We Love our Grandparents!!

Welcome Lindsay Nicole Gossage!

We were thrilled to learn that Mr. and Mrs. Gossage were blessed with a new baby girl, Lindsay Nicole Gossage, this past Wednesday. We will miss Mrs. Gossage, but are happy she will be joining us again after the Christmas break. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gossage! We can't wait to meet Lindsay!

Thank you!

Wow, I was blown away this morning by your generosity and thoughtfulness! Your gifts are greatly appreciated. I truly believe that giving is one of the greatest marks of a Christian. So, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your support. Thank you so much for those of you who have been praying for baby Gossage and myself. I am blessed beyond measure!!

For His Glory...Mrs. Gossage

Lots of Birthdays!!!

Happy Birthday to Gracie, Natalie, and Austin!! It is so much fun to be able to celebrate with my students. God bless each of you!

Enjoy our busy week!!

Station Fridays!

Thanks so much to the family members who come on Fridays to help with stations. You are a blessing! Nicholas' aunt brought a neat caterpillar and her laptop to share with my students. Thanks to all of you!

We Meet Author: Jenny L. Cote!

What a wonderful job this Christian author did teaching our children about the writing process. We all really enjoyed it!

Student-led Bible Lesson!

We were blessed to have several seventh graders come teach our class about the Bible. They did a great job! I taught three of the four girls in 3rd grade, so it was wonderful to see them again! Thanks so much, girls!

Happy Birthday, Josh!

We had a great ending to our half day Friday, when Josh's mother brought homemade brownies to our classroom to celebrate Josh's birthday. Please notice the "I am second" t-shirts. This is the theme of our school, as well as our classroom, this year. Christ must be first, and we must be second. Happy Birthday, Josh! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

A very special birthday wish to Lizzie. We enjoyed your chocolate cupcakes!

God bless you and your family. We love you!

National Day of Prayer

It was great having several of my third graders at See You at the Pole Wednesday morning. We are praying for God to bless our nation.

Happy Birthday, Chloe!

A very special birthday wish to Chloe! Our class enjoyed celebrating with chocolate-covered doughnuts! Happy Birthday, Chloe! We love you!

Just a Few Reminders!

• Picture Day is Wednesday. This is a different company and payment must accompany your child on Wednesday. I sent home an envelope for this.
• See You at the Pole is this Wednesday morning at 7:30 on the playground.
• We are beginning subtraction today. Traditionally, this is the hardest area we cover in third grade. My students will be multiplying and dividing and still stumbling over subtraction. I teach them to say: If the Bottom is Bigger, Borrow! This seems to help. I appreciate any reinforcement you can give at home!
• I was out on Friday, so test folders will go home this Friday.
• God bless you with a wonderful week.

Third Grade Art! :)

We are so thilled to have third grade art this year. Mrs. Hom is doing a great job with my class. These students finished their glasses and remembered to put their names on them, so Mrs. Hom could return them. They enjoyed wearing their glasses during DEAR (Drop Everything and Read!).

Just a Few Changes...

I just wanted to let you know that Mrs. Gossage and I had a meeting with Mrs. Burroughs concerning third grade and how it is going, and we made a few changes that I think will be for the best.

Mrs. Gossage will now be teaching English and creative writing, as well as cursive. I will take over the reading and spelling, as well as math.

This semester we will have history and geography, and the second semester we will have science all semester. I think this will be easier with a larger class, and our history book is only made to cover one semester.

I hope all is well with you. I appreciate so much all the wonderful stickers you have been sending in, as well as other items that help our class run smoothly.

God bless you with a good week!

Our Girls at Cheer Clinic

Go Curtis!!!

Spelling!

Just a reminder that spelling books are checked each Thursday. There are four pages with each lesson. There is a grade written in the spelling book for each lesson. These grades count as a test in spelling. Some of my students are racing through their work, and it shows when I grade it. Some are working very carefully, and it shows as well. It is possible to do all the pages for that particular lesson early. I have had some students complete all four pages on the weekend, so they won't have it for homework during the week. This week, we are on Lesson 5.
If a student receives an "F" or "D" on their spelling workbook, the book is sent home to be signed.
Thanks so much for all your help at home!

