Welcome to Curriculum Night!

1. Welcome to Curriculum Night! Third Grade – Mr. Jackson

2. Warning! • I have 2 hours worth of information to explain in 30 minutes! • Please write down any questions and ask me afterwards. • Unless…you think it is something the whole group needs to hear.

3. Wilmot Policies – from the Principal • Parents must enter through the office at all times…before, after and during school. • Parents should not go to their child’s classroom or locker at the end of the day to pick up their child. • Parent Volunteers should not to be on cell phones (or have them on) while volunteering in the classrooms. This includes while chaperoning on field trips. • Oops I forgot table…in the office, their is a table for parents to put things on that their children forgot to bring…lunches, folders, etc… • No treats (food or toys) are allowed for birthday or star parties. • No siblings will be allowed to leave their classroom to go to another sibling’s room for star parties or other activities. • No Siblings are allowed to be brought along with parents who are helping out in the classroom! • Students are not allowed to decorate lockers…for birthdays or other occasions. • During a rainy day arrival, the students will go to the gymnasium and sit in their class line until the bell rings. • During a rainy day dismissal, all walkers and car riders will be dismissed when the bell rings. Bus riders will go to the gym like they do everyday.

4. Mr. Jackson • Grew up in southern Indiana. • Undergraduate degree from Indiana University. • Masters in Education from Aurora University. • Taught in Indpls, IN area for 5 years. • 16thyear here at Wilmot in 3rdgrade. • Currently live in Wadsworth, IL.

5. Don’t panic the first few weeks of School!!! • We have a lot of routines that may seem confusing at first, but in time you will understand them. • Instead of panicking, crying, screaming, arguing with your child…send me an email, or call and leave a message. • It’s only third grade…not life or death!

6. How to contact me? • By email… pjackson@dps109.org (Preferred method…but don’t rely on email to communicate changes in dismissal plans for your child) • By phone…(847) 945-1075 ext. 4149 • Assignment Notebook…I check it daily! • Any notes or money you send in, put as much info as possible on it…teacher name, child’s name, etc… 

7. Communicationfrom school • E-mail updates • Announcements/news from the classroom. • Assignment notebook • Please sign each night. • Parent Folder • Please take out student papers, sign folder & return. • Classroom website • Go to the district website, Click on Wilmot Elementary, Click on staff e-mail and Webpages, Scroll down to Jackson, Pete, click on website.

8. Third Grade…A Year of Independence! • This year your children begin to take more responsibility for their learning. • This is a year for you to begin to step back and allow your children to become a little more independent. • He or she should begin packing their own backpacks. • Let your children learn about responsibility and learn from their mistakes.

10. Math & Facts Tests • Our math program is Bridges. • Hands on, problem solving based. • In addition, we take a daily facts test. • Students begin with 100 problems in five minutes. • After completing all the tests (100% correct) in 5 minutes, they start over with only 4 minutes. • The students move at their own pace. • Goal for the year is to learn the multiplication tables. • This is typically one of the favorite activities for the students. They chart their progress and earn rewards as they reach certain milestones.

11. Reading/Language Arts • Reading • Whole group instruction • Guided Reading (small group) • Reading Assessments • Writing • Mini-lessons that focus on different skills • Writing binder/Portfolio/Memory Book • Penmanship • Cursive letters • Grammar – Embedded in the program • Spelling – “Words Their Way” program

12. Social Studies • Curriculum called “Social Studies Alive” • Emphasizes hands-on activities • Covers all five areas…geography, history, culture, political, and economic. • Your child will be learning the states, capitals, and abbreviations this year!

13. Science • Five Areas covered: • Life Science • Human Body • Physical Science • Earth Science • Space Science

14. Other Curriculum • Spanish • 2 to 3 days a week • Second Steps • Social/Emotional • Technology • Cyber Safety • Classroom computers, mobile laptops, Promethean board

15. Optional Challenge Activities • Math Mysteries • Come home on Fridays…due the following Friday. • Secret Missions • Posted on the website on Fridays. • Usually research based questions. • Author Book Reports • Different author every two weeks.

16. Homework • Every day except on Fridays. • One math WS (10-15 min.) • One Language Arts WS (10-15 min.) • Reading Log – students are expected to read each night. • Students write the assignments in their assignment notebook. • There is optional extra credit work available for weekends.

17. Reading Log • The Reading Log will come home every Friday. • Your child will record the number of minutes they read each day. • They are expected to read at least 20 minutes each night and record their minutes on the chart. • The reading log is due on Fridays with a signature from a parent. • We have a “Reading Log Lotto” every Friday. • For every 100 minutes a child reads, they get to fill in one square on the lotto board. (Max of 3 squares) • The best readers are the ones who spend time reading outside of school.

18. Author Studies • Every 2 or 3 weeks we will focus on a different children’s author. • The main reason is to introduce the students to different genres, authors, and to generate more interest in reading. • There will be a secret mission question introducing the author each time we start a new author. • We will read a book from this author during our read aloud time. • Students who read a book by this author will have an opportunity to earn extra credit by doing a book report. • A list of authors will be distributed to parents to help you when selecting books for your child.

19. Homework Hints • Establish a routine. • Find a quiet place in the home with no distractions. • Set up a “mini-office” with all necessary supplies. • My suggestion… • Get them started…once you can see they understand, let them work independently… The amount of assistance they need should be minimal, but you will have to be the judge of that. Just remember… “Don’t do for your child what they can do for themselves”. • Allow them to learn to be responsible and don’t make excuses for them when they have to experience the consequences of lost, not done, dog ate it, never got it, etc…

20. Oops Sheet • If your child does not turn in a homework assignment, he/she will be given an Oops sheet. • They will bring this sheet home to you and you will need to sign it. • Please do not bring in forgotten homework for your child! • Remember, they are learning to be responsible for themselves.

