Hello Parents and Campers!

Tonight, students are coming home with a great deal of information both from me and the school.   Be sure to look through your child's agenda.

THRoW:  Your child is coming home with their new THRoW for this week.  Please read over together the feedback I gave and make goals for improvements based on my suggestions.  This is important to do BEFORE beginning this week's new story. 

The Fiction text is a one page story in the THRoW duo tang.  Please follow my format as modelled.  Use red pen and a ruler to underline the NAMES OF EACH FEATURE found in the story.  For their first THRoW, students did a very good job overall, but there are many improvements to be made.

Today we had our language quiz that was scheduled for last Friday.  I will have those marked and returned to you by tomorrow.

Pages 23 and 24 were assigned today in Math.  If your child did not complete these pages, please finish tonight and return duo tang tomorrow.

That's all for now,

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION: What mental math strategy is the most efficient one to use for  29 + 31?

Well done, Camp Wilson, on developing, practising and presenting our first St. Christopher School Mass!  Everyone did an amazing job by reading with expression, rehearsing and being reverent!  I couldn't be prouder of my campers!  Thank you to the parents who were able to make it out to this celebration!

As it turned out to be a more than busy day, we did not fit in our Language quiz, so we will do this on Monday.  No need to review sentences, however, if you child still isn't able to write down his/her personal information correctly, please practise over the weekend. 

• Full Name
• Address
• City, Province
• Postal Code
• Birthdate
• Phone Number

Enjoy your weekend everyone!  See you all back on Monday!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Which Saint was Fr. Tony talking about who is known to be the saint of travellers?

Dear Parents, 

Thanks you parents for coming out to our MEET THE TEACHER evening last night!  A total of 13 families made it out last night and I am grateful! I am still hoping to see 100% of my camp to be signed up for my blog by the end of September.  If you do not know how to do this, please let me know and I can meet with you to sign you up.

READATHON takes place today in the morning and our WALKATHON takes place today in the afternoon!  Happy reading and walking campers!

Counsellor Wilson




SECRET QUESTION:  The sum of 332 + 290 is around 600 or 700? (Using estimation and rounding skills)

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB ORDERS:

Any parent interested in ordering from Scholastic Book Club, please submit payment (cheque or pay online) by this Friday, September 27th.  To learn more about how to use the option of paying online by checking out the website: https://canadaclubs.scholastic.ca/  I will be sending home monthly flyers, so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Round 128 to the nearest TEN.

Dear Parents and Campers...

2 Things;
1.  I correct the Song of the Week links.  Before you were not able to click on the song title to hear it, but now you can!  I have made it a link to a youtube channel that displays appropriate versions of all of the songs will use this year.  Enjoy!

2.  THRoW: I sent home the THRoW duo tang and red reader tonight.  I included an example of how this assignment will look by modelling it.  Please flip back and forth as you and your child complete the THRoW this week to ensure you are including all of the features of a fiction text; title, author, illustrator, characters, setting, problem and solution.  I helped campers get started on it with proper set up. They must finish it using the story on page 34 titled:  Freddie's Cardboard Room.  We are learning about the features of fiction texts.

Also, we didn't have time to determine the roles for our Mass yet.  Tomorrow I hope to do this so that students can practise this week.

That's all for now!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Complete this pattern:  4, 8, 12, ___

Dear Parents and Campers,

        This is going to be a busy week! Best wishes to our fellow campers; Tyler, Sandra and Dani as they begin this week in their new classrooms!  We will miss them very much, but know that we will continue to be friends and support one another around school!

WOW words:  Individualized words of the week (W.O.W.) begin this week.  However, if your child made errors in the first two spelling tests, those words will be repeated until they are mastered.  So, you might see some repeat number words, but that's to ensure the correct spelling! Please review a little each night.

