At this point I’m sure there are many mixed emotions about your child being in a multiage classroom. Multiage classrooms focus on teaching students in a cross-grade group as a whole class and emphasizing individual progress through a developmentally appropriate curriculum. We will do some instruction as a whole group, but I will also be doing quite a bit of small group instruction that will be more individualized and grade specific. I want you to be assured that your child will not fall behind and expectations will be achievable. I strongly believe that children in the multiage classroom will walk away more responsible and independent, as well as prepared for the next year. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to ensure that your child succeeds. If at any time you are concerned, please do not hesitate to contact me.

We will be covering a lot of important topics this year and I want you to be as informed as possible so that you are able to help your child at home. Within this letter you will find some information about me, what you should expect your child to be able to do by the end of the year both academically and socially, expectations of your child in school, and how they will be graded.

I am your teacher, Mrs. Payne. This is my nineteenth year teaching young minds at Pansophia Academy. Before becoming a teacher I lived in seven different places due to my dad’s job with the Boy Scouts of America. I spent the summers working at the different Boy Scout Camps doing odd jobs in the kitchen, the trading post and the waterfront area. I learned a lot about how important it is to have fun while still working hard. I try to bring this philosophy into my classroom.

How will my child be graded?

Students will be evaluated on the Common Coreand state mandated grade level standards. Their grades will be based on demonstration of academic skills. Parents will receive progress reports half way through each marking period, a report card at the end of each marking period, and will have the opportunity for two formal conferences during the school year. If at any time you would like to discuss your child’s progress feel free to email me any time or call 10am to 10:30 (Mon, Tues and Thurs), 1pm to 1:20 (any week day), or after school until 4pm.

Email:

Phone: (517) 279-4686 ex. 306

What Should I expect my child to be learning?

Third Grade English Language Arts

While using Reading A to Z, i-Ready, Imagine It!, paragraph of the week, and various other materials, students will build important reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. They will think, talk, and write about what they read in a variety of articles, books, and other texts. In their writing, students will pay more attention to organizing information, developing ideas, and supporting these ideas with facts, details, and reasons. Activities in these areas will include:

• Reading a wide range of stories and describing how a story teaches a lesson

• Describing characters in a story and how their actions contributed to events

• Reading texts about history, social studies, or science and answering questions about what they learned

• Referring to information from illustrations such as maps or pictures as well as the words in a text to support their answers

• Learning the rules of spoken and written English

• Learning and using new words, including words related to specific subjects (such as science words)

• Participating in class discussions by listening, asking questions, sharing ideas, and building on the ideas of others

• Giving a class presentation on a topic or telling a story using relevant facts and details and speaking clearly

• Writing stories with dialogue and descriptions of character’s actions, thoughts, and feelings

• Gathering information from books, articles, and online sources to build understanding of a topic

• Writing research or opinion papers over extended periods of time

Third Grade Mathematics

Through the use of the “Go Math!” resources, i-Ready, and other materials, students will continue to build their concept of numbers, developing an understanding of fractions as numbers. They will learn the concepts behind multiplication and division and apply problem-solving skills and strategies for multiplying and dividing numbers up through 100 to solve word problems. Students will also make connections between the concept of the area of a rectangle and multiplication and addition of whole numbers. Activities in these areas will include:

• Understanding and explaining what it means to multiply or divide numbers

• Multiplying all one-digit numbers from memory (knowing their times table)

• Multiplying one-digit numbers by multiples of 10 (such as 20, 30, and 40)

• Solving two-step word problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

• Understanding the concept of area

• Relating the measurement of area to multiplication and division

• Understanding fractions as numbers

• Understanding and identifying a fraction as a number on a number line

• Comparing the size of two fractions

• Expressing whole numbers as fractions and identifying fractions that are equal to whole numbers (for example, recognizing that3⁄1 and 3 are the same number)

• Measuring weights and volumes and solving word problems involving these measurements

• Representing and interpreting data

Science

This year we will be using resources from “Science Fusion.” Students will learn through the use of print, inquiry, and digital experiences. We will be discussing and learning about the following:

  • How scientists investigate questions, use models, tools, and data.
  • The Engineering process and technology
  • Life cycles of plants and animals
  • Ecosystems and how they interact
  • Changes to Earth’s Surfaces
  • People, natural resources, and the conservation of resources
  • The water cycle and weather
  • The Earth and the phases of its Moon
  • Physical properties, states of matter, changes in matter and how we can observe these changes
  • Simple and compound machines and how they work

Social Studies

With guidance from the Calhoun Intermediate School District Collaborative Social Studies Curriculum we will be digging into Michigan’s past in Social Studies. Students will learn about the cardinal directions, regions of Michigan, as well as characteristics of the state we live in. Other topics covered over the year will be:

  • The first people in Michigan
  • How American Indians and settlers adapted to the environment
  • Interactions between American Indians and the First European explorers and settlers
  • Natural Resources in Michigan
  • The role of the Underground Railroad in Michigan
  • Major economic activity in Michigan (such as, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, etc.)
  • Movement of goods, people, jobs, or information to, from, or within Michigan
  • Timelines
  • Scarcity, opportunity costs, and choices
  • How Michigan’s location and natural resources influenced its economic development
  • Products produced in other countries and consumed by people in Michigan
  • Michigan made products
  • The effect of the Eire Canal
  • Michigan government
  • Rights and Responsibilities of citizenship
  • The purpose of the Michigan Constitution
  • Public issues in Michigan and alternate resolutions
  • Past and current threats to Michigan’s natural resources

Expectations of my child

All elementary students have 3 non-negotiable rules that are school wide and they will be expected to follow daily. These rules are as follows:

  1. No name calling
  2. Keep your hands to yourself
  3. No running unless you are in gym class or on the playground

Along with these non-negotiables, I have a few expectations of the students as well:

Students are expected to be Positive, Productive, Safe, Responsible and Respectful when they come to school each day!

We will treat others kindly, never give up, and will not be afraid to ask questions!

Homework should be turned in on time and completed in pencil.

We will be respectful when using school materials or any materials that do not belong to ourselves.

Daily Schedule (Times subject to change)

Please sign and return this page with any questions or comments you may have after reading through this. I will get back to you with answers to your questions as soon as possible.

Parent Signature:______Date:______

Student Signature:______Date:______