Welcome to Third Grade!Mrs. Lorenzi’s Class

A little about Mrs. Lorenzi 12th year at Longfellow (same grade…same hot room! ) Grew up in Forest Park Received my bachelors and masters degrees from NIU Live in La Grange with my husband, two daughters (5 months and

2) and our Rhodesian Ridgeback.

CommunicationVoice Mail: (708) 524-3060 ext. 8120Email: slorenzi@ op97.org (preferred) *Please let me

know if you did not receive an email from me.

Notes in assignment notebook (checked every morning)

Family Letters (reading, social studies, math)Webpage will include nightly assignments in addition

to other pertinent information via the Lorenzi Leads—please visit regularly!

Unsatisfactory progress reports- distributed at conferences

Report Cards (December, March, June)Family Conferences (October and February)

Assignment NotebooksGoes home every night along with red take

home folder and chapter bookHomework log -signed by Mrs. L and

parent/guardianParent signature means a parent has checked

over the assignments and that all assignments are complete

Reading Log (record chapter books here)Various other pages in the back(writing,

reading, etc….)

HomeworkRoutine—same time, same place every night (organized, quiet—

possibly play classical music?)Check backpacks before bed to ensure everything is ready to

goAssignments are due next day unless noted otherwiseUse time wisely in class—get signed off quickly—get homework

done!Incomplete assignments are marked late-watch for “Oops Slips”Signatures and corrections required on 1’s and 2’s“While you were Out Folders”Sunrise Study Hall and Academic Study Hall availableWe will ease in to homework load through September! 15-30 minutes of homework per night (varies per child) plus 20

mins. of pleasure reading (encourage them to read aloud)

Post OfficeMail comes home daily in the red take home

folderCheck folders daily—Bring Right Back and

Left at Home (students are responsible for checking their personal mail box)

Please reflect over graded assignments

Mrs. Lorenzi’s Top Twenty“The whole point of Ms. Martin’s Top Twenty

is to be respectful to others. We like the Top Twenty because they are like rules but they are very specific so we know exactly how to act. It also helps people stay civilized. It stops people from going wild and crazy. It keeps people in line figuratively. It also takes respect to a whole different level.”

-Caleb and Adrien

Morning Meeting/Afternoon Wrap Up Interactive morning message—incorporates daily oral language

using editing marks Special announcements Overview of the day Sharing time (current events, etc….) Read Alouds/Book Hooks/Book Reviews Allows us to ease into and out of each

day together.

It’s against the law to say you did nothing at school today!

Rewards and Consequences Behavior Cards (for individual behavior)

Green-Good Behavior; Yellow-Warning; Red-Parent Contact/Office Referral Star Chart (for class behavior)

100 stars—class party!! Team Points Chart

Points added for being ready on time, working well together, etc… Bear Necessity Slips and Raffle-kids can nominate others Group Points/Rewards “Clap-offs” Sportsmanship Ribbons “Job Well Done” plant Individual notes/cards/lunch with students Weekly Awards, etc……

WE CELEBRATE SMALL SUCCESSES TO KEEP CHILDREN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LEARNING AND PROUD OF THEIR WORK

Reading Treasures Themes: Let’s Learn (Why is Learning Important?)

Neighborhoods and Communities (How do community members work together? Express Yourself (How do writers and artists express themselves?) Our Teams (What makes a strong team?)

Those Amazing Animals (What makes each animal unique?)**I have a power point presentation I can email to you on Treasures if you’d like, just let

me know.

Fiction and nonfiction stories, leveled readers, literacy work stations, “Do Done Folders” have a weekly contract in them with activities listed for the week., grammar and practice workbooks.

Chapter book requirement 2 per month (or longer multiple credit books), recorded in assignment notebook.

Five Finger Rule: –0-1 fingers (too easy ) 2-3 fingers (just right) 4-5 fingers (too hard)

Passport to reading: Meets 4 times a week with various teachers. It’s a school wide initiative, that meets the needs of all students. The initial screening process is underway and lessons will start on October 1st. Groups are fluid and change often.

Writing6 Traits of Writing (listed in assignment book

along with many other helpful writing resources)

Lots of writing about what we’re reading (goes along with Treasures curriculum)

Student write to a prompt to build writing fluency and stamina

Cursive booklet done on Wednesdays in class

Mathematics

Students will study addition & subtraction of whole numbers, linear measures and area, multiplication and division, place value, geometry, fractions, probability, data, and measurement.

