Dear Parents,

After much waiting I have received confirmation that I have been scheduled for surgery next week. Minnette Langley will sub for me beginning Wednesday, September 19, so that I may complete my final doctor appointments prior to surgery. My recovery period is estimated to be between 4-6 weeks. As I stated before, Mrs. Langley is an experienced long-term sub, and has come to me with high recommendations. Moreover, she is loved by the students, which is obvious and heartwarming when I have observed them interact with her. Mrs. Parker, our principal, has also observed Mrs. Langley in my classroom and has reported to me that the class was run smoothly and effectively. It is the combination of Mrs. Langley’s classroom management skills and relationship with the students that make her such a good fit in my absence.

The best way to communicate with Mrs. Langley about your child is to either write a note in his or her planner or call the classroom telephone at (903) 291 – 2129. Mrs. Langley knows how to access my voice mail and will return your calls. Additionally, Mrs. Langley will be sure to send home the weekly spelling and vocabulary words. She will also have the students write them in their planners. I will not be able to keep my blog updated during my convalescence. However, you may access and subscribe to the other third grade teachers’ blogs through my blog to stay updated on third grade happenings.

Thank you all for your understanding, support, prayers, and best wishes during this time. Sometimes it takes a trial to know how blessed we truly are. This is very true for me. I will be thinking of you all, especially my students, and looking forward to a speedy recovery so that I can get back to doing what I love to do ~ teach children.

Today students received their weekly math homework, Skill Practice p. 10, which is due Thursday, September 20. This is a place value assignment. Place value charts will be sent home tomorrow if your child needs it for support in answering the questions.

In addition, students received a short reading passage with questions titled “Learning About Chimpanzees,” which is also due on Thursday, September 20. Students need to take their time reading the passage and the questions carefully before deciding on the best answer choice.

Graded papers have gone home today in the homework folder. There is a new place to initial on the inside pocket of the homework folder with Monday dates replacing Thursday dates. Please help your child keep the graded papers separate from the weekly homework and notices. Graded papers do not need to be returned.

Lastly, 20 minutes of nightly reading is also required Monday through Thursday to build fluency. A general rule to follow to know if your child has an appropriate level book is the 5-finger rule. The students have been taught to read one page and put up one finger for each word they do not know on that page. If less than five fingers are up, the book is not too hard. If five or more fingers are up, the book is too hard. In order to build fluency, students must have books that they can read with a natural flow.

Students have access to my classroom library and the school library on a daily basis. Books are encouraged to be taken home. If your child is consistently not bringing home a book please write a note in the planner.

If your child has time after all I have mentioned above, it is also very important to drill those basic addition and subtraction facts with either computer or web-based games as well as old fashioned flashcards and matching games.

Thank you for all of your support.

The following list is from our reading selection for this week titled, Destiny’s Gift. The reading comprehension test for this story and related vocabulary test from this list is on Friday, September 21.

1) block – a part of a street marked off by the two nearest cross
streets

2) spreading – to open out wide or wider

3) afford – to be able to pay for or spare

4) customers – a person who regularly buys goods or services

5) contacted – to get in touch with

6) raise – to gather together; collect

7) earn – to gain by working or by supplying service

8) figure – to work out by thinking

The following spelling words are a list of high-frequency words that are tested in context. Students need to know how to spell these words and use them correctly in a sentence.

The spelling test is on Friday, September 21.

Students, please study these words and how to use them in a sentence as part of your homework routine Monday – Thursday. If you practice on paper you do not have to turn it in to me. Just ask your parents to sign your planner after you have studied your words and read at least 20 minutes. Then I will know you have practiced.

1) below

2) saw

3) something

4) thought

5) both

6) between

7) there

Let’s go there.
There are three boys here.

8) help

9) from

10) their

Their house is humongous!

11) back

12) said

13) right

You’re right again.
Turn right on that street.

14) first

15) could

16) never

Wednesday, September 19, is an early release day for teacher in-service. Intermediate students will be released at 12:30 P.M. Lunch times will be adjusted on this day to accommodate the early release. School administration has requested that parents not plan to eat with their children on this day due to the shortened schedule. Thank you all for your understanding.

There has been a change in the day graded papers will be sent home in all third grade classrooms. Instead of graded papers being sent home on Thursdays, they will now be sent home on Mondays. A revised document with the new dates and place for parents to initial will be glued on top of the old document in the homework folders. This change will begin this Monday, September 17. These papers are for you to keep. Please help your child keep the homework folder cleaned out each week because it is easy to have old papers, notices, and spelling lists accumulate causing an organization issue for your child. Thank you for your help with this important part of your child’s learning – organization.

I apologize for the editing errors in one of the sentences on the parent orientation notice that went home today. Unfortunately, it was not caught until after school.

Whew! Today was a busy day. The students spent the morning working on a math universal screening that will indicate which math skills your son or daughter has mastered and which skills need to be reinforced. In the afternoon, Mrs. Craven, our reading specialist, screened each student in oral reading fluency. I will be studying this data to give your child the appropriate amount of challenge in math and reading by setting goals in these areas.

Please notice that a chart has been glued into your child’s homework folder for your signature each Thursday night. Graded papers will be sent home each Thursday in the pocket above this chart. There is only one page going home this week, but you will have several next week. These papers do not need to be returned. Please help your child go through his or her homework folder and take out any notices from school as well. Papers can pile up in a student’s folder and make it difficult for them to find important papers.

Lastly, half of the students presented their name projects this afternoon and they were fabulous. It was interesting to hear about the stories behind each child’s name as well as to see the creative posters. We will display these posters in the third grade hall for a few weeks and then send them home for you to treasure. If your child did not present his or her project today, he or she will be able to present tomorrow afternoon. I am looking forward to learning more about our class and the special stories behind the names of each child.

Thank you for your kind words and expressions of support. It means so much. The students were thrilled to see Mrs. Langley today and she knew almost all of them. I know she is eager to get to know the newest Roughnecks as well. Mrs. Langley is a good fit for our class. I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As some of you may know I was treated for breast cancer in 2010. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a different type of breast cancer last week. My doctor believes that the cancer is localized and that surgery will take care of the problem. As of today, I am waiting for a surgery date. It may be at the end of next week or the following week. Mrs. Parker has hired Minnette Langley to substitute in my class while I am recovering. If all goes well I should be back at work 4-6 weeks after the surgery takes place.

Mrs. Langley has been a substitute teacher in the primary grades and has come to me with very good recommendations. I will be working with her in the coming days so that her transition will be smooth. I am excited that she has agreed to substitute for me and feel that the class will be in good hands while I recover. It is never a good time to receive such a diagnosis, but it is particularly difficult at the beginning of the school year. I am getting to know your children and absolutely love them and love being in third grade again.

I will introduce your children to Mrs. Langley tomorrow and will explain to them why I will be gone for several weeks. In fact some of the students may already know her. I plan on being at the Parent Orientation along with Mrs. Langley and the rest of the third grade team on Thursday, September 13, unless I get scheduled for surgery before.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. I will return your messages as soon as possible. I also plan on staying in contact with the class as my strength improves. It is going to be a great year. Mrs. Langley has the support of all the third grade teachers and I know the class will not skip a beat.