The Cooper School Daily

Short and Sweet Week

Writing Partners

This week students began to learn the many ways that a writing partner can be a useful tool during the writing process. Students are working on writing personal narrative stories and have been learning how to “show, not tell” the story. This includes adding details, descriptions, dialogue and more. Through sharing with their partner, they are learning how to respond with positive feedback and constructive insight. Students helped each other locate areas in their stories that needed more detail or sections that were not quite clear. This process of giving and receiving feedback will become a regular part of our Writing Workshop throughout the year.

Math

Our first math unit has been a refresher of the many skills that were taught in Second Grade. This week has been a review of calculator skills and how it can be a useful tool, but is not one to be relied upon. Students were asked to use their calculators to compute basic facts, skip count, and solve “change to” puzzles. One of our favorite uses of the calculator was to play “Beat the Calculator”. This game is not only fun and requires the use of calculator skills, but it also helps students realize that our brain can be faster than the calculator!

Appreciation Circle

A large part of The Cooper School culture is helping guide children in the ways of being kind and helpful friends. One way we do this is by providing students language for how to give and receive compliments. These Third Graders have had several years of TCS practice and act as models for new students. So much so, that they request and get excited about Appreciation Circles. During this time, students draw a name of a student in their class that they will then give a compliment or appreciation to during our Close of Day Circle.  Each student leaves school that day having both given and received an appreciation from a friend in their classroom. This is a time that warms my heart seeing such love and kindness coming from each and every one of the students in our class.

Important Dates:

  • Saturday, September 16th    TCS Yard Sale 8am – 10:30am
  • Sunday, September 17th      New Parent Social 5:30 – 7:30 pm
  • Thursday, September 28th   Curriculum Night 5:30 – 6:30 pm
  • Monday, October 9th             Columbus Day, No School
  • Tuesday, October 10th          Fall Break, No School
  • Tuesday, October 31st          Halloween, 11:30 Dismissal