Our three words

This year Mullen Hall has a theme that can be summed up in three words, Believe in Yourself! The staff thought that these three words summed up what we hope for students and teachers throughout the year. Before this year long theme was revealed I asked Team 203 what three words they thought would inspire others this year. Take a look at what they thought!

You can see the rest of our three word creations hanging in our cubby area. We will look to these messages all year to help us remember to try our hardest, shake it up, follow our hearts, and above all else, believe in ourselves!

 

Snowball fight

Snow in September ??!! You bet! This is a strategy we used to get to know each other during the first week of school. Do you remember your 3 facts? What did you learn about someone that you didn’t know before? I wonder what day it will snow next in Team 203, keep your eyes peeled for flurries!

Read to self and other Daily 5s

Have you heard about our Daily 5 yet? The Daily 5™ is more than a management system or a curriculum framework – it is a structure that will help students develop the daily habits of reading, writing and working with peers that will lead to a lifetime of independent literacy.

This year, students have learned and experienced:

1. Read to Self

2. Read to Someone

3. Listen to Reading

4. Word Work

We have one more to go, 5. Work on Writing but Team 203 is practicing each day, building stamina and experience what it means to love reading, how to pick just right books, ways to coach a partner, and strategies to increase reading skills! Whew, we’ve done a lot already and I am so proud of the strides that these third graders have made. Here is a glimpse into parts of our Daily 5 routine and Literacy block.

Finding a cozy spot to Read to Someone.
Sit EEKK, check, concentrate and focus, check!

Listen to Reading
These girls were so absorbed they didn’t even notice the camera!

I PICK- A strategy used to help students choose just right books in and out of the classroom. Ask your child what Mrs. Lewis’ shoes have to do with this strategy.

 

 

Open House Night

I had a great time meeting so many families from Team 203. It is always entertaining to look out into my classroom and see the adults who have such a BIG role in raising the students who sit those same seats during the day. Taking the time to attend Open House Night is such a huge step in being part of your child’s education. If you could make it I hope you found out some great things about our classroom! If you couldn’t make it be sure to set up a conference with me so you can see our classroom and be another link  from our classroom to your home!

 

Here’s a look at our classroom that night.

Start your engines . . .

Can you believe that August is already here??!! I have had an amazing summer and I hope that you have too. When school let out I was lucky enough to take a trip to Italy with my husband to celebrate our first anniversary. We traveled to Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, and Sorrento as well as some other smaller towns in between.  I have never been to Europe before this trip so you can imagine that it was a life changing experience! I’m so excited to share with you some of the things I learned while we were there.

I spent the rest of my summer vacation reading some great books, learning how to stand up paddle board, visiting Fenway, Ft. Worth Texas, and of course Martha’s Vineyard. I took a few bike rides, ran almost every day, saw lots of friends and family, and enjoyed the beach. I can’t wait to hear about all of your summer adventures and start our incredible journey this September.

As I begin to get our classroom ready for this year, I have taken a few trips to Staples and other school supply stores. Although you won’t need much for our third grade classroom, I thought you might like to know a few things you could pick up before school starts. Below is a Supply List that you can use if you will be back to school shopping at the end of your summer. Until September, enjoy your last days of summer fun and get ready for a great year together! Please don’t hesitate to post a comment about your summer on our Team 203 Blog. I’d love to hear from you 🙂

Supply list