Ms. Walter’s Third Grade Class 3-328(321) Welcome to the school year

PS 165’s Instructional Focus: Assessment of Learning We will do this through.. 1. Questioning 2. Entry Points 3. Strengthening Teacher Practice Surrounding Assessment

Welcome to Third Grade!  I will introduce you to what your child will learn in third grade and to our classroom.  If you have any questions, please jot them down.

All About Me  My background  I have lived in Flushing NY on the same block for 50 years  I attended Queens College (Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees)  My experience  I’ve been teaching for 27 years, all here at PS 165  I have taught first grade and second grade, now third grade  I love anything DISNEY and Broadway

My Family  My husband  Danny, school custodian  Our child  daughter, Liana is a senior at Francis Lewis High School.

My Goals  To give your child the academic and social skills they need to progress to fourth grade.  To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment.  To discover new interests.  “It is kind of fun to do the impossible.”- Walt Disney

Parent-Teacher Conference Dates  Tuesday, September 16 th —Parent Night—no individual conferences  Thursday, November 13 th 2014 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm—individual conferences  OPEN SCHOOL WEEK-TBA  Thursday, March 19 th 2015 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm—individual conferences  May 2015—Parent Time---TBA  “It is kind of fun to do the impossible.”-Walt Disney

Class Subjects  The subjects we cover during third grade are:  Reading/Writing Workshop  Math Workshop—using laptops to take assessments  Science and Social Studies  Test Sophistication  Organizational/Study Skills

Reading  Every day we have Reading Workshop. (using Ready Gen as an instructional resource)  Students follow rules and procedures during the mini-lesson.  There is ample time given for independent reading (annotating while reading) and discussions daily in class.  Your child is expected to read nightly and log weekly.  ELA exam: April New York State They will be assessed in Reading three times a year. Here at PS 165 we use the Fountas/Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System.

Math  You must read the problem, maybe draw a picture, write a complete number sentence, and always finish an explanation of “HOW” you solved the problem.  GO MATH! is the program that we use.  This year your child will be taking their assessments online in class and be given work daily on thinkcentral.com. We will learn how to use it properly.  MATH exam: April New York State Please check TEN MARKS/XTRAMATH each evening.

Language/Spelling  Each week your child will get new SPELLING WORDS from her/his own reading.  They must complete three weekly activities based on the words from their reading.  It is important for them to study their words as often as possible.  They will have a weekly practice test that you administer at home and correct.  All of this is completed in the HW notebook.

Science  We will learn many interesting and exciting concepts in science.  We will study measurement, physics of sound and structures of life.  You are encouraged to bring things from home, which relate to the topics we are discussing.  Our school’s science specialists and I will work together to get our scientists minds going. Here at PS 165 we use the FOSS program.

Social Studies  We will learn about World Geography and World Communities, as well as a few Case Studies of a Community in Africa, Asia, South America, The Caribbean, Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia, and/or Australia.  Again, you are encouraged to bring things from home, which relate to the topics we are discussing.  If you have taken any trips to interesting places here in the city, please share with us.

Classroom Community  Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other.  Our basic class rules are:  Always listening to classmates.  Bodies still while learning.  Never touching another classmate.  Never judging others opinions.

Homework  Your child is responsible for completing his/her homework each night.  Homework is always copied in their planner.  I will assign about 90 minutes of homework every night. This should include at least an hour of reading for now. This will increase as the year progresses.  Their homework is due every morning.  If homework is not completed, he/she will get a mis- conduct letter and I will record it for data purposes.  Homework may not be limited to just Monday- Thursday. It may also be given on Friday.

Tardiness  School starts at 8:20 A.M.  Morning work is assigned each day. If your child is late, he/she must come in and know what to do. If he/she does not complete it, he/she will take it to lunch and complete it there.  If you aren’t in the classroom by the time the bell rings, please check in at security desk for a late pass before coming to class. (BUS students do not have to do this)

Resources x.htmlhttp://mrswalterswonderfulworldoflearni.weebly.com/inde x.html GO MATH accountwww.thinkcentral.com ELA exam: April New York State MATH exam: April New York State

Let’s Have a Great Year!

EXIT SLIP Help me learn more about your child by telling me… 3 interests your child has… 2 facts about your family… 1 piece of information that will help me as your child’s teacher…