will be discussing these skills in class, but they will need time to review them, as well as memorize the poems.  The rest of the packet is the usual (reading log, math facts.) Finally, please take the time to glance over your child's homework, even if they attend the Afterschool Program.  It is essential that you hold your child accountable for quality homework. The supervisors after school see that it is done, but do not check the work's quality.  You do not need to check each math problem, but do scan your kid's work for completeness and general accuracy.

Thanks for all your support,
Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

Thank you for checking in. It was great to meet many of you this week, between Back-to-School Night and our field trip to the fair! I found it quite challenging to include all the information I wanted to share in the brief time we had together Thursday evening. For those of you unable to attend Thursday, the Conference and Parent Volunteer schedules were available for sign-ups. E-mail me to schedule your conference time.

This week, students will bring home a Homework Packet consisting of a spelling list, Practice Book page, Subtraction practice and a Reading Log. Last week, almost all of the kids remembered their packets. The greatest challenge for many remains the Reading Log, which includes a place for a short summary of the day's reading. Please hold your child accountable for writing this summary, as well as reading. In math, we are continuing place value with numbers into the 1000s. Please review Ch. 1's test (taken Friday) with your child when it comes home this week.

Parent volunteers, we will begin the schedule this week. Thanks so much for your support.

Take care,

Carroll Mayer

Hello All,

I hope you are enjoying our beautiful weekend weather!

As you should know by now, we are going to the fair on Thursday. I am still short one driver who can take at least 3 kids. I also have several students missing permission slips. Please contact me ASAP if you can drive on the trip, or if your child needs a 2nd permission slip.

On Thursday, we also have our annual Back-to-School Night. I will have sign ups for in-class Parent Volunteer opportunities, present a few important web sites, and give a quick overview of our class's schedule.

In class this week we will continue studying place value in math. Kids are responsible for the entire front of the nightly math homework, and three of the six leveled problems on the back. Encourage your child to select those problems that are interesting and challenging, not the three that are easiest. That being said, the problems get gradually harder, and if math is not your child's greatest interest or strength, it is fine to do the first three. It is also okay to do more than 3.

In Language Arts, we will continue reading Charlotte's Web, and we will also begin our anthology with a fun story called The Lost and Found.

This week's Homework Packet contains a Reading Log, Spelling list, Spelling Practice Book page, and subtraction practice. It is all due on Friday, but may be returned earlier.

Thanks for all your help. I look forward to seeing many of you throughout the day on Thursday!

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

I hope you are enjoying the wonderful holiday weekend!

This week the kids will receive a homework packet with a short spelling list, a reading log, and subtraction practice. The packet is due on Friday. Every child is expected to spell their full (including middle) name as part of their spelling test scheduled on Friday. On Wednesday, the class will be having a math test on the concepts of Data and Probability that we have been studying the last 2 weeks. Tuesday night's math homework is a review page from the text, which should give everyone an opportunity to revisit the concepts addressed. There will be no math homework on Wednesday night.

Picture day is this week, and the kids should have brought home order forms. Ask at the office if your child's form got lost in transit.

The permission slip for the fair was delayed, but will be going home this week! The field trip is on Thursday, September 13th. We will be looking for parent chaperons who would enjoy spending the day at the fair, but the board limits our number of free adult tickets. So those people returning their volunteer forms most quickly will be assured a ticket; all others are welcome but may have to pay fair admission. Thanks in advance for your support with this!

Take care,

Carroll Mayer

Hi All,

Happy Second Week! Thanks to all of you who have responded so swiftly to the supply lists and many forms to fill out. I still have a few students missing their Computer Use form and/or yellow Emergency Card. These are the absolute essentials!

After 5 days, I've found your children to be charming and am enjoying starting to know them a little. We will continue with Mystery Bags for this entire week, so be sure your child has brought in their bag as it's a fun way to learn a little about their interests.

This week the kids will continue learning about Data & Probability in math, with the focus shifting more to the concepts and vocabulary for probability. We will have a test on these 2 chapters during Week 3. We have read 5 chapters of Charlotte's Web, and will continue to practice the skill of summarizing throughout the reading of this novel. In Science, we are studying adaptations in plants and animals.

The kids have been very responsible with the daily math homework! In addition, Third Grade sends home a weekly Homework Packet. It goes home on Monday and is due on Friday. This week's packet is a condensed version, as we will not be sending home spelling until next week. However, in a usual week you and your child should expect a spelling list, a spelling Practice Book page (front and back), a reading log, and a math facts sheet (front and back). This week the kids have the math facts and the reading log. The reading log is to be completed daily, and we expect the student to write a 1-2 sentence summary of what they have read. It is probably best for them to practice this orally before they write, and we understand that there is a "learning curve" involved with this skill. Please make sure that your child is held accountable for neat penmanship, and beginning and ending punctuation.

Finally, we will be sending home a permission slip this week for our first field trip: the Santa Cruz County Fair. Please file your driver information in the office ASAP if you plan on driving on a field trip this year. It really makes organizing these enriching activities much easier.

Take care, and have a great week,

Carroll Mayer

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 Monday night. In addition there will be a Mystery Bag assignment that will be due on Friday, August 24th.

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

Ms. Mayer