Pre-tests given prior to each unit and kids can “test out” of lessons (will be used as a study guide at end of unit along with an additional study guide)

The Everyday Math curriculum was designed to revisit skills later in the year, therefore, not all skills will be secure after initial exposure.  2-4 lessons per week (going more in depth with Common Core Standards)

Everyday Math revisits concepts throughout the year as skills go from: Beginning, Developing, and Secure.

Students will earn two grades on every math unit test.  One will be an overall grade on all of the items on the test, and the other will be a secure skills grade on the items that are expected to be secure by the end of that particular unit of study.  

Rocket Math for computation (multiplication) Hands on approach to learning—manipulatives “Math Take Out” available “Walking Math” for some students Quizzes (“Exit Slips”) given after most lessons Homework given nightly

Social Studies and Science Social Studies Units: Citizenship, Government, Cultures, Economics,

Geography, History Lesson quizzes and chapter tests Read Unit Family Letters that go home Time for Kids will address current events (extra credit on Fridays)

Science taught by Ms. Ibarra-look for welcome letter Earth: phases of the moon, day/night, solar and lunar eclipse Physical: Newton’s Laws of Motion/Simple Machines Life: Plant growth and Development No textbook—lots of science literature to take home

Oak Park Education Foundation Non-profit organization separate from District 97Provides a variety of excellent programs for our schoolsThird graders participate in “Geared Up Legos,” which

brings engineering, physical science, math, and technology challenges to our students. Geared Up uses Lego motorized Mechanism sets to teach exciting hands-on lessons, with students testing their own ideas and working in teams of two

Science Alliance (Global Village) – Scientist Sally

To learn more, visit www.OPEF.org 

TechnologyResearch projects conducted on the Internet Ipod Touch Sessions, Netbook CartsElmo Document Readers, class projectorsVideo clips to introduce new concepts, United Streaming,

etc……Sites on my webpageConnect Ed & Custom Typing Username: d97firstnamelastname Password: bears2011**can access both of these from home

Assessments ISATs—math and reading (March 5-8)Fluency checks (Dibels)-three times a year MAP Testing (Measure of Academic Progress ) Reading and

Math tests taken on the computer –three times a yearSign and return all major tests that are stampedWeekly comprehension and spelling assessmentsMath and social studies tests and quizzes (math exit slips)Treasures unit assessment (cumulative, given every five

weeks) Informal assessments (clipboard cruising)

Grading SystemGrading model for quizzes and shorter

assignmentsE-ExcellentS-SuccessfulNI-Needs Improvement

Grading model for tests 4-Above grade level (exceeds grade level standards)3- At grade level (meets grade level standards)

2-Developing to the standard (below grade level) 1 - Emerging to the standard (academic warning)

Common Core StandardsWe are moving towards the Common Core

Standards this year which have replaced the Illinois State Standards. This is a national directive to help students become college and career ready.

Visit http://www.corestandards.org for questions.Assessment changes – ISAT’s are still here. New

testing will begin in the 2014-2015 school year.

Fast ForWord The Fast ForWord computer program is comprised of a

family of research-based, intervention software products designed to strengthen attention, memory, processing, sequencing, and language development.

They also enhance cognitive skills that enable students to process information with greater speed and accuracy and lead to improved critical language and reading skills.

If the program is implemented with high fidelity, research has shown that students, on average, can achieve up to a two-year gain in reading in 12 weeks.

Progress will be measured by analyzing various data points.

Starting September 24th, 5 days per week for 30 minutes.Computer adapts to skill levels of child.More questions? Attend PTO meeting on 9/19 at 7:00 PM.

Odds and Ends Water Bottles (take home each night) Healthy snacks for morning recess HEALTHY birthday treats (see letter); please let me know in

advance when you will be sending in food and send proper materials along with the food. WE ARE A NUT FREE ZONE . You may also choose to send in and inexpensive non food item.

Please let me know ahead of time if kids are leaving early. Answering in complete sentences (do not start with….) Rephrase question in your answer Encourage writing in cursive (second half of year) School supplies should be replenished throughout the year…..look

for “I Need Slips” Checks for Scholastic Book orders

Parent VolunteersRoom Parent (plan and run class parties,

organize snacks, etc….)Photographer (take pictures and possibly

make photo slideshows for our webpage)Weekly Paper Grader sHelping HandsPersonal Visit

I can use parental help inside and outside of the classroom! Thank you! (Please be sure to sign in at the office if you are coming into the classroom.)

Third grade is a great place to bee!