Winter Break!

AA Parents,

I would like to wish you a healthy winter break. Students were sent home with a Daily Journal, Math booklet and a Social Studies booklet.

Students are to write in their Daily Journal during the winter break. They can take their book where ever they go (i.e plane, trip, etc). They can write about their journey and how they feel about it. Students are to remember to write the date and title of their journal entry. Students should try to reread their work and check the dictionary for spelling.

The Math booklet is not intended for the students to complete it during the winter break. Rather, students should take their time and practice their subtraction and addition. The goal of the math booklet is to improve their mental math practice.

The Social Studies Booklet is intended for review. Students are to review the types of Urban and Rural Communities.

Thank you for all your help at home!

PRACTICE YOU MENTAL MATH

INTERACTIVE GAME - ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION

http://www.kidzone.ws/math/quiz.html

GRAMMAR QUIZ - THURSDAY

AA Parents

In Language, aside from practicing writing paragraphs we have also been practicing grammar. Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives. I will be administrating a quiz on THURSDAY DEC 19 2013.

Here are some games that they can play. In the link below try any of the first 6 games

http://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/spelling-and-grammar

JAK for all of your support at home

MATH QUIZ WORD PROBLEMS

AA  Parents

In Math class we have been practicing word problems. It is important for students in grade three to be able to break down the word problem into what they already know from the question. Then come up with a plan to solve the question.

I sent home math word problems for homework. They are very simple - students should be able to do them by themselves. Monday and Tuesday we will continue working on them. As the students become comfortable the questions will get harder.

I will administer a quiz on math word problems on WEDNESDAY DEC 18.

MORE PRACTICE BELOW
 http://www.nelson.com/school/elementary/mathK8/math3/quizzes/math3quizzes/m3ch4l4.htm 

HOMEWORK: Social Studies

AA Parents

In Social Studies we want to begin looking at types of communities found in Urban and Rural Communities.

URBAN COMMUNITY: there are 4 types

1. Industrial
2. Commercial 
3. Residential 
4. Suburban

HOMEWORK: Google search each of the Urban communities above. Print out the information you find about each community that best explains what each one is. They do no have to be long. Each community can take up half a page. 

PLEASE Bring it in TOMORROW (Friday Dec 13)

RURAL COMMUNITY: there are 4 types

1. Finishing
2. Forestry
3. Mining 
4. Farming 

HOMEWORK: Google search each of the Rural communities above. Print out the information you find about each community that best explains what each one is. They do no have to be long. Each community can take up half a page. 

PLEASE Bring it Monday Dec 16

If you do no have a printer at home - send it to my email. 

JAK

Update from Tr. Fatima !

Assalamu Alaykum Parents

Here is an update for the following subjects.

MATH

We are working on Mental Math. Mental math is when you count in your head. There are different strategies you can use to do mental math. Please try to encourage your students to add and subtract in their heads. Fore example:

25 + 8 =
you can think 25 + 10 = 35, 
                                  then - 2
                                              = 33
We will be looking a mathematical word problems. Learning to break them down and ways to solve them by drawing or acting them out by using objects.

Generally, most students did very well on the last unit test for Data Management. I am very pleased with the results. 

LANGUAGE 

There are a few things we are working in our Language class. At home students have started to write summaries about each chapter in their reading books. Students are encouraged to fill in the template that was provided to them. Moreover, I would appreciate it if the students wrote their summaries the way we have been practicing in class.  Paragraphs should begin with an indent. Make sure that they are writing with an opening/topic sentence. Be sure that they have capital letters and periods at the end of a sentence. Sentences should be a complete thought, they should make sense and should not be run-on sentences. 

For example. 

         In chapter 3, "The Long Walk," the main character Ausman gets lost in the forest and is all alone. He ran away from home, but now he feels like he may have made a mistake. Ausman does not find his way home instead he gets hungry and needs to find food and shelter....etc

I am letting students know that there is no rush when writing their summaries. They should be able take their time to make it neat.

We are also working on grammar and punctuation in writing. Students should be able to identify and explain what a noun is. We will be moving forward into adjectives and using them correctly. 

SCIENCE

We are reviewing concepts on soil; types of soil, what humus is, how soil helps plants grow and composting. We are integrating language as well because students are reading passages and answering reading comprehension questions about soil, compost, roots  and animals/insects who live in soil. Last week we had visitors from "Let's Talk Science" come in and talk more about soil and types of soil. Students had the opportunity to look through microscopes to take a closer look at what we find in soil. 

