Educational Philosophy

Transcription

1 Nottingham Elementary Third Grade Mrs. Laura Price, M.Ed. Daily Schedule Specials 9:00 9:15 Morning Meeting Monday: PE & Spanish 9:15 10:20 Math Tuesday: Music & Spanish 10:20 11:25 Specials Wednesday: PE & Music 11:25 11:35 Snack Thursday: Spanish & Art 11:35 12:40 Science/Social Studies Friday: Art & PE 12:40 1:20 Lunch/Recess Friday: Library 11:55 12:25 1:20 1:30 Quiet Time 1:30 3:30 Language Arts 3:41 Dismissal Educational Philosophy We believe that all children can learn and be successful. Each child is an individual and should be provided an environment to learn at his or her own pace. We believe that all children should be given the opportunity to develop to their full potential mentally, physically, and socially so they become productive, creative, and responsible members of society. Scope and Sequence The scope and sequence of this year s curriculum and units of study is attached. Curriculum This year students will be occupied in a variety of opportunities for individual and collaborative work designed to accommodate their diverse and individual learning styles. The third grade curriculum will combine basic skills, authentic learning,

2 and critical thinking. Virginia Standards of Learning (course objectives) can be viewed in the Program of Studies or online at: APS website: English/Language Arts Math Science Social Studies Additional information can be found at the Virginia Department of Education website at There is a tab on the right side of the page listing the Standards of Learning for each subject area. Language Arts Guided reading groups will give students the opportunity to develop as individual readers while participating in socially supportive activities in class. The Harcourt Reading series StoryTown, trade books, as well as novels and other reading passages will support comprehension and fluency development. Students are expected to read for 20 minutes each night at home to improve reading fluency. Reading is the foundation to success in all subjects of learning! As part of the writing program, students will be focusing on the writing process of prewriting and organizing ideas, drafting, revising, and peer editing before creating a final document. The Being a Writer and Lucy Caulkins programs will be used to help with writing workshop. A variety of writing styles and genres will be covered. Daily grammar lessons will also be incorporated. The students will take part in a word study program. Word study is a developmental spelling program in which students categorize and discuss different

3 word features. Third graders will also learn to write in cursive using a program called Handwriting without Tears. They will continue to learn keyboarding skills using the Mavis Beacon Typing Program. Math We will be using the Every Day Counts and Math Expressions programs. Students will learn math concepts by using concrete materials and models and by working with their peers. Students will make drawings of math situations. Mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills will be emphasized. Students will share problem solving strategies with each other. Students will connect math to their daily lives. Learning basic multiplication and division through the twelves facts with fluency and automaticity will be an important focus in third grade. Science We will be using a science series titled Science Fusion by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This series includes a write in student edition. The students will learn science concepts and vocabulary. There will be hands on activities and virtual labs. Students will learn about living systems, environments, cycles, matter, energy, soil, and natural disasters. Third graders will have the opportunity to go to the Outdoor Lab and spend the day learning about simple machines and animal adaptations. Social Studies In third grade the students will learn about the contributions of ancient Greece, Rome, and Mali. They will also learn geography, economics, history, and civics. They will have an interactive student notebook and will use social Studies Alive! strategies to learn new concepts.

4 Third Grade Textbooks : Reading: Twists and Turns and Breaking New Ground Storytown Series by Harcourt Brace Available on Blackboard Word Study: Words Their Way Celebration Press Writing: Being a Writer Developmental Studies Center Cursive: Cursive Handwriting by Jan Z. Olsen Math: Math Expressions Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt Science: Science Fusion Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Social Studies: Our World: Far and Wide Five Ponds Press E book located in Blackboard sensitive. Username: student id number Password: six digit birth date Username: Student Password: History * This password is case Health: Your Health Harcourt

5 FLES: Foreign Language in the Elementary School Ms. Ofelia McKenzie/Ms. Maria Morales Mission Our mission is to provide high quality foreign language instruction at a developmentally critical time in a student s language development. Students participating in the FLES program begin to develop basic communicative skills in the target language while reinforcing and enriching content in other disciplines. APS World Languages Vision Students communicating enthusiastically about a variety of topic and in multiple contexts while enriching their lives and preparing for a successful future. Webpage : Digital Literacy Initiative Students in third grade will continue to use ipads this year to enrich their work in language arts, as they did in second grade. Students will also use ipads when appropriate to enhance their learning in other curricular areas. All applications used are vetted and approved for student use by the Instructional Technology Coordinator. The Responsive Classroom approach will be used to introduce the use of technology, including student ipads, to ensure safe and appropriate use. Later in the school year, students may be asked to bring home their ipads to complete homework assignments. For more information on the APS Digital Literacy Initiative, please visit Policies and Procedures Class Work and Participation Participation is an important part of learning. Completion of class work, cooperative learning groups, and individual work will guide my teaching and help me assess your child s learning. Encourage your child to ask questions and share in class as this is a risk free environment for learners.

