3rd Grade Back To School Night 2014 - 2015

The 3rd Grade Team STEM – Math and Science Mrs. Sarah Gonnella and Ms. Jenn Warner Humanities – ELA and Social Studies Mrs. Mary Mechalske and Mrs. Leah Offutt Specialized Instruction Ms. Chrissy Bixler – ELA Specialist Ms. Carey Sneska– G & T Mrs. Miki Fitzgerald – Math Resource Ms. Samantha Gostic and Ms. Kristi Pfeffer Resource Teachers

Our Schedule 8:55- 9:20 Homeroom 9:20-11:20 AM Rotation 11:25-12:25 Specials 12:30-1:00 Lunch 1:00-1:20 Recess 1:20-3:20 PM Rotation 3:20-3:40 Flex Time 3:40-3:45 Pack-up 3:45 Dismissal

Flex Time This is something new we are trying this year. It is designed to be a time where we can provide intervention and reteach as necessary. The children will be expected to be working with a teacher, an assistant, or independently.

Attendance Carroll County Public Schools recognizes the importance between attendance and academic success. Please contact the school every day your child will not be present for learning. Please make arrangements to obtain missed class work if applicable. Please contact the school nurse or school counselor, if your child’s absence will be more than three days due to illness or emotional concerns. There may be supports available for you and your child.

Attendance All student absences must be reported to the school office. This can be done with a phone call, hand written note signed by the parent, or by email to: RUEattendance@carrollk12.org For more information regarding attendance and attendance procedures please see the student handbook, or the Student Services Manual located on the CCPS website

Cafeteria Cafeteria Account Personal Identification Number (PIN) Help your child remember his/her 5 digit PIN # Monitor your child’s account on www.schoolpaymentsolutions.com $$$ Money $$$ Parents/Guardians choose the amount of money to place in their child’s account Money can be used for meals or snack How do I start or add to my child’s account? www.schoolpaymentsolutions.com Check or Cash

Annual Parent Permission Process The annual parent permission process has gone online this year. Parents should have received an email last week about completing the permissions through the ESP Center. These include: Disclosure of Directory Information, Students in Media Coverage, Use of Student Work Product, and Indication that you have received the Portable Electronic Devices School Board Policy.

New Visitor Protocol A Camera and buzzer system has or will be installed at all schools to increase student safety and school security.

Visitor Protocol Continued

Portable Electronic Devices BYOD – Bring your own device, is a policy being piloted by several elementary schools for the first 2 quarters of this school year. Runnymede will be implementing the policy beginning at quarter 3 in January 2015. At that time students will be allowed to bring devices to school to use within the guidelines for students in grades 3 – 12. More information has been provided in the September Newsletter.

Student/Parent Handbook IMPORTANT RESOURCE !!!! One Student/Parent Handbook is distributed to each family including an insert with important information relevant to RUE, and the CCPS calendar with policies and important dates. PLEASE USE THESE RESOURCES

Miscellaneous Reminders Birthdays - Birthday invitations can be distributed at school if done in an unobtrusive manner.  Please send In only non-food items. Alternative possibilities include pencils, stickers, goody bags, etc. Supplies Tissues and Ziploc bags Please Visit our Lending a Hand Board Third Grade Memory Books – Gift Cards to Wal-Mart for photo printing Volunteers - Please be sure to take a volunteer training session 7 school days prior to volunteering in the classroom

Toys and Electronics Policy No electronic radios or games No trading cards No Toys/Stuffed Animals

PARCC Testing Students in 3rd grade will participate in the State PARCC testing for Reading and Math. Testing Dates are TBD and you will be getting more information about this as the year progresses.

Field Trips FIELD TRIPS ARE ALIGNED TO THE CURRICULUM & ARE CONSIDERED PART OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME….ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND!!! In order to chaperone, you MUST have completed a volunteer training at least 7 days prior to the trip – THE SOONER YOU GET IT DONE THE BETTER

Field Trips Please send in a money order or check made out to Runnymede Elementary We will try to accommodate as many chaperones as we can for each trip Be on the look-out for details on trip locations during the year!!

