Transcript Welcome to Veterans Elementary School Back to School Night

Welcome! Thank you for coming to
Back to School Night!
Please find your child’s desk and begin the worksheet. We
will begin the presentation shortly
Welcome to
Veterans Elementary School
Back to School Night
2010-2011
The Third Grade Team
Mrs. Grady-Johnson
Ms. Borowiecki
Ms. Jackson
Mrs. Welch
Ms. Marc
Mrs. Lane
Mr. Callaghan
Mrs. Wagner
Reading
Reading follows the Howard County Essential
Curriculum. The main focus in third grade is on
comprehension strategies and written responses,
especially Brief Constructed Responses (BCRs).
We will be using a combination of trade books, the
Treasures series, novels, and magazines to provide
instruction at your child’s level.
Reading
Reading will be taught in your
child’s homeroom class. The
homeroom classes are
heterogeneously grouped,
but within homerooms,
students are placed in flexible
reading groups to match their
instructional level. Most
homeroom classes have
three flexible reading groups.
Math
Students were assessed and placed into math classes
according to their math skills and needs. Within each
classroom, there will be opportunities for flexible grouping,
technology activities, and cooperative learning experiences
to enhance the Howard County Mathematics Curriculum.
The Howard County Public School System has created a
collection of SMART pages that can be accessed at
http://www2.hcpss.org/math/smart/
More information will be shared by your child’s math
teacher at the second session.
Writing
Your child will practice writing for many different purposes,
including :
• writing to inform
• writing to express personal ideas
• writing to persuade.
Your child will write in a variety of formats, such as
stories, letters, poems, and reports. The goal is for
students to go through the writing process
approximately once per week. We will also work on
cursive writing throughout the year.
Writing
The “secrets” to being a good writer will be presented
to your child through the 6+1 Traits of Writing Model.
Ideas
Organization
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Voice
Conventions
Presentation
For more information about the Traits, including tips for parents, please visit
http://www.mukwonago.k12.wi.us/~olejnma/index.htm.
Social Studies
Your children will broaden their awareness of our local and global
communities through our four Social Studies units:
Geography
History
Political Science
Economics
Social Studies lessons will be presented through interactive
activities that include role-playing, creating products, and in-depth
discussions. The lessons will allow your child to see connections
between classroom activities, past history, and their lives today.
Many lessons include problem-solving group work to teach the
skills necessary to work together in small groups both in the
classroom and later in life.
Science
We will study Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Life
and Environmental Science this year in third grade.
Our units include:
Weather
Experimentation
Heat, Light, and Sound
Plants and Trees
Science is taught through inquiry-based lessons that will engage
your child through hands-on learning experiences. Your child will use
observations and questioning skills to solve problems. Science also
provides another opportunity for your child to productively work in a
small group.
Health
This year our Health units will include Social and
Emotional Health, Safety, First Aid and Injury
Prevention, and Tobacco, Alcohol, and other Drugs.
All material will be presented in an age-appropriate
manner that promotes overall safety and wellness.
Homework
Nightly homework is assigned as a means for students to
practice skills and strategies they have learned in school.
It is also a way to build a connection between home and
school. In third grade, students should be able to
complete most of their homework independently, but you
can work together in the sense of encouragement and aid
when needed.
Spelling
We use the Words Their Way word study program for
spelling. Students will focus on learning various spelling
patterns that they can apply to their everyday schoolwork,
rather than memorizing a set list of words each week.
As in reading and math, students were assessed and placed
into spelling groups at their instructional level. The spelling
inventory is given three times a year, and students will move
spelling groups as needed. Weekly spelling tests are given
as well.
Spelling homework is assigned Thursday to Thursday. Tests
are given on Thursdays.
Math Homework
Your child’s math teacher will send math homework home
Monday through Thursday evenings. The math homework
will directly reinforce concepts that have been taught in
class. Your child should be comfortable with the concepts,
therefore, