Welcome

3rd Grade CurriculumNight

Start Time

• Our doors open at 7:20 each morning.

• Students may eat breakfast or report directly to classrooms.

• Instruction begins promptly at 7:45.

Class Web Pages

• Please check out our class web pages for updates and important information.

• www.nisdtx.org• Select Peterson Elementary• Select Staff pages• Click on teacher’s name or

team

Tuesday Folders

• Tuesday Newsday folders will go home each Tuesday with graded work and important notes from the school.

• Please take out graded papers each week.

• Please send these folders back each Wednesday.

• Please sign the inside of the folder.

Report Cards

• Progress reports and report cards will be electronic this year unless other arrangements have been made.

• Please make sure to update your e-mail address and other information with the district.

Home Access Center

• Online Grade book• You are able to check your

child’s grades 24/7• Set up username and password

then you can receive e-mails and alerts

Behavior Expectations

Behavior Expectations

HomeworkReading Homework is meant to build: stamina, fluency and comprehension. Students should be reading a grade level text for a total of 60 minutes a week. ANY DAY, ANY TIME, just as long as it totals 60 minutes (or more). Students have a “Reading My Way To Success” Log each six weeks. It is checked every Monday.

Spelling Homework - Students need to responsibly practice his/her words at home and be prepared for the written test on FRIDAYS at school. Spelling words will be assigned every MONDAY. Students do not need to turn in spelling homework. There are many effective ways to practice spelling. There are some listed under the SPICE UP SPELLING Link on Mrs. Elliott’s webpage.

Math Homework builds stamina, fluency, and problem-solving. Students should spend 5-10 minutes working on facts to solidify computation skills. They will have 5-10 minutes of additional math work that focuses on particular skills being taught in class. Homework should be completed and returned to school the next day. We will go over the work together. Students miss valuable opportunities to learn when homework hasn’t been completed.

Language Arts

Language Arts

• Reading• Writing• Spelling• Social Studies

Reading Instruction• authentic readers • class book clubs • workshop model (opening, work period, closing)• 30-40 minutes daily of independent reading time to build

stamina

Instruction is individualized per student need• DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment)

• BOY, MOY, EOY looking for independent level of “Just Right” book

• large group, small group, one-on-one instruction• We will goal set according to Reading Strategies:

• Comprehension• Accuracy• Fluency• Extending Vocabulary

Writing Instruction• authentic writers that can express themselves clearly • workshop model (opening, work period, closing)• 30 minutes daily of independent writing time to build stamina• Multiple Writing Genre Studies

Instruction is individualized per student need:Writing Diagnostic

• BOY and EOY scored with 12 Stage Writing Rubric(3rd grade EOY expectations Stages 7-10)

• large group, small group, one-on-one instruction

We will goal set according to Writing Strategies:• Ideas• Organization• Word Choice/Voice• Conventions

SpellingIndividualized per student need

• 2 levels of weekly word list for differentiation• based on difficulty of words and amount of words per

week

Words • given on Friday – test following Friday• per six week period, all spelling assessments equal 1

formative grade• very little, if any time allotted in class for study

Integrated Social Studies

3rd Grade Big Idea integrated into Reading Workshop via literature/textbook:

• People work together and independently to contribute to their community.

People move from one community to another to improve their lives.People work together to shape their community.Individuals shape their community.Change impacts citizens individually and as a community.

• Map Skills Work

Math & Science

Math Math Investigations:

• Workshop model (opening, work period, closing) • explore problems in depth• find more than one way of solving many of the problems

they encounter• reason mathematically and develop problem-solving

strategies• explain their mathematical thinking and reasoning• represent their thinking using models, diagrams, and

graphs. • prove their ideas to others• develop fluency - efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility - with

mathematics. • develop proficiency with arithmetic• work in a variety of groupings - whole class, individually, in

pairs, and in small groups

MathFirst 30 days/Problem Solving-

In the first 30 days of the school year we will be following the NISD Math curriculum. The purpose of First 30 Days is to build and establish Math expectations for problem solving and collaboration.

The purpose of this is to deepen student understanding and engagement in mathematical understanding.

Students are expected to explain their thinking verbally and in writing.

Fact Fluency-

15 minutes daily practice

Goal setting

Addition facts to 20

Multiplication facts with products to 50

Math

ScienceScience Inquiry-

• The Inquiry Learning model takes advantage of

students’ natural curiosity.

• It requires well-developed questioning skills.

• It helps students to develop strategies and processes

for collecting and evaluating information.

• Students are given topics and then allowed to explore.

2nd annual science “Night of no Limits”

scheduled in the Spring

STAAR Dates 2014

3rd GradeReading April 23rdMath April 22nd

4th GradeReading April 23rdWriting April 1st and 2ndMath April 22nd

5th GradeReading April 2ndMath April 1stScience April 23rd

Volunteer Information Meeting

The 2013-14 volunteer information meeting will be held in the library from

7:15-7:30. All those interested in volunteering this year are encouraged to

attend!

-bulletin boards-support in classrooms-special projects-gathering/organizing supplies

Thank you for coming!