Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Back to School Night ~ 2016


Normally, Mrs. Yollis' class looks like this.



Photo by Mrs. Yollis



Photo by Mrs. Yollis 






Tonight, the classroom looked like this!


Photo by Mrs. Yollis




Photo by Mrs. Yollis 


It was Back to School Night!
Parents came to hear about third grade!
Lots of information was shared about classroom expectations, curriculum, and resources. 



The centerpiece of the classroom is the blog. Mrs. Yollis shared a video she made about the value of blogging. Here is that video.


 



She also showed a wonderful video about supervising and guiding children on the web. It is a great video that really drives the point home. Thank you, Bill Genereux, for the fabulous movie. 





Parents left thoughtful notes for their child. With Dry Erase pens, you can write right on the desk! Everyone loved it!










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What are you excited to learn about this year?





Parents, how is third grade different from when you were in school?

Friday, August 26, 2016

Welcome Back! 2016-2017


Welcome back to a new school year! 




Wednesday was our first day of school!





Like my dog Buck near a body of water, we jumped right in and started our third grade adventure! 



Photo by Mr. Yollis 




First, we gathered together as a school and got a big welcome from our principal. 

Photo by Mrs. Yollis 


When we got to the classroom, Mrs. Yollis introduced herself. She explained that she has been teaching for one score and one decade. How many years has Mrs. Yollis been teaching? 

Here is a photo of Mrs. Yollis on her very first day of teaching back in 1987!




Here's Mrs. Yollis today with our classroom friends Barnaby Bones, Beverly the brown bear, and Puffy Panda. Together they help third graders become the best they can be.



Photo by Mrs. Minicozzi


The classroom is set up with flexible seating options. Students can work alone or in groups.  There is a long, rectangular table for project work.

Photo by Mrs. Yollis 



There are several circular tables.

Photo by Mrs. Yollis 

A popular place is Tall Town. This is a special table that is higher than the other tables and seats four. Of course, Panda is always available to lean on as we learn. 




Photo by Mrs. Yollis 




If you like to work independently, you can go old school and work at this vintage desk from long ago! 





Here we are reading the Cub Corner! This paper magazine was filled with events, time tables, and photos of parents and staff members who help lead our school. Keep the Cub Corner for reference throughout the year! 

Photo by Mrs. Yollis

Many students couldn't wait to read in our class tent! 
Classroom camping at its finest!




Several times we took a break to play a fun game of Silent Speed Ball! 



Mrs. Yollis got everyone a beautiful, acrylic name tag holder. We wrote our names in large print so they can be seen from across the room. In addition, the acrylic name tag holders are mobile.  That means when we move to a new area, we can easily move with our acrylic name tag! 







A highlight of the week was meeting our Reading Buddies. They are in the Journeys class and are only four years old! We will be role models for them and help them be the best learners and friends that they can be! 

Here we are showing our young friends the way to the office. There they found the nurse's office, so they would know where to go if they are ever sick. 












It is going to be a fabulous year!



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Parents:

 Here are some links for you to peruse as we start our year of learning together:


A. This educational blog is the centerpiece of our classroom community. It is a wonderful space for sharing and learning together. Here is a link to an article I wrote about the benefits of classroom blogging. I hope you'll have a chance to read it before our Back to School Night.




B. We also have a class Photo-of-the-Day blog! Anyone is welcome to contribute a photo or comment throughout the year. Join our 365 Photo-of-the-day project! :-)



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Like Buck off a dock, let's jump right into blogging!





Students, please leave a comment telling us about yourself. What did you do over your summer break? What adventures and experiences did you enjoy?

If you are one of our blogging buddies, please introduce yourself to my new class. Where are you from? What have you been up to?

Remember to proofread your comment with a parent before you publish!