Mrs. Taylor's 3rd Grade News
Mulberry Elementary School
Class News October 10-14, 2017
Learning Topics for Next Week:
Reading: Interactive Book Unit The Mouse on the Motorcycle
Grammar: Adverbs
Writing: Personal Narratives: Writing Slice Stories (Small Moments)
Spelling: Words for this week ... Plural Nouns
bush
peach
fox
lunch
house
coat
dress
sister
friend
school
state
class
bushes
peaches
foxes
lunches
houses
coats
dresses
sisters
friends
schools
states
classes
Social Studies: Paul Revere (Guided Reading Groups)
Science: Pollution
Specials: PE (Wear Tennis Shoes!)
Please send in by Monday ...
FIELD TRIP TO THE AURORA THEATER
A note about Friday Folders ...
Snacks and Lunches ...
Our Current Class Book Study!
Calendar of Events:
October 17-21 Great Days of Service Campaign
Pre-K/Kindergarten: Mac n Cheese
First Grade: Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Second Grade: Toilet Paper and Paper Towels
Third Grade: Shampoo and Bar Soap
Fourth Grade: Deodorant and Socks
Fifth Grade: Canned meats, fruits and soups
October 21: Mrs. Taylor's Class FIELD TRIP to Aurora Theater
October 21: Cape Day to support cancer research!
October 24th-October 28th: We will be participating in Red Ribbon Week during the last week of October.
Monday: Stay Sharp! Don’t Use Drugs! Each child at MES will receive a red, white and blue pencil to kick off our Elect to be Drug Free week!
Tuesday: Red Ribbon Day! – Students will receive a red ribbon with the phrase “Elect to Be Drug Free”.
Wednesday: Sock-It to Drugs – Students can wear silly socks!
Thursday: Elect to Be Drug Free – Students can wear Red, White and Blue and cast their ballot for a healthy life!
Friday: Pink Out Day: Wear Pink! Mulberry will join our cluster in supporting cancer research by wearing pink to school. The Pink Out football game will be at Dacula High School tonight!
October 25th will be the next New Student Social for 3rd-5th grade students who have enrolled at Mulberry since August 30th. The social will be in the Faculty Room. Your new student mentors can escort your new students to the Faculty room at 10:30.
October 26-28, November 2-3: IOWA Testing Grades 2 & 5
October 27th: Cluster Day at Chick-fil-A. You can enjoy a meal at Chick-fil-A and a portion of all proceeds will go to the Dacula Cluster RFL team.
October 28th is our Dacula Cluster Pink-Out Event. Please support cancer research by wearing Pink to school! The Pink Out football game will be at Dacula High School on the night of October 28th.
October 31st is Hat Day! Students can donate $1 to Relay For Life and wear a hat to school.
Cape Day!
October 21st: Cape Day for Cancer Research! We will be showing our support to Braden Boozer and Owen Day by partnering with CHOA and wearing a superhero cape! Students can donate their loose change in our Coin Drive. All proceeds will go to the Boozer and Day families to help them continue the fight against childhood cancer!
SCIENCE FAIR
SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING!!! Mulberry is excited to sponsor our annual school wide Science Fair. Our objective is to involve students, kindergarten through fifth grade, in exploring the scientific method through hands on discovery. Be on the look out for a letter of intent coming home Friday, Oct. 7. Students who would like to participate in the Science Fair this year should fill out the form and return by Oct. 17. More information to come!
THREE CHEERS FOR ... JACOB BERNADIN, our FAMOUS FALCON of the WEEK!
Great Days of Service Campaign
The Ambassadors have planned the Great Days of Service Campaign which will run October 17-21. We will be collecting items for the Co-ops in Gwinnett County. Please see the list of grade level collections below. We will put it in the messenger this week and send a flyer home next week for parents. Please let your grade level know so they can put it a newsletter this week if possible. Thank you so much! :)
Kindergarten: Mac n Cheese
First Grade: Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Second Grade: Toilet Paper and/or Paper Towels
Third Grade: Shampoo and/or Bar Soap
Fourth Grade: Deodorant and/or Socks
Fifth Grade: Canned meats, fruits and/or Soups
Transportation Changes
We strongly encourage you to send your child home the same way every day. However, we do understand that emergencies do arise. Should you need to change your child's transportation, a hand written note from home is required with a parent signature.
Phone calls and emails are not accepted.
October is a Cancer Awareness Month
Here are some ways you can participate with Mulberry ES and the Dacula Community:
October 21st: Cape Day for Cancer Research! We will be showing our support to Braden Boozer and Owen Day by partnering with CHOA and wearing a superhero cape! Braden and Owen are true superheroes and so are their families! You can donate your loose change in our Coin Drive to the Boozer and Day families to help them continue the fight against childhood cancer!
October 27th: Cluster Day at Chick-fil-A. You can enjoy a meal at Chick-fil-A and a portion of all proceeds will go to the Dacula Cluster RFL team.