SOCIAL STUDIES 

We listened to oral presentations from the students that they prepared about their home and neighborhood. As the students presented the audience had to figure out if he/she lived in an urban or rural community - and at the end of the presentation the presenter would say "I live in a ....." and the audience had to raise their hand and guess which type of community. Students were marked according to voice, eye contact, contact and enthusiasm.  The students will receive a separate mark for their art and writing. 

ART

We will begin to collect our art to create a book. We have looked a types of lines, cool and warm colours, shades of colours, and patterns in art (using colours and lines).

ISLAMIC STUDIES 

We have been practicing perfecting Wudoo' and Prayer. We are working on improving the way we pray by;

- making sure we don't move 

- stand straight 

- recite the sura correctly and accurately

-  making sure that our eyes are facing down at the Qiblah

- making sure we do not turn our face (or get distracted)

- to make the intention for salah 

- pray on time ...etc (to name a few)

                                        

FRENCH UPDATE

Friday, December 6, 2013

Assalamu Alaikum Dear Parents

Time is just flying by and we are already in December and the winter break is at our door.

So far we are working on our daily vocabulary, using it in sentences, questions and answers. Al Hamdulillah, students are gaining more confidence in speaking French in class.

We are working on our first story “Les Trois Petits Cochons” and we have started the reading comprehension activities related to the story “Choisis le bon mot” and “Mets les mots en ordre”.

Update:

·         The majority of students finished “Choisis le bon mot”
·         We are working on “Mets les mots en ordre”
·         Tuesday, December 10, we are having the 3^rd French test : spelling, Choisis le bon mot, les mots en ordre.
·         The spelling list for Tuesday is:

1.       Le père

2.       La mere

3.       Le frère

4.       La soeur

5.       Le grand-père

6.       La grand mere

7.       La famille

8.       Voici ma famille

9.       J’aime beaucoup mon père et ma mère.

·         « Choisis le bon mot » and « Les mots en ordre » are related to the story and students are familiar with both activities as we are working on them each period.

Jazakum Allah Kheiran for your cooperation and your support.

Amina Ould-brahim, OCT, Ph.D.

French teacher

Science coordinator

www.abraarschool.com

ARABIC UPDATE - TR. AMAL

أولياء الأمور الكرام / السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

أنهينا الدروس الخاصة بفصلي الخريف والشتاء  , وتم مناقشة جمبع المهارات اللغوية والنحوية  وأسئلة الفهم والاستيعاب

وسيكون هناك اختبار شامل في هذين الدرسين يوم االثلاثاء القادم - إن شاء الله - الموافق 10/ 12 / 2013

ولان ابتدأنا بتدريس المحور الخاص بالأسرة ولقد أرسلت اليوم عع تلاميذنا الأعزاء ( القرص المضغوط ) للاستماع والتدرب على القراءة 

النموذجية من خلاله.

في هذا الفصل الدراسي  سيتم تدريب التلاميذ على كتابة فقرات ذات علاقة  بدروس المنهج

جزاكم الله خيرا

WRITING SUMMARIES

Assalamu Alayakum Parents

We are practicing writing summaries about things we are reading about. Students will be reading books at home on their own pace. They are to write up a summary of each chapter they read. I will send a template with your child to take home.

Quran Update from Tr. Samia

Quran Update from Tr. Samia

Dear parents

Alhamdulillah by the beginning of  December, we have finished Surat Abasa, and we had a test on it. We have started Surat Annaziat. Please practice with your child using this website and go to Sheikh Ibrahim Alakhadar: http://quran.ksu.edu.sa  

Quran: Update from Tr. Samia

Congratulations to the best memorizers  and reciters of the month     3A                                                                                               1.Muneeb.                                                    2.Najib.                                                              3.Sumaiya L.                                                4.Sondus.

