Back to School Night

Back to School Night Mrs. Ferrell’s third grade class August 17, 2011 (951)696-1401 x2325 sferrell@murrieta.k12.ca.us – When emailing, please put your child’s name on the subject line

Character Counts • Character Counts is a philosophy that our district embraces. • It is made up of six pillars that we strive to instill in ourselves and our students. • The pillars are to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and a good citizen.

Classroom Expectations • In our class, we have established the following expectations: (Main character pillars shown – can be towards oneself or others) 1. Follow directions the first time they are given. (Demonstrates Responsibility, Respect, Trustworthiness.) 2. Be ready to learn. (Demonstrates Responsibility, Respect, Trustworthiness, Good Citizenship.) 3. Do your best. (Demonstrates Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Good Citizenship.)

Classroom Expectations (continued) 4. Respect yourself and others. (Demonstrates Respect, Caring, and Good Citizenship.) 5. Use appropriate voice levels and behavior. (Demonstrates Good Citizenship, Respect, and Responsibility.) 6. Be an active learner. (Demonstrates Respect, Responsibility, and Good Citizenship.) 7. Be nice to people and things. (Demonstrates Caring, Respect, Fairness, and Good Citizenship.)

Classroom Environment • Since children’s abilities to tolerate heat or cold vary, you may choose to encourage your child to dress in layers that may be easily added or removed as desired. Please label any clothing, such a sweaters and jackets, with the child’s first and last name. Many items end up in the lost and found and are never reclaimed. • Sending a water bottle labeled with the student’s name is strongly encouraged.

Dress Code and Calls Home • The parent/student handbook, which is now online, outlines proper dress code, including shoes. If a student is not following the dress code, he or she may be sent to the office to call home to get a change of clothes. • Calls made to home will be made from the office, not the classroom. This includes calls for forgotten items, illness, etc.

Planned Third Grade Activities • Square dancing • Santa Rosa Plateau field trip • Temecula town tour field trip • Animal Shelter presentation • History in a Trunk – Old Fashioned Kid assembly • “Pennies for Paws” – a charitable collection for a local animal shelter

Language Arts • We are using the Houghton-Mifflin reading series in grades 2 - 5. (www.eduplace.com) • It is an integrated series containing reading, spelling, grammar, phonics, and writing. We will be doing writing separate from the series. • Many of the assignments are tied to the “weekly” story.

Language Arts (continued) • We will also be doing many reading activities separately from the series. This includes time for the students to read to themselves, read to others, and meet one-on-one or in small groups with the teacher to target each student’s individual needs.

Spelling • Most students are moving from “invented spelling” to conventional spelling. • Regular spelling list follows a spelling pattern or rule. • Students will need to be able to write the words and sentences, including capitalization and punctuation, correctly.

Spelling (continued) • Students are expected to spell words that are in front of them (on the board or on the page), as well as commonly used words, correctly regardless of subject. • In rough drafts of writing assignments, students are allowed to use invented spelling. • In final copies, we try to use only conventional spelling. • For report cards, spelling in writing will be weighed more heavily, but test scores will be taken into account as well.

Universal Access • We will be grouping for Universal Access, which is designed to meet each child’s individual needs. Your child may be meeting with another teacher for this. We are planning to start this after the first month of school and will continue until state testing time. It will be for 30 minutes three times a week. • This is being done in third grade throughout the district to help students meet their needs.

Universal Access (continued) • The purpose of Universal Access is to target each child at their level and target the skills and strategies needed to help them to become more successful in language arts, whether your child would benefit more from being challenged with advanced work, getting more time to work on grade level activities, or remediation. In any case, it is meant to be a “second dose” of teaching, not a replacement for grade level work.

Math • Our district has adopted the Houghton-Mifflin California Math program. (www.eduplace.com) • It is arranged by chapters focused on certain standards and aspects of math. Spiral review sections allow the students to practice what they have already learned. • The class will do the lesson from the book, then the students will do some practice. This involves problems from the book and/or the consumable pages from the Daily Routines book.

Math (continued) • For homework, assigned problems will be indicated on the weekly homework packet. If it is given, students will most often do the whole homework page. The back side of the page (leveled problem solving) may have some required problems (usually numbers 1 and 2), but any other part of the page (or all) will be considered optional for additional practice. If you have any questions on the problems, write me a note in the margin.

Math (continued) • One change our class will be doing this year is that we will be doing homework one week behind what we are doing in class. This should allow your child more practice with the skills before working on them at home. Chapter tests will be given after the homework for the chapter is completed.

Math (continued) • One of the ways you will be able to access the information taught will be the on-line version of the book. To access the math ebook, go to http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmcam/ Our user name is mrsferrell and the password is ferrell. • Another way is the CD version of the book. This may be checked out, but you will need to commit to reimbursing the district for lost/damaged CDs. • I will keep you informed if any changes to how we will be doing math come up.

Social Studies • For our Social Studies text, we have adopted a series called Reflections, by Harcourt School Publishers. Our book is titled Our Communities. • This series contains a website (www.harcourtschool.com/hss) with educational games, efield trips and other information that complement the lessons. We also have a CD-ROM version of the book. If you would like to, you may check one out. The book is also available online. Information will be given so you may access it. You will be given a user name and password.

Science • In Science, we are using Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s California Science. Information is on line at http://activities.macmillanmh.com/science/ca/. It contains animated activities and quizzes as well as other information.

