Kent Elementary C urriculum N ight: A Bird’s Eye View

1. Kent Elementary Curriculum Night: A Bird’s Eye View Presented by the Third Grade Teachers D’Andrea Parker LeAnn Slay Amasha Brown

2. Welcome Parents! We are thrilled to have your children in our third grade classes, and we are looking forward to a fantastic year! Listed below is our contact information; please feel free to contact us at any time to discuss questions, concerns, or celebrations! We are here for you. D’Andrea Parker parkerd@cfbisd.edu LeAnn Slay slayl@cfbisd.edu Amasha Brown brownama@cfbisd.edu

3. Starting the Day Off Right! • Supervision in the cafeteria begins at 7:10 each morning. • At 7:30 students are picked up from the cafeteria and school starts. • Announcements begin at 7:40. • Students are tardy at 7:40. The academic day starts right away! Please have your child at school no later than 7:30.

4. Basic Third Grade Schedule • 7:30 – Pick up from cafeteria • 7:40 – Announcements, Morning Work (Spelling,Handwriting, Math Boxes) • 7:45 – Tutoring • 8:15 – Language Arts or Math (Depends on class) • 9:50 –Restroom Break • 10:00 – Activity • 10:50 – Social Studies/Science • 11:50 – Lunch • 12:20 – Recess • 12:50 – Restroom • 1:00– Language Arts or Math • 2:45 – Pack Up • 2:55 – Dismissal

5. Absences/ Tardies • If your child will be absent please email Sue Wildermuth, our attendance clerk, and your child’s teacher to let us know. wildermuths@cfbisd.edu • Students are tardy at 7:40. • Attendance is very important to your child’s success! Be sure to have your child at school on time everyday!!

6. Absent Work • Number of days absent = number of days to complete the work. • If your child is absent please send a note explaining why they were so it can be submitted to the office. • Parents may call the school for missed work to be sent home with a sibling or picked up by the parent. • Graded assignments will be completed at school; practice may be completed at home.

7. Tuesday Folders • Tuesday folders will come home on Tuesdays (or Wednesday if it’s a short week). • Tuesday folders include graded papers and school notes. • Please take all items out of the folder. • Parent signature is required.

8. Medications • ALL medicine will be sent to the office. • It must have your child’s name on it and the amount to give to child. • No medication can be in class, not even cough drops.

9. Birthdays • Your child’s birthday is a special day in school! • Your child will announce their birthday on the morning announcements and be recognized in the classroom. • You may send a non-consumable treat for the class if you wish (pencils, erasers, bubbles, etc.). • Do not send cupcakes, cookies, etc. • Birthday invitations can not be passed out at school; please make other arrangements.

10. Dress Code • Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be 4 inches above the knee or longer. • Leggings may be worn under a garment that is 4 inches above the knee or longer. • Straps on shirts must be at least 2 inches in width. • Pants, capris, shorts, and skirts must be worn at the waist. • Pants must end at or above the floor. • Shirts must overlap waistband. • Shirts longer than fingertip length need to be tucked in. • Clothing items that advertise tobacco, alcohol, drugs, violence, or items containing profanity are unacceptable • Please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook for further details.

11. Classroom Management Rules, Procedures, Rewards, and Consequences

12. Classroom Rules Classroom Rules were developed with students on the first day of school. • Respect yourself, others, and property • Keep your hands, feet, and objects to self • Be prepared; have all materials ready • Follow directions the first time they are given • Raise your hand and wait to be called on • Always do your best!

13. Procedures • Students are expected to abide by certain procedures. • Hallway expectations • Voices off, facing forward, hands to self • Bathroom expectations • Students may use the restroom by asking the teacher and signing out on a log. • Group restroom breaks at 9:50 and 12:50. • If there is a medical condition, please contact your child’s teacher.

14. Tickets! • Students can earn tickets throughout the day for various behaviors: • Coming in and getting started right away • Great hallway behavior • Excellent responses during class discussions • Helping a friend • Etc. • Students write their name on the tickets and names are chosen Fridays for treasure box rewards.

15. WOW Points • WOW Points are a class reward given when the WHOLE class receives a compliment from an adult. • When a class reaches 50 WOW Points there is a special reward for the class. • Examples of the reward: • Shoes off in the classroom for a day • Lunch with the teacher in the classroom • Dance party • Extra recess

16. Behavior Chart Great Day Warning Lose Recess Phone Call Home Office • There is a behavior chart in each classroom. • Student infractions will result in a “clip change”. • Students will move their clip down a color and the infraction is noted in the student planner via codes. • All students start on green everyday!

17. The Student Planner- Behavior • Student behavior is communicated via the planner everyday. Teacher Comment- You will find a code or sticker/stamp. Parent Comment- Please sign or initial the planner each night.

18. Behavior Codes • This sticker can be found at the beginning of every child’s planner.

19. Clipboard • Each class has a clipboard that travels with them throughout the day. • Behavior infractions can be noted on the clipboard by any teacher. • Students who log a perfect week become members of the B.U.G. Club.

20. The B.U.G. Club • The BUG Club is designed to provide recognition to students who raise their grades and maintain them from one grading period to the next. Students are also recognized for Being Unusually Good Students. • Our students will celebrate their academic successes, build self-confidence, perseverance, and character.

