Curriculum Night, September 9 , 2014

1. Welcome to 3C Look who has been “spotted” in Mrs. Hinkson’s class! Curriculum Night, September 9, 2014 My presentation will begin at 6:30p.m. Please write a note to your child on the paper inside the folder on your child’s desk. Kindly put it in your child’s desk folder for him/her to enjoy tomorrow morning. Thank you!  Help yourself to some candy and mints!

2. Welcome to Third Grade • Introduction • November Conference sign-ups • Wellness Policy (Due to life threatening student allergies, please provide non-edible birthday treats.) • PFA Contact Information • Daily Schedule • My website has a lot of useful and helpful information on it. 1. Go to North Allegheny’s website www.northallegheny.org 2. Go to McKnight’s website 3. Building staff 4. Hinkson, Sherri Please practice telling time to reduce anxiety about pull-outs. 

3. Special Services: Pull OutsORCHESTRA, CAS, CAP, GOAL, ELL, SPEECH, OT, PT • Students will continue to learn while your child is out of the classroom. • All children will receive 60 minutes of uninterrupted math & CA instruction daily. • Most pull-outs occur during science and social studies classes. • Please help your child to complete the work missed if he/she did not attend class that day. (Your child will receive a small note stating the in class assignment.)

4. Orchestra Participation • Bring instrument & music book to school on Wednesdays & Fridays for weekly lessons and whole group practice. • Orchestra is an elective class. Your child is responsible to make up any work he/she missed while attending weekly lessons. • During whole group orchestra rehearsals on Fridays (2:25-3:10) students who do not participate in orchestra will be involved in remediation/enrichment activities. There is no work to make up on Fridays. • Contact Mr. Morton dmorton@northallegheny.org for questions regarding orchestra.

5. Organizational Tools • Assignment Book-Check daily! Please sign on Thurs. nights • Help students get into the habit of checking off work as it’s done • Binder—travels to each class and home • Pouch to hold pencils, pens, highlighters, erasers, and crayon pack • Tab dividers to separate subjects: Math, Science, Social Studies, and CA • Homework Folder-3 hole punched (Labeled Stay at home/Return to school)

6. Homework Tips When returning home, students should open his/her assignment book & place it in a convenient spot for parents to review. Parents should not have to “dig” through their child’s backpack. • Establish a homework routine • Find a quiet place • Make a homework supply box • Review your child’s homework. The student is responsible for putting it back in the backpack. • Please sign assignment book on Thursday evenings • Homework Slip – please sign and have child return attached to homework

7. Communication Arts Harcourt Storytown Themes: • School Days • Together We Can • As We Grow • Tales to Tell • A Place for All • Discoveries 

8. Reading Skills • Robust Vocabulary • Review at home • Quizzed on matching and using words in context • Word Analysis/Phonics • Comprehension • Literal comprehension (Look back strategy) • Making inferences (Use your personal experiences and story clues to infer how characters feel or why they act in a certain way.) • Written response (Students use specific details & examples from the story to write complete responses.)

9. Hamburger Paragraph Format • First, • Next, • After that, • Finally, First, Next, After that, Finally,

10. Written Response Expectations Lesson 1 Weekly Test Written Response: “Ruby the Copycat” Example of expectations to earn 3/3 points using PSSA Rubric Format   Question: Explain how Angela’s feelings toward Ruby Change during the story. Use details and information from “Ruby the Copycat” to explain your answer. This is how Angela’s feelings toward Ruby changed. In the beginning, Angela liked when Ruby went home at lunch and changed her clothes to copy Angela. For example, on page 27 Angela whispered, “I like your sweater.” In the middle of the story, Angela was mad that Ruby copied her so much. For example, on page 33 Angela wrote a note that said, “YOU COPIED ME! I’M TELLING MISS HART!” At the end of the story, Angela liked Ruby again because she was being herself and not copying others. For example, on page 39 they hopped home for lunch together. That is how Angela’s feelings toward Ruby changed. • Topic Sentence • Supporting Details & Examples • Conclusion Sentence

11. Oral Reading Fluency… • …is the ability to read text smoothly, accurately, and with expression. Fluent readers can read aloud with a pace and phrasing that are much like speaking.) • Lesson Tests—Parent Involvement Section • Fluency log-binder • Tips for improving fluency are on the • back of the log.

