Essential Information for Parents: Curriculum Night Guidelines and Expectations

Welcome to Curriculum Night Please sign in on the sign in 1. sheet by the door.

ABCs of Third Grade Mr. Bailey Ms. Conroy Ms. Mullins Mr. Robinson 2019-2020

Attendance It is important for students to be at school whenever possible. However, students who have a fever should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. Please send a doctor or parent note whenever your child is absent or tardy. You have three days to turn in notes once your child returns to school.

BBehavior We expect students to follow the Picadome Guidelines for Success and our class rules. The entire 3rd grade uses the Dojo system for behavior. If you have not signed up on CLASS DOJO, please do so tonight. Students will be rewarded for reaching behavior goals.

and Birthdays Students may bring a snack for their birthday. There are about 20 students in each class. Please make sure to provide snacks that are peanut free!!! Also, please provide any paper products needed. Snacks need to be at school by 11:00.

CCommunication The best way to communicate with us is through Dojo system. We are usually available by phone during our planning time from 10:00- 10:55. You may also leave a voicemail anytime and we will return your call as soon as possible. Monthly newsletters will be coming home from the grade level as well.

and Conferences Parents are required to have at least 2 parent conferences a year; However, additional conferences can be requested by parents and/or teachers. Conferences are a time to discuss your child s progress in-depth. Conferences may be done in person or over the phone.

DDismissal How will your child go home? We must have written documentation for all changes in transportation.

EEmergencies Although, we do not expect emergencies to happen, they can. It is essential that we have current contact information at all times. When children become ill or school is dismissed early, we will need to contact you. Please make every effort to send in changes in phone numbers, addresses, and/or places of employment. Also, make sure you have completed your child s emergency pick-up card. This information should also be kept up to date.

FField Trips We plan on having around 3-4 field trips this year. We will be going on an extended field trip to the Newport Aquarium in November. When permission slips come home, please sign and return those as soon as possible.

GGood Faith Effort Good Faith Effort (GFE) is a monthly reward for students. In order to participate students must meet the following criteria: 1.Meet classroom behavior goals 2.Have assignments completed and projects turned in on time 3.Do their personal best and leave no blanks on assessments.

HHomework Reading nightly is essential to your child s growth as a reader. Please make sure that your child is reading at least 20 minutes per night. The goal of reading should be comprehension. Your child will then work on reading fluently and with expression. You are encouraged to model good reading habits by reading yourself.

IImportant Papers Please check your child s take home folders nightly. There are often forms and information for you to see. You will also find your child s graded work in their folder. Please clean out extra papers on a nightly basis.

JJoin Please join our PTA. Picadome is lucky to have an active and supportive PTA. Let s try to have 100% of our class join and be involved in PTA!

KKAGAN We have Kagan Structures in place at Picadome. These are instructional strategies designed to promote cooperation and communication in the classroom, boost students' confidence and retain their interest in classroom interaction. These strategies are proven to achieve more student engagement therefore allowing more students the ability to reach their fullest potential.

LLunch Money Our school continues to qualify for free lunch this school year. Each child is able to receive free breakfast and free lunch. Parents will be required to pay full price for meals when joining their child for lunch.

MMindsets We have talked to your child about the difference between having a fixed mindset, versus a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is when you believe that human qualities are carved in stone. A growth mindset is when you believe that through your own efforts you can cultivate your personal qualities. Research shows that praising a student s ability pushes them toward a fixed mindset. Students praised for effort are more likely to welcome and enjoy challenges. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8leq1EZil8

and Movement Students need to be active throughout the day. In addition to recess, we give movement breaks (usually GoNoodle) twice a day and use Kagan structures to get the students up and moving.

NNeatness Neatness is important. If issues arise with handwriting that is difficult to read, students may be asked to redo an assignment.

OOrganization Help your child stay organized by providing a quiet space for reading practice at home. This should also be an area where younger siblings will not have access to the book.

PProjects We will do several projects in 3rdgrade. Our major project is called the Living History Museum. This year, we will be researching creative, inventive, and notable people. The students will research, write about and become this person. They will perform a speech and dress as that person and present information from that person s point of view. Parents will be invited to experience the Living History Museum at an evening presentation.

QQuestions/Concerns Please contact your child s teacher whenever you have a question or concern. We will do our best to answer questions and resolve all concerns immediately.

RReport Cards In 3rdgrade, students receive report cards every 9 weeks or four times a year. 3rdgrade students are graded on the following scale: M-Meets Expectations P-Progressing N-Needs practice

SSpecials Special Area classes rotate on a 5 day rotation. We have the following Specials at Picadome: Art STEAM PE Music Technology

TTesting Later this month students will be taking the CogAT and IOWA tests to qualify for gifted services. Third Grade is the first official accountability year. Your child will take a reading and math test during the spring. The testing window is the last ten days of the school calendar. It will contain both multiple-choice and short answer questions.

Units of Study- Reading Unit 1: Growing and Learning Unit 2: Figure It Out Unit 3: One of a Kind Unit 4: Meet the Challenge Unit 5: Take Action Unit 6: Think It Over

Units of Study- Writing Genre Writing Writing Traits Ideas Voice Narrative Sentence Fluency Conventions Informative Organization Presentation Opinion Word Choice

Units of Study- Math Topics 1-5: Multiplication and Division Topic 6: Connecting Area to Multiplication and Addition Topic 7: Graphing Topics 8 and 9: Addition and Subtraction Topic 10: Multiplying by 10s Topic 11: Word Problems Topics 12 and 13: Fractions Topic 14: Time, Capacity, and Mass Topic 15: Geometry Topic 16: Perimeter

VVolunteers We love volunteers but like to be prepared for them! The PTA will be sending home papers for volunteers as well. Don t forget to log your volunteer hours on the Volunteer Log in the front office and complete the volunteer form on FCPS prior to coming. https://webapps.fcps.net/volunteer/

WWorking Snack You may send a small snack with your child each day. We call this a working snack and will be consumed during the morning block. The snack should take no more than 5 minutes to eat. The snack should be: QUICK, NOT MESSY, NOT INCLUDE FORKS/SPOONS.

WWriting Writing is an essential tool for communication. Your child will learn a variety of strategies for becoming a better writer. Provide opportunities for your child to write outside of school by buying postcards, greeting cards and stationary. Your child may even enjoy having a journal or diary at home.

X, Y and Z We are eXcited to work with You and Your child this year! Make sure he/she gets plenty of Zzzz's each night as we have exciting days planned for this year! Please visit your child s homeroom to read their journal and leave your note on their desk. Thanks for coming!!