October 28th is our Dacula Cluster Pink-Out Event. Please support cancer research by wearing Pink to school! The Pink Out football game will be at Dacula High School on the night of October 28th.
October 31st is Hat Day! You can donate $1 to Relay For Life and wear a hat to school.
All Pro Dads!
We had a wonderful turnout for our first All Pro dads breakfast Friday morning. Plan on joining us for our next breakfast which will be Friday, October 28th at 7:15 in Mulberry's cafeteria.
Our AMAZING Habitat Newspaper Hall Display!
OUR HAPPY PLACE!
OUR READING CORNER!
Home Sweet Classroom!
3rd Grade Taylor Family!
Our Technology Center!
Extra Credit in PE
Our fabulous PE teacher sends home a physical education fitness calendar each year with students in order for them to earn extra credit in her class. This year, she is still offering students this opportunity, however, they may complete the activity by accessing her eClass page. Sounds like a fun way to get FIT!
EClass
Your child has EClass homework every night, including Spelling City! They will need access to a computer or device for about ten minutes each evening. Please let me know if you do not have access to a computer or device so I can provide alternatives.
Use your child's LOG IN to enter our awesome Eclass page and look around! You'll be amazed at all the resources and fun learning activities available for your child!
News & Notes:
- Agenda books and homework come home every day in the white binder.
- "Clip Up and Clip Down" colors are stamped in the agenda book each day!
- The kids are allowed to bring a "book buddy" in their book bag each day ... this is a small stuffed animal (no dolls) that they can hold during read aloud time each day!
- Don't forget to send a few morning snacks! Many students are very hungry around 10 or 11 and it's quite a long time until lunch at that point.
- Your child may bring in a ball labeled with his/her name for recess.
- Be sure and sign your child's Friday Folder each Friday and return on Monday.
FROM THE CLINIC ...
Parents, please remember that our clinic cannot dispense any medications at school. This ranges from bug bite cream to Tylenol. Please send in any medication to the clinic that may pertain to your child’s needs. Thank you!
FABOO FRIDAY LUNCHES
To celebrate our week, the kids get to have a FABOO FRIDAY LUNCH with me in the room! We eat our lunches together and watch Reading Rainbow! If you'd like to send in a small treat for the kids for one of our FABOO FRIDAY LUNCHES, we'd love it! We have no peanut allergies, and we have 24 students! Just email me during the week if you'd like to send something in that Friday!
REMIND TEXT MESSAGES
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Our First Week Memory Video!
Daily Schedule
7:45- 8:30 Morning Jump Start
8:30-9:30 Math Workshop/Math Centers
9:35-10:20 Specials
10:25-11:00 Literacy Block Part 1:
Writing Workshop
Grammar/Word Work
11:00-11:10 POWER UP BRAIN BREAK
11:20-12:00 Literacy Block Part 2:
Reading Workshop
12:00-12:20 Small Reading Groups: Social Studies Integration
12:20 Restroom Break!
12:25-12:50 LUNCH (Cost of lunch is $2.25, extra milk is .40)
1:00-1:25 RECESS
1:25-1:45 Read Aloud (MWF)/ SQUIRT (T,TH)
1:45-2:30 Science
2:30 Agenda Books/Pack Up
2:45 Dismissal- See you tomorrow! J
Specials
Our specials rotation is:
Week 1: Art
Week 2: PE (be sure and wear tennis shoes!)
Week 3: Discovery
Week 4: Music
BIRTHDAY RECOGNITION!
Contact Information
3rd Grade Team:
Michael_Cone@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Heather_Fischer@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Athena_Roberts@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Melissa_Stephen@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Jennifer_Klaas_Taylor@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
School Phone #: (678) 226-7460
Scholastic Book Orders Online
Class Code - DWXLD
Order Due Date - SET DUE DATE
Dear Families,
This month’s Scholastic Reading Club flyers are now available! Please take a few moments to explore the selection together and let your child help choose books he or she is excited to read.
You can order online at scholastic.com/readingclub, where you’ll find a wide selection of quality children’s books that are just right for your child’s reading level and interests. Or return your paper order form to me with a check made out to “Scholastic Reading Club.”
Remember, you help our class earn FREE Books and supplies with every order. Thank you for supporting your child’s reading both at home and in the classroom!
Mrs. Klaas-Taylor
PS: Please let me know if your order includes a gift for your child, and I will contact you when it arrives!
First Time Ordering Online?
- Go to scholastic.com/readingclub
- Enter our one-time Class Activation Code.
- Shop and submit your child's book order.
- Your books will be delivered directly to the classroom.
Registration Welcome Letter!
Welcome to Mrs. Jennifer Klaas-Taylor's 3rd Grade Class!! I am so excited to be working with you and your child this school year at Mulberry Elementary! We are going to have the BEST YEAR EVER!
A personal note!
