 |
Classroom News - back issues
|
|
11/9/09 Happy Veteran's Day! Don't forget - there is no school this Wednesday, November 11th. Our class won the 3rd grade door decoration contest for Red Ribbon Week! We won a pizza lunch. We will have it this Friday, November 13th. :) We also won 2nd place in the Box Tops contest! We got cupcakes for that achievement. Thanks for your support in sending those Box Tops in! The next context is in the spring, so keep saving those Box Tops! The Fall Book Fair is next week - Nov 17-19th. We are in need of volunteers during the 16-20th. Please let me or Mrs. Hollis know if you are able to volunteer for the Book Fair. Fall Family Night is Friday, November 20th! Entrance is 50 cents and a canned food item, or $1.00. Please come join us! The annual canned food drive is coming up! Please send in any and all canned foods you can spare. The Greenfield PTA does a great job at placing our donations where they are needed. Thanks for your help in this matter during the holiday season. Have a wonderful week! :)
11/2/09 Tree Hill was awesome! Check out the new slide show of pictures on this website! Character dress-up day was fun too! We had a lot of participation and some very creative costumes! We are moving on to a Geometry unit in math this week. There are several links to geometry games on my links page, including the classic game, Tetris! We have been working with Tetrominoes (figures with four squares), and playing this game really does help students' spatial sense (besides being fun!). Fall Family Festival is Friday, Nov 20th! Entrance is $1 or $.50 + a canned food item. There will be food, music, crafts and more! We always have a blast at this annual put on by our awesome PTA, so please come join us!
10/27/09 Friday Oct. 23rd marked the end of the first quarter. Grades have been submitted and the 2nd quarter begins on Tuesday! Every child starts anew with a clean slate each quarter. Please continue helping your child practice their multiplication facts at home! Two wonderful ways to do this are: Flashcards, and the plethora of fun online games to which I have links on this website! Remember, as the year goes on, math skills build on multiplication facts. So if they do not have a good foundation the later skills will be a struggle for them. This Friday is our field trip to Tree Hill. Thank you to everyone who offered to chaperone! We had so many that we had to turn down some of you because Tree Hill only allows 6 chaperones for a class of our size. If you were turned down we will give you priority on our next field trip! Again, thank you so much for offering to help! Students will still be able to participate in the character dress-up day on Friday. They will just need to bring a change of clothes. Have a great week! :)
10/12/09 This Thursday will be our math test on beginning multiplication and division. A study guide will go home for homework on Wednesday night. Please work through these problems together with your child. Please continue helping your child practice their multiplication facts at home! Two wonderful ways to do this are: Flashcards, and the plethora of fun online games to which I have links on this website! Remember, as the year goes on, math skills build on multiplication facts. So if they do not have a good foundation the later skills will be a struggle for them. We are still organizing and stuffing our Fall treat bags. Thanks to those who have sent something in! If you haven't sent anything in yet, it's not too late! :) We are going to Tree Hill on Friday, October 30th. This is the same day as the Character Dress-Up Day. Students will be able to participate in both activities. They will just need to bring a change of clothes. You may have heard from your child that Mrs. Hollis and I are traveling this month. Ms. Hollis will be out Oct. 15-19 and I will be out Oct. 19-22. We have reserved very strong substitutes who know Greenfield well. The children's routine will not be broken, and their learning will keep it's momentum. Have a great week! :)
10/5/09 School pictures are this Thursday, 10/8/09! Please look for information coming home on Monday AND Wednesday! This Thursday is also our first school spirit night at Chik-Fil-A! Please come and support our school. Greenfield will receive 10% of the sales between 5-8 pm. This Wednesday (10/7/09) is an Early Dismissal Day. Both Reading and Math tutoring begin this week. If your child has been identified as needing this tutoring, you received a letter last week. Please do everything you can to make sure your child attends EVERY tutoring session so they may get the most out of this extra help. Our first field trip has been set for Friday, October 30. We will be going to Tree Hill. Look for more information in Tuesday Folders. Have a great week! :)
9/28/09 Progress reports went home on Friday. If you have not yet reviewed, signed, and returned them please do so as soon as possible. If you are happy with your child's grades I encourage you to celebrate with and reward him/her! If your child's grades need improvement I encourage you to set goals with them for report cards. If you would like to set up a conference with Mrs. Hollis and me, please indicate that on the form, or call or email one of us. Our new math unit is an introduction to multiplication! I encourage each student to make or buy a set of multiplication flashcards to aide their practice at home. It is important that your child learn these facts with fluency (speed) by the end of 3rd grade. Mrs. Hollis, Ms. McCoy (parent) and I are sending home a letter about treat bags for Halloween. If you would like to send something in to go in the treat bags, we will gladly add it to them! Please see the note in the Tuesday Folder for details. Have a great week! :)
9/21/09 It was great to see those of you who made it to our open house on Thursday! We passed along lots of information about 3rd grade, including our grading and discipline policies and specifics on FCAT. If you could not make it, we will include our handout in your child's Tuesday Folder. This Wednesday, 9/23 is an Early Dismissal Day. Also this Wednesday, we will be having a small Science Quiz on the parts of a plant and their functions. A study guide will come home for homework on Tuesday. Our new math unit is an introduction to multiplication! Most 3rd graders get very excited about learning to multiply, so please keep that excitement going at home! At first we will be drawing picture of groups and doing what we call "repeat adding" (4+4+4 = 12), then we will move toward memorization of facts. We will be working on these facts all year, so it's okay if your child does not know their facts by the end of this unit. (In fact, most students won't. It's the extended practice that will solidify those skills.) I encourage each student to make or buy a set of multiplication flashcards to aide their practice at home. Keep selling those fundraiser items! Mrs. Hollis and I would like to see some of our students win some of those great prizes! The last day to submit orders is this Friday, 9/25. Happy Fall! :)
