Week 2 (8/27/21)

Hooray! We're at the end of week two, the first full week of school, and your kiddos did really well! As I mentioned previously, third grade is a big step, and our students are rising to the challenge of learning by reading.  

You may have heard that we've been talking about interesting people in history, like Pocahontas and John Smith. Our science books have introduced concepts of energy in different forms, and how friction slows things down.

Sometimes, we play games to help make review fun.

Here are a few things to plan for next week:

• Reading homework on Monday.  It's just a few pages from a story about a girl who lives in a lighthouse with her family.  The student should read aloud to an adult, so that he/she can develop fluency and confidence. 

• Bible memory: Hebrews 11:8a (for quiz on Friday)  "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed;"  You should have found the graded quiz from today in your student's green folder.  Next week's quiz will be formatted similarly, using fill in the blank style.

• Spelling:  List 2.  We practice often in class.  The trial test will be on Thursday again, and those who score an A will not need to retake on Friday.

• Math speed drills begin Monday and then continue daily as part of the math lessons.  They are math facts, and the students will complete as many as they can in a short period of time.  They'll check their own answers as Mrs. Brammer calls them out.  They are never graded;  they're only meant to provide practice and show the student the facts they might need to work on more.

• There was a picture of a potato in your child's green folder.  It's a contest for the Potato Festival.  Of course, they're optional, and the children may return them to school when they're finished.

Thank you for all your support at home!  I'm not currently using DoJo, but please feel free to email me, send a note with your child, or call the office and leave a message if you need me.  I'll respond as soon as possible.

Mrs. Brammer 

Week 1

 Hello!

We had a happy first week of school.  I'm so proud of your students! 

Adjusting to third grade can be a big step because they're making the transition from learning to read to reading to learn.  In other words, we are doing "read-and-discuss" for several different subjects. 

This class is doing a wonderful job of learning our classroom routines.  Here are a few you might want to know about:

• Each morning, your third grader greets Mrs. Brammer at the door, then proceeds to hang up his/her backpack and enter the classroom.   This is to set a happy tone for the day.
• We use the green take-home folders for both homework and papers to keep.  Each side is labeled, and the folders need to come back to school each day.  
• You will notice a digit next to your child's name on papers. This is only for organization purposes.
• Students may have water bottles, which stay in a hanging shoe rack inside our classroom, known as the "hydration station."  This way, we're not picking up germs at the water fountain, and the water bottles won't spill onto their school work.

Beginning Monday, August 23, we will have computers on Monday mornings, P.E. every morning, and library Tuesday afternoons!  

Here are a few other important things:

• Beginning Monday, students will have a short oral reading assignment for homework.  I understand that evenings are busy, so I will try to limit this to one day a week.  My intent is not for it to be drudgery, so if it becomes overwhelming, please let me know.
• Beginning Tuesday, students will write the spelling list words for homework, only one time each.  They may print them, and we hope to progress to eventually writing in cursive.
• Beginning Thursday, students will take a practice spelling test.  If they score an A, that grade will be recorded and they do not have to take the test Friday.

I hope this isn't information overload.  

Please know that I want your third grader to be happy and comfortable while he/she learns.

If you need to reach me, please use my school email (jbrammer@nlca.info), send a note to school, or call the school office and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Enjoy the weekend!

Introducing Mrs. Brammer

 Hello!

I'm Julia Brammer, the new third grade teacher here at NLCA. I've been busy with getting the classroom ready for the start of the year and meeting the wonderful staff members. Everyone has been so kind and helpful!  What a joy it is to work with such great people.

You may have questions about who I am and where I'm from, so I'll try to briefly answer a few of those questions.

I moved to West Virginia in 2018 from Ohio.  I was raised in a small town near Steubenville, Ohio, but I earned my teaching degree from West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University) in West Virginia's northern panhandle in 1990.

My work experience has almost always been with children. My first permanent teaching position was in third grade at Jefferson County Christian School (in Ohio) in 1994. I have also subbed in both public and private schools, been a school librarian, and most recently, collected data for a state-funded study on the effect of universal preschool in West Virginia.

This blog is where I'll be posting any upcoming quizzes, tests, or important events to remember.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to meeting the families of NLCA!

Mrs. Brammer