It is such a pleasure to be here at Mulberry Elementary School this year! My family includes my husband, Robert, my 18 year old son, Brandon (who heads to college this week!), my 13 year old son, Dylan, and my 8 year old little girl, Lily Claire. I have taught in Gwinnett County for twenty years ... one year teaching fourth grade, three years teaching fifth grade, and fifteen years teaching Language Arts FOCUS. And now I am so excited to be teaching 3rd grade at Mulberry Elementary to kick off my twentieth year!
I attended Oglethorpe University and Mercer University earning a Bachelors degree in Education, a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a Master’s degree in Education, and an Ed.S. degree in Education. My emphasis of study in all these degree programs has been Language Arts/Reading education. I am also certified in Gifted Education by the State of Georgia. I plan to complete my Ph.D. in Instruction in the future ... I have completed the coursework, but need to tackle the dissertation!
My hobbies include gardening, decorating, watching old movies, travelling, and spending time with my family!
Folders
Weekly folders will come home each Friday with any graded work or classwork. Conduct and work habits for the week will also be noted on the folder. Please sign and return the folder on Monday morning. Please note that the MAJORITY of our daily work will be in our classroom interactive notebooks and will not be sent home. You can ask your child to bring those books home at any time to see his/her learning, but we do use them in class every day, so be sure he/she returns it!
Newsletter
A weekly class newsletter will be sent home on the weekends and will be posted on EClass to keep you updated on all the exciting learning and upcoming events happening in our class!
EClass
All sorts of class information and photos and links will be on our EClass page, which will be updated each week!
Agenda Books
Agenda books and a homework folder will come home each evening.
Homework
Homework assignments will focus mainly on spelling or math practice, or EClass educational games and apps to reinforce our learning in class that week! Reading 20 minutes a night independently or with a family member (or dog or cat J) is the most important homework of all! Homework will never cover new material.
Creativity Connections
I am very excited that our learning this year will include hands-on activities, art projects, plays, puppet shows, research, technology, writing, and LOTS of great books and stories. I am a HUGE believer in creative thinking and problem solving, so I incorporate creative extensions to our learning as often as possible!
I am also an avid believer in brain based learning, so I will incorporate learning activities for each different learning style into our daily lessons. No matter how your child learns best, there will be intentional activities to support his/her learning strength!
Remind
Please see the back page for the directions for signing up for text message reminders for our class!
Snacks
Our class will have a “working snack” every day. I request that all snacks are healthy ones and not too messy. Pre-cut fruit, crackers, yogurt, dry cereal, granola bars, or cut veggies are good choices. Water bottles are always welcomed to drink from during the course of the day. Please make sure that your child has his/her name or initials on the bottle. Please no juice or any colored drinks. Thanks!
Ice Cream
Your child can purchase ice cream every day to eat at lunch time. All ice cream is $1.
Transportation
Any time there will be a change in the way your child will be transported to or from school, please send me a note in the morning. The safety of your child is extremely important to all of us!
Absences
If your child is out of school at any time, please send a note in when he/she returns. If he/she is out for more than two days, I will call and check with you, or you may want to email me or call the school and let me know the situation.
Dress
PLEASE LABEL all jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters, lunch boxes, and book bags with your child’s name! We will be going to the playground every possible day, so please make certain that your child has the necessary jackets, coats, and shoes to be comfortable outdoors.
Birthdays
We love to celebrate birthdays! In addition to spending the day with our classroom Birthday Monkey and receiving a special birthday rubber duckie from me, please feel free to send in a special snack for the entire class on your child’s birthday. This will be eaten during our lunch time. Please make sure that it is easy to serve (cupcakes, cookies, etc., that are already portioned for each child). You may drop the snacks off at the office or send them in with your child.
Classroom Management
My classroom management system focus on the POSITIVES and learning from our mistakes in a positive way. In addition to our Good Job Jars and Taylor Token system, we have a classroom behavior system for clipping up and down each day to maintain and reward good choices! More to come on this on our curriculum night!
We also have a “Happy Place” which is a retro desk (like the ones I used in school J) that is painted with bright colors and a big smiley face! Every student will have a special day to sit in this fun area!
Classroom Library
We have an EXTENSIVE classroom library with books, magazines, comics, … you name it! Your children are DEFINITELY allowed to check our classroom books and can check out up to three books from our classroom collection at a time. Just a reminder to take care of our special books and return them when ready to choose new books! J Nothing makes me happier than seeing the kids enjoying great books and authors!
We also have an amazing book corner with a tent and rainbow cushions! Each table will have a day each week to enjoy the reading corner for the whole day!
We are going to have a WONDERFUL first week together starting on Monday! I will send out a special memory video of our first week together and will be sure there are lots of pictures on our EClass page for you to enjoy throughout the year! You are definitely a very important part of our classroom family. We want you to feel a part of all we do!
Please feel free to email me or contact me if you have any questions related to the information outlined in this letter or if you need any other information about our class! I am so excited and honored to be working with you and your child this year and am so glad your child is in my class. We are going to have the best school year ever!!!
Mrs. Taylor