Our Softball Day!

We had a great time supporting our girls' softball team on Tuesday! Thanks to everyone who came out! Chloe Wilson did a great job throwing out the first pitch of the game!

Happy Birthday, Jordan Ashley! We love you!

Just a Reminder!

Just a quick reminder to return all test papers in your child's test folder on Monday. I save all these until the end of the nine weeks' period. You may have them back then if you wish.

We really appreciated Kathryn's mother and Gracie's mother and grandfather coming to help us with stations on Friday afternoon. The stations run from 12:45 until 2:20. If you could help at that time on Friday, we would love to have you!

This Tuesday third grade will be highlighted at the softball game. I hope each of you will try to be there. I believe the students will stand on the field while the national anthem is being played, and one student will be chosen in a drawing to throw the first pitch.

God bless you with a wonderful weekend.

Happy Birthday, Nanditi!

Today my class had fun celebrating Nanditi's birthday during lunch! God bless you, Nanditi! We love you!

First Week! :)

Well, we have one week under our belt! I already love these children, and I am thankful they are in our school. I am posting the new Bible verse on our blog if your child wants to start studying.

Please return your child's test folder signed. Remember to send back their tests in the folder.

The A.R. on the front of the folder stands for Accelerated Reader. Your child should have at least 1 point. They must have at least a point each week to keep up. I have three computers in my room for taking A.R. tests. Your child is allowed to check out books from my classroom. I have a really big A.R. library.

A very special thanks to Kathryn Corey's mother for coming to help with our stations today. Her help was invaluable. If any of you are free on Fridays from 12:45-2:20, I could sure use you! :)

Also, a special thanks to Will's mother for all her help with my classroom. She has continually helped me with decorations and organization. Thank you, Lorri!!

Have a blessed weekend, and thanks for checking out our blog!

Stations Tomorrow!

We are excited to welcome Natalie to our class today! We're glad you're at Curtis, Natalie!

On Friday, we will have stations from 12:30-2:20. If any parent or grandparent is free, we would love to have you help us. I hope to divide into five stations. This is a great way for my students to learn, and I look forward to having a fun Friday!

The First Day of School!

Today went very well. I was pleased with the behavior of my students, and I was thrilled to have Mrs. Gossage there to help! Just a reminder that if you would like to begin memorizing Ephesians 4:32, it is posted on the blog here.


I was very proud of Will who has already earned his first point for Accelerated Reader! Yeah, Will! Each student is required to read one point per week in third grade. They will have a total of 39 points at the end of the school year. HOWEVER...I am encouraging each of my students to have a 50 point shield by the end of the year, so I hope they will read 1.5 points per week. If all students have 50 points, we will have a Shield Party! Yeah!


Have a blessed weekend! I pray you will be able to worship the Lord with your family on Sunday! I look forward to seeing you all Monday morning!

Open House Thursday

I look forward to meeting with each of you Thursday. Our room will be open from 1-3:00. Please feel free to drop by and pick up your information packet. There will also be a meeting at 6:30 in the sanctuary Thursday night. Of course, school begins Friday morning, and there will be a school wide picnic at 11:30 Friday! I am praying and asking God to give us a wonderful year full of His blessings! See you Thursday!

Welcome Back to School!

A Window into our World is a great way for my parents to know what is happening in our classroom. I look forward to meeting each of you. Please pray with me for God to bless every area of our 2009-2010 school year.

Good Morning!

Good morning, dear students and parents! I am back from the Bahamas, and it was wonderful. It is such a beautiful place. If you would like to see my slideshow, go to http://sharontannerphotography.blogspot.com/
I hope you are all having a wonderful vacation. I would love to hear from you. My e-mail is stanner@netzero.net or I am Sharon Brokaw Tanner on Facebook!
I know you will be in much prayer for Mrs. Haywood in the loss of her mother. May God help her through this hard time.
Well, have a great summer - keep Jesus first in your life, and be safe!
I love you!

