Welcome to Back to School Night Please sign

Welcome to Back to School Night! • Please sign up for a fall and a spring Parent -Teacher conference. Kindly reserve the evening times for working parents. • Add your email address to the class list. • If you are interested in chaperoning a trip, please sign up to be entered in the lottery. • Respond to your child’s letter.

Expectations and Goals • Positive, risk-free learning environment • Want students to feel supported and appropriately challenged • Goals for Students Behavior expectations: Be kind! Work hard! Build responsibility / independence Learn to set goals and achieve them Practice “Habits of Mind” Understand that mistakes are part of learning • Home and school work as a team! Send in a note or call if you have a question or concern

What to Expect in 3 rd Grade • Big jump! • Support at home! (Please!) • Classwork and Homework – Not all work is graded, but is reviewed – Students usually check themselves – Checked Work folders • Content Area Tests – Emphasis not on grade, but what student needs to work on – Sign and return

Reading Workshop • Teachers College workshop model • Literacy CAFÉ • Common Core Learning Standards • Developing critical thinking skills • Reading many different genres • Build fluency and comprehension • Develop vocabulary! • We need your help! • Reading levels –> M-P • Time spent reading Just Right Books! • Complete reading logs

Reading Levels Explained How Readers at Each Band Would Comprehend The Wizard of Oz K, L, and M Readers Dorothy is friendly. The problem is she gets taken to Oz by a tornado. It gets solved when she uses her magic shoes to get home. N, O, P & Q Readers All of the above and… I noticed that the characters all said one thing but acted in a different way, For example, the Scarecrow said he was not smart but he always finds a way to solve their problems. I also noticed that Dorothy had to solve many little problems before she could solve her big problem of getting home. R, S, and T Readers All of the above and… I noticed that the setting seemed like a character, too. Let me explain… U, V, and W Readers All of the above and…discuss theme and symbolism. X, Y, and Z Readers All of the above and… The Wizard of Oz is a satire of the Depression / Dust Bowl era in American history. Let me compare that to another satire called Gulliver’s Travels.

Writing Workshop • Teachers College Workshop model • Writing in different genres • Process – – – Collecting seed ideas Drafting Revising & Editing Publishing Sharing

Third Grade TC Units of Study 2015 -2016 Months Reading Writing September/October Unit 1: Building a Reading Life Unit 1: Crafting True Stories (Personal Narrative) October/ November Unit 2: Reading to Learn: Grasping Main Unit 2: The Art of Information Writing Ideas and Text Structures November/December Unit 3: Character Studies December/ January Unit 4: Research Clubs: Elephants, Penguins, and Frogs, Oh My! February Unit 5: Social Issues Book Clubs Unit 4: Changing the World: Persuasive Speeches, Petitions, and Editorials March Unit 6: Test Preparation Unit 5: Test Preparation April/May Unit 7: Biography Book Clubs Unit 6: Information Writing: Reading, Research, and Writing in the Content Areas May/June Unit 8: Mystery Book Clubs Unit 7: Once Upon a Time: Adapting and Writing Fairy Tales Unit 3: 3 rd Grade Literary Essay

Word Study • Words Their Way program • Differentiated and developmentally based • Word sorts • Goal is to transfer to reading and writing • Quiz given at the end of each sort

Math À Piloting new math programs in the district–Go Math! À Emphasizes understanding, computational fluency, and real life applications À Workbook for classwork and homework À Numerous online resources, including videos À 5 E’s: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate À Repertoire of different strategies and algorithms À Concepts to cover this year include: multiplication/ rectangular arrays and area, division, fractions

Math Students need to practice their skills at home, too! • Time-telling and elapsed time • Money skills • Addition and subtraction facts • Multiplication and division facts (later in the year)

Social Studies Units of Study – 5 concepts (geography, history, economy, government, and culture) – Map skills and landforms – Countries Around the World Science Units of Study – Measuring Matter – Water – Living Earth – Departmentalization with Mrs. Wise

Homework Policy • Purpose: To reinforce and maintain skills learned in class; foster a sense of responsibility • Law of Diminishing Returns: – The tendency for a continuing application of effort or skill toward a particular project or goal to decline in effectiveness after a certain level of result has been achieved. • Given Monday – Thursday nights • Reading and log every night, including weekends and vacations – Time increases throughout the year • Usually math, reading, and maybe writing or word study • Parents supervise and may assist, but please write a quick note at the top if the assignment was particularly difficult. • Effort – Content and Appearance • Complete missed homework in library during recess

Homework Tips • Set a daily time and place (routine) • Quiet place with few distractions • Have necessary supplies (sharpened pencils, post-its, looseleaf paper) • Pack backpack as soon as homework is completed • Offer support and praise, but do not complete the homework for your child

Field Trips v Brookville Outdoor Educational Center v Friday, October 23 rd v 4 chaperones per class v Free! v Japanese Drumming at the Tilles Center v Friday, January 29 th v 2 chaperones per class v Cost: Approximately $20

Testing • • Teachers College Reading Assessments NWEA COGAT Practice Test (September 25 th) COGAT Test (September 28 -30) New York State ELA Test (April 5 -7) New York State Math Test (April 13 -15) Content area tests will be announced in advance

Miscellaneous • Communication – Note in Boomerang folder or email – Email: • jharrington@hewlett-woodmere. net • swise@hewlett-woodmere. net – Dismissal notes CANNOT BE EMAILED! Please write a note in your child’s folder or call the office in an emergency. • Snack – Please send a healthy snack! – Allergies! We are a nut-free class! • Lunch – Please send money in a sealed envelope labeled with the child’s name. – Send with child – avoid drop-offs please • Birthdays – Celebrated once per month; coordinated by class moms

Miscellaneous • Class Moms – Ms. Almonte and Ms. Amitrano • Scholastic Book Orders – Order online at any time! – Link on my teacher page

Thank you for coming to Back to School Night! Remember… • Please sign up for a Parent-Teacher conference. Kindly reserve the evening times for working parents. • Sign the list if you are interested in chaperoning a trip. • Add your email to the class list if you are interested in doing so. • Respond to your child’s letter.