21. The Student Planner- Homework • Homework will be written in the planner. • All homework is due on Friday! • Students need to read at least 20 minutes each night/100 minutes a week. Reading Log Book: Minutes: Pages: The tabs show what subject the homework is in

22. Correcting Work • If a graded paper comes home less than a 70, the student may correct the assignment. • Corrected work can receive up to a 70. • If class time allows, some work may come home already corrected by the student.

23. Unfinished Work • Unfinished work will be completed during the student’s recess time. • If there is an excessive amount of unfinished work, the parent will be notified so other arrangements can be made.

24. A Look into the Third Grade Curriculum

25. Math Curriculum: Investigations • The program used in CFB for math instruction is Investigations. • Information about each unit can be found on our teacher web pages. Click on the Staff link

26. Math Curriculum: Investigations Click on your teacher’s name. Please note that Mrs. Brown’s website is still under construction!

27. Math Curriculum: Investigations • Click on the various links to learn more about the unit. • Parent letters will come home in Tuesday folders at the beginning of each unit. • Parent letters can also be found on the web page.

28. Adding in Parts on the Number Line 24 + 67 = _____ Add 10s or multiples of 10 Add the remaining 1s + 60 +6 +1 24 84 90 91 Sum Add the ones to land on a 10 if you can

29. Subtracting in Parts on the Number Line 112 – 43 = Start at 112 and subtract 43 in parts -1 -30 -12 69 70 100 112 Difference

30. Math Curriculum: Investigations • To learn more, please visit http://investigations.terc.edu/ • Curriculum broken up by grade level and by content • Sample lessons • Research behind the curriculum • Newsletters • Interactive practice

31. Language ArtsLucy Calkins’ Reading and Writing Workshop • Students are engaged in reading and writing everyday. • Guided Reading groups will be formed after the initial reading testing; students of similar ability are grouped together. Why do we read? To Become Better Readers!

32. Reading Levels • Formal reading testing is done at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. • Informal reading testing is done throughout the year. • Instructional reading levels will be marked on student report cards. • Depending on where your child starts the year, they will be placed on a growth track.

33. Growth Tracks for Third Grade

34. Scholastic Book Wizard • Find books at your child’s level using scholastic book wizard. • http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ • We use the Guided Reading lettering system. • You can: • Search for books by reading level. • Enter titles to identify reading level. • Find similar titles to books your child loves!

35. Reading • Information about the Reading units of study can be found on our teacher web pages. • Third Grade concepts include: • Elements of fiction • Characters • Setting • Plot • Inferencing • Retelling a story • Non-fiction • Text features • Summarizing • Making Connections to Self, Other Texts, and the World

36. Writing • Information about the Writing units of study can be found on our teacher web pages. • This year students will be writing: • Personal narratives • Essays • How-to papers • Non-fiction articles • Persuasive letters • Fractured fairy tales • Poetry • Fictional stories

37. Science Units of Study: • Scientific Process and Measurement • Matter • Force, Motion, and Energy • Weather • The Changing Earth • Objects in the Sky • The World of Living Organisms

38. Social Studies Units of Study: • Map Skills • Communities • Geography • Government • Inventors • Celebrations

39. Grades • Progress reports will come home every 4 weeks • Report cards every 9 weeks Math, Science, Social Studies, and Reading: • Formative assignments: 38% • Homework: 2% • Summative assignments: 60% Language Arts (Writing and Spelling) • Formative Writing: 20% • Summative Writing: 60% • Summative Word Work: 20% (spelling tests)

40. Parent Self Serve • From the Kent homepage, click Parent Self Serve • Follow directions for set up

41. Standardized Testing MAP and STAAR

42. MAP TestingMeasure of Academic Progress • The test is designed to make it possible to monitor student growth from year to year. • It is an efficient way to assess skill levels and make adjustments to instruction. • Testing is completed in the fall, winter, and spring. • Students will receive a scale score which compares them nationally to children their own age. • Student results will be shared at your parent-teacher conference in November. • Testing areas include: Reading and Math

43. STAARState of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness • STAAR = Rigor • The test is based on Readiness Standards and Supporting Standard established by the State of Texas. • All tests require students to read and understand extensive vocabulary. • STAAR requires students to use higher order thinking skills such as: • Analyze • Evaluate • Justify • Elaborate • Infer

44. What do I need to know? • Timed Test (4 hours) • The passing rate will be set in January 2013. • Subjects tested: • Math- April 23 • Reading- April 24

45. Upcoming Events

46. Parent Teacher Conferences • November 14 and 19 • Sign-up sheets are available tonight. • First come, first serve. • Time slots are from 3:20-5:40. • For special accommodations, please contact teacher.

47. Scholastic News • Scholastic News is a classroom magazine that helps us incorporate current events and high-interest non-fiction into our lessons. • Digital teaching tools such as background videos, vocabulary slideshows, and interactive quizzes will be available with the subscription. • We will use the magazines for in class assignments as well as homework. • Please send $5.00 cashto cover the cost of your child’s subscription.

48. Volunteer • If you are interested in being a volunteer or participating in school events, please complete the Volunteer Background Check. http://www.cfbisd.edu/departments/educationalservices-division/student-services/volunteer/

49. Thank You! • Thank you so much for your continued support at home. • Remember our doors are always open for questions, concerns, and celebrations.