News to Note

A very Happy (belated) Diwali to you 

&

Happy Halloween! 

I want to thank those of you who were able to make it to our fall parade and/or party this morning. We had a fun time guessing the body part of poor Mr. Brown's shriveled corpse ("Ewwww!"), dressing up like mummies, listening to spooky music, and eating delicious treats. I have many good pictures to share, so stay tuned as I'll be posting those soon. 

Here are a few things to note: 

• If you haven't already checked, please be sure to read our latest Assignment Sheet and News, which I posted on Friday. 

• Thursday, Nov. 10th, will be United Nations Day in the Elementary School.  The ES UN Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate our cultural diversity at DAA, something we are truly proud of! ES students may come dressed in their country’s traditional dress or the colors of their country's flag.  The morning will begin with a Parade of Nations (similar to the parade that starts the Olympic Games) around the track. All children from grades 3­-5 will be walking in the parade in groups with other children from their same country.  Parents are invited to join us on the main field between 8:05-8:30 am to watch the Parade of Nations. We ask that you please stand on the inside of the track to watch. Hope to see you all there cheering on the many United Nations of DAA! 

• From the Library: The fall Bookworm Book Fair will be held November 6-10th in the ES Conference Room. Parents are welcome to shop with their children before or after school, or during their child’s scheduled class visit.  Labeled envelopes will be sent home next week with students if parents would like to send money so their children can purchase books. The average cost of a book is 50 dirhams.   

          Here are the times it's open to everyone: 

• Sunday, Nov. 6 -- 11:00-3:30 pm
• Monday, Nov. 7 -- 7:30-3:30 pm
• Tuesday, Nov. 8 -- 7:30-2:00 pm
• Wednesday, Nov. 9 --7:30-3:30 pm 
• Thursday, November 10 -- 7:30-3:30 pm 

• Swimming starts this Wednesday! Here's what Mr. Luke wants you to know: 

• Students' need to bring a swimsuit (one piece), goggles, swim cap (mandatory), flip flops, and towel.

• If a student cannot participate for medical reasons then they need to bring in a doctor's note. Doctor's notes can only exempt a student if it's for one of the following: stitches, ear infections, fever, or broken bones. 

• It is recommended that students bring their swim equipment to school daily, even when they don't have PE, as this will minimize the chances of a student forgetting it on PE days. 

• Finally, students will be given one mulligan (or "free pass") if they forget their swim gear.  If they forget their swim gear twice in the ten day cycle, then they will go down one grade level. (Students will have to sit out and watch if they forget their swim gear.) 

Swimming has always been an enjoyable activity for Grade 3 and they always look forward to getting into the pool. Thanks for your support! 

• Coffee Morning!  Doaa, our class mom, would like to invite you to come to 3LN's first coffee morning! It will be next Thursday, November 3rd, after the morning drop-off (around 8:00-8:15), at the Starbucks in the Mall of the Emirates. (It's the Starbucks upstairs near Ski Dubai.) I hope you'll be able to join in the fun. I wish I could go!! 

Looking forward to a great month of November! 

A Few Items...

I hope you each had a lovely long weekend!  I know a few of you went to Wild Wadi on Friday night and it sounds like it was a fun evening. While you may have been sliding down the Jumeirah Sceirah, about 12 of us teachers rendezvoused at the Westin to visit with our former ES art teacher, Lauren Williams was in town from Norway for a conference. We had a really nice time and I hope you did, as well, wherever Friday night found you in Dubai. 

I want to take a moment to say thank you for making the time to come to school last Wednesday and Thursday to meet with me for our Hopes and Dreams Parent-Teacher conferences. Our 3LN family is made up of 22 students and I was thrilled to see each and every child's parent(s) come. One of the things that struck me most when I began teaching at DAA was just how supportive and involved the parents are at our school. Having 100% attendance for parent-teacher conferences just doesn't happen in my school district at home, so please know that I am very thankful that you care so much and make the time to get involved in your child's education. It really makes such a huge difference. I also so enjoyed having some one-on-one time to get to know you and your child better! You are truly such fantastic group of parents. 

