Mrs. McDonald's 3rd Grade Class

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Dear Parents,

We have had a wonderful last week of third grade full of adventure and fun. I truly appreciate all of your hard work, support, and time to make our events special and festive. Thank you to our amazing room moms and parents for organizing our End of the Year Party. What a joyful celebration. Most importantly, thank you for the thoughtful gifts, heart warming cards, and all the hugs! 

This has been a stellar year!. Together we have learned, laughed, and enjoyed being with each other. Our class family is one to treasure for years to come, and I am grateful to have been a small part of their development. 

Have a wonderful summer with lots of exciting family time.  Chill out together with a good book, and relax the days away.  I know I will miss the smiling faces, loving hugs, and kind hearts of all of my students.. Look forward to seeing your awesome fourth grader in the fall!

Fondly,
Mrs. McDonald

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Dear Parents,

What a FUN week of learning! Thank you parents for volunteering your time. Fishing Day and our field trip was a huge success because of YOU! Our third graders had a great time on Fishing Day at Trailhead Park. They learned how to cast a fishing pole and even caught some fish, competed in water safety relay races, and created a fish craft on CD's. FUN day was had by ALL!

Friday was hot and humid, but we sure enjoyed seeing the colorful flowers, butterflies fluttering, and hiking on the beautiful trails at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We had an adventurous time!

Monday is our annual Camping Day. The children chose their own state park campistes and even came up with camp names. Their backpacks are ready! We are looking forward to spending some time camping outdoors in our tents and learning more about nature. Please remind your child that they can either bring a sack lunch or buy lunch from the cafeteria. They can also bring a towel or small blanket to sit on, a good book to read, and card games or a small, compact board game to play. Remember to dress comfy and apply sunscreen before coming to school. 

Our annual field day is Tuesday, May 21st.  It is going to be a full day of exciting activities! Students should bring a towel, a change of clothes, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated.  They also should wear closed-toed shoes or water shoes (no flip-flops, please). Some of our activities will involve getting wet! Students are allowed to wear swimsuits as long as they wear t-shirts or cover ups that follow our district dress code policy. The new Comets Field Day t-shirt would be a great choice as a cover-up! Please be sure to apply sunscreen at home, as we are the first group to participate!

Happy Early Birthday to Benny! We enjoyed celebrating his special day this week!

DROP OFF/PICK UP CHANGE
All cars must use the First Grade car rider line for drop off and pick up on Field Day. Please allow a little extra time on this day. There will be no parking on the west side of the school that day. Please keep our students safe and follow the directions from our staff and safety patrol. 

VOLUNTEERS
If you are volunteering on Field Day, thank you! We will have charts to explain where to go and what time! 

CANYON CREEK COOKOUT
We would like to invite all families to join us for lunch on our CookOut day! Please come Tuesday, May 21st (Field Day) during your child’s regularly scheduled lunchtime. Corn Dogs or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are on the menu!!! The cost per meal for guests is $3.65, paid at the door. Exact change is appreciated. I hope you can join us. 

END OF YEAR CLASS PARTY
Our end of year class party will be held on Thursday May 23rd  from 8:45 am to 10:15 am. Our awesome room moms have a fun filled party planned! I look forward to celebrating the end of our third grade year together.

IMPORTANT DATES 
Monday, May 20th: 3rd Grade Camping Day, Visit from the Reptile Guy
Tuesday, May 21st: Annual CCE Field Day
Thursday, May 23rd: Last Day of Third Grade and End of Year Breakfast party hosted by our awesome Room Moms

THANK YOU
Many thanks to Jeanette Dunbar and Veena Hosur, our pretty amazing room moms, for all they have done to make this a memorable year for us! Their talents, warm nature, and fun spirit made every event a blast!! Also, a huge thank you to you for your generous support throughout this year. Every celebration has been a joyful memory!

Gratefully,
Mrs. McDonald

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Dear Parents,

Happy Early Birthday to Aya, Elly, Mantra, and London, and Happy Late Birthday to Lucas! We enjoyed celebrating their special days this week!

Thank you for an amazing week!  I LOVE all my thoughtful cards and notes, the yummy snacks, generous gifts, and awesome books for our classroom library. You all sure know how to make a teacher feel very special and appreciated!

Also, thank you to our amazing PTA parents for hosting Friday Feast.  As always, the food was delicious! What a great week to be a Canyon Creek teacher! 