The 100 Most Commonly Misspelled Words

The 100 Most Commonly Misspelled Words

This list was compiled over 50 years ago by National Curriculum Associates from the creative writings of 14,643 children. The submissions were checked for spelling errors by city and by grade levels (3-8). The following represents the 100 most commonly misspelled words, arranged in alphabetical order. It is interesting that a half century later these same words are still causing problems for writers.

	again	dropped	looked	their
	all right	every	many	then
	always	February	money	there
	an	first	morning	they
	and	for	mother	they're
	animals	friend	name	things
	another	friends	named	thought
	around	frightened	off	threw
	asked	from	once	through
	babies	getting	our	to
	beautiful	going	people	together
	because	happening	pretty	too
	before	hear	received	tried
	believe	heard	running	two
	bought	here	said	until
	came	him	school	very
	caught	interesting	some	wanted
	children	its	something	went
	clothes	it's	sometimes	were
	coming	jumped	started	when
	course	knew	stopped	where
	cousin	know	surprise	with
	decided	let's	swimming	woman
	didn't	like	than	would
	different	little	that's	you're

DATA MANAGEMENT MORE PRACTICE - TEST TOMORROW

Assalamu Aalaykum Parents

Please allow your child to visit these links

Practice Making Bar Graphs
http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3/create-bar-graphs

Practice reading/interpreting bar graphs
http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3/interpret-bar-graphs

Practice Reading/interpreting Pictographs
http://ca.ixl.com/math/grade-3/interpret-pictographs

Students should be able to read and interpret the following

• Venn Diagrams (should be able to make categories and sort items accordingly) 
• Bar Graphs (should be able to use math language to communicate about the graph, be able to draw one using appropriate scale, including titles, labels and include a tally chart or information chart)
• Pictographs (need to be able to include the titles, the key)
• Circle graphs (be able to communicate in math language about it, and answer questions)

Also continue practicing from here

http://www.nelson.com/school/elementary/mathK8/math3/studentcentre/studtryout.html#ch3

PTI Night & Early Dismissal (Nov.22)

PTI Night & Early Dismissal (Nov.22) 

Parents will have the opportunity to meet with teachers during the Parent/Teacher Interview Night on Friday, November, 22 from 4-8 pm. Appointment reservation slips will be sent out today, inshaallah. Please note that there will be an early dismissal at 12 pm for students on Nov.22 in order to allow teachers to prepare for the PTI Night. Parents are requested to pick up students at 12 pm on Friday, Nov.22

During the PTI, I will meet with each family for 15min MAX. Please wait outside the gym until it is your turn. Please be aware that I will stop the meeting at 15min to ensure that there is enough time for the next family. 

Thank you for your understanding!

ANTI-BULLING WEEK

Anti-Bullying Week provides an opportunity for us to talk openly about the effects of bullying on the lives of children and young people and take action to stop it. This Anti-Bullying Week we call on children and young people to take the lead on creating a future without bullying – using new technologies to promote positive communication and relationships rather than being held back by cyber-bullying.

What is bullying?

ABA defines bullying as the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person by another, where the relationship involves an imbalance  of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological and includes behaviour such as:

 ■ name calling

 ■ spreading hurtful stories

 ■ excluding someone from groups and breaking up friendships

 ■ making demeaning comments about gender,  culture, religion or sexuality

 ■ making demeaning comments about a disability or illness

 ■ taking possessions or money

 ■ hitting, pushing or kicking.

Read on: http://www.whitstable-junior.kent.sch.uk/_includes/attachments/P47/briefing-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

MATH - Communication about data

Asakamu alaykum Parents!

I wanted to update you about our math class. we are well into our Data Management Unit. We have explored and used the following

Lesson 1:  Venn Diagrams
	Lesson 2:  Collecting and Organizing Data
	Lesson 3: Reading and Creating Pictographs
	Lesson 4: Bar Graphs with Scales
	Lesson 5: Communicate About Data

I would like you to review these concepts with your child whenever possible.
You can visit this website for more practice
http://www.nelson.com/school/elementary/mathK8/math3/studentcentre/studtryout.html#ch3

We have now learned a new lesson called "Communication about data" - students are required to interpret displays of data and discuss them using math language. 

For example: If you have a bar graph about "Hours Spent Sleeping in a day"

Looking at the graph I am about to communicate the following information 

• The graph is a bar graph 
• Each square on the graph means 5 hours of sleep
• The brown bat sleeps the most.
• The giraffe doesn't sleep very long.
• The chimpanzee and the red fox both asleep for 10 hours.

Students should check for the following 

• Did you use the right amount of detail
• did you use math language 

SPELLING WEEK 5 - Test Friday

SPELLING WEEK 5

1.light
2.thought
3.head
4.under
5.story
6.burst
7.strip
8.just
9.street
10.distance
11.least
12.evaporate
13.melt
14.object
15.sun
16.difference

ISLAMIC STUDIES - Cleanliness and Purity

Assalamu Alaykum Parents!