T.H.R.o.W. - Monday - This week, we begin our THROW homework.  This does not mean to THROW the gray duo tang literally, it stands for Take Home Reading or Writing!  I assign some type of reading/writing work on Monday and expect it back completed by Friday.  It can be returned early, but everyone MUST hand it in no later than Friday.  Those who do not, will be expected to complete it during their recess time on Friday.  I strongly encourage parents to avoid this option, as I believe recess is a necessary break/activity time for kids (and teachers!). This week's THRoW will consist of identifying features of a fiction text; characters, setting, problem and solution.

MASS: This Friday, September 27, the grade 3s from 3D and 3W will be putting on our first school mass in our school gym at 1:30 pm.  All are welcome to attend.  Every student will have a role to play. I will be sending home a copy of your child's reading.  Please practise at home this week for those who are reading.





MEET THE TEACHER - Our 'Meet the Teacher' information night will be this Wednesday, September 25th from 4:30 - 5:30 pm.  Please try to come out and hear first hand the ins and outs of supporting your child in grade 3.  I will be discussing all kinds of information, so come on out!  I look forward to meeting all of you!


Well, I think that's about all for now.  I will be in touch throughout the week!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION: What is the music term for a group of lyrics separated by a space?

Dear Parents and Campers,

As you may have heard, our school is undergoing a large reorganization of classes due to increased enrolment.  Although it is great news that St. Christopher is growing, it also means that my camp will be affected.  I am currently at 23 students and have been reduced to  20.  The 3 students affected have been told and they were able to spend part of today with their new classmates in their new rooms.  It was made very clear that this was an administration decision and not the teacher's choice.  A letter has been sent home to inform parents of this move.  These three amazing campers will continue to be honorary campers in our eyes, even though they will be starting a new journey in a different class.

Have a terrific weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

Spelling books have been sent home to be signed.  Errors are to be done at the back of the book 10x each.  My policy is that if a student spells a word correctly but writes it incorrectly (uppercase letters or lower case letters used incorrectly), they rewrite the word 10x each but get credit for spelling the word.  Many students did not do their words last week.  Please check the back of the book.  Thank you!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  
What is the missing number in this equation...
13 +  ?  = 19

Hey Parents!

MATH: Math will be coming home for errors to be corrected.  Please try NOT to go ahead of my math program by completing pages that ARE NOT assigned.  Thank you!

LANGUAGE:  Please review duo tang for our quiz tomorrow on how to correctly write the 4 types of sentences; Statement (Declarative), Command (Imperative), Interrogative (Question) and Exclamatory. 

PERSONAL INFORMATION QUIZ:  I hope your child has been reviewing and practising how to write all of his/her personal information as part of our Language Quiz tomorrow.  It includes your child's full name, address including city and province, phone number and birthdate.

Example:
Full Name: Happy Camper
Address: 1234 Singing  Lane, Windsor, ON, N0R 1A0
Birthdate:  September 1, 2011
Phone Number:  519 123-1234


Happy Wednesday!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  What type of sentence is this?

Go and clean up your mess before dinner.

Sorry Parents and Campers - I didn't send home the Math duo tangs today as planned, but rest assured EVERYONE completed the homework during class time!  I will be sure to send it home tomorrow!

Enjoy your homework-free evening!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Which shape is the strongest?

Week 3 and going strong!

Thanks for staying with me, parents!  You are proving to be dedicated campers indeed!  Please, if you haven't already done so, sign up to Follow Me by entering your email in the space provided so that you can receive any posts from me instantly right to your phone!  I know that you still can keep up to date by going to my blog on the computer, but this way is SO convenient!  It gives me the peace of mind that you are in the know!  Thank you!

This week, we continue on with our words of the week focusing on the numbers from 11 - 20.  After that, I'll be starting your child's individualized spelling program.

LANGUAGE QUIZ:  This Thursday (Friday is a PD Day = no school)  we will have our usual language quiz.  As a part of personal safety, I am asking that your child know how to write the following information correctly:

• Full Name
• Birthdate (Day, Month, Year)
• Address (House #, Street, City, Province)
• Phone Number (of at least one parent) 

Reminder:  Friday - PD Day, no school

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION: Where should supports be placed on a structure to make it stable and balanced?

