Valentine's Day Fun

Last Tuesday ushered in a classroom full of pink, red, and white and many happy smiles, as children dressed down in festive wear and came prepared with decadent sweets to share.  Though it was a normal school day, we managed to carve out about 30 minutes for some Valentine's Day fun.

The children were happy to express their love and care for each other through the exchange of valentines, cards, and hugs. It was very sweet to watch. :)

Also, thank you so much to those of you who sent goodies in. The children certainly appreciated the sugar, icing, and sprinkles and I one could literally FEEL the energy circulating throughout the room. Trust me (and be glad you weren't there)! ;)

Here are some pictures for you to treasure and enjoy...

News to Note

Ok, can someone please tell me how it can be February already?! This year is flying by way too fast and I'd really like it to slow down just a bit, so I we can all enjoy it even more. Hopefully, the day off yesterday provided a great opportunity to do just that...and the weather was just glorious! Though we teachers were at school, it was a fantastic day of professional growth as we learned from Brian and Robin Fogarty, who are renowned experts in education. Our time was very well spent.

Since it's been a while (so sorry!), I wanted to touch base about a few things:

• I want to offer a huge thank you to those of you parents who were able to come to our Track and Field Day last Tuesday, Jan. 31. I so appreciate your help, encouragement, time, effort, and support. It made our day so much more fun having you there with us, so please know that I am very appreciative. (I'll be posting pictures soon!) 

• Swimming is canceled for this cycle and the rest of Trimester 2, as the recent storm caused some damage to the pool area and it will take time for the repairs, insurance, inspection, etc. Thank you for your understanding. I know the children are disappointed, but this is a great opportunity to use a favorite expression in our classroom, "C'est la vie." (That's life.) 

• Parent Engagement Week in the ES: You are invited to join us in our classroom on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 8:10-9:00. I will be teaching a mini-lesson about how to effectively elaborate in narrative stories (in this case, our fractured fairy tale). Knowing a few strategies will help to equip you at home when/if your child gets stuck as a writer and doesn't know what else to add to his/her story. I hope you'll be able to join us! 

• We will be going on a field trip next Thursday, Feb. 16. First, we'll head over to the Dubai Museum to learn about life in the UAE, Bedouins, pearl diving, and more. Then, we'll walk down the block to the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. There, we'll partake in a full Emirati meal, learn about local culture, and make a tile craft. (This is the reason why this field trip is a bit pricey. Rest assured that it's a high quality field trip, which students have typically greatly enjoyed and students will be brining home the art the create.)  
• If you would like to volunteer for this trip, please just let me know. It's a fantastic trip! We'll be off campus from 8ish until 1:30 pm. (You will need to drive your own vehicle, as parents are not allowed on school buses for insurance purposes.) 

• Valentine's Day is next Tuesday, Feb. 14. We will be having a small classroom party; however, it will just be limited to the students and me, since our time will be short. If you would like to send in some goodies (cookies, cupcakes, fruit, chocolate, etc.), you are welcome to. Just send me an email, so I know what to expect. 

• Students are invited to dress down in Valentine's Day colors (red, pink, white) on Tuesday, Feb. 14, for a minimum donation of AED 5, which will go to Dubai Cares. (Students who don't wish to dress down are also most welcome to still donate.)

• If you would like to have your child write valentines for their classmates, here is a list of our 3LN students: 

• Girls: Jenna, Mariam, Zoya, Anita, Sarah, Farida, Isabella, Sofiya (8 total) 

• Boys: Zayd, Zaid, Jordan, Aly, Efe, Woochan, Zunyi, Ali, Yehia, Julian, Leo, Alvin, Can (13 total)

• Next week will be Love Your Library Week, so be on the look-out for all the "lovely" details. 

• Also, you may have heard my big news that I have accepted a teaching position in Shanghai, China!! I told the news to our class and they share the same bittersweet emotions that I am also feeling. While I'm thrilled to be embarking on a whole new adventure, I will really miss my precious students, you parents, my colleagues, friends, and all of the other aspects of Dubai that I have come to know and love so well. It's difficult to leave. Having said that, however, I'm ready for a change, new challenges, and a whole culture in the Far East. (If you want to read  the whole story, which includes a very detailed description, you're welcome to view and read my personal blog post.) 

• Academics: We have been busy learning! Here's a brief summary...