I also wanted to let you know that you can read all about what your child is learning by clicking here or the tab over to the right called Assignment Sheet and News. I have also just posted some pictures of our most recent science investigations. Learning about forces and interactions through inquiry, testing hypotheses, and pushing experiments to the point of failure are all such important aspects of our hands-on science lessons.  Hopefully, the pictures and videos will reflect some of the great learning that occurred. 

Here are some other important things to note: 

• We took our final MAP test today, which was the math test. It went well pretty well, overall; however, some children felt discouraged by how difficult the test was. I reminded them that the nature of this test is that they will NOT know how to do everything and that's perfectly OK. Please reassure your child that as long as he/she did his/her very best, then they did great!! 

• On Wednesday, we will be going on our field trip to play mini-golf in the Wafi Mall. Please be sure you send a packed lunch and water bottle to school with child. Student should also wear their PE uniforms, as they will be having PE later in the day. We will be there from 10 am-noon. Students will eat their lunches there before returning to school. 

• October 31st is the Fall Costume Parade: The traditional fall costume parade lives on in the ES!  Students are invited to come to school in costume on Monday, October 31st (no scary costumes, blood and gore or weapons) and all will participate in a fall costume parade around the school track shortly after drop-off. Parents as well as the Middle/High School staff and students are invited to line the large track and watch. PS/ES students, with their classes, will make one full lap of the track and return to class. Please come and join the fun (feel free to participate by wearing a costume)! We look forward to seeing you there! Afterwards, you are welcome to come to our classroom to join us for our class party. More details will be shared soon. 

• We have a new class mother!!! A very sincere thank you to Doaa El Gamel (Mariam's mother) for taking on this role. She will be contacting you in the next few days with some important information, so please keep an eye on your inbox. 

• Thursday, November 10th, will be United Nations Day in the Elementary School. The ES UN Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate our cultural diversity at DAA, something we are truly proud of! ES students may come dressed in their country’s traditional dress or the colors of their country's flag.  The morning will begin with a Parade of Nations (similar to the parade that starts the Olympic Games) around the track. All children from grades 3-5 will be walking in the parade in groups with other children from their same country. Parents are invited to join us on the main field between 8:05 am and 8:30 am to watch the Parade of Nations. We ask that you please stand on the inside of the track to watch. Hope to see you all there cheering on the many United Nations of DAA! 

• Next Sunday, we will enjoy a noon dismissal in honor of Diwali. We will be learning more about this holiday on Sunday morning, so if your child would like to share something he/she knows with the class, please let me know by email and I'll allow them to speak to the class. (This is a perfect opportunity to get practice public speaking.) 

That's it for now. Thank you, once again, for all of your wonderful support!! 

Front Row Math

Dear Parents,

We are using a computer program in the classroom called Front Row. With Front Row, your child will be able to practice math concepts at his or her own ability level. The program is designed to continually assess your child’s mathematical skills and present questions to reinforce secure skills and provide practice with developing skills.

You and your child can access the program in a couple ways:

1. Access the program online at https://www.frontrowed.com/ using Google
   Chrome as your browser, selecting “Student sign in” at the top of the page. 
2. If you have access to an iPad or other types of tablets, you may download the free app, which looks like this: 
   
   

Your child will login using their first and last name as well as our class code nossag. (This is an odd code (very similar to my last name), but it's what Front Row generated.

Once they have logged in, they may practice any of the domains. It is very important that this practice be done independently, without any help at home. If they are having difficulty with a concept, and the video tutorials on the site do not help, your child may either stop or go on to another domain. I want the information that I gather from Front Row to be a true picture of your child’s math skills.

I'm looking forward to having our class use Front Row for extra reinforcement, practice, and enrichment at home and anticipate the fantastic growth that they will make while practicing on the program. (There is also an ELA--English Language Arts--option in Front Row, which your child is also welcome to use!) Using Front Row is not a requirement, but simply a wonderful resource that I wanted to share with you.  

I want to sincerely thank you for supporting your child’s education at home. It make such a difference! 

Sincerely, 
Ms. Laura 

A Note from Music

Dear Third Grade Parents:

Your child will be studying the recorder (a flute-like instrument) every year throughout Grades 3-5. grade. An integral part of the music curriculum, the recorder helps students learn to read music and provides an instrument for solo or ensemble playing.