Great start to the week, campers and parents!

A couple of requests:  Please ask your child if they still need white board markers, red pens, yellow highlighters or indoor gym shoes.  I would like to have these items by the start of next week if possible.  Tomorrow we are going to the gym so please make sure you send your child with a pair of indoor gym shoes tomorrow.  I will know by Friday, what our daily schedule will be for the remainder of the year.  Our school is still in the process of getting schedules finalized so we will need to be a little patient.  Thank you for understanding!

Language - Tonight and tomorrow, your child will be bringing home their yellow language duo tang to review for our quiz on Friday.  Typically, I will send home the language duo tang the day before for a quick review, however, your child is welcome to take it home whenever they need it.  Just please be mindful to return all materials everyday.  Thank you!


Math - Please make sure all errors are corrected each night in the math duo tangs.  There is always a quick review included for parents to see the focus.  Please do not hesitate to ask me for clarification when needed.  Our students are doing a lot more than we did in grade 3!

That's all for now!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Write the number two hundred seventy-two in standard form.

Dear Parents,

Here's hoping you had a long, restful weekend!

W.O.W. (Words of the Week) - This week we will be starting our Spelling program.  Each week, you will find your child's words of the week in their agenda on Monday.  Please review throughout the course of the week.  Fridays, we will be tested on our words.  Every child will have their own individual words to learn based on our diagnostic testing last week.  However, I am still trying to determine the first 10 words for some amazing spellers in my camp!  So, our first 2 weeks of WOW words will be on the number words.  Then our individualized spelling program will begin.  Thank you for your support in reviewing each week!

LANGUAGE QUIZ - Most Fridays, campers will have some sort of language quiz to review what concepts were learning that week.  I sometimes omit this quiz if students already have assessments that same week.  You will see when we have a language quiz in your child's agenda when you sign it.  (Btw, thank you for being so diligent in signing each day!)

HOMEWORK:  For the first couple of weeks, the homework will likely be in Math or Science.  The only homework that will be sent home is work that your child did not complete during the given class time.  Even if students complete their homework, I like for them to take it home to show you that it is indeed completed.  This also gives you a chance to see what we are learning so that you can best support your child's learning.  Please check your child's agenda and my blog for details each week.  Homework is posted on this blog in the top right hand corner.

I have to say, THANK YOU to all of the parents who promptly returned all completed forms last week!  It makes  my job so much easier when items are returned so quickly! 

Well, that's about all for now!  Be on the look-out for our Mini-Progress report this Friday!  I'll be keeping a close eye on campers this week to see if they can live up to our co-created success criteria for a great start in grade 3!

Counsellor Wilson


SECRET QUESTION:  What is the science term used to describe the weight that a structure is able to hold?

Dear Parents,

What a terrific start to grade 3 in Camp Wilson!  Every student is working really hard to earn a great progress report!  Please feel free to ask your child about what success criteria we co-created in order to have a successful start in grade 3!

Just so you know, this is what we came up with...

How to Have a Great Start in Grade 3

• Arrive to camp at 8:45-9:00 am
• Enter the school/camp calmly and quietly
• Bring agenda to class daily signed
• Follow directions, rules and routines independently
• Participate actively by raising his/her hand
• Pack up quickly and quietyly at the end of the day
• Be respectful of Camp Counsellors and fellow campers

You will receive this progress report next Friday, September 13th.  Please sign and return.  I am thrilled at what a tremendous job my campers have done so far!

THE CHALLENGE IS ON!

I would like to challenge each of my campers to read ... (drum roll please...)
             3000 minutes
by June 12th, 2020! Now, that sounds like a lot of reading, but it is actually only 20 minutes of reading a day, 5 days a week! If you choose to read on the weekends as well, you will definitely reach and even surpass this goal!  We will officially begin today!  Please make sure your child logs his/her reading times on the Reading Log that will be given to each camper to be kept in their black pouches.  Parents must initial each entry. 