The Third Grade Showcase was such a success!  You all are so awesome for taking the time to come and support your third grader while he/she showed off some of his/her best work and most recent projects.  I am so proud of the kiddos and know they are looking forward to being a fourth grader!

The days are flying by as we head into summer.  Our last two testing days are Monday and Tuesday. Students will be taking the Math & Reading STAAR tests on Monday, May 13th and Tuesday, May 14th. Please remember that your child will perform best if he/she has a good night’s sleep, eat a hearty breakfast, and arrive on time to school. The third grade team will provide snacks and water for both days. Your child may bring additional easy to eat, dry snacks.  Please avoid snacks that are cheesy and/or greasy.

​It has been said that, “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a while, but their hearts forever.” May your Mother’s Day be filled with love and appreciation for all that you do! Wishing you a lovely day!

Happy Mother’s Day!
Mrs. McDonald

THIRD GRADE AND CCE CAMPUS NEWS

Character Trait for May: COLLABORATIVE

THIRD GRADE END OF YEAR EVENTS
Thank you Third Grade Parent Volunteers for all your support and time in making our end of the year events memorable! Please check your child’s Tuesday folder this week for detailed information regarding Fishing Day, Field trip, and Camping Day.

Below is a list of days when we will need parent volunteers and sign-up links. Please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you!

Thursday, May 16th: “Fishing Day” at Trailhead Park from 9:30-12:00. 
**** NEED VOLUNTEERS
​All activities are planned. Each class will need at least 3 parents to help at the stations. You can sign-up here to volunteer: Fishing Day Sign-Up.  

Friday, May 17th: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Field Trip. 
Third graders can wear a CCE t-shirt and need to bring a completely disposable lunch including a drink and snack. We are looking forward to spending the day admiring the beautiful landscape at Lady Bird. It is going to be a fun-filled day!  Please let me know if you are interested in going. 

Monday, May 20th: Campout Day. 
**** NEED THREE MORE TENTS!!
Parent chaperones are not needed, but each class will need four tents pitched outside CCE. Please fill out the following form if you have a tent that we could borrow, and are willing to put it up that morning before school.  Tent Set-up

SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR NEXT YEAR
The deadline to order school supplies for next year is fast approaching. Order forms have been sent home (extras are in the main office).  Ordering through PTA will save you time and money! PTA is not able to order extra packets so please don’t miss the deadline to order!

LOST AND FOUND
Please come and look through the many jackets in our Lost and Found. They will be donated to the RRISD Clothes Closet on Friday, May 17th.

ATTENTION CCE 2019 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES!
Please join us on Monday, May 20th for our Annual Canyon Creek Elementary Senior Walk.  

FIELD DAY                                                      
Our annual field day is right around the corner, Tuesday, May 21st.  We are looking forward to a day full of fun and exciting activities! We are asking the students bring a towel, a change of clothes, and wear closed-toed shoes or water shoes. Some of our activities will involve getting wet! Students are allowed to wear swimsuits as long as they wear t-shirts or cover ups that follow our district dress code policy.  Your new red Comets Field Day shirt would be perfect. Please write your name on the tag of your shirt! Remember to apply all sunscreen at home, as teachers are not responsible for this.  Students should also bring their refillable water bottles to stay hydrated. Thank you! 

CANYON CREEK COOKOUT
We would like to invite all families to join us for lunch on our CookOut day! Please come Tuesday, May 21st (Field Day)  during your child’s regularly scheduled lunchtime. Corn Dogs or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are on the menu!!! The cost per meal for guests is $3.65, paid at the door. Exact change is appreciated. Make your reservations please - forms were sent home in Tuesday folders! Hope you can join us!

IMPORTANT DATES.
Monday, May 13th: 3rd and 4th Grade STAAR Math Assessment
Tuesday, May 14th: 3rd and 4th Grade STAAR Reading Assessment
Thursday, May 16th: 3rd Grade Fishing Day and Visit from KVUE Weather Forecaster, Jason Mikell
Friday, May 17th: 3rd Grade Field trip to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Sunday, May 19th: Sent up tents. 
Monday, May 20th: 3rd Grade Camping Day, Visit from the Reptile Guy
Tuesday, May 21st: Annual CCE Field Day
Thursday, May 23rd: Last Day of Third Grade and End of Year Breakfast party hosted by our awesome Room Moms

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Dear Parents,

It's hard to believe that this year is quickly coming to a close!  We will be working hard to finish up some end of year assessments as well as big projects to share with you at our upcoming Third Grade Showcase on Thursday morning, May 9th from 7:20-7:45 am. Your favorite third grader will be ready to show you some of the great work that he/she has been doing this year! We look forward to seeing you!