6 Grading All third grade teachers evaluate tests and assignments by percentage grades. Scores (example 10/15) and rubric scores are converted to percentages. Letter grades are then determined based on the county s 10 point scale. When averaging these percentage grades to determine a report card grade, some graded work is weighted more heavily. In general, work is rated from highest to lowest as follows: unit tests, projects, quizzes, daily work, participation, and percentage of homework completed. We generally do not grade daily homework assignments for correct answers, but do check for completion. Some work completed at home that might be graded includes: Reading Logs, projects that are partially completed at home, and content area review sheets. Students with a grade below a C (70%) on a test will receive an option to improve their score through retesting or reworking the missed questions. Please review quizzes at home to celebrate your child s successes, or review his/her challenges. Nottingham s grading scale and report card issue dates are as follows: A % Report Cards: Quarter Ends Report Card Issued B 89 80% 1 st Quarter November 10 December 22 C 79 70% 2 nd Quarter January 29 February 1 D 69 60% 3 rd Quarter April 15 May 5 E 59 0% 4 th Quarter June 24 June 24 Homework Students will be given about minutes of homework Monday through Thursday. Completing homework will prepare them for the next day s lessons, as well as boost their confidence in responsibility and participation in class. Some students may choose to work on reading logs and long term projects over the weekend when schedules aren t so full. Students are also expected to be reading 20 minutes each school night to improve reading fluency. If homework appears to be taking too long, please send a note or explaining the situation and we will work together to ensure your child has a positive experience and is benefitting from the homework format. School Attendance Attendance = School Success! If your child is sick, please me and let the school office know, as well. Please notify me and the Nottingham Clinic of cases of contagious illness such as strep throat, pink eye, or flu. If your child is absent, a While You Were Out form will be filled out during the day to let you know what instruction was covered and homework assigned. You may pick homework up after school, or request a sibling or neighbor to drop it off. A homework buddy in the neighborhood makes it especially helpful! Late Work There are times when work is not able to be completed on time. If an important engagement or emergency prevents homework or a project from being completed on time, simply let me know in a timely manner, and we will work out a plan for completion. Of course, routine incomplete work will

7 require more support as it will affect your child s growth in school. Remember that timeliness and responsibility are learned and modeled behaviors. Behavioral Expectations I believe in positive reinforcement in my classroom. Conflicts and discipline are inevitable, but can be minimized with clear expectations and respect. The Nottingham Student Oath revolves around Pride, Respect, A Positive Attitude, Being Safe, and Trying Your Best. Following these simple life rules will make learning and school a more enjoyable place for everyone. The Responsive Classroom approach, used by all teachers at Nottingham, is a way of teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. Developed by classroom teachers in 1981 and continually refined to meet schools needs, the approach consists of practical strategies for helping children build academic and social emotional competencies day in and day out. In urban, suburban, and rural settings nationwide, educators using these strategies report increased student engagement and academic progress, along with fewer discipline problems. To learn more about Responsive Classroom, visit As a classroom community we will be developing an environment where everyone can learn, feel safe, feel a sense of belonging and significance, and have fun. The social skills that have been found to be important in developing an effective learning environment and proven to increase student achievement are represented by the acronym C.A.R.E.S. C C ooperation A A ssertion R R esponsibility E E mpathy S S elf Control As a class, students have the opportunity to earn GEMs (group earned minutes) for positive behavior, teamwork, kindness, and hard work. Students vote on free time activities when the class achieves its goal and fills the jar with GEMs. Should we ever need to address individual behavior needs, I will always be in touch early and often to make sure we have strong communication among teacher, student, and family. In the same vein, please do not hesitate to let me know if you have concerns or questions about your child.

8 Interactive Achievement This year, as part of a county wide elementary APS initiative, Nottingham will continue implementing an online system of common formative assessments that is aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning. The system is being used in the core subject areas of Math and Language Arts in grades 2 5 to provide administrators and instructional staff with common quarterly formative assessment data about the performance of our knights. Knights in Kindergarten and First Grade will be taking a paper and pencil version of this assessment. The resulting Interactive Achievement data will be used to inform and differentiate classroom instruction and identify areas of additional support for struggling learners. IA testing will take place within the first few weeks of school. SOL Tests The third graders will take the SOLs in the spring. They will take two tests: Reading and Math. I will incorporate test taking skills in all subject areas throughout the year. The students will take the SOLs online. A great website for information on the SOLs is the Virginia Department of Education web site: This web site has the SOLs for every grade and subject. It also has released items and many resources. An excellent web site for reviewing math and science SOLs is School Attendance Attendance = School Success! If your child is sick, please me and let the school office know. A While You Were Out form will be filled out for your child during the day to let you know what instruction was covered and homework assigned. You may pick homework up after school, or request a sibling or neighbor to drop it off. A homework buddy in the neighborhood makes it especially helpful! If your child is leaving early or there is a change in how they are going home, please send me a note or an as early as possible. If there is a change that occurs late in the day, please call the office. I may not be able to check my after 1:30.

9 If your child will be absent, please me and call the attendance line or and Third Grade Snack/Birthday/Special Event Information Snacks should be healthy, small, and not messy. Students are allowed and encouraged to bring a water bottle to keep at their desks. Birthdays will be celebrated monthly with a small classroom celebration. On their celebration day, students are welcome to bring a token to share with each classmate, such as a pencil, eraser, stickers, etc. Third grade has a no food policy for all celebrations, so please do not send in food to be shared with the class. Birthday Celebration dates: September 23 (August and September birthdays), October 21, November 18, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 9, April 20, May 18, and June 15 (June and July birthdays). Reminders will be ed each month. Special Events such as publishing parties will be celebrated in the classrooms in coordination with the room parent(s). The Fall Festival will take place on October 30 in each classroom. The Winter Workshop will be on December 18. The end of year party/picnic is tentatively June 17. Field Trips Outdoor Lab Moore/ Ready November 2nd Price/ Zipfel November 4th Green Spring Gardens 9:30 12:30 Price/ Zipfel December 1st Moore/ Ready December 2nd Planetarium Moore/Price January 5 10:30 12:00 Ready/Zipfel January 5 12:30 2:00

10 Swimming students will attend one session of swimming instruction Price/Zipfel February 29, March 1 2, 7 8 Ready/Moore March 10 11, End of Year Celebration tentatively June 17