Book Orders Homeroom teachers will be sending home Scholastic books orders throughout the school year You can order online or send a check into school with the order form (checks made payable to Scholastic) Scholastic allows you to… Choose from a variety of grade and reading level specific books for your child Earn free books for the classroom library

Agendas Homework Assignments 20 minutes of reading (Strive for 25) Word study Math practice Communication Source Code of Conduct Clip Chart Behavior Log

Report Cards This is the first year that you children will receive letter grades on their report card.

Discovery Education Go to https://carrollk12.discoveryeducation.com/ A great resource for parents to use at home is Discovery Education. Steps on how to access Discovery Education from Home: Go to https://carrollk12.discoveryeducation.com/  Children log in with their computer log in user and password. (In the front of their agendas)

PBIS

What is PBIS? The application of evidence-based strategies and systems to assist schools: to increase academic performance increase safety decrease problem behavior and establish positive school cultures

PBIS Big Ideas Positive Behavior Support is a process for teaching children appropriate behavior and providing the supports necessary to sustain that behavior. PBIS is not a curriculum - it is a framework for systems to identify needs, develop strategies, and evaluate practice toward success

Why PBIS? PBIS helps reduce challenging student behavior through a proactive, positive, and consistent manner across ALL school settings. Additionally, it helps improve academic achievement and social competence.

CODE OF CONDUCT Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Ready to Learn Bathroom Assemblies Class Bus Halls Recess Cafe.

Grade Level Incentives Students earn tickets in all classrooms and throughout the school for displaying appropriate behaviors Grade Level rewards given at least twice a month: Bring a stuffed animal to school Pajama Day “Hopper” Day Extra recess

Consistent Consequences General reminder will be given about appropriate behavior. Individual reminder/redirection will be given about appropriate behavior. Chronic behavior will result in a support room or office referral. Certain actions warrant immediate administrative involvement such as fighting, using inappropriate language, harassment, threats, and possession of contraband or weapons.

Classroom Clip Charts Color Level Pink Outstanding Purple Great Job Green Ready to Learn Yellow Think About It Orange Consequence Red Referral

Classroom Clip Chart Log in Agendas

Third Grade Commitment to Parent and Students Parents will receive regular communication: Letters Data Binders Agenda Books Quarterly Progress Reports Phone calls

STEM (Math and Science)

Math Homework Math Resource Folders Basic Fact Bags Homework Labels Nightly Assignments and Unit Reviews If your child is stuck, write a note!

Mathematically Speaking Newsletters Inside your child’s Math Resource Folder, you will find a plastic page protector. This page protector will house all of our Mathematically Speaking Newsletters. The Mathematically Speaking Newsletters are a tool we use to communicate with parents about the curriculum expectations and standards. These newsletters will include parent-friendly language and examples.

Online Resource for Parents at Home Carroll County Teachers with the help of Donn Hicks (Elementary Mathematics Supervisor) have made this resource to help parents at home. http://video.carrollk12.org/ElementaryMath X-tra Math is a basic fact website that you will be receiving a letter about in the future to help your child practice his/her basic facts.

STEM Data Binder Means of tracking student progress Way for student to take ownership in his/her learning Form of communication with parents Periodically you might see a label in your child’s data binder with an updated grade. Please contact your child’s STEM teacher if you have any questions or concerns. In the data binder you will find a bright piece of cardstock that says “New STEM Data”. This divider will mark the new work samples in the data binder. Work in the data binder is used when determining report card grades STEM Data Binder Samples will include: Unit Check-Ups (Post Tests) Quizzes and Basic Fact Quizzes

STEM Grading Policy Work in the data binder is used when determining report card grades Math report card grades consist of an average of all of the samples in the STEM Data Binder When determining an overall letter grade, the specific indicators are used. At the top of each assessment, you will find an indicator box that includes what your child has earned for each of the included report card indicators as well as an overall letter grade. Fact fluency is an indicator on the report card but it is not used to determine the overall letter grade.

