Your Child is Gifted. . .

1. Bright Children Knows the answers Is interested Is attentive Has good ideas Works hard Answers the questions Top group Listens with interest Learns with ease 6-8 repetitions Understands ideas Enjoys peers Grasps the meaning Completes assignments Is receptive Copies accurately Enjoys school Absorbs information Technician Good memorizer Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation Is pleased with own learning Gifted Children Asks the questions Is highly curious Is mentally and physically involved Has wild, silly ideas Plays around, yet tests well Discusses in detail, elaborates Beyond the group Shows strong feelings and opinions Already knows 1-2 repetitions for mastery Constructs abstractions Prefers adultsDraws inferences Initiates projects Is intense Creates a new design Enjoys learning Manipulates information Inventor Good guesser Thrives on complexity Is highly self-critical Your Child is Gifted. . .

2. Welcometo 3rd grade C.A.T.S.“Community and Collaboration”

3. Building Community and Collaboration… • Inquiry Skills – use of ICONS of Depth and Complexity to introduce higher-level thought • Critical and Creative Thinking – use of cognitive processes of synthesis, application, analysis, and evaluation to strengthen logical reasoning • Communicating Ideas – substantive responses to higher-level questions An example… “Given what you know about the RULES of a society, EVALUATE the importance of the setting to the plot and theme of this story.”

4. Teaching Community and Collaboration… • Elaboration – Adding details and extending our ideas • Fluency – The ability to generate many ideas • Originality – The ability to be unique or unusual in your thinking • Flexibility – The ability to bend and see things in a different way

5. Teaching Inquiry through Collaboration Activities Objective – Working with your team, develop a way to make your ping pong ball fly. Your child learns differently; I teach differently by utilizing a variety of engaging, problem-solving lessons in which your child uses his/her creative strengths to complete a task. Design Squad projects and EIE Units provide students a stronger understanding of the design process, and the connection between engineering and the things we all use in everyday life.

6. A Creative Curriculum • Acceleration – faster presentation of content to more closely match the speed at which your child learns • Divergent thinking – channeling your child’s thinking which results in novel, unique, and/or creative solutions or answers • Enrichment – deeper coverage of content • Opportunities – providing your child with the time and activities to develop their creativity individually and collectively • http://www.mychandlerschools.org/199310615161415510/site/default.asp

7. We also focus on SCHOLARLINESS • Keep learning • See perspectives • Be Curious • Take time and ponder • Exercise our brain • Use multiple resources • Set goals • Bring materials

8. Language Arts ~ Reading The 2012-13 academic year will begin with the implementation of the Common Core Standards. Rigor is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.  ~Barbara R. Blackburn Reading Domains • Reading Process Foundational Skills: vocabulary, phonics, fluency, and comprehension strategies. • Comprehending Literature and Informational text Resources • Jr. Great Books series • Literature Studies • EIE science and social studies text

9. Language Arts ~ Writing The writing process takes a writer from prewriting to publication. For many young writers, this is a very tedious journey. OUR SOLUTION – Creativity and Writing • Writing Process • Writing Components Ideas and content, Organization, Voice Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions. • Writing Application Opinion pieces on topic and texts Informative/explanatory Narratives of real or imagined experiences Research and Research writing Literary response

10. Reasoning and Explaining MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. MP.3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Habits of Mind of a Productive Mathematical Thinker MP.1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. MP.6 Attend to precision. Modeling and Using Tools MP.4 Model with mathematics. MP.5 Use appropriate tools strategically. Seeing Structure and Generalizing MP.7 Look for and make use of structure. MP.8 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Math Mathematical Domains • Operations and Algebraic Thinking • Number and Operations In base ten Fractions • Measurement and Data • Geometry • Mathematical Practices (MP) Common Core • Resources TERC Problem-based word problems

11. Social Studies • American History Explorers and Colonization (Explorer Theatrical Performances) • World History • Civics and Government (Presidential Election Unit) • Geography (Pirate Unit) • Early Civilizations Greece and Rome (Olympic Unit) • Economics

12. Science Scientific Process • Science Experiments • Science Fair Human Body • Hereditary and Health Earth and The Solar System • Light and Sound • Physical Science • Rock and Fossils • Plants and Ecosystems • Changes in Environment Science Innovators • Contributions of Scientists and Inventors

13. How PARENTS can support Extended-Learning Opportunitiesthrough Curriculum-Supported Field Trips • Musical Instrument Museum • Desert Botanical Museum/Boyce Thompson Museum • Childsplay • Arizona State Capitol • Tax Credit Donations (in any increment, up to $400./married couple) • Working in Partnership with Parents, we will have the funds necessary to further your child’s learning outside of the classroom. Thank you for considering this important request.

14. Icons of Depth and Complexity

15. Building Community and Collaboration • Behavior Management Plan • Both Mrs. Grunewald and Mrs. Barakat will be implementing TRIBES to foster a positive, cohesive, safe and cooperative learning environment for your child. There are four main principles whose purpose it is to create a classroom community where each student is valued, respected and empowered. • Attentive Listening • Appreciation/ No PUT DOWNS • Right to Participate • Mutual Respect TRIBES Community Reward Incentives *Fun Friday (2:00 – 2:30) PASSPORT System *Marble Parties (days/times change due to schedule)

16. HOMEWORK Policy • Students will be given daily homework. The purpose of these assignments is to provide extra support at home of concepts covered in class. Each student is responsible for completing his/her homework and returning it to school on the assigned due date. • Pursuant to CUSD policy, 3rd grade students will be responsible for 30-40 minutes of homework each night. Nightly reading is also encouraged and should average at least 15 minutes each night. • There may be extended projects due throughout the year; however, consideration will be given with respect to daily homework requirements, and due dates will always be provided. • Failure to complete homework will result in students using their personal recess time to complete it.

17. Birthday Policy • We enjoy celebrating with your child as they celebrate his/her birthday. If you would like to donate an edible or non-edible classroom treat, please deliver those items to the front office. • All baked goods must be store-bought pursuant to CUSD policy. • If your child has an food allergy, please provide a nonperishable snack to your child’s teacher to be distributed when needed.

18. Communication Policy • Open communication is of upmost importance to us in our desire to build a collaborative partnership with parents. The best way to contact us is through E-mail. • Barakat.lynn@CUSD80.com • Grunewald.laura@CUSD80.com • Please allow us 24 hours to respond to E-mails and phone calls.

19. Mrs. Grunewald’s Specials Schedule Day 2 P.E. 1:25 – 2:25 Day 4 Mandarin 1:25 – 2:25 Day 6: Music 1:25 – 2:25 Mrs. Barakat’s Specials Schedule Day 2 Mandarin 1:25 – 2:25 Day 4 Music 1:25 – 2:25 Day 6: P.E. 1:25 – 2:25 School Hours 8:55 – 3:25 *We have a QUIET START at KGA. Students are allowed to be on campus as early as 8:30, but they need to have a book to read. Classroom doors open at 8:45 a.m. Morning Snack 9:30 Lunch 11:05 – 11:45 Afternoon Recess 1:00 – 1:20 (tentative) *Team Time TBD

20. THANK YOU… …for joining us this evening. It was a pleasure to meet our new students and parents, and are looking forward to a wonderful year together. See you on Monday!