12. Fluency Assessment: Lesson Tests • Instruct your child to read the story aloud with expression and fluency while you time him/her for 1 minute. Your child should stop at periods & pause at commas. Reading fluency is NOT speed reading! • As the child reads, the parent should circle the omitted, unknown, or mispronounced words on the second copy of the story. These words will be scored as “incorrect.” If he/she goes back to self correct a mistake, do not count the word as “incorrect.” • Count the # of words your child read correctly in one minute. That is your child’s WCPM (words correct per minute.) • Record the WCPM score on the cover sheet of the lesson test and fluency log located in your child’s binder. • Take turns reading aloud with your child weekly to model and practice fluency. Once upon a time there was a greedy dog. Even 10 though he had plenty of food and toys, he always desired 21 more. One afternoon he observed a little puppy chewing 30 on a huge bone. 34 "Give me that bone," the greedy dog growled. The 43 frightened puppy dropped the bone and scurried away. 51 The greedy dog scooped up the bone and marched on 61 his way. 63 As the greedy dog crossed a bridge over a creek, he 74 glanced over the edge of the bridge and noticed another 84 dog staring up at him from the water. That dog also had 96 a huge bone in his mouth. The greedy dog decided he 107 wanted that bone, too. 111 He bared his teeth and let out a fierce growl. Much 122 to his disbelief, the dog in the water growled back. The 133 greedy dog snapped at the bone in the other dog's 143 mouth. Plop! The bone in the greedy dog's mouth fell 153 into the water, and the other dog vanished. 161 "That dog has stolen my bone! " thought the greedy 170 dog. "I must find him!" 175 Of course, he never did. 180 _______WCPM Third Grade Storytown Benchmarks

13. Choosing an Appropriate Book Five Finger Rule: • Open the book to a middle page with little or no pictures. • While reading the page, put one finger up each time you can’t pronounce a word, or if you don’t know the meaning of a word. • If you have 5 or more fingers up at the end of the page…STOP…and choose another book. That book is too difficult for you.

15. Third Grade Reading Log • Children are required to read 25 grade appropriate books during the third grade school year. • Books do not have to be chapter books • Reading Log~ located in your child’s binder • Books read this summer may be included. • A variety of genre is encouraged: ~Poetry~Biography~Realistic Fiction~Non-Fiction

16. Creative Writing The Writing Process: • Pre-writing • Drafting • Revising/Editing • Final Draft • Proofreading/Sharing

17. Types of Writing • Friendly letter • Personal Narrative • Compare/Contrast • Instructions • Persuasive • Poetry • Description Creative writing is not graded until fourth grade. The primary writing goal in third grade is for students to independently write a detailed paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion sentence.

18. English – Grammar Skills English lessons are incorporated into the reading lessons throughout the week. Lessons include: • Types of Sentences • Nouns/Pronouns • Verbs • Adjectives/Adverbs • Conventions – includes capitalization, punctuation, and sentence structure. You can link to various sites to review the English lessons from my website.

19. Daily Oral Language • The students edit two sentences each morning upon arrival. We correct these sentences together and discuss spelling, grammar, and convention rules. • The skills are taught & reinforced continuously all year. • Students will complete a 10 point quiz to assess their knowledge and application of the weekly skills. • There is a study guide for each week in the DOL booklet. It is located in your child’s binder behind the “Communication Arts” tab. • The test consists of 5 multiple choice questions and a paragraph in which students must identify and correct 5 errors.

20. Spelling • Monday-The students will be given a pretest of 15 words, and the spelling generalization is introduced. Five challenge word will be given to students who miss 0 or 1 on the pretest. (Any student would did not qualify to do the challenge words but would like to do the challenge words may do so.)Students will write the word in cursive 3 times to practice. • Tuesday-Thursday- Reinforcement and practice activities are completed. • Friday- The students complete a weekly test. Spelling correlates with each story in the reading series, so we may not have spelling lessons/tests every week.

21. Mathematics • Harcourt Mathematics Program • 30 Chapters- Pennsylvania Standards • Very rigorous curriculum- Monitoring homework daily is essential for your child’s success in the classroom. Grouping Based Upon Second Grade: ~ ITBS Scores-concepts, problem solving, and computation ~Basic fact speed quizzes (+ and -) ~ Math student attributes ~ End of book test Academic I Group: Ms. Kauffman Academic II Group: All other classes are mixed • Missing Homework: An “Incomplete Assignment Slip” will be given to the student. It must be signed by the student and parent and then stapled to the completed homework assignment. If this is not returned the next day, the student will stay in from recess to complete the missing assignment. Students are given points for homework completion.