Students are required to have a recorder for use this year. We will be pre-ordering the recorders for AED 45. This money is to be given to the account department located on the first floor of the elementary school.  A receipt will be given to you, and your child’s name will be marked off on our list. He/she can then collect the instrument from me in January.

ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN BEFORE DECEMBER 1st.

Thank you for your continued support of the music program at DAA.

Sincerely,

Miss Wyse

Jeannie.wyse@gemsdaa.net

Goal-Setting Option for Your Child's Conference

Dear Parents,               

We are looking forward to seeing you for our Parent-Teacher conferences on October 19th and 20th! The first conference of the school year is always such a great time to reconnect and discuss the hopes and dreams that you have for your child's year in Grade 3.

We would like to invite you to bring your child with you to the conference. The purpose for including your child is so that he/she takes an active role in identifying a reading, writing, and math goal for the year. Research shows that student achievement increases when students know what the learning target is, where they are in relation to the target, and what they need to do to meet the goal.

This type of conference is optional. If you would like to include your child in our conference, we will spend the first 10 minutes all together, listening to your child share his/her goals, then we will ask your child to wait outside in the hallway for the remaining 10 minutes, so we may privately discuss the hopes and dreams feedback you provided us last week. (If you have not yet filled out this form, you may access it here. Kindly email or send it back to school as soon as you're able.) 

As an FYI, students will have already completed a goal-setting sheet at school, which each teacher will have ready for your conference, so there is no need for you to prepare anything else in advance.

Grade 3 is trying something new and will be the only grade level that uses this approach, so please keep that if mind you have other children in the ES.

Once again, we are looking forward to seeing each of you and trust that this will be a meaningful and reflective time for all of us,

Warmly,

The Grade 3 Team

Pumpkin Patch Sale

Pumpkins Pre-Sale - Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th October, in the PSES Foyer.  Pumpkin carving is an American tradition that brings the whole family together for an evening of fun. Pre-order your pumpkins at drop off or pick up time.  AED 35 per pumpkin. When ordering, please note that pumpkins are locally grown and vary in shape and color.  Pumpkins are not allowed on the bus. 

Pumpkins Handover: Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th October, in the PSES Foyer.  Collection of pumpkins from the Pumpkin Patch. Please remember that pumpkins are NOT allowed on school buses and receipt is needed for pick up.  ADULT pick up ONLY with RECEIPT.

Wild Wadi Night

WILD WADI NIGHT RETURNS!!

DAAPA is pleased to announce that we will once again be sponsoring the very popular 

Wild Wadi Night exclusively for DAA families.  

Friday, October 21, from 7:00-10:00 pm 

During this time, the park will be open to DAA families ONLY.  Yes, that is correct.  Only the DAA community will be allowed to use the facilities. It is a great evening filled with community spirit.  We hope that you can join in the fun!  

For those with younger students, we are pleased to announce that the timing has been changed to begin  at 7 pm. Please note that primary/elementary students must be accompanied by an adult.  

Tickets purchased on or before Oct. 13th will be 100 AED/person.  From Oct. 16th, ticket prices increase to 125 AED/person.  

News to Note...

As we begin the week, I want to share some important items with you: 



1. MAP testing for Grade 3 begins this week.  Here is our schedule, so you can make a note:

• Monday, Oct. 10 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Reading
• Sunday, Oct. 16 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Language Usage 
• Sunday, Oct. 23 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Math 

Students will be taking the tests on iPads in our classroom. Please be sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a healthy breakfast on testing days. Drinking plenty of water is also important. 

Also, as a general reminder, there is no need to study or prepare for any MAP tests. I am reassuring the class that there is no reason to be worried because these tests are simply a great way to see where they are at the beginning of Grade 3. We will have another MAP test in the winter (likely January) and then again at the end of the year. It will be exciting to see the progress and academic growth that your child makes throughout the year!

