Dear Grade 3/4 Families,

Happy Holidays! As the year draws to an end, we thought it

would be nice to give an update on what we have been doing and
what is coming up in the new year. As always, if you have any
questions, concerns or comments--please feel free to email me
any time. I hope you have a safe and happy break!

IMPORTANT DATES:

Twitter
Please find our class Twitter account at —----. I have posted
MANY pictures and videos of our learning to
share with you. My aim is to share our
adventures several times a week. These posts
are great conversation starters at home and
usually generate more conversation than, “What did you do at
school today?”.

Mud Lake
Our weekly Mud Lake trips--on Wednesday
mornings, have been going really well! Thank
you to all the parents who have come along
and made the trips possible. We have had
so many rich learning experiences there
already and we are JUST getting started.
Last week we made snow angels and snow angles! We have also
done writing assignments and art projects recently.

As the weather changes to winter

cold and snow-- please remember
to dress your child appropriately
for Mud Lake and recess. Last
week I needed to lend boots, mitts, hats and several pairs of
snowpants to students who were unprepared. It is important
your child is warm and dry when we are spending more than an
hour outdoors. If you need help getting any of the required
clothing or boots--please reach out, we may be able to help
with it.

We are fortunate to have a new

student teacher, Maddie Zylstra joining
our class. She is an Ottawa University
student who has quickly made great
connections with the students and is
already teaching some great lessons!
Welcome Ms. Zylstra!

Curriculum
In Math class we have done lots of adding bigger numbers,
graphing and some work on angles. In the New Year we will
continue learning numeration skills including; subtraction,
multiplication and even some division. We have done a lot of
coding this term as well, which the students are getting to be
very skilled at. Ask your child to see their “Mindfulness App”
that they created in our Hour of Code! I am really pleased with
the progress I have seen this year so far in using a positive
growth mindset about math. I am hearing things like, “This
might take some practice to learn.” and “We can do hard math!”
on a regular basis. My personal favourite though is, “Math is
FUN!” which I have heard
many times in the past
month.

In Language, the focus has been on reading and retelling the

story. Ms. —- has just begun a writing assignment with the
students where they will tell about a personal experience of
their own. Look forward to hearing those in the New Year! Over
the holidays, please try to keep your child reading (or read to
them) each day.

Carleton University’s “Virtual Ventures” science program will be

back in the new year. The class has had great experiences with
these workshops so far this year. The LeGO ROBOTICS was a
particular favourite. See Twitter for photos and videos!

In Social Studies we are focusing on three main big ideas:

● How the past has an effect on our choices in the future.
 ● How the environment affected how people worked, lived and
played in early societies.
● How the lives of Indigenous people and Early Settlers were
different.

Classroom Community
The class has really done great work in learning how to
regulate, work hard and support each other as a community.
Ask your child to tell you about a breathing technique that
they like to use to keep themselves in the GREEN zone. The
greatest focus of our room is cultivating kindness. It is really
catching on! Our Kindness Confetti Board will soon be
overflowing!

It really is a safe, KIND and welcoming classroom community!

Thank you for continuing to support your child’s growth and
learning,