Thanks so much! Headed to the Bahamas!

My dear class and parents: Thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts you gave me the last day of school. They were wonderful, but the best gift this year was the gift of each of you! You each made this year a joy for me. Thank you, thank you! I am headed on a cruise Monday with Bethany and my sister. We are really excited! Please pray for safety. I would love to hear from each of you about what you are doing this summer. Remember my e-mail is: stanner@netzero.net. I love each of you, and pray God's best on your summer!

Award's Ceremony Tomorrow!

Wow! It''s hard to believe tomorrow is the last day! I'm sad for to lose this class. It has been a wonderful year, and I will miss my students so much!
The Award's Ceremony will start at 10:00. Please make sure your child wears dress code tomorrow. Please make sure our boys wear a belt with their shirts tucked. Thanks so much for your help. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Thanks so much to each of you for being such sweet, supportive parents.
God bless you all.

Zoo Trip Tomorrow!! :)

I apologize for taking so long to post anything here! It has been an incredibly busy two weeks! I just wanted to let you know we will leave for the zoo at 8:15. Each student should have enough money for lunch at a fast food restaurant in the zoo, and for drinks if they become thirsty.
Remember collared shirts are still required. I look forward to seeing many of you in the morning. Zoo days are always fun! We should be back by 3:00.
God bless you with a wonderful Memorial Day!

Our Shield Party!!

I am so proud of the students pictured who received at least one shield (50 A.R. points) this year. We enjoyed such a fun ice cream sundae party to celebrate. All third graders enjoyed the ice cream, but I am especially proud of our students who achieved their A.R. goal this year!! A special cheer for Nicole, who earned over 350 A.R. points this year. WOW!!

Peaches Comes to Visit

We were thrilled to have Jordan read us a great story he wrote about his chinchilla, Peaches!

A Special Thursday

Thursday was a fun, special day for our third grades! We began with a trip to Gurosik's Strawberry Farm. We visited bee hives, tasted honey, fed catfish, saw a tree that "ate a gate", and picked some wonderfully sweet strawberries!
Once we returned to school, Hannah's father taught our class how to use a microscope and shared many different slides. It was a great learning experience. Thank you so much, Mr. Smith!

The Strawberry Farm!

We are so excited about going to pick strawberries tomorrow! We will be boarding the bus at 9:00 in the morning. Our students may wear blue jeans, but they still need collared shirts. Older tennis shoes would be nice as well. We will have a picnic at the farm, so please remember to bring your lunch and your drink! We should return by 12:30. Please pray for beautiful weather and a safe trip!

Two Tests Monday

Just a reminder that we have a test over the solar system Monday. My students should have a study sheet. We will also have a pre-test over long division. It will be sent home Monday night to be signed. Have a blessed, blessed weekend!

A Special Prayer Request!

We were delighted to learn today that Mrs. Gossge and her husband will be blessed with a baby this November. Please keep her family in your prayers!

Our Easter Party

We had such a sweet Easter party. A big thank you to Mrs. Smith for arranging it and Mrs. Nicholson for coming and helping. Also, thanks to each of you who sent in items for the party. I pray your Easter was blessed.

Have a Blessed Spring Break!

I just wanted to tell you that I am praying for you to have a wonderful spring break. Be safe, and I will see you a week from Monday, the Lord willing!

Our Solar System Projects

My students did a great job on their planet reports. Enjoy!

News for Next Week

Next week is achievement test week, and there are a few things to remember so my students will score well on their tests:

• Be sure and get a good night's sleep. This makes a world of difference!


• Have something healthy to eat for breakfast.


• Bring healthy snacks for snack time. We will have this snack time each morning during the test.


• Make sure your child has plenty of #2 pencils for the test.


• Please try and make sure your child is not absent during the mornings next week.

Also, Miss Patchan has asked that each student send in $4.00 by this Monday so her music students can make a didgeridoo (which is an Australian Aboriginal instrument).

Thanks so much for being such wonderful parents!

Pam Alexander

It was great listening to Mrs. Alexander and having her sign her work for us!

