Mrs. Roberts' News
2011-2012
Welcome to third grade! This is going to be a great year. The information in this packet, along with the student handbook, will most likely be all you ever needed to know about third grade at Southeast.
Communication: Communication is key to providing the best learning experience for your child. Any questions or concerns please e-mail me:. Our class website is a great place to get information about our class. The address is
--Schools--Southeast Elementary—Staff Webpages—Amy Roberts—Enter the Classroom Website. The district is implementing a new website system. I’ll be slowly adding elements to the site and getting it organized so that it can be helpful for you and your child. I send updates via e-mail often with information about the upcoming week’s activities. Monthly newsletters will also be posted on the website under the newsletter tab. I also have a phone extension that you are welcome to leave messages on, but know that I only check it before and after school. 299-4411 ext. 5887.
Curriculum
Reading: We use many sources for our Comprehension Toolkit. Our first goal is to “monitor our comprehension”, follow our inner conversations (connecting to the text), and notice when our meaning breaks down. When that happens, we use strategies to reconnect (like checking for understanding, backing up and rereading, retelling the story - to name a few).
In addition to the Toolkit, I will be meeting with students (whole group, small groups, one-on-one conferences) using the CAFÉ guidelines – Comprehension, Articulation, Fluency, (Expanding) Vocabulary. My goal is to give kids the skills they need to gain full meaning from text. I will access student needs with the STAR (reading inventory), individual conferences, and fluency running records. I also want to build their reading stamina during the first few days of school so that they will be able to read and/or work independently for a substantial amount of time during our reading/writing workshop.
Reading outside of class is required and I will be checking the Reading Logs every Monday morning and recording the minutes on a class chart. Each child must read 100 minutes weekly.I need you to sign the log total once a week (preferably over the weekend). Your child may ask you to look at their minutes more often. Great! I love that they want to share how much they are reading. Please be sure that you see them do some of that reading. (Students love to “next-to-you” read. You read the paper or any text silently while your child reads their book/article silently in the same room. Strong readers love to say “Listen to this!” and share funny/favorite lines.) We are recording our minutes in our agendas in the reading/language arts box each day. They are to put the number of minutes read and then circle it so that you can easily total up the minutes over the weekend and put the total on their log in the yellow take-home folder. Ask your child for clarification; we’ve discussed this procedure in class.
Our class will visit the Media Center once a week and I am always happy to help your children find that just right book. Our goal is one “main course” book and one “dessert” book from the library weekly. When one book is completed, I will give your child a pass to the library to select another.
Language Arts: Our adopted text is Write Source published by Great Source. This is a resource book/text book that your children will use as they learn the craft of writing. Children will use the writing process to compose narrative, descriptive, expository and persuasive texts. Poetry, research skills, grammar and word study will complete our language arts experience.
The beginning focus of our writing is our Writer’s Notebooks. This is the place to hold our pre-writing steps of the writing process (gathering an idea, choosing a seed, nurturing a topic). Then we will write, revise, edit and publish our pieces. The Writer’s Notebooks will hold mementos/pictures, topics, short writings, that we use as springboards for our pieces.
Spelling: I have pre-tested the students and am arranging groups according to their spelling developmental needs. The children will work with a needed pattern for one to two weeks. This pattern will be taken from the developmental stage your child is in based on the assessments. The children will be collecting /finding words in this pattern as a way of internalizing spelling rules. They will usually have a few sentences to create, using forms of spelling words as part of the spelling tests. Generally spelling tests will be on Fridays.
Math: Everyday Mathematics (the newest version) is our adopted math series. Within the content, emphasis is placed on establishing links from past experiences, discussing and sharing ideas about math, and embedded problem solving. Playing games, solving challenging problems relating to our world, and Home Links with most lessons keep the children highly engaged. See the Everyday Math link in my web site if you have questions or would like more information. JPS students are fortunate to have em-math games and the children will soon have their passwords written inside their agendas. I want to strongly encourage all of your children to use this because it is wonderful for reinforcement, practice and individual challenge. The SRB (Student Reference Book) is a great source for reviewing concepts and applying them with the practice problems at the bottom. For the first time ever, the SRB in online so that students may reference it at home as necessary!! There is also a section for your child and/or yourself to see the algorithms we use in class retaught step-by-step online and there is a video to watch that teaches each algorithm as well. Please make use of this wonderful resource.
Handwriting: We will have instruction in both print and cursive writing and the majority of our work will be done in cursive. Neatness and legibility are emphasized.
Science: We use a hands-on discovery based curriculum called Science and Technology for Children. There are three units of study in third grade: Sound, Plants, and Rocks and Minerals. We will begin our study of science with the new Plant Unit soon. The science lessons are very interactive and concrete; the students will love exploring the scientific topics we cover throughout the year!
