Welcome to 3rd Grade!

Where we are wild about learning~Let the learning rumpus begin!

3rd grade is a year full of transitions. Students take on more responsibility for taking care of, and organizing, their materials and time. Students will show growth and maturity as they leave the primary grades and enter the intermediate grades. It is exciting to be a part of these changes.

Home/School folder

Your child will take this folder to and from school and home daily. This is where you will find homework and handouts from the school and community. Please take a minute and check it each day. Hopefully, this will prevent the dreaded pile of papers in the bottom of the backpack.

Birthdays

I do several things in the classroom to make birthdays special. Due to a variety of allergies: nuts, gluten, red dye, etc. please do not send birthday food treats to school. If you really want to send something, consider pencils, bookmarks, or stickers.

Snacks

Students may bring a quick and healthy snack to eat during our morning/afternoon break. Ideas: grapes, banana, carrots, crackers, cheese sticks, apple slices.

Water Bottles

Standing in line at the drinking fountain can waste a lot of time. I encourage students to bring a water bottle to school. They should take the bottle home on Fridays to wash.

Homework

Your child works hard at school. I believe that children should have time to enjoy being a child, exercise, play, help with chores, and spend time with family. Newberg’s policy is that 3rd graders should have 30 minutes of homework a night. If something is frustrating or taking longer, please write a note on the homework page.

Homework goes home on the first day of the week and is due on the last day of the week. This allows flexibility on busy school nights. For example, if a student knows that Wednesday is a busy night then more can be done on Tuesday and/or Thursday night. Remember that Homework is the student’s responsibility-he or she may try to convince you otherwise. Here are some strategies to help the process:

• Initial Homework everyday
• Have a set Homework time
• Have a place for keeping Homework and a system for making sure it is returned on Friday (keeping it in the Home/School folder may be helpful)

At the start of the year, homework will mostly consist of reading, spelling, and practicing math facts.

I look forward to an exciting year full of learning with your child!

Maureen Soumokil

soumokilm@newberg.k12.or.us

wherewearewildabout3rdgrade.blogspot.com

Contact Information

My email: soumokilm@newberg.k12.or.us

Antonia Crater Office - 503 554-4650

A little about me....

Welcome!
Let me introduce myself......
     I am Maureen Soumokil and this will be my 14th year as an employee with the Newberg School District. I was also a classroom volunteer for a few years before I came to work for the school district. I started as a kindergarten classroom education assistant at Mabel Rush then moved to working as a Title One Reading assistant for a few years. My longest and final stint serving students as an education assistant was with the Learning Resource Center, also at Mabel Rush.
     In 2008 I realized that I loved serving students and liked who I was around them, so I went back to school and graduated with my BSEd in January of 2012. I had the privilege to do my final full-time student teaching with Mischelle Rierson who is part of our grade level teaching team here at Crater. I am currently pursuing my master's degree from George Fox University with endorsements in Reading and ESOL.
     While working on my BSEd and after graduating, I continued working as an education assistant part-time and substituted as a teacher half-days. Last year I had the privilege to be part of the ELL teaching team at Mabel Rush with the teacher I started my education assistant career. This year I am excited to have my own classroom!
     I have also served at various levels for the Mabel Rush parent group while my daughters were attending school there. From parent classroom volunteer,  as education assistant, as parent group co-president and volunteer coordinator, and as a teacher I have had the privilege to see public education and how it can serve our children from many perspectives.
     I am excited to get to know each of my students and start this year's learning journey! I believe that every child can achieve. Learning is a life-long journey and what we can achieve is a matter of having a Learner or Growth Mindset and asking the right questions. I look forward to question asking and learning alongside my class.