Social Studies and Science • We focus on one subject (social studies or science) at a time. Chapters or units may be given in any order where the information is not based on what was previously taught. All test answers will be based on information in the texts. • Social studies and science tests usually cover two week’s work and are given during the second week of the chapter. Study guides are given and cover the information on the test. Studying is considered part of the homework.

Physical Education • We may do physical activities on any day, so correct footwear and clothing are vital to your child’s ability to participate. These are also required to play at recess. We may plan to run on the track or do other physical activities on any given day. • Our main physical education program is the SPARK program. We also square dance, which helps keep them on their toes. • P.E. is a required part of school. Students are expected to participate unless they have a parent note limiting or excusing them with the day or days listed. For problems that last longer than a week, we will need a doctor’s note.

Standards/Report Cards • Our report card categories are based on the standards. This year, all report cards will be created online, then printed for you. • The actual standard being reported will be shown on the report card. These are our key standards and the ones our district feels are most important to share with others. All standards are taught and addressed.

Standards Grades v. Classroom Grades • Report cards are currently standard based. • Standards are the list of things the state says third graders should know by the end of the year. (http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/) • Report card grades are expressed by numbers.

Standards Grades v. Classroom Grades (continued) • 1 – means that a student is currently performing far below basic level towards meeting the grade level standard at this point in time. • 2 – means that the student is performing below basic level towards meeting the grade level standard at this point in the year.

Standards Grades v. Classroom Grades (continued) • 3 – means that the student is performing at a basic level towards meeting the grade level standard (a little below). • 4 – means that the student is performing at a proficient level toward meeting the grade level standard. This is the level where we would like for our students to be performing, since it is at grade level.

Standards Grades v. Classroom Grades (continued) • 5 – means that a student is performing at an advanced level. It indicates that a child has not only met the standard, but consistently extends the skill and exceeds the grade level standard in that area. • Letter grades and percentage grades are given on classroom tests. They contribute to the standard grade, but are not interchangeable. They show the score for that particular test.

Classwork • Daily work is given in multiple subjects. • Assignments need to be correctly completed and returned promptly, usually the same day. • Unless otherwise noted, all incomplete and/or incorrect work is to be taken home, fixed and/or finished, and returned the next day.

Classwork (continued) • Two days after an assignment is due, a student may receive recess detention. This may be for class work or for work taken home, including for signatures. • If an assignment has not been correctly completed and returned by Friday, it will be noted on the student’s weekly report.

Classwork (continued) • If it is not done by the following Friday, it will receive a , and it is too late to receive credit. (It was assigned over one week earlier.) • If this is a reoccurring problem, it may affect the student’s report card in several areas. • A daily check out is available upon request to help keep you and your child informed of missing assignments each day rather than waiting until the end of the week.

Homework • It is assigned in packet form on Mondays (or the first day of the week). • Every night from Monday to Thursday your child is given assignments. It will usually include reading, math, and studying for tests. • It should take up to 30 minutes a night, not including reading time. • The packet is due on the morning of the last day of the week (usually Friday), and should be completed with a parent signature and a new reading log entry for each school day.

Studying for Tests • In third grade study skills become very important. This is a good time to focus on the proper way to study and then do so at home. It will give him or her a good foundation upon which he or she can build as he gets older and the amount of information increases in both quantity and difficulty. Please help your child by reminding him or her to study and even helping him or her study to improve these skills.

Corrected Work • Work will be returned to you on the first day of the school week unless notice is given. • The weekly report needs to be signed and returned. All other papers (work and tests) in the packet are yours to keep. • Weekly reports are as accurate as possible as of the morning they are given. • Weekly reports show absences/tardies/leaving early, behavior, status of the previous week’s homework packet and class work, and comments. • Papers in this packet should have either a grade or a stamp to show completion.

Parental Involvement • Parents are a vital link in a child’s successful school career. • For information about activities in our class, read the newsletter on page 2 of your child’s homework packet. • Let me know about any problem you see as soon as possible so we can work together to resolve them. • The best ways to get in touch with me are to e-mail, leave a voice-mail message, send a note, or set up an appointment.

Parent Volunteers • Volunteers are welcome at anytime, but setting up a time is recommended so your time is well spent. You will need to fill out a form in the office each year. • Volunteers are required to check into the office and follow the procedures there before coming to class. Please check out afterwards. • Parent volunteer trainings are offered. • School policy does not allow younger siblings in the classroom.

Special Occasions • Due to federal/state regulations and district policy (effective July 1, 2007), we have more restrictions on our special occasions including food. Please take care to follow these guidelines to avoid putting anyone in an awkward position. • All food/beverage items served to students must be commercially cooked or prepared and in the original, sealed packages. No items cooked or prepared in a private home may be served. • All food/beverage items must be stable at room temperature unless proper cold/hot temperatures can be maintained. Cold foods must be maintained at 40 degrees or lower. Hot food must be maintained at 135 degrees or higher. • For additional information, please refer to the student handbook.

Special Occasions (continued) • As a school, we are limiting the number of parties to a maximum of one a month. If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday, it will need to be on a prearranged date. (We may need to have one party for all birthdays for the month and/or combine them with holiday celebrations.) They will all be held after lunch. Prearrangement also allows us to avoid problems involving issues such as food allergies or to make arrangements for students who do not participate.

Thank you • If you have further questions, send a note with your child, call 696-1401 x2325 and leave a voice message, or email at sferrell@murrieta.k12.ca.us – please include your child’s name in the subject line. • For class information, including access to some important papers, go to my class website: http://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=4920 • If you need to meet with me, please set up an appointment outside of class time.

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