Dear Families,
Welcome to Third Grade! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 23 Mad Scientists who will soon be entering Room 311's Learning Laboratory at Memorial School. This blog serves as our 1st class experiment and may also provide you with some useful information.
First and foremost, my name is Mrs. Brenda Webster and I am thrilled to be your child's teacher this year in Third Grade! Looking at my current list of students, I am excited and feel lucky to have many familiar faces and families I've had in the past. However, I am equally blessed to have so many new students and families to work with this year, many of which I have seen roaming the halls of Memorial, but have never had in my class. Finally, I'd like to welcome Maya Liston and her family as they join our amazing community here in Upton and will be attending Memorial for the first time.
Today, I'm relaxing down in, not so sunny, Myrtle Beach, SC while visiting family, I'm taking advantage of the rain that has made a guest appearance by doing some school work before heading out to brave the crowds and puddles to do some back to school shopping for my own 2 girls.
Throughout the year, it's important for you to know that first and foremost, I am a parent too. There is nothing too silly or serious that you can't approach me with regrading your child and or their education and well being. I can be reached at anytime via this email address or by sending in a note with your child. I will do my best to respond to your questions, concerns, or comments within 24 hours. If your matter is urgent and requires immediate attention, please be sure to go through our school secretary to ensure that I get your message. (Mrs Gibson-508-529-1020)
For your families convenience, I have created this classroom website that will serve as a useful tool throughout the year. Weekly homework assignments, educational resources, school curriculum, and this classroom BLOG are only a few of the resources provided and updated often. Be sure to check it each week to keep on top of the current happenings in room 311. For your convenience, this site also allows you to subscribe to an RSS feed to ensure that you never miss an update!
Summer Reading: For the first time in our schools history, our district required all students entering 3rd grade to read a required book. The Gadget War by Betsy Duffy is actually one of my favorite books and fits perfectly with or S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) theme. If your child has not yet read this book, please do your best to have it read before the 2nd week of school. I have a few exciting activities we will do that connect directly to this book and Betsy Duffy will be our first Author Study. For more information on summer reading, I've attached a link below.
If you have not yet had a chance to purchase the recommended school supplies needed for Third Grade, you can find a copy here for your convenience. PLEASE do not worry if you have not purchased these yet, we will not be needing them until the 2nd week of school. In addition to this list, Room 311 Scientists will also need to purchase an additional 1 or 1 1/2 inch - 3 ring binder with a clear view cover and a zippered pocket pouch to hold necessary supplies. This binder will be used to manage our home/school communication and keep important resources.
Unique to my classroom: Often teachers are graciously bombarded with tissues and wipes on the first day of school. As much as I appreciate ALL of these donations, Our learning laboratory is very limited on storage space. My one request is that parents send in donations of tissues and disinfectant wipes during the month of their child's birthday, this way we have supplies coming in throughout the year and we won't have to store them. I will send out friendly email reminders at the beginning of each month as well as add it to my blog. If your child has a summer birthday, and you'd like to donate items, you may send in any donations during the 1st few weeks of school!
Finally, if you would prefer to have classroom emails sent to a different address or have an additional email you would like me to add, kindly let me know and I will make all necessary changes to our group contact list.
I hope you make the most of the last few weeks of summer. Wednesday, August 27th will be here in the blink of an eye.
I'm looking forward to making a difference in your child's life!