Mrs. Salvatore's Rockin' Monthly newsletter
September 2016
Hello Parents!
Thank you all for attending Back to School Night and/or Open House. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I look forward to working with you all this school year! This is the first of ten monthly newsletters I will send out this year. You can access this newsletter on my website at any time. Throughout the month I will also send out reminder e-mails if necessary. Please contact me at , if you have any questions or concerns.
SOL Objectives & Topics to be taught in September
Topics and SOL Objectives will be taught in the order listed for each subject.
Reading
1.) DRA testing will begin by September 12th at the latest
2.) Students will start the "Building a Reading Life" unit created by Lucy Calkins
3.5 & 3.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fiction and nonfiction text;
c) Make, confirm, or revise predictions.
d) Compare and contrast settings, characters, and events.
e) Identify the author’s purpose.
f) Ask and answer questions about what is read.
g) Draw conclusions about text.
h) Identify the problem and solution.
i) Identify the main idea.
j) Identify supporting details.
k.) Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction
Writing
1.) Students will be given a pre-assessment writing prompt, which will be used to show growth throughout the school year.
2.) We will be reviewing the basics of writing.
3.10 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
a) Use complete sentences.
b) Use transition words to vary sentence structure.
c) Use the word I in compound subjects.
d) Use past and present verb tense.
e) Use singular possessives.
j) Use correct spelling for frequently used sight words, including irregular plurals.
3.) In mid-September students will begin unit one of the Lucy Calkins writing workshop, which is writing a personal narrative.
Word Study
1.) Students will take a practice assessment using the practice word sort. This assessment will not be graded.
2.) Students will be pre-assessed using the DSA, groups will be created and new sorts will be assigned by September 5th.
3.) Test dates for this month are September 16th and September 30th
4.) Homework – Students should complete $1.00 worth of homework each week unless told otherwise. Please use the homework menu to guide you. If you are confused about word study homework, please e-mail me.
Math
1.) 3.17 The student will:
a)collect and organize data, using observations, measurements, surveys, or experiments;
b)construct a line plot, a picture graph, or a bar graph to represent the data; and
c)read and interpret the data represented in line plots, bar graphs, and picture graphs and write a sentence analyzing the data.
2.) 3.1The student will;
a)read and write six-digit numerals and identify the place value and value of each digit;
b)round whole numbers, 9,999 or less, to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand; and
c)compare two whole numbers between 0 and 9,999, using symbols (>, <, or=) and words (greater than,less than, or equal to).
3.) 3.2The student will recognize and use the inverse relationships between addition/subtraction to complete basic fact sentences. The student will use these relationships to solve problems.
3.4The student will estimate solutions to and solve single-step and multistep problems involving the sum or difference of two whole numbers, each 9,999 or less, with or without regrouping.
Social Studies & Science
1.) 3.10The student will recognize the importance of government in the community, Virginia, and the United States of America by
a)explaining the purpose of rules and laws;
b)explaining that the basic purposes of government are to make laws, carry out laws, and decide if laws have been broken;
c)explaining that government protects the rights and property of individuals.
3.11The student will explain the importance of the basic principles that form the foundation of a republican form of government by
a)describing the individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law;
d)describing how people can serve the community, state, and nation.
2.) 3.1The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which
a)observations are made and are repeated to ensure accuracy;
b)predictions are formulated using a variety of sources of information;
c)objects with similar characteristics or properties are classified into at least two sets and two subsets;
g)questions are developed to formulate hypotheses;
i)unexpected or unusual quantitative data are recognized;
j)inferences are made and conclusions are drawn;
3.) 3.3The student will investigate and understand that objects are made of materials that can be described by their physical properties. Key concepts include
a)objects are made of one or more materials;
b)physical properties remain the same as the material is changed in visible size; and
c)visible physical changes are identified.
Class Dojo
Don't forget to create your parent account for Class Dojo. Once you have an account you can access your child's behavior chart and the class story. Also, students can create their own accounts to track their points and customize their avatars.
Remind App
Don't forget to text the message @3348kg to the number 81010. You will automatically be signed up for quick reminders.
R.O.C.K.S. Binder & Agenda
During the first few weeks of school students struggle to correctly write in their agendas and keep their binders neat and organized. Please help them learn how to use these tools. I assist the students at the end of the day, but there are times when a student uses the agenda incorrectly and I do not catch the mistake. If you don't understand the agenda, do not hesitate to ask me for assistance.
First Quarter Reading Log
On the first quarter reading log students need to write how much they read on each day. There is also a page where students should list the chapter books and nonfiction books they have completed during the quarter.
Homework the week of September 5th
-Read 15 minutes Tuesday – Thursday evenings
-Complete $0.75 of word study homework by Friday
-Complete Reflex once by Friday
Classroom Volunteers
I sent e-mails to parents that offered to volunteer this school year on Tuesday. If you did not receive the e-mail, please check your clutter and let me know if I need to resend the e-mail. All volunteers will need to complete the LCPS volunteer application. Also, volunteer orientation is this Friday at 8:30 in the cafeteria if you would like to attend.
Daily Snack
Don't forget to pack your child a snack each day. We will have snack time in the morning, the time will vary due to specials.
SCA Campaign Project
All the third grade classes will be starting a new project this month to help the students learn about our country’s government. During this project students from each class will be chosen as candidates for the SCA representative. These students will have a campaign team that will assist them in creating a poster, writing a speech, and filming a short video. Out of the several students running, one will be elected SCA representative for each classroom. If you are interested in this project for your child, please e-mail me and I will send home a flyer with more information.
Cafeteria Condiments
If a student does not buy a school lunch they will not have access to the condiment packets. If your child's packed lunch requires a condiment, please pack it in their lunch box. Loudoun County has a strict policy about cafeteria condiments, sorry for the inconvenience!
Important Dates
September 6th – 16th: PTO Tennis Shoe Drive
September 16th: Constitution Day
September 27th: ASAP Registration begins
September 29th: PTO restaurant night at Papa John's
Box Tops
Don't forget to send in Box Tops during the school year!