Social Studies: We begin the year with map, globe, and geography skills. The first quarter will then continue with a highlight on learning all about communities.
General Information
Homework
Students will have math Home Links almost every evening. They will also be assigned 100 reading minutes weekly. Further, any work that has not been finished during the school day will need to be finished at home and returned the next morning. I will often assign written homework and occasional projects. The children will write assignments in their agendas daily and they each have a yellow, take-home homework folder that stays in their desk to help keep items organized and continually located in a safe place.
Grading
Your children will be assessed using formal and informal measures. The JPS grading scale using the report card rubric is as follows:
3 = consistently successful 85%=100% of the time
2 = progressing 70%=84% of the time
1 = area of concern (student does not demonstrate skill in an area)
I do not take a grade on every assignment but I keep anecdotal notes and use some grades for re-teaching. I will usually state how many correct out of total numbers of points. (8/10) I will be using rubrics for grading writing pieces and the children will be working with these rubrics throughout the writing process. Jenks Public School is on a 9-week grading period. All students will receive a Progress Report in mid-September. After that, only those students who are not progressing as expected will receive them.
Late Assignments
The third grade policy is as follows. Any assignment not completed in class is homework and should be finished at home and returned the next day. If there are extenuating circumstances at home, please send me a note. Late work will affect your child’s grade, the Mystery Motivator, and his/her ability to participate in reward activities such as Fun Friday Recess on Friday afternoons.
Yellow, Take-Home Folders: I will send home graded papers in the yellow folder every Monday afternoon. This is an excellent opportunity for you to keep up with your child’s progress. You may see correct and return papers and please note that these do not have to be returned the next day. Let me know if you have concerns. The same folder makes a trip home every other day of the week as well and may contain homework assignments or District/PTA flyers that you will take out and return empty the next day.
Communication:I will update the class newsletter regularly using the JPS site and your email. I will always include special events, class projects, and school functions. The nightly agenda is also your way of knowing what is going on because we write assignments as well as reminders.
School Attendance: Please call the office each day that your child is absent. Homework may be picked up on request but please allow time after school hours for me to get it together. Students will be given any make-up work upon arriving back in class. It is the student’s responsibility to complete and turn in makeup work. Your child will have one day for each day absent to make up the work. Our school day begins at 8:50 and ends at 3:30.
Bike Riders/Walkers: A note must be on file in the office if your child is going to walk or ride a bike. The office has these forms.
Classroom Management:I strongly believe in positive reinforcement of good behavior. If we have a problem we will solve our problem as a class. Students take ownership of what happens in this classroom and they are constantly put in charge of the behavior choices they make. We strive hard to create and keep a positive learning and social environment. I want each child to feel worth, power, and a sense of purpose. We learn together often in collaborative groups and work hard to develop positive interpersonal skills. We are a Tribes School, and we participate in Tribes energizers and community building activities. Our Community Circle time is a place to be heard, appreciated and complimented. Our agreements that truly run the room are: Mutual Respect, Attentive Listening, Appreciation/No Put downs and the Right to Pass. We also use the Mystery Motivator as a form of positive classroom management. Children must keep track of their checks each day in order to gain tickets to put in the Motivator Jar. Each Friday, tickets are pulled out for prizes. Please see the behavior management plan discussed at Back to School night for further information.
Birthdays: All monthly birthdays can be celebrated on the last Friday of the month at 2:45-3:15. The homeroom moms will send out reminders to all the parents of a particular birthday month and you may then choose to work with the other birthday month’s parents for Birthday Bingo.
Snacks:We will have time for a five-minute nutritious snack every morning. (Again, please do not send items with peanuts in any form.) Please speak with your child about the importance of not sharing and/or eating another student’s food.
Class Activities
Field Trips: We get one field trip this year and it is yet to be determined. The homeroom mothers and I will be informing you about the specifics of this trip in a timely fashion.
Technology: We use technology often. We have thirteen laptop computers in our classroom. We will also have frequent visits to our Computer Lab. Besides practicing keyboarding, the students will learn Power Point, Timeliner, and Inspiration programs, research through the Internet and writing papers and reports. Some district testing is done in the Computer Lab as well. Our classroom is equipped with a Smartboard, and audio sound system (to enhance instruction), and a document camera.
Parent Volunteers: Our co-homeroom coordinators will have signup sheets for the many volunteer activities your children will experience this year.Please inquire if you are interested in any of these areas.
Parent Teacher Conferences: The first conference time is in October, and there will be signup sheets at Back to School Night. If you ever need an additional conference please let me know and I will be happy to schedule one.
Looking forward to an exciting, fun year of learning!
Amy Roberts