1. Ms. Polselli’s Grade 3 Class Welcome, students and parents to Open House & Curriculum Night

2. Welcome to Grade 3! I will introduce you to our classroom. If you have any questions during my presentation, please feel free to email me at polsellim@portsmouthschoolsri.org polsellim@portsmouthschoolsri.org

3. All About Me My background o I grew up in Portsmouth. o I attended, Portsmouth High, and St. Michael’s College in Vermont & received my teaching certificate from UMass Dartmouth. In 2006 I achieved National Board Certification. I live with my husband and we have 2 grown children. My experience o I’ve been teaching for 31 years in Portsmouth. o I have also taught K, second, fifth and sixth grades, but so far, third is my favorite.

4. My Goals To provide my students with the academic and social skills they need to progress to fourth grade. To provide a safe, supportive and fun classroom community environment. To help my students make new friends and discover new interests. To create a classroom community that supports a learning environment.

5. Class Subjects The subjects we cover during the year are related to Grade 3 Common Core o Mathematics - Envisions- Pearson o Reading – Lucy Calkins & UBD o Writing – Lucy Calkins Writing o Science- Fusion o Social Studies- United States Geography

6. Reading We are beginning our year by reading and writing narratives. Students read for 15-20 minutes silently everyday and students promise to read at home every night for 15 – 20 minutes. By working together, we will ensure that all students reach the Common Core standards for reading and responding to different types of literature by with a constructed response.

7. Writing Students will learn different styles of writing: o Fictional and non- fictional essays o Summaries o Narrative writing o Opinion writing o Poetry writing o Fairy Tales

8. Math Students are busy studying for the state NECAP test which is scheduled for mid- October. Students can study at home and in class by visiting: StudyIsland.com Our Classroom Website

9. Science Portsmouth and the East Bay School Districts created a science curriculum engaging students as they strive to attain goals the state set for each grade level. In 4th grade, students are formally assessed yearly across all districts in RI. Our new science curriculum is focused on content and students will learn through inquiry. Our 5 units are as follows: Unit 1: Weather Unit 2: Properties of Matter (looking at water) Unit 3: Force & Motion (balls and ramps) Unit 4: Humans (systems) Unit 5: Structure & Survival (animal and plant life)

10. Social Studies In grade 3 students learn about their community and how it works. We will concentrate on the immediate community of Portsmouth, RI but will branch out to include the other communities on Aquidneck Island including Middletown and Newport. Students in Grade 3 are also very interested in learning more about the states in the USA. Hopefully we will spend time in the spring learning about our favorite states as we learn how to write non-fiction books.

11. Classroom Community Our classroom is a community. We conduct Open Circle meetings 2 times a week and we will begin our journey into becoming a classroom community. We have rules to help us get along with each other. Our class rules are: o Be respectful and responsible. o Be organized and follow directions. o Be on time. o Be prepared. o Be honest and trustworthy

12. Homework 15-20 minutes of math 15 -20 minutes of reading 10-15 minutes of spelling If you need to know the homework assigned for the day, look in your child’s Planner. On our classroom website you will find a overview of the projects and lessons we are covering in class.

13. Field Trips We have lots of fun field trips planned for this year: September – Melville Pond with Norman Bird Sanctuary March – Seal Watch/Newport May- Play-Rhode Island College June –Visit Portsmouth Middle School

14. Important Dates to Remember: First Day of School - Tuesday, August 27th Labor Day (no school) - Monday, September 2nd Open House/Curriculum Night (parents and students) – Parent Teacher Conferences – December 2013

15. Let’s Have a Great Year!