2. Hopes and Dreams Parent-Teacher conferences will be held next Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 19-20). A link will be shared on the blog soon for you to sign up for your preferred time. Also, please look for a form that will be sent home on Sunday (tomorrow), which should be returned to me by Thursday. Hearing what you hope and wish for your darling is such an important piece of your child's education, so thank you in advance for taking the time to complete that form. I sincerely appreciate it and am looking forward to chatting about it with you in person soon!

3. We will have our first field trip on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 9-12 pm. We will be going to Tee and Putt Mini Golf in the Wafi Mall to test what we've learned about forces and interactions. Our class will go with 3OP (Ms. Olivia's class), her educational assistant (EA) Ms. Saima, and my EA, Ms. Csilla. Students may wear their PE uniform and should bring a packed lunch and snack.

4. Mark your calendars (if you haven't already) for DAA's Wild Wadi Night on Friday, Oct. 21 from 7-10 PM.  (Please see my recent blog post for more details on ticket sale times.) 



5. There is NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, as it is a Professional Learning Day for Staff. 

6.  I am still in need of a classroom mother.  (Or, the role could be shared among two or three of you, like it was the last couple of years.)  No one has shown any interest or volunteered yet, but I'm very hopeful!! 🙏  I realize that the commitment was somewhat substantial in previous grades, but I can assure you that it's much less in Grade 3. 

If you are thinking about it and still unsure, please note that there are really only a few responsibilities: 

• Collect the suggested classroom donation and use it for parties and/or gifts. 
• Liaise with the other mothers in the classroom for coffee mornings, parties, etc. 
• Organize the materials for our Fall party on Oct. 31. I have a few game ideas that we have used in the past, so it should be fairly easy.
• Help organize the food items for Thanksgiving (in Nov.), possible winter party, and end-of-year party. 
• Decorate our classroom door 3-4 times a year...or delegate this to other willing mothers.

💖  For the last three years, the mothers in my class have formed a special bond through doing things together, having frequent communication, and seeing each other at class parties and/or coffee mornings. It's such a great, natural way to connect with other women and be a part of a small, but very meaningful community in Dubai.  I'd love for this year to be the same. (No pressure though! Lol.) Thank you for considering this important role, which enhances your child's whole Grade 3 experience. 

Surprise!!!

It was an exciting event for us teachers after school on Wednesday as we were asked to come to the library for an "important meeting." As soon as we walked in and saw this, we knew what had arrived! Hurray!!

Tech integration has been a high priority for DAA, so having the tech tools needed to make integration happen brought big smiles to all of our faces.

Each iPad has come loaded with a plethora of apps (some free and some purchased by DAA), so if you're interested in what we teachers will be using, check out the fab list below:

iPad Apps:

ScratchJr

Explain Everything

MyCreate

Padlet

Inkflow

EDPuzzle

ToonTastic

TinkboxHD

Google Slides

Google Translate

Google Photos

Google Calendar

Chrome (Web Browser)

QR Code Reader

Stop Motion

GSMX (green screen)

Chirp (music)

QStudent (music)

iMovie

Twitter

Blogger

Dictionary

Socrative

Book Creator

Poplet (brainstorm/mindmap)

Show Me

Haiku

Educreations

Keynote

Canva

EarthViewer

Flipgrid

TinkerBox

HopScotch

Angle Meter

Protractor

Geoboard

FillTheCup

VideoScience

Number

Google Drive

Google Classroom

Google Docs

Google Sheets

Google Earth


We're so excited to start using these iPads in the classroom to enhance lessons, further engage students, promote creativity and innovation, and deepen learning.

Here are some more fun pictures from the great iPad distribution... 

⚡️ Hurricane Matthew⚡️

What an eventful weekend it's been!

On Thursday, I shared my concerns with the class regarding Hurricane Matthew, which was making a B line for my hometown of Jupiter/Tequesta, Florida.


Though it was a rather unpleasant topic, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to teach the class about extreme weather, storm preparation, hurricane categories, and meteorology in general. (By the way, when some children expressed anxiety, I reassured them that Dubai does not have the climate for hurricanes and they breathed a sigh of relief.) 

