Third Grade Orientation

Eric's Orientation Night was last night. I only got to go because Natalie's back was hurting (saying a little prayer), which meant that she didn't go to swim practice last night. Patrick was with Eric at his piano practice. I'm not so good at remembering details about the class, so I was texting Patrick some of the more important and interesting stuff plus Eric's teacher gave us a copy of her slides.

I took this photo of something Eric had to fill out at school. I love that his teacher did this, because it will be something special to look back on when he grows up. Just in case you can't read it, I'll type out the text here:

I'm glad to be in grade 3 (with a picture of him holding a sign that says "3rd Day of 3rd Grade".
I am excited about--going to the frankenstein science lab.
I wish we could--have a longer recess for example: an hour.
I'm wondering about--what I am going to write.
I'm nervous about--nothing right now.

I especially love that last line because that is such an Eric answer. As for the frankenstein science lab, his teacher talked about how they were going to have science lab every Wednesday morning. She didn't say "frankenstein" lab to us, but she may have said that to Eric. I'm trying to encourage Patrick to volunteer for that lab, because here it is many years later, and Anthony still talks about the time that Patrick was his substitute science teacher (for a couple of weeks), and some of the fun experiments they did. I want that experience for Eric also (and for Patrick). The problem is that the science lab is from 8:30-9:30am, and Patrick usually isn't back from taking Alex to school by that time. I'm hoping that it will work out in the end, at least once a month of nothing else.

Another interesting fact about Eric's class, is that he is expected to speak and write in complete sentences. This should be no problem, because he has his father as a constant example. The kids and I were teasing Patrick that even his text messages are in complete sentences. This year seems to be a turning point year, when they cover a lot more material than they did in previous years, so Eric will really have to pay attention. He is going to have a spelling test every Friday, and we're now allowed to correct his spelling on his homework, which they apparently discouraged last year (I really don't remember). She doesn't want them to continue making the same mistake, so correcting them when they first make that mistake is the right way to go.

This year they are really stepping up the technology. She said that they were going to start using Google Docs and that they would have to make a presentation on the iPad. I think that's great. These are things they will definitely need as they get further in school nowadays.

Patrick and I are pretty happy so far with Eric's teacher. She seems way more organized and communicates much better than his teacher from last year. Two more interesting facts that I actually learned at Howdy Night before school even started--this teacher graduated high school at the same high school that Anthony graduated from (although the Magnet programs were not there yet at that time), and that Alex is going to, and she graduated from Texas A&M, something that I'm quite sure that my brother-in-law John will love.