Mrs. Poulin's Blog 2018-2019

        There is a lot going on in our third grade classroom!  I am really getting to know each and every student and making some amazing connections and building trust and safety within the classroom.  The students seem to be enjoying our days together, so much so that they have asked to come in on the weekends and today I had an afternoon workshop and some cried when I left:( This makes my heart so happy and they really do make me feel loved.  Our literacy time each day runs about 90 minutes long with a snack and exercise in between.  This week we read The Trial of Cardigan Jones . A story of a moose that is wrongly accused of a crime....eating a pie!  He is brought to trial and found not guilty. The students really enjoyed learning about the courtroom and how trials work. We learned about witnesses, lawyers, and innocence when we read our connecting informational text, In The Court Room .  Your child may come home and ask  if you have ever been called to jury duty! They are cu

      It was so nice to see everyone at Open House this last Thursday:) I hope that all questions were answered and you feel a little more comfortable with LSS and our classroom.  Please always know that you can email or call at anytime with questions.       This past week we started our first unit in literacy. We read a story called A Fine, Fine, School. The principal in the story loves school so much he decides to have school everyday of the week including holidays! Of course the kiddos were in shock:) In the end he learns that it is important for kids to learn outside of school and to spend time with their families. We read a connecting non-fiction text also about one room schoolhouses. We compared the similarities and difference to both schools using a Venn diagram. We also practiced our short vowel sound rule and reviewed how every sentence needs a predicate and subject.  We will continue with this unit through Tuesday and work in small groups with leveled readers.       Multip

Last week was a great week of growth for the students. They are really starting to become comfortable with expectations and many of our 3rd grade routines are becoming habits.  We have been working on building our classroom community a lot. Our school just adopted a new program called Restorative Justice. I will be speaking about it in more detail at Open House but it is an excellent way for our class to come together and talk. We are able to work out problems and learn about each other in a more productive way. It is definitely a work in progress but I think by the end of  the year our classroom will be pros! In literacy last week we focused on our last Daily 5 routines which were Word work, Writing work, and Listening to reading. We continue to work on our reading stamina and last week we reached 20 min of uninterrupted, independent read time. So exciting! Word work focuses on spelling and learning the rules to spelling patterns. During our writing section we really focus on gr

We are starting to settle into our classroom routines and expectations. This week we completed both our STAR reading and math tests. The students did amazing and this information will help to guide classroom instruction.  This week in math we worked in groups to explore our Student Reference Book. The SRB is used quite frequently during math as an informational text. Students are able to access a glossary, descriptions and essays on mathematical procedures, and of course most importantly GAMES! We played our first math game, Number Grid Difference. We've been practicing how to use the number grid and use it to solve multiple math problems.  Today the students were introduced to all the math tools we will use this year such as clocks, rulers, calculators, and shape templates. Be looking for Math Homework to start next week!   The students worked in groups this week to find similarities and differences between Maps and Globes. We also learned about how these tools can

Welcome to our classroom blog! I will try to keep you updated weekly with upcoming events,  volunteer opportunities, and info about our classroom curriculum.  The first week of school went very well. The students were able to tour the school, get acquainted with our classroom, and meet many of our LSS staff members.  The next few weeks will focus on creating a routine, creating bonds with our classroom community, and establishing expectations. We spent the first few days of school getting to know each other, learning what it takes to be a good reader through our Daily 5 program, exploring our math manipulatives, and just having fun! I am so lucky to have such a great group of kids this year. My heart is very blessed:)  This week we will begin our Everyday Math lessons. The first Unit will focus on reviewing basic second grade math skills. This will give me an opportunity to see where the students' strengths and weaknesses fall. I will also administer the Fall Mat