Thankfully, after a rough 24 hours of uncertainty and a heartfelt Skype call with my family late Thursday night, I'm happy to report that my family and our home (the house that my dad designed and built) are absolutely fine. We were amazed by how the storm "wobbled" a bit to the east, which caused it to alter it's course a few miles away from our coast. This slight change had a significant impact, as it didn't make a direct hit after all and kept moving up the coast. What a relief!!

I was just flabbergasted when family messaged after a few hours saying that they were all well, when I was sure I wouldn't be hearing from them for a while due to power failures, which take days or weeks to restore. This was a truly a wonderful surprise!

Having said that, we are still concerned about those who were/are being affected by Hurricane Matthew and are keeping them in our prayers. Some people have experienced such devastation, especially in Haiti where the death toll has already exceeded 800.

So, thank you for your care and concern. It was very touching to receive a few emails to see if my family was OK. My family has decided to leave their hurricane shutters up for the rest of the month, as this storm might actually loop back around (#buyonegetonefree) and there is another hurricane brewing out at sea. Let's hope for the best! ☀️

Wild Wadi Night

WILD WADI NIGHT RETURNS!!

DAAPA is pleased to announce that we will once again be sponsoring the very popular 

Wild Wadi Night exclusively for DAA families.  

Save the date!! 

Friday, October 21, from 7:00-10:00 pm 

During this time, the park will be open to DAA families ONLY.  Yes, that is correct.  Only the DAA community will be allowed to use the facilities. It is a great evening filled with community spirit.  We hope that you can join in the fun!  

For those with younger students, we are pleased to announce that the timing has been changed to begin  at 7 pm. Please note that primary/elementary students must be accompanied by an adult.  

Tickets purchased on or before Oct. 13th will be 100 AED/person.  From Oct. 16th, ticket prices increase to 125 AED/person.  

Tickets go on sale this week as follows:

• Daily from Oct. 3-13 at drop-off and pick-up in the PS/ES lobby at drop-off and pick-up.  (Please note that there will be no sales on Monday, Oct 3, at pick-up.)

• Leopards' Den from Oct. 5-13 during normal operational hours at drop-off and pick-up

Happy October!

As we begin this new month, I want to also wish my Muslim friends a belated Happy New Year!  I hope your holiday was enjoyable and special.   

We  have a busy 4-day week ahead of us with MAP testing, ASAs in full swing, and other various activities. 

Please be sure to check out the most recent edition of "Assignment Sheet and News," which I post each week. It includes details about what your child will be learning, as well as other news. 

The class has been working together to earn many compliments over these last few weeks of school. How does it work, exactly? Well, each time someone gives our whole class a compliment, the children earn a letter. They must fill in all of the letters of the party we are having to earn it. 

For example, for our first party, which spelled Popcorn and M&Ms, when we got our first compliment, someone guessed an "o," so I filled in it like this on the board: 

_ o _ _ o _ _    _ _ _     _ & _ _ 

After several compliments, the class had finally filled in all of the letters and then we enjoyed a party. During this time we watched a story from Storyline Online. 

The second party was when we wore just socks during one period. (And, yes, it did get a little stinky in the classroom.) And, lastly, for the third and most recent party on Thursday, we enjoyed a Bubble Gum Party and watched a portion of the film, The Tale of Despereux, since it's our beloved class read aloud and we're about half-way through it.  

It's truly amazing how these seemingly small rewards provide a common goal for the class, cause them to work together, and promote a positive class climate. It's also a great way to support specialist teachers, such as art and music, for example, as I encourage the class to give their best during those classes, so they can earn a compliment. 

We will have many small celebrations throughout the year, so you can join in the fun by asking your sweetie what compliment party he/she thinks will be next! (It has many letters this time!)

Enjoy a few fun pictures from our most recent party on Thursday. (Feel free to view the rest of them here.)  And, if you're darling asked to buy gum over the long weekend, this is why. They are determined to practice and master their bubble-making! :) 

MAP Testing Coming Soon

The fall session of MAP testing for students in grades 3-5 will begin at the end of the week.

 

Students take the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) tests in the areas of Math, Reading, and Language Usage. These tests are used to determine individual instructional levels and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year. The tests are completely computerized.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for each child's level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.  A parent letter will be coming home with your child soon to provide you with additional details.