Mrs. Cox’s Homeroom 8:25 First Bell 8:30 Tardy Bell

3. Mrs. Cox’s Homeroom • 8:25 First Bell • 8:30 Tardy Bell • 8:30 –9:30 Science • 9:30 – 10:30 Math • 10:35-11:25 Resource/Recess • 11:25-12:00 Math Centers • 12:05-12:35 Lunch • 12:35– 2:30 Reading • 2:30-3:00 Writing • 3:00 Dismissal • Mrs. Sbalbi’s Homeroom • ·8:25 First Bell • 8:30 Tardy Bell • 8:30 –10:30 Reading • 10:35 – 11:25 Resource/Recess • 11:25-12:00 Writing • 12:05-12:35 Lunch • 12:35-1:30 Science • 1:30-3:00 Math • 3:00 Dismissal

4. Classroom Discipline • Classroom Card System • Color-coded – Each day begins on a green card • Specific cards are given when rules are broken • Students are responsible for writing their conduct color at the end of the day inside their planner

5. Communication • School newsletter • Planners • Classroom blog: http://blastingoffinthirdgrade.wordpress.com/ • E-mail & Extensions: • coxx@duvalschools.org • Ext.2113 • sbalbik@duvalschools.org • Ext.2112

6. School begins promptly at 8:30am and ends at 3:00pm Your student is encouraged to come to school each day on time. When a student is absent or tardy they miss valuable information that can only be obtained in the classroom. The majority of graded assignments are completed in the classroom. Any missed work may need to be made up outside of the classroom. Frequent absences will make it difficult for your child to keep up with his/her classmates. If your student must be absent, please send a note after the absence for it to be excused (not all absences are excused, please refer to the school handbook). An appropriate amount of time will be given for the student to return any make-up work.

7. 90%-100% =A 80%-89% =B 70%-79% =C 60%-69% =D 0%-59% =F

8. Testing The majority of our testing takes place on Thursday or Friday. Throughout the week students may take a math, science, reading and social studies test. It will be written in the planners 1 or 2 days prior and usually a review and/or the textbook is sent home. The homework and test schedule is posted on our classroom blog as well.

9. Friday Folders • Contains your child’s graded work from the week • Keep your child’s work unless asked to “Sign and Return” • Friday Folders will be sent home every other Friday • Please return each Monday

10. Common Core Thinking Deeply: The Common Core emphasizes critical thinking. It requires students to analyze more, discuss more, evaluate more, justify more and explain their thinking & understanding deeply, especially in writing. Integrating Learning: The Common Core emphasizes proof & evidence. Long gone are the days of worksheets, fact memorizations and skill & drill. Students are not taught this way and they are not assessed this way. The new tests will require students to explain how they know.

11. Showing How They Know: The Common Core emphasizes learning across disciplines (reading with math & social studies standards combined into one task). Students spend more time working together with different settings, structures & tools. Take-Away: Problems & solutions happen everyday in the real world. Supporting the Common Core at Home: 1 Ask *why* when children tell you they want something or want to do or not do something. 2 Use the word *because* after “No” or “Not tonight…” 3Give reasons--you to them and them to you. 4Encourage questions & explore answers (especially questions whose answers are not yes or no.) 5Explain & discuss issues or problems in your house, neighborhood, & community. Brainstorm solutions.6 Compare how things are alike and different-videos, movies, food. 7 Look for patterns 8 Describe & categorize stuff. 9Tell your children what you value & why. 0 Encourage & celebrate opinions

13. Novel Study: Learning Language Arts through literature is using literature as a base to teach reading standards, handwriting, spelling, writing techniques, grammar and punctuation. This is done by selecting a model of excellent literature and drawing all the aspects/standards of language arts from this.

14. Gradual Release • Social Studies Embedded • Writing • Interactive Journals • 30 Book Guidelines Shared reading with family member • Read for 20-30 minutes a night • Variety of genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) • Book of the Month • August/September: Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By: Carol McCloud

16. Mathematical Thinking in Third Grade demonstrate an understanding of place value up to the hundred thousand place use multiple models to represent equivalent fractions represent, describe, compare and order fractions greater than 1 represent, describe, compare and order mixed fractions use multiple models to represent geometric shapes compose and decompose geometric shapes so students develop an understanding of geometric concepts as the basis for learning fractions identify and apply the use of inverse operations calculate elapsed time in quarter hour, three quarters hour, and half hour intervals create, analyze, and represent patterns and relationships construct and analyze frequency tables, bar graphs, pictographs, and line plots from data.

18. 3rd Grade FCAT 2.0 • Schedule: • Begins: April 22-25 • 2 days of reading • 2 days of math • Multiple choice • Fiction and nonfiction text • Functional Materials of Everyday Life: • Consumer documents (e.g., warranties, manuals, contracts, applications) • Embedded in text (e.g., tables, charts, maps, graphs, illustrations, photographs, captions, text boxes) • How-to articles • Brochures, fliers • Schedules • Website pages

19. With Your Help! • Schedule a Conference by email, phone or planners • Sign up to volunteer at our school (i.e. PTA, SAC, tutoring, etc.) • Help your child reach the 30 Book Standard by reading at home daily • Help your child review homework and class work daily