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