9/14/09 Our first math test will be this Tuesday, September 14th. It will cover adding and subtracting. This includes straight computation AND word problems. A study guide will come home on Monday for homework. An important note about planners: Mrs. Hollis and I check student planners every day. It is the first thing in our morning routine. We place high importance on students taking responsibility for their learning. We give time every day for students to copy down their homework and write down any other important notes. Please take the time each evening to check and sign your child's planner. Home-school communication is ESSENTIAL to student success in school! Keep selling those fundraiser items! Mrs. Hollis and I would like to see some of our students win some of those great prizes! Reminder: Open House for grades 3-5 is this Thursday, September 17th from 6-7 pm. Mrs. Hollis and I hope you can come. There will be a wealth of information about what your child will learn, how they are graded, and general expectations for 3rd grade. Check out the "links" page (see menu to the left) for some fun math and science games! Have a wonderful week! :)
9/8/09 I hope everyone enjoyed a long weekend! Don't forget: This Wednesday (9/9/09) is our first Early Dismissal Day. Car riders are dismissed at 1:30 pm. Thank you all very much for reviewing and returning last week's Tuesday Folders promptly. These folders will be a consistent way to check up on your child's progress throughout the year! Our first math test will be Tuesday, September 14th. It will cover adding and subtracting. This includes straight computation AND word problems. A study guide will come home on Monday for homework. Please allow your child to complete the work, then check it over together to hone in on mistakes and correct them. Your support is very much appreciated! This Thursday marks the beginning of our school-wide fundraiser sponsored by our wonderful PTA! Please look for the packet coming home on Thursday. This fundraiser is the PTA's main source for funds all year! Please support the school by allowing your child to bring the catalog to church, extra-curricular activites, etc. There are tons of prizes to give away this year! I heard something about and iPod Shuffle! :) Reminder: Open House for grades 3-5 is Thursday, September 17th from 6-7 pm. Mrs. Hollis and I hope you can come. There will be a wealth of information about what your child will learn, how they are graded, and general expectations for 3rd grade. Have you noticed that Mrs. Hollis and I keep all homework assignments updated and readily available on our websites? We do expect students to copy their homework in their planner everyday, but as a back-up, it is also posted on our websites! Have a wonderful week! :)
8/31/09 The students in Room 13 are off to a wonderful start to the school year! Last week we completed our baseline (beginning of the year) testing, set up our class binders and folders, and we're getting into our routines for this school year. Every child was here every day last week! Amazing!Thank you for sending your student every day and well-prepared. Mrs. Hollis and I will use our websites to keep you up-to-date about all things class-related. So please (if you haven't yet) "favorite" our sites so you can visit them as often as you need. To cover all bases, we will also print our classroom news from our websites each week and send them with Tuesday Folders. Tuesday Folders will come home every week with graded work and important notes inside. It is important that a parent reviews all of the papers, signs, and the folder returns to school on Wednesday. Our first unit in math is adding and subtracting 2- and 3-digit numbers. Our first unit in science is about plants and animals. I will have weekly updates about our work in math and science on this website. Open House for 3rd-5th grade is September 17th from 6-7pm. We hope to see you here! Check the Calendar page for other important dates! Have a wonderful week and a safe Labor Day weekend! :)
8/24/09 Welcome back parents and students! We are happy to have your child at Greenfield Elementary! Mrs. Hollis and I will be co-teaching in Room 13 this school year! We hope to meet you soon if we have not already. This first week we will be learning our classroom rituals and routines, as well as jumping right into the curriculum! We are starting off with adding and subtracting in math and plants and animals in science. Mrs. Hollis also has a website for literacy. I will post it on this website as soon as it is up. Open house for 3rd-5th grade will be September 17th from 6-7 pm. Please "favorite" this site and come back often! I update it at least once a week so it will help you and your child stay informed and prepared. Thank you so much for your support! :)
8/1/09 Welcome Back! I will be teaching your children Math, Science, and Health this year! Each day they will also attend Mrs. Hollis' class for Literacy and Social Studies. (Mrs. Hollis was formally Ms. Mitchell). Similarily, Mrs. Hollis' homeroom students will attend my class for Math, Science, and Health. In this first issue of The Gator Gazette, I'd like to tell you a little about myself and my goals for your children this year. I graduated from the University of Florida in 2003. This is my 7th year as a teacher - all 7 years have been at Greenfield.
I am married to my husband, Matt. We have one daughter, Seraina, who will be 4 in November (2009). We live in Mandarin with our husky, Meeka (named so because she is very shy and meek!).
I was born and raised in Michigan. I moved to Florida with my parents when I was 17.
My hobbies are traveling (been to 42 states and 9 other countries!), teaching, anything outside and in water, reading, and dancing (I was in ballet for 12 years!). I studied abroad in Spain for a semester in 2002. I became fluent in Spanish but have lost the language a little because of not using it a lot. If you speak Spanish, please help me practice! :)
I want to eventually attain my doctorate degree in teaching and learning.
The mission for my classroom (and all students who are in it) is to learn through discovery, inquiry, and interaction. My students will learn not only the 3rd grade math and science curriculum, but also about relevant current events, peer and group interaction, alternative strategies, and ways to extend their learning outside the classroom. Technology plays an important role in my students' learning. Some technological media that my students use include Microsoft Word, Accelerated Reader, Destination Math, HyperStudio, PowerPoint, Scott Foresman Science Software and, of course, the Internet. My students will ultimately leave third grade with mastery of the third grade level standards. They will also grow as learners, school citizens and team players.
Mrs. Brun's Class Website
Greenfield Elementary School
6343 Knights Lane N Jacksonville, Fl. 32216
 |