STEM Grading Tests & Quizzes from the data binder. Grading Scale 90% - 100%  O = A 80% - 89%  S = B 70% - 79%  S = C 60% - 69%  N = D 59% & Below  N = F

Third Grade Specifics Unit 1: Foundation of Multiplication, Division and Area Unit 2: Strategies for Addition, Subtraction, and Measurement Unit 3: Equal Partitioning and Naming Fractions Unit 4: Multiplication and Division Unit 5: Multiplication, Division, and Area Unit 6: Equivalence and Comparing Fraction, Measurement and Data Unit 7: Geometry and Measurement Unit 8: Computational Fluency

What about high ability learners? In Grades K-5, CCPS teachers will utilize the Progression Documents to meet the needs of our high ability students.

Flexible Groupings This year in math we will be using flexible groups to meet the needs of all students. This means depending on the concept or skill your child may work in a different math group or classroom. We will assess the children’s knowledge and Ms. Warner and Mrs. Gonnella will make groups to meet the needs of all learners. SO just because your child is currently assigned to one of our classes this does not mean that they will not be working with both of us.

Fact Practice Your child will bring home a Basic Fact Bag each night. Please help your child review his/her facts at least three times per week. The facts that your child will practice will include any addition and subtraction not yet mastered as well as all of the multiplication division facts to 100.

Science Living Things Road Trip Through Maryland STEM Unit A work in Process Physical Science

Ways to contact us with ANY questions or concerns: Good times to call us: before school (8:00-8:45), during planning (11:30-12:15), or after school (4:00-4:15) Written notes or notes on the homework Email STEM Website

Questions for STEM Teachers REMEMBER... This is not a conference; please refrain from asking questions specific to your child.

Humanities (ELA and Social Studies)

Third Grade Instructional Materials Social Studies Alive! McGraw-Hill Wonders

Example of Daily Schedule When Teaching Social Studies Using Wonders Series Vocabulary Whole Group/Vocabulary -Social Studies vocabulary Introduction to the week’s theme, vocabulary, listening comprehension -REV It Up Vocabulary Whole Group Flexible Reading Groups Flexible reading groups to meet students’ needs Flexible Reading Group Word Study We are using Fundations this year as Word Study and Grammar our word study this year We are using Fundations this year as our word study this year Grammar Writing

Social Studies Economics Carroll County Regions Instruction will be integrated into ELA. Parent letters will highlight learning objectives and key vocabulary.

Determining Reading Levels Third Grade – On Grade Level Houghton Mifflin (phonics) Running Records (comprehension, fluency & decoding) Scholastic Reading Inventory Score (SRI) The Comprehension Benchmark Assessment (CBAs - reading comprehension and writing Writing samples Daily classroom performance Third Grade – On Grade Level   Quarter 1 WINTER Quarter 2 Quarter 3 SPRING Quarter 4 Reading Level N O --- Scholastic Reading Inventory 454+ 483+ 572+ Comprehension Benchmark Assessment -- ≥ 70% County Writing Rubrics – Dev. of Ideas 2+ County Writing Rubrics -Organization County Writing Rubrics – Clarity County Writing Rubrics – Conventions

Strive for 25 Students who read daily will grow as readers and be much more successful when reading Students read books on their independent reading level. Students will write a brief letter discussing their reading Teachers will be sure that students are selecting books appropriate for their reading level Please be sure your child brings a book to school every day

Word Study Homework Students will have nightly word study homework that will consist of different engaging activities that reinforce spelling patterns/syllable types taught through our Fundations phonics instruction. A parent letter will go home at the beginning of each new unit with the attached homework activities.

Cursive Handwriting Why teach cursive? Fluent, spontaneous handwriting makes more working memory available to focus on higher level thinking. The lack of an automatic command of handwriting can inhibit a student's ability to write, affect his self confidence and encourage him to avoid writing,

Data Binders Means of tracking student progress Form of communication with parents Way for student to take ownership in his/her learning

Data Binders Wonders assessments Writing pieces Responses to texts E.L.A. Sample work: Wonders assessments Writing pieces Responses to texts Graded class work Social Studies assessments Fundations assessments REV It Up assessments

Thanks for coming!