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Wow! I can't believe we have almost finished the first 9 weeks already. As I think about these past 9 weeks, I am so proud. I couldn't have asked for a better group of kiddos.  First, I am thrilled at the progress I have seen in class. With the curriculum becoming more rigorous than previous years, it felt like a rocky start. However, just 9 weeks later, I see the "light bulbs" going off in class. I see the class willing to discuss how to solve math problems and their opinions of something we read. They have become great at politely agreeing or disagreeing with other students during discussions and giving reasons for what they are stating. I have also seen the kids becoming increasingly independent. They are becoming more willing to try new things on their own in class. They are a motivated and caring group of children. Also, I am overwhelmed by the support I have gotten from our group of parents this year. It shouldn't be a surprise that I have such a dedicated group of parents though. Looking at the group of children I have this year, it is obvious that they come from a great group of people that love and support them. For the 2nd 9 weeks, my goal will be to point out the progress your children are making more to them and continue to encourage them to be independent problem-solvers. Another goal of mine is to continue looking for additional resources that can be used at home to reinforce what we are learning about in class. If at any time you have a suggestion, please contact me. I am an ever changing learner myself and want to continue to grow as a teacher to help your children become that amazing adults that I KNOW they will one day be.

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I love that BCA offer  so  many different after care programs.  For me personnally because of the Common Core I have decided to not let Mya particpate in the first 9 weeks because I didnt know what to expect.

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Mrs. Fang, thank you for your response. I will definitely send your suggestion to the director of the after school clubs. I think the idea of offering clubs in semesters is a great idea.

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After school clubs are great. I see there are a lot more options this year than before and I'm glad to know that many teachers/ club sponsors have talents. I like how the clubs are set up in a less strict classroom enviroment and the kids have opportunity to play, learn, interact with others without thinking what grades and behavior reports they might get from the clubs.

My child likes every club he is in for Monday thru Thursday and wishes that he can still register for more. As a parent, I think it is my responsibility to expose my child to different things and let him know he has options to develop more interest and enjoy the experience. We are involved in at least 5 more activities outside of school. He wants more, but our schedule wouldn't allow.

So, what would I like to see about the clubs in the future...

Perhaps some clubs could be run in semesters. That way, any students who didn't get a chance to sign up with a club because either it was full already or they had other preference, they will get a chance in the 2nd semester.

Perhaps encourage students to sign up for clubs they haven't joined before in the same grade level. This way, the kids could explore some other club options, maybe they'll find something they didn't know they can be good in. So, 1 club each day from Monday thru Thursday. In 2 semesters, the kids would have been able to do 8 different club activities.

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Completly off topic, but I wanted to thank the parents that were able to attend the common core presentation this evening. I appreciate the time you all took out of your busy schedules to attend the presentation and your contribution to the discussion. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to email me. I will continue to work on gathering resources that pertain to the concepts being taught in class and post them on our class website. Hope everyone has a great evening.

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My kids decided not to do clubs for the first time this year. Neither liked the idea of being at school until 5:15. Their outside time is too precious I guess! Isabelle is still in cheer but since that is separate it gets out earlier.

I thought the choices looked good though and the late time really is helpful to working parents!

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I am thrilled about the club choices this year. I like that each club is reinforcing things that are being taught in class. I thought that registration being available electronically this year made the process of registering my two children painless. As a teacher, the online registration makes dismissal time a lot less chaotic since the club lists are available to us electronically.

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I would be ok with any activity.

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I was also happy to see the Study Guide this week! :) It definitely made me feel more like *I* had a clue. LoL

I can't think of an idea at the moment for an activity but didn't want to miss a chance to chime in!

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Mrs. Luster,

Thank you for asking about the study guide. I thought that the study guide Mrs. Benoit made was a wonderful idea as well. The study guide that she created was sent home with my class this week. I'm sorry that you didn't get the study guide. I can send another one home tomorrow if you would like.

As a team, we are always looking for ways to help our kiddos. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to share. I know that myself and the other 3rd grade teachers are always looking for additional resources.

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I also love the open door policy at BCA. My child's previous school did not allow anyone past the front desk... Ms. King, do you think a study guide would be beneficial to the students? My son is not doing as well as I would like for him to do with this new Common Core Curriculum. Ms. Benoit just started sending home a study guide for her 3rd grade class, so I have been having my son do it as well.

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Mrs. Cavins, I too love the open door policy at BCA. School is such a huge part of our kids life, and it is nice to be able to drop in and take part in what they are doing. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to stop by my son's kindergarten class for about 5 minutes today. While I was thinking that I wished I could have stayed longer, my son was so excited that I got to see the book he was making and meet his friends.

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Mrs. Pullom, I think that we have something special at BCA. Before I started teaching, I never would have guessed that the line of communication between teachers and parents could be the way that it is at our school. We are so fortunate to have a school full of students with such actively involved parents.

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I completely agree with you Mrs. Folkedahl. We are very fortunate to have such a passionate staff at BCA that truly cares about the children and their futures. We also have a top notch guidance department. They are great with the kids and are enthusiastic about helping the teachers on a daily basis.

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Thank you Mrs. Jones. It is a personal goal of mine to make sure that I am communicating with parents on a regular basis. I understand that these children are your top priorities and that you all are entrusting me with the most precious gift.

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I love the fact that I can email Ms. King and get a response back and not have to wait for days and days to go by.

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I love how caring the teacher's are and that we have an awesome Guidance Counselor that gives extra care;-)

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I love the communication between the teachers and parents :)

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Leigh Cavins

I love that I can pop in/out whenever I have the time to help or just have lunch with my kids! They also love seeing me in hallways and it makes their days better. :)

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I have the priviledge of being both a parent and a teacher at BCA. As a teacher, I love that we have such a diverse population of students. I learn things from my students everyday that will stay with me for a lifetime! Also, I can't imagine that the parental involvement at other school can compare to the support that teachers at BCA get from our parents.

As a parent, I love that my kids come home and can tell me what they learned about in class. It is a big relief to me that when I ask, "how was your day?", my kids light up and talk a mile-a-minute about the exciting things that they did in class rather than the much dreaded response of "I don't know".