200 school days x 15 mins a night = 3000 minutes in total

     Students know they are allowed to switch up their independent reading books WHENEVER they need to, but this responsibility is on them.  I have many books for them to borrow, so let the reading begin!  I will be checking in monthly to monitor their reading progress.  This is not something that one can complete at the last minute!  Those campers who reach the goal of reading 3000 minutes will earn a free lunch of their choice with me, Counsellor Wilson in the last week of school!  I hope to be buying ALL of my campers lunch that day!

Counsellor Wilson

SECRET QUESTION:  Is 12 a multiple of 5?  Yes or No. (That means, when counting by 5s, do you say the number 12?)

Hello Parents and Campers! 
This is EXACTLY how I felt when I saw how many parents have already signed up to follow my blog!  That means most of you are reading my blog and that makes me a VERY happy counsellor!!  Thank you, I look forward to our first BLOG DRAW winner this Friday! (Every week, I draw one ticket earned from answering the secret question. Students can earn up to 3 or 4 tickets some weeks depending on how many secret questions I ask, so keep reading!)  I hope you find this means of communication helpful and informative!

     Together as a camp, we brainstormed and came up with a list of success criteria that would make for a great start to grade 3.  I told my campers that I would be sending home a mini progress report after the first week of school based on this co-created criteria.  Expect to see it early next week to read, review, sign and return to school.  I have students keep all signed assessments / quizzes / tests / assignments in a portfolio binder that is kept here at school throughout the year.  They will be returned to you at the end of each term.

TAKE HOME READING POUCH:

 

      This week,  I will be sending home a black Take Home Reading Pouch.  It should contain 2 books from my personal classroom library along with a reading log folder.  Your child is expected to read for 15-20 minutes every night from these books, as they are levelled to suit your child's current independent reading level, however, if you have other books at home, of course, that is also acceptable.  (I will be assessing reading levels this month to determine your child's appropriate reading level).  Please fill out the form after each reading session and sign.  This will be very important for our Reading Challenge! More info to come shortly!  Your child knows to return the books for exchange anytime they are ready for new ones. Please ensure that your child takes extra special care of my books throughout the year! Thank you!


This week, I am determining each camper's first 10 WOW words (Words of the Week) for their first spelling test which will take place next Friday.  I begin with the 0-100 sight word list and move up as far as possible until your child has made 10 errors in spelling. Those ten words will be your child's WOW words for the week.  After, they move on to the next 10 words provided all words were spelling correctly.  Any misspelled words will be repeated on the following week's test and written at the back of the speller 10x.  Monday next week, all campers will receive their 10 words in the agenda. Every student will have their own unique 10 words to review/learn. Please have your child review during the week.  Spelling review and daily reading will not be written down as homework in your child's agenda, however, it is a grade 3 expectation on daily basis.

How to Review Spelling:

Monday:  Take a practise test and see which words you need to review.  Write each word.  Write misspelled words 10x each. 

Tuesday:  Practise test of incorrect words from Monday.  Write each misspelled word 10x each.

Wednesday: Practise test of all words. Write misspelled words  10x each.

Thursday:  Practise test of all words.  Write misspelled words 10x each.

     Practise anytime, anywhere - during commercials on TV, when driving in the car, or whenever you get a few spare minutes.  It all helps! Spelling is assessed in your child's everyday writing, not on these weekly tests.  However, those who manage to learn their spelling words usually write them correctly in their daily writing!

Ok, that's about all for now...I'm super excited about getting to know your child! This truly is a great group of campers!  Also, a BIG SHOUT OUT  to all of you parents who completed your homework EARLY by returning all of the forms I gave you!

Great start parents and campers!

Counsellor Wilson




SECRET QUESTION:  What game did we play on our campfire carpet to get to know eachother?