Mini Novel!

Happy end of May! Somehow, the days just seem to speed by faster and faster by the day. It's incredible to think that we are now down to just 22.5 days of school left! 

As it's such a busy time, I want to update you on what's happening this week. (I'm sorry for the long delay since my last blog post. Everything important has been communicated daily to your darlings, so they are fully in the loop and, hopefully, you are, as well.) 

News to Note: 

• Tomorrow, 3LN will be presenting their Music Showcase, which our class has worked so hard to master. Here are all the details...

• It will be held in Miss Wyse's music room (259), which is over near the Grade 5 classrooms, just down the hall from the library. 

• Children should come to school wearing dressy clothes. Please note that we will NOT have PE in the morning, as usual, but I have rescheduled it to Wednesday morning at 8:10 AM. So, students can stay in their dressy clothes all day, if they choose. If they want to be more comfortable, they may change into the regular, non-PE school uniform. 

• It will last from 10:25-11:10 AM. Students will eat lunch directly afterwards. 

• Tuesday afternoon, our class will enjoy an ice cream party to celebrate learning the multiplication facts through 12. Even if they have not yet reached the 12's, children will still be given ice cream. The first ten students who passed the division speed test will receive extra toppings and a cherry on top. Congratulations!! (And, please keep practicing with your child if he/she is not quite there yet.) 

• Wednesday will be fun, as well, as students will  have their rescheduled PE, celebrate a secret birthday, and take the Unit 8 math test. (We have done extensive reviewing at school. I'm also sending home the completed review work tonight, so you can look it over together with your child.) 

• Thursday will be a busy day, as well. We have an ES Assembly to culminate our Baby Rhino Extravaganza. (Students may wear their T-shirts.) Then, we'll have our Souk Day, together with Ms. Jennifer T.'s class. For the Souk Day, each students should bring in 10-15 small items. These can be anything from homemade or store-bought cookies to gently used toys, bookmarks, etc. Basically, anything a children might enjoy. 

• Next Sunday, Ramadan school hours will likely go into effect. The information has been shared on SPOTS; however, if you missed it, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the revised schedule: 

• This week (May 21-25) will be the last week for Trimester 3 ASAs. Please note that they will last for one hour, instead of the usual 30 minutes. 

• In terms of curriculum, children are enjoying our various units. Here's an overview: 

• Reading--Research Clubs have been going well! Students are learning how to synthesize information from various texts,  take notes on what they read (in their own words), and respond to what they read (question info, have difference opinions, etc). 

• Writing--Students are writing powerful persuasive letters and seem to have found their own unique voice. They are writing to specific audiences to cause effectual change. Some of these persuasive letters are being written to solve a problem, while others are recommendations of "must-see" or "must-do" places. Some students have even taken initiative in writing their own reviews on Trip Advisor!! (Feel free to read these and "like" them: Farida, Zaid, Ms. Laura) Soon, students will be selecting one to improve or writing a new one, which they will then publish (to be graded). 

• Math--We are wrapping up our unit on Fractions. The class seems to have a great handle on how to make equivalent fractions, how to compare fractions, and how to identify fractions on a number line. They area also to solve number problem stories in real-life situations (Example: Andy bought 24 stamps for his stamp collection. Three-fourths of the stamps were from the UAE. How many stamps were from the UAE? Answer: 18 stamps) Students will show what they've learned on Wednesday as they take the last math test of the school year. (We will continue on to Unit 10; however, it will not be reported on the final report card.) 

• Science--Traits and Adaptations! Students are absolutely loving this unit, mostly because they are fascinated by the unique adaptations of animals and because we all love to laugh at the funny things animals do to mate, find food, create shelter, and survive, in general! These two videos are especially fun to watch: Wildlife in Disguise, Nature's Record Breakers. The second part of this unit will be focused on your child making his/her own animal creation. I will share more information about this next week. Parents will be invited to come into our classroom (and several other classes in Grade 3) to see the animal creations at our Zoo! Please stay tuned for the date. 

• For our End-of-Year Class Party, we will be giving the class a chance to present their talents through a Talent Show! (Participation is totally optional...don't worry.) Our class mother, Doaa, and I are still deciding on the date, but it will likely be the last week of school. So, start thinking about what talents and hard work your child might want to show. (Digital submissions are also fine and may feel less stressful.) 

• Lastly, my baby brother, Peter, and his wife, Melissa, had a BABY!!! His Facebook post says it all: 
  

So, you can now call me "Aunt Laura!!" 

That's it! 

Thanks for reading this mini-novel. :) 

PE during Ramadan

 Please note the following message from the ES Admin: 

While we prefer that students who are fasting do not participate in PE, if you prefer that your child participates in PE classes while they are fasting, please send a signed note to your child’s teacher. Please ensure the note explicitly states that you are aware that your child is not eating or drinking, but that you would like to them to continue to participate in PE activities. Your child’s classroom teacher will pass the note to their PE teacher.  Thanks so much for your support. 

Ramadan Schedule

As we enter into the holy month of Ramadan, please take note of the new schedule, which goes into effect on Thursday, June 18th: 

8:00 - Teachers arrive 

8:15 - Students welcome in classrooms

8:30 - Period 1

9:00 - Period 2

9:30 - Period 3 (Snack/Recess is from 9:45-10:00) 

10:00 - Period 4

10:30 - Period 5

11:00 - Period 6

11:30 - Period 7 (*Fasting during lunch) 

12:00 - Period 8

12:30 - Period 9

1:00 - Period 10 (*Prayer time) 

1:30 - Dismissal 

1:45 - Busses depart 

2:00 - Teachers leave 

A few more notes for those children who may be fasting:

• Students who are fasting will be staying indoors for recess. They will be supervised by Ms. Saima in Ms. Olivia's classroom, where they will also gather during snack and lunch periods. This will be a quiet, reflective, and restful time for them. 

• Students will also be given the opportunity to pray. This will occur during Period 10 when children will be in Islamic class, with the exception of Monday, Day 9, when they will go to the ES Conference room between 1:00-1:15 to pray. 

• Students will go to PE with the class, yet will not partake in any physically demanding activities. If they prefer to sit on the side as a spectator, that is also perfectly acceptable. We want to make the week as pleasant as possible as they build their fasting skills and challenge themselves in a greater way spiritually. 

To review the letter Jim Hardin recently sent, please click here. 

We are looking forward to a wonderful last week together during this very special time! 

Thanks so much for your support.