Three More Days, Then Summer

I hope that everyone has managed to remain safe and dry above the water that swamped the city overnight. I am looking forward to seeing my students back tomorrow for the final 3 days of the year.

I want to thank everyone for your generous gifts during Teacher Appreciation Week. I am truly touched and extremely grateful. Thank you, parents for your support this year. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with your children this year. Students, thank you for all of your hard work this year. It is my business to challenge you, and you have all risen to the occasion in remarkable fashion.

Class, I wish you all a restful summer, and I encourage you to take some time to visit Houston's museums and parks. Above all, make sure that you keep reading. You, as a group, have earned more AR points than any class I have ever taught, including my 5th grades. If you do nothing else this summer, read some books, and tell me about them in August.

I also invite you to follow along with my summer trip. My wife (also a teacher) and I won a grant to travel to the United Kingdom to study archaeology. The highlight of this trip will be 2 weeks in York working on an excavation in the heart of the city. We will learn about the science of archaeology and use what we learn to plan lessons for our future classes. In addition to York, we are going to Dublin, Cardiff, Bath, Stonehenge, London, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, and the Orkney Islands. You can keep up with us via Twitter https://twitter.com/bquentin3 and on our blog http://luckybearfamily.blogspot.com/ . Our blog has entries from old trips we have taken if you are in the mood for some extended reading. While we are traveling, I welcome your questions, either through my email, bquentin@houstonisd.org or through Twitter. Responses are guaranteed!

Thank you all, again for everything this year. You have been a wonderful group of people to work with. Have a safe and happy summer!

Into the Home Stretch

Coming up:

1. Next week, the students will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Please be sure that your child arrives at school on time and is well rested. We will start testing promptly at 8:15.
2. Because of the Iowa testing, there is no math homework next week. However, the reading log and spelling will go ahead as usual.
3. Also, we will begin working on the 3rd GT Expo project next week, so be on the lookout for information about that as well. The Expo will be on May 26, probably in the afternoon, but I have not yet confirmed the time.
4. Our third grade awards ceremony is scheduled for May 21, at 1:45. I hope you will be able to join us.