Welcome to 3rd Grade Parent Night!

1. Welcome to 3rd Grade Parent Night! Jennifer Severinson Emily Faggard Nycki Voyce Sharon Suh Caitlin Hodge

2. Math Math Objectives • Reporting Categories: • 1: Number, Operation and Quantitative reasoning • 2: Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic reasoning • 3: Geometry and Spatial Reasoning • 4: Measurement • 5: Probability and Statistics • VERY IMPORTANT: practice +, -, x facts daily!!! • Math fact homework log • Weekly HW comes home Monday, due Friday, reviews prior week’s concepts

3. Math Big Ideas • Geometry and Spatial Reasoning: • 2D figures • Area • Perimeter • 3D objects • Congruency • Symmetry • Probability and Statistics: • Picture and Bar graphs • Probability • Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic reasoning: • Making tables, patterns in a table • Measurement: • Temperature • Write and tell time • Weight vs. Mass • Capacity • Volume Number, Operation and Quantitative reasoning: Money Review Addition/Subtraction Rounding Whole #s Place Value Multiplication facts Fractions Fractions on number lines

4. PACE Math • Students who qualified for PACE math last year will roll-over into the program this year. • Students now take a district screener at the end of the year to qualify for PACE math (except for new to district students, who take the screener at the beginning of the year). Students who score 70% or higher on the screener will qualify for PACE. • PACE students will go to Ms. Severinson or Ms. Suh for math instruction.

5. Why PACE math? • Not always because the student is “good in math” • It’s an accelerated program, not necessarily an enrichment program. • Students must maintain 80% averages on report cards and eighteen week assessments. *conferences will be scheduled if needed and student/teacher/parent will create an action plan • Your child will be most successful if they engage in class discussion, ask questions, have a positive attitude and enjoy the challenge of working at a fast “pace.”

6. Accelerated Math

7. Language Arts • The Leander ISD Elementary Language Arts Program is based on a balanced literacy approach. This approach to instruction provides students with daily opportunities to engage in various reading and writing activities to help them communicate more effectively. • DRA level is taken at least 2 times a year and will help guide and individualize the small group instruction. • 28 Independent at BOY, 34 MOY, 38 EOY

8. Reading • Shared Reading, Guided Reading, Independent Reading, Read Alouds/Modeled Reading • Literacy Work Stations(listening, read to self, buddy read, fluency, poetry, writing, word work/spelling) • Whole Group Lessons(setting, prefix/suffix, context clues, summary, text evidence, cause/effect, character analysis, authors purpose, point of view, sequencing, fact/opinion) • Reading Comprehension Strategies(making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, determining importance/main idea, synthesizing) • Read 60 minutes per week • (record minutes and reflection on reading log)

9. Writing • Modeled, shared, interactive, guided & independent writing • Forming and stretching sentences • Editing and proofreading • Parts of speech and Grammar • Journaling • Generating ideas • Fluency Writing focus in 3rd grade: • Personal narrative • Expository • Procedural text • Persuasive • Research paper – biography project • Letter writing

10. Spelling Rebecca Sitton:•  Based on high frequency words that students will need in their everyday writing  (5 Core Words in each unit.  The Core Words for the entire year are on the language arts website if you would like to help your child get a head start on learning these words.)•   Includes regular practice in visualizing and proofreading•   Includes activities to practice the high frequency Core Words•   Builds general understandings that students will be able to transfer to new and different words they may need to spell **The goal of this program is to provide students with lifelong spelling abilities.  Therefore it emphasizes the learning of important words, not for a Friday test, but for a lifetime of spelling in the real world—that is, spelling correctly in writing.**

11. More Spelling!!! :) • Students will have spelling instruction and will participate in mini lessons and word work stations. We also will be using www.SpellingCity.com for in class practice for weekly words. The username is sre3rd. • Spelling will be based on core word patterns and sight words. • On Fridays, students will be assessed each week in the form of a cloze passage test. Students will then practice writing the core words in dictated sentences. There will also be a “skills test” based on weekly mini lessons. • Spelling homework (“Task” page) will come home on Monday and will be due on Friday.

12. Cursive • Program: Handwriting Without Tears • Start with lowercase letters and then move to capitals. • Cursive will be practiced at school and can also be practiced at home.

13. Science Nature of Science: All units of study will include safety, Inquiry, Critical Thinking, use of Scientific Tools and use of an interactive science notebook Units of Study: • Machines Matter • Earth’s Interactions • Our Place in Space • Stayin’ Alive

14. Social Studies Standard One: History (explorers, national heroes, biographies) Standard Two: Geography (maps, landforms) Standard Three: Economics (needs/wants, spending/saving, free enterprise) Standard Four: Government (state/local, election) Standard Five: Citizenship (community) Standard Six: Culture (heritage, holidays, traditions) Standard Seven: Science, technology, and society (inventors, impact of new technology) Standard Eight: Social Studies Skills (maps, charts, timelines, acquire information from a variety of sources, communication)

15. STAAR • Math STAAR is Tuesday, April 22nd • Reading STAAR is Wednesday, April 23rd • The Department of Education has changed the Third Grade Reading STAAR requirements. The test will no longer be under the SSI initiative. • Students will only be tested one time and will not be tested again if they do not pass.

16. Homework Weekly: • Reading Log (60 minutes 1st semester, 80 minutes 2nd semester) • Reading/writing assignment • Math assignment • Math fact practice (record on math facts log) • Spelling task Tips for success: • Communicate any assignment difficulties with your child’s teacher (sending us a quick email or note about HW concerns is really helpful).

17. Grading • We give weekly, common, and summative assessments, along with participation/cooperation grades in 3rd grade. • Grading Scale 100 – 90% A 89 – 80% B 79 – 75% C • Every child will have the opportunity to correct eligible assignments below a 70% if he/she chooses to do so. The assignment must be returned within 5 school days of when it is sent home with a grade. The maximum grade a student can earn on a retake or redo opportunity is 80%. • You will only receive a progress report if your child is failing, otherwise, please check TxConnect and/or in Wednesday folders to check your child’s grades. • We expect quality work and will work with students to understand what that means and looks like for each individual.

18. Communication • Green Homework Folder/Planner- comes home daily and will contain homework and spelling words. The purpose of the weekly planner is to help your child get organized, particularly with homework. Please assist your child in using this planner to make a plan for their week. • Wednesday Folder- Contains letters from school and graded papers. Please empty and return on Thursday. • Newsletters- will be emailed weekly to keep you updated on what is happening in the classroom. • Our parent conference time is from 9:30-10:10 Monday and Friday

19. Lunch/Snacks/Specials • Lunch is from 11:00-11:30 and you are welcome to eat with your child anytime you want. Don’t forget to sign in at the front office. Visitors are no longer allowed on the playground for safety reasons. • Please send in a healthy snack daily. We encourage you to also send a bottle of water each day. Snack time is before specials at 9:00. • Special areas • Rotates between Art, Music or Theatre Arts with PE every other day. Students are required to wear appropriate shoes on PE days.

20. Student Birthdays • Each child should be recognized and honored on his or her birthday! • To do this, every third grader will celebrate his or her special day with a card from the class and a birthday sticker. • If your child would also like to bring something to celebrate, we encourage non-edible birthday treats to be shared with the class.

21. Field Trip • 3rd grade field trip will be to the Austin Nature and Science Center • It will take place in the spring. • More details to come!

22. Thanks for Coming! At this time, please head upstairs to your child’s room for more specific information.