22. That’s a Fact! Practice, Practice, Practice… • Reinforcing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division facts each day will increase confidence so your child may experience success in the classroom. • Log onto the McKnight webpage or my webpage for access to your child’s math book on-line, tutorials, and fun learning links to support the curriculum. • Harcourt—Learning Site—“That’s a Fact” orange box at the top of the page is a great resource. • Many apps for iPhone, iPad, iPod, and smart phones are great for practicing facts on the go!

23. Rocket Math • Students practice a small number of facts in a sequential manner repeatedly. The gradual accumulation of facts and repeated practice helps to commit facts to long term memory so they may be recalled quickly. • Third grade begins with subtraction (Letters A-Z) and will move to multiplication (Letters A-Z). Students who do not master subtraction by November/December, will still progress to multiplication. • Parent participation is important for your child’s success! • A list of sequential facts to study is located in your child’s assignment book. He/she should write which letter to study in his assignment book each night. • Flashcards of the facts have been sent home for practice. Students should recite the problem and the answer. • Upon mastering a level, your child will color the corresponding letter on the rocket. • Students complete a two-minute weekly non-graded quiz to track progress. Rocket Math Preview

24. Science • Students work in cooperative groups and participate in hands-on activities. • Students use the inquiry method to investigate new science concepts.

25. Science Scientific Method of Inquiry: • Generate a Question • Create a Hypothesis • Plan an Investigation • Collect and Display Data • Analyze the Data to Draw a Conclusion 6. Think: How could I investigate this topic further?

26. Science Units Mrs. Hinkson is the science teacher for both 3C and 3B

27. Social Studies Ms. Garrett is the teacher (3B) (Mrs. Arbogast will return in January) 3rd Grade Harcourt Series: Our Communities • Topics Include: • Maps & Globes • Communities • Geographical features, cultures, citizens, government, and economics • State and National History • Important people, places, and events

28. On-line Resources • TYLER Gradebook: Parents may access their child’s grades and other related information via the student information system. (SIS) Directions to access this information is located on the district website. Please do not use the e-mail feature of this program, because it does not connect to the district email. If a grade is listed as incomplete for your child, please be patient. He/she may have been absent or making up work from a pull-out. Click on the assignment to see the point value. The assignment mayread 50%, but the score may be 2/4 on a lesson test skill. • Students may access their READING, MATH, SCIENCE, & SOCIAL STUDIES books on-line. Directions are listed on the district website and my website.

29. PSSA Testing • PA Department of Education has established math, reading, writing, and science standards for all students in grades K-12. • The standards provide consistency in education across the state. • Assessments are given in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 (High School---Keystone Exams) • Third grade testing ~ Math & English Language Arts Testing Dates: April 13-17 English Language Arts April 20-24 Math Usually testing is conducted each morning during these weeks. The testing schedule is not yet determined, so please do not schedule vacations and appointments during these two weeks.)

30. Third Grade PSSA Testing • Reading Assessments: ~ multiple choice items ~ constructed response in which students must write specific story examples to respond to the question. (3 pt. rubric) • Math Assessments: ~ multiple choice items ~ constructed response in which students must show work for each step of the problem AND write sentences to explain his/her thought process (4 pt. rubric)

31. PSSA Testing • North Allegheny curriculum is directly aligned with the Pennsylvania State Standards. • The staff at McKnight is dedicated to not only prepare your child for the state assessment, but to empower students to be lifelong thinkers and learners. • The students are well prepared for the exam. They need to get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and “show what they know.” 

32. Olweus Bully Prevention "A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions by one or more persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.” • Class meetings will be conducted to share feelings and experiences, develop a sense of community within our classroom, and aid students in solving problems.

33. Important Third Grade Dates Halloween Party ~ October 31, 2014 Winter Party ~ December 22, 2014 • IOWA Tests of Basic Skills ~ Jan. 12-16, 2015 Valentine’s Day Party ~ February 13, 2015 • PSSA Testing ~ April 13-17 & 20-24, 2015 Memorial Day Program ~ May 22, 2015 • Field Day~ June 5, 2015 Additional dates will be announced later in the year. The third grade team is collaborating to plan more meaningful and authentic activities that correlate with the third grade curriculum.

34. Thank you for coming! Please read the butterfly story located in your child’s packet. I’m looking forward to working in partnership with you to help your child gain independence and establish strong organizational skills.