I hope all is well inshalla. I wanted to wish you all a happy Hiji Year. In Islamic Studies we are working on a new unit called "Cleanliness and Purity, It's my name." The students read all about it yesterday (Monday)

We read about and answered questions like:

1. Is cleanliness part of Islam?
2. How can we keep our body clean?
3. How can we keep the places around us clean?

The students are to create a poster (can buy one from the dollar store). It is to be creative and informative.

The title on poster should be CLEANLINESS AND PURITY
Students should have their name and date in the corner.

On the poster the students should have four sections


SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS 

• Taharah
•  Najasah
• Nadhafah 

SECTION 2. CLEANLINESS PART OF ISLAM? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.

SECTION 3. HOW I KEEP MYSELF CLEAN.

SECTION 4. HOW I KEEP MY SURROUNDINGS CLEAN.

• AT HOME

• AT SCHOOL

Students will be able to take home their Islamic text books to help answer some questions. Students are welcome to complete this project by typing it up on the computer or by printing it by hand. Students are encouraged to be creative and include pictures or drawings. Please keep in mind that the font size should be big enough for people to read from a short distance (as I want to put this up in the hall ways).

This project is due Monday Nov 11, 2013

JAK for all your efforts at home

Arabic Speakers - Update

السادة الكرام / أولياء أمور التلاميذ

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته أنهينا بفضل الله وتعاونكم الستمر المثمر الوحدة الثانية (الحياة المدرسية ) فراءة  ومناقشة اللتدريبات الصفية 

والأنشطة المختلفة التابعة للدروس  وسيكون هناك اختبار شامل لجميع المهارات (أسئلة - مفردات - تكوين كلمات - اختيار الإجابة 

الصحيحة.. .... وإملاء وخط ) وسوف أحدد ذلك لاحقا مع التلاميذ وأعلمكم بالأمر  وبعدها بإذن الله سنبدأ بالوحدة التالية  ( الأسرة )

تهانينا لكم بالعام الهجري الجديد وجزاكم الله خبرا

المدرسة : أمل

CLASSROOM WISH LIST

Assalamu alaykum Parents

As a class we came up with a wish list. Feel free to donate what you can!

Thank you to parents who have already donated!!!! I will be crossing out the ones that we recieved.

Jazakum Allah Khairan

WISH LIST

• we would love love love a classroom carpet to fit all 27 students on during reading/story time. 

• box of sandwich or snack size ziploc bags.

• Bulk or individually wrapped snacks (for students who forget to bring snack on his/her designated day). No nuts of any kind, please.

• recreational board games 

• educational board games 

• Recess equipment (soccer ball, skipping ropes etc...)

• Old magazines (for projects).  Please use good judgement when passing on magazines to this age group!

• Hard or soft cover books for our Reading Center.

• Stickers (for papers).

• Microwave popcorn, as it's still the ultimate party favor during our Celebrations.

• Paper products - plates, cups, napkins, spoons.

• Erasers/pencils (throughout the year students begin loosing their own)

• Clorox (or any brand) disinfecting wipes (we clean tables daily).

• Hand sanitizer 

•  soap for our sink

• tissue boxes

• construction paper

FRENCH NEWS

Assalamu Alaikum Dear Parents,

In French we are learning many new vocabulary and Masha'a Allah,students are working very well.We talked about our new story " Les Trois Petits Cochons"  and I read it to the class with a lot of gestures and expression. Students enjoyed the story retelling and the majority of them understood it.

The next week Insha'a Allah we will carry on our oral activities such as drilling the vocabulary and gesturing and saying the story. Once the students know orally the story we start the reading.

On Monday October 28, students wrote the spelling words in their agenda and were given also an activity sheet to help them practice the vocabulary for the coming test.

This  Monday, November 4th, 2013, students will have the second test in French Insha'a Allah.

The test has 2 components: dictation (students have the vocabulary since Monday, October 28th),  vocabulary related to school supplies (we practiced the vocabulary in class and students were given homework ). 

 For any question, please feel free to send me an email or to give a call.

Jazakum Allah Kheiran for your support.