• In reading, students are now in Unit 3 and learning more about characters through inferencing, examining the character's motivations, and forming theories about characters. Students are now reading fiction again in class, so please encourage your child to read his or her "just right" chapter book each night and bring the reading log back to school each day. Thank you! 

• In writing, we are also in Unit 3, which is all about writing fractured fairy tales. Students will be learning about fairy tale adaptations and how to write their own. They will write 1-2 short fractured fairy tales of their own, with the final goal being to publish their favorite one. 

• In math, we are wrapping up Chapter 5 (place value, decimals) and will have a test next Tuesday. 

• In science, students have been learning about the different between weather and climate, as well as weather tools, how to analyze weather data and draw conclusions, and how to predict the weather based on patterns. 

I think that's it. Thanks for taking the time to read all of our 3LN news and, most importantly, thank you so much for all of your ongoing support! Together is better.  :) 

Parent Engagement Recap

Thank you, dear parents, for taking the time and effort to join us for our Parent Engagement writing lesson on Thursday. It was so great to see so many of you!

I hope the mini-lesson on elaboration was helpful, both for you and your child. It's one of those writing skills that takes time to learn and also plenty of practice. Even world famous authors continuing working towards improving their elaboration skills by writing in a way that is gripping, yet not too detailed, so know that your child is in good company.

For those of you who were not able to come, please feel free to avail yourself of the materials that I used:

• Lesson Overview
• 7 Strategies for Elaboration
• Pinterest Board with some good resources

Finally, here is the link for the pictures of our time together. I tried to capture everyone, so hopefully I did. My heart was genuinely full as I watched you working with your sweetie. I thought to myself, "Now, how can I get these parents to come help everyday?!" :) I could see such a difference in their writing in just 40 minutes! 

Thank you, all, once more for coming. It was a true delight! 

Valentine's Day

On Thursday, February 11th, the ES will celebrate an early Valentine's Day with a 'Dress Down for Charity' event. 

For a small donation (AED 5, for example), students may wear tops that are pink, red or white, with jeans or DAA pants. (Please, no tank tops or spaghetti straps). The proceeds will go to a GEMS approved charitable organization. 

Looking forward to a "lovely," and festive day, which will ultimately benefit others.

PS. Just as an FYI, this is the same day that we will be having both our parent engagement session (in our classroom). Also, the room mothers have arranged a small party for the students; however, we are going to keep it short, sweet, and simple and limit it to just the students. I hope you understand. (And, I look forward to seeing you earlier that morning for our parent engagement!) 

Valentine's Day News

Have you heard? Love is in the air in 3LN. Yep. We are excited to be showing love and kindness by bringing SHOES to school for people in need in Ethiopia. What a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and put love into action in a practical way. I hope you will be able to find at least one pair of shoes to share. 

We are going to have a very low-key party on Thursday to celebrate Valentine's Day. Georgia is going to send in some cookies and if anyone else wants to donate a treat, please just let me know by email or feel free to send it in to school on Thursday morning. 

As for Valentine's cards, your child is welcome to bring some in to share, as well. (If they include candy of some sort, please kindly supply one for each child, so no one feels excluded.) 

Here is a list of the names of children in our class, if needed. 

A few reminders for Thursday: 

• All students are welcome to wear a Valentine’s Day colored t-shirt with their PE shorts.

• Student council will be rewarding the students who donate 5 dirhams or more with a sticker showing their support for Red Crescent on this special day of caring and kindness.
• Bring SHOES to support RAEY foundation.

Red Crescent Valentine's Day Fundraiser from the Student Council

{Valentine's Day News}

Have you heard? Love is in the air in 3LN. Yep. (Well, all the students reading this will probably groan, "ewwwww!") Fine. We can say that KINDNESS is in the air as students write "kindness grams" to give to their friends and teachers in the Elementary School. It's all very exciting and fun. :) 

We are going to have a very low-key party on Thursday to celebrate Valentine's Day. Stephanie Nooren is going to send in some cookies and if anyone else wants to donate a treat, please just let me know by email or feel free to send it in to school on Thursday morning. 

As for Valentine's cards, your child is welcome to bring some in to share, as well. (If they include candy of some sort, please kindly supply one for each child, so no one feels excluded.) 

Here is a list of the names of children in our class, if needed: 

Looking forward to a "lovely" day!