Our annual book fair was a HUGE success. Thank you for the awesome book donations for our classroom library! 

Gratefully,
Mrs. McDonald


                      THIRD GRADE AND CCE CAMPUS NEWS

Character Trait for May: COLLABORATIVE

****3RD GRADE HOMEWORK****
Next week is our final push to prep for STAAR testing.  Students will not have spelling and will not get a new reading log on Wednesday.  Instead, for reading, they will have nightly reading passages with comprehension questions and nightly math “Countdown” to complete. I truly appreciate your support in helping your child complete nightly homework and be prepared to have the completed assignment in class the next day. 

MUSIC CLASS 
Next week is performance week if your student would like to share their musical talents with Mrs. Martin and our class!

VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST
Have you assisted with class parties? Have you shelved books in the Library? Have you helped with a club or organization for an after-school group? Chaperoned a Field Trip? Helped on Field Day? Built a chicken brooder? Provided food for Friday Feast? If you have helped at CCE for any event, you are invited to attend our Volunteer Breakfast. This is our opportunity  to honor and thank YOU for all you do for CCE! We could not possibly do all the activities we do without the fabulous support of our volunteers! . Please make plans to attend our Volunteer Breakfast on Tuesday, May 7th from 7:15 - 8:00 a.m. in the CCE Library! It is our opportunity to thank each of you for the time you give to us and our school. 

PLEASE SHARE THE NEWS!
Please share with any neighbors that may have incoming Kindergartners next year! We are hosting our annual Comet Kick-Off for our new Kindergarten students on Wednesday, May 8th from 8:00-9:30 a.m. Students will visit our kindergarten classrooms and do a variety of fun activities. At the same time, parents will meet in the cafeteria to learn what to expect in the coming year. We look forward to welcoming our new students and parents!

THIRD GRADE END OF YEAR EVENTS
Below is a list of days when we will need parent volunteers and sign-up links. Please let me know if you have any questions! Thank you!

Thursday, May 16th: “Fishing Day” at Trailhead Park from 9:30-12:00. 
**** NEED VOLUNTEERS
​All activities are planned. Each class will need at least 3 parents to help at the stations. You can sign-up here to volunteer:  Fishing Day Sign-Up.  

Friday, May 17th: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Field Trip. 
**** NEED CHAPERONES
Please consider volunteering for our upcoming field trip!  We really need as many chaperones as possible. Parent participation keeps our groups small and a lot more mobile. Please email me if you are interested. Thank you! 

Monday, May 20th: Campout Day. 
**** NEED THREE MORE TENTS (total of 4)
Parent chaperones are not needed, but each class will need four tents pitched outside CCE. Please fill out the following form if you have a tent that we could borrow, and are willing to put it up that morning before school or the evening before.  Tent Set-up

ATTENTION CCE 2019 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES!
Please join us on Monday, May 20th for our Annual Canyon Creek Elementary Senior Walk.  

Mingle with your former teachers at 7:15 a.m. in the CCE Cafeteria, make a special appearance on the morning announcements and then parade through the hallways in your cap and gown. Parents are welcome to attend.

IMPORTANT DATES
Tuesday, May 7th: Volunteer Breakfast from 7:10 am - 8:00 am in the CCE Library
Tuesday, May 7th: PTA Meeting, 6:00 p.m. Followed by Gr 1 Musical Performance
Thursday, May 9th: 3rd Grade Showcase @ 7:20 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.
Monday, May 13th: 3rd and 4th Grade STAAR Math Assessment
Tuesday, May 14th: 3rd and 4th Grade STAAR Reading Assessment
Thursday, May 16th: 3rd Grade Fishing Day and Visit from KVUE Weather Forecaster, Jason Mikell
Friday, May 17th: 3rd Grade Field trip to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Monday, May 20th: 3rd Grade Camping Day, Visit from the Reptile Guy
Tuesday, May 21st: Annual CCE Field Day
Thursday, May 23rd: Last Day of Third Grade and End of Year Breakfast party hosted by our awesome Room Moms