Amina Ould-brahim, OCT, PhD

French teacher and Science Coordinator

www.abraarschool.com

Quran Update from Tr. Samia

Dear parents

Alhamdulillah by the beginning of the month of November we are halfway through Surat Abasa. We will have a test on the whole surah Insha Allah on November 25th, so please practice with your child using this website and go to Sheikh Ibrahim Alakhadar: http://quran.ksu.edu.sa  

Quran: Update from Tr. Samia

Congratulations to the best memorizers  and reciters of the month 

of October: 

   3A                                                              

                              

1. Hanya                                                  

2. Maryam A.                                            

3. Mohamed I.                                         

NEW UNIT!! - Data Management

Asalamu Alaykum Parents,

We have started our new unit in Math - Data Management and Probability. Our first lesson is called "Collection and Organization of Data"

Because young children are naturally curious about their world, they often raise questions such as, How many? How much? What kind? or Which of these? Such questions often offer opportunities for beginning the study of data analysis and probability.
                                                            (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000, p. 49)

The main purpose for collecting and organizing data is to gather information in order to answer questions. When students collect and organize data, they have an opportunity to learn more about themselves, their environment, issues in their school or community, topics in various subject areas, and so on. Learning activities should help students understand the processes that are involved in formulating questions, seeking relevant information, and organizing that information in meaningful ways. Involving students in collecting and organizing data allows them to participate in the decision making that is required at different steps of the process. 

With your child Discuss the “Lost and Found” Activity

We have been learning about organizing data in order to gather information. The class has completed an activity called Lost and Found in which they identified different categories of lost items in a school (e.g., pieces of clothing, toys, sports equipment), and organized data in order to compare the numbers of items in the different categories. Ask your child to tell you about the activity and what he or she learned about organizing data. Here are some questions that you might ask:

• What was the Lost and Found activity about?
• What did you do in this activity?
• What categories of lost items did you identify?
• How did you find the category of items that students lost
most often?
• How did you find the category of items that students lost
least often?
• What kind of graph did you create to show the data?
• What did the graph show about Lost and Found items?
• What could students do to reduce the number of items that
are lost?

Thank you for reviewing this activity with your child.

Spelling Week 4 Words - Quiz Friday

Week 4 Spelling Words

1. never
2. start
3.city
4. earth
5. eyes
6. eyes
7. stone
8.broke
9. flight
10. show
11. whole
12. waves
13. current
14. electric
15. digit
16. round

Scholastic Book Fair

Dear Parents,

Assalamu Alaikum

The first Scholastic Book Fair of the school year is coming to our school this week! What better way to promote reading to our students than by supporting this important literary event! A book fair flyer will be sent home with your child on Monday, October 28, 2013. For more information on this exciting event, please go to www.abraarlibrary.com

Sincerely,

Nancy-Ann Brethour,

Abraar School Librarian

SIGHT WORDS

Assalamu Alaykum Parents

I have noticed that most of our students are having trouble spelling words we say and see on a regular basis. I get students to write and prepare for their spelling test every week. However, our students still need more practice. Here is a list of sight words that students can practice whenever they have time.


3rd grade sight word lists

can’t             matter                  square                    syllables               perhaps

bill                felt                      suddenly                     test                   direction

center         farmers                     ready                      anything             divided

general        energy                    subject                      Europe               moon

region          return                     believe                     dance                 members

picked         simple                     cells                          paint                      mind

love               cause                     rain                          exercise                   eggs

train                blue                     wish                           drop                  developed

window        difference            distance                       heart                        sit

sum                     summer               wall                        forest                  probably

done                   English              road                         half                            ten

fly                       gave                     box                       finally                       wait

correct                   oh                      quickly                  person                      became

shown                   minutes               strong                      verb                           stars

front                        feel                      fact                      inches                       street

decided                 contain                 course                   surface                    produce

building                    ocean                  class                    note                           nothing

rest                         carefully                scientists             inside                            wheels

stay                       green                       known                  island                           week

less                   machine                        base                    ago                               stood

legs                     sat                              main                  winter                              side

written               length                          reason                kept                             interest

arms                  brother                          race                 present                           beautiful

store                     job                             edge                  past                                 sign

record              finished                     discovered             wild                                 happy

beside               gone                            sky                    glass                                   million

west                 lay                          weather                   root                                  instruments

meet               third                           months               paragraph                                 raised

represent           soft                       whether                clothes                                    flowers

shall              teacher                          held                describe                                      drive

plane               system                     behind                ran                                             round

boat               game                         force                 brought                                   understand

warm           common                      bring                   explain                                     dry

though             language                  shape                  deep                                      thousands

yes                   clear                    equation                    yet                                     government

filled                heat                   full                               hot                                         check

object               am                     rule                        among                                         noun

power             cannot                able                          six                                              size

dark                 ball                material                     special                                         heavy

fine                pair                 circle                          include                                          built