21. Homework Club • The Homework Club is a way to reward students on a monthly basis for bringing in their homework. • At the end of each month all students who did not get more than two OOPS sheetswill be in the Homework Club. • The students who earn this reward will get to stay in the classroom and eat their lunch at their desk and watch a movie.

22. Parent Folders • The Parent folders contain your child’s work. • The purpose of this folder is for you to get a chance to see your child’s work on a regular basis. • This folder usually comes home weekly. • Parents are to sign the folder and send it back to school with their child the next day. • Take the papers out and send the signed folder back empty.

23. If your child will be absent? • Leave a message with the office. • Send me an email. • If your child is sick, keep them at home. • Please do not tell them they can “go to the nurse or call home” to get them out the door…as their focus that day will be going home or to the nurse. • Work that can be made up will be put in your child’s mailbox for them to take home when they return.

24. Jackson Dollars & Auctions • The students will earn Jackson dollars for a variety of things…turning in homework, doing optional extra credit (Math Mystery & Secret Mission), Reading Log Lotto, Estimation Jar, math facts tests, behavior, etc… • They will also lose money…for things like poor behavior. • At the end of each grading period we have an auction where students can spend their Jackson Dollars. • Parents organize and collect items for each auction. I ask that you limit the value of most auction items to under $5.

25. Student “Checkbook” • Each student has their own checkbook that they use to keep track of their Jackson Dollars. • Students write the date, reason for deposit or withdrawal, the amount, and the new total. • You will see these sheets come home in the Parent Folder. Please go over these sheets with your child and discuss how they are earning and losing Jackson dollars.

26. Tallies/Discipline • One of the main ways children lose Jackson Dollars is by getting tallies. • Tallies are given for talking out of turn, or other minor classroom rule infractions. • If your child receives 5 or more tallies in one day, he or she will fill out a THINK paper. • One of the favorite classroom jobs is the “Tally/Clipboard” person. This person keeps track of tallies given throughout the day.

27. Auction Sponsors • We have 3 auctions throughout the year…around the time that report cards come out. • We need 3-4 parent volunteers to sponsor each auction. • The sponsors collect as many items as they can for the auction. • The items can be anything a third grader would like to have…books, games, toys, candy, stuffed animals, ball caps, school supplies, balls, etc… • All parents are invited to attend the auctions…which are usually at the end of the day on Fridays.

28. Think Paper • This is a discipline form your child will bring home if they do something inappropriate. • Please sign and return the form. • It has three questions on it that the students must answer. • What did you do? • What should you have done? • What will you do in the future?

29. Estimation Jar • Each Friday a different student takes home the estimation jar. • It should be returned on Monday! • Your child should find something to put in the jar (marbles, dominoes, un-cooked noodles, toothpicks, etc…) • Write the total amount on a piece of paper so no one can see it and have your child give it to me. • Each student in the class writes down their guess for what the total amount is.

30. Birthdays • On your child’s birthday, or half birthday, the office announces the birthday and the child chooses a birthday book. • There will not be any major celebrations and no treats are to be sent in!

31. Book Orders • The students love picking out and getting books from the book orders! • Please make the checks payable to the Book Company…Scholastic! • You only need to make out one check! All the orders go to the same company.

32. Classroom Parties • Halloween, Holiday, Valentine’s Day • The party sponsors are the only parents who are supposed to attend the party. • Please do not have turned on, or talk on, cell phones while in the classroom. (school policy) • No siblings allowed! (school policy)

33. Memory book/PortfolioPictures • At the end of the year your child will have a “Memory/Portfolio Book” with pictures and writing samples from the special events that went on while they were in third grade. • I will email the pictures to Walgreens for a parent to pick up. • We will collect $5 from each family to pay for these pictures.

34. Extra Clothes/Shoes • You can send in extra clothes and/or shoes. • Send them in a plastic bag. • Students will leave them in their lockers. • Items may include…shoes, socks, shirt, pants, etc… • These items are for times when clothes get wet during recess or before school.

35. Bathroom Policy • As a class, we take a restroom break about once an hour. This works out to about 6 to 7 times per day. • If your child needs to use the bathroom during instructional time, he or she will lose 5 minutes of their free time. • This insures that the need to use the bathroom is a real one and not an excuse to get out of work, or explore the hallways.

36. No Food in the classroom • Because of allergies and the amount of time it takes, we don’t have snacks in the classroom. • The only time we will have food in the classroom is when students each lunch in the room and on special occasions. • Please make sure your child eats breakfast before coming to school.

37. WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?"Whose child is this?" I asked one daySeeing a little one out at play"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile"Mine to keep a little whileTo bathe his hands and comb his hairTo tell him what he is to wearTo prepare him that he may always be goodAnd each day do the things he should""Whose child is this?" I asked againAs the door opened and someone came in"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile"Mine, to keep just for a little whileTo teach him how to be gentle and kindTo train and direct his dear little mindTo help him live by every ruleAnd get the best he can from school""Whose child is this?" I ask once moreJust as the little one entered the door"Ours" said the parent and the teacher as they smiledAnd each took the hand of the little child"Ours to love and train togetherOurs this blessed task forever."

38. Questions Wilmot Policies Mr. Jackson Don’t Panic Contact Me Commun- ication from school A year of indepen- dence Math Facts Reading Language Arts Social Studies Science Challenge Activities Specials Schedule Reading Log Home- work Home- works Hints OOPS sheet Home- work Club Parent Folders Absences Jackson Dollars & Auctions Auction Sponsors Think Paper Extra Clothes Bathroom Policy Esti- mation Jar Birth- days Book Orders Class- room Parties