Pam Alexander was Wonderful!

We enjoyed hearing all about Georgia from this entertaining author today! I have pictures I will post later, but your child has an order form if you are interested in ordering anything from this Georgia author. Mrs. Alexander will drop by the school tomorrow and sign any books bought tomorrow.

Author Coming Tomorrow!

On Tuesday, March 24th, Mrs. Pam Alexander is coming to our school. She is the author and illustrator of children's books about Georgia. After her presentation, she will autograph any books purchased tomorrow. Your child was given an order form today. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet a real, published author!

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to all the Math Olympics participants. I was proud of them all! A special congratulations to Brielle and Carolyn for receiving 4th place ribbons in a very hard competition. Carolyn also received a medal for scoring over 85% on all her tests! Good job, girls!!

Twenty-two Reasons Mrs. Gossage and I LOVE Teaching Third Grade!

Math Olympics Friday!

Please remember to pray for our Math Olympics team as they travel tomorrow. Nicole, Carolyn, Brielle, Trent M., Caleb, and Michael will be representing our third gradel!

An Unusual Morning!

I promised to try and give you a window into our world, so I thought I would share the excitement we had this morning! As I was teaching math, we heard a shriek from across the hall! It seems Mrs. Day's pet king snake had escaped, and the shriek was from Mrs. Day! :) Everyone was searching for the snake, and he was found among the computer cords. Davidson is very at home with the snake, so he captured it and returned it to its home in Mrs. Day's room. So Davidson is our hero for the day!

Also, congratulations to Trent G. and Michael for receiving their 50 point A.R. shield in chapel today.

Just a Quick Reminder!

I just wanted to remind you that our planet reports will be given on Thursday. Also, look for report cards to come home Thursday afternoon. Friday will be a half day, dismissing at 11:30. Please pray for those of us who will be traveling to the Math Olympics on Friday. God bless you with a wonderful Wednesday!

Our Butterflies are Free!

Today was the day for our butterflies to spread their wings! Thanks again to Nicole and her family for letting us share this great learning experience!

A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart

I believe with all my heart that being thankful brings much peace and joy into our lives. With that said, I want to state for the record how thankful I am for all the students I teach this year. They are such a joy, and I am so thankful for all they (and their parents) do to make our classroom a better place. I have yet to buy stickers this year. Every week or two, some student brings in stickers for us to use.
I thought I would share just two other examples. Caleb ordered tadpoles and Nicole ordered caterpillars, and they both brought them into class for us to observe. We now have butterflies and are awaiting frogs! And I am thankful! :)

Planets! Planets! Planets!

My science students were excited as they chose their planets for a report today. This report is due next Thursday. It is a simple report on one sheet of paper, and it is to have a replica of their planet which can be constructed from any material. All the instructions are on the back of the report page that I hope made it home today! I will take pictures of each student and their planet and post it here for all to see! The study of our solar system is so much fun. I look forward to these reports each year. Seeing how vast our universe is, always brings to mind how big God is...an important thing for us all to remember.

Third graders love to read!

It seems quite fitting that I start my first post with a picture of my children showing off their books. I am so proud of this class and how hard they are working to earn more A.R. points. Each one of my students has earned their A.R. ribbon, and more than half of them have earned a shield! Today in chapel Nadia earned her first shield for 50 points, Hannah and Imani earned their third shields for 100 Points, and Nicole earned her eleventh shield for 300 points. When everyone has earned their shield, we're having a party!!
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FYI:

• We will begin studying the solar system next week. Students will choose a planet for a report, and they will construct a 3-d replica of their planet. Look for instructions in their homework folders Thursday!
• We have just begun long division. This is always hard at first, but soon it will be easier! Thanks for your help at home. Long division has 5 steps that are repeated over and over. They are: divide, multiply, subtract, compare, and bring down. I am teaching my students to repeat these steps over and over to achieve success in long division.
• I just wanted to mention that when I created this blog, I checked that I did not want this blog listed with any of the search engines. I hope this will help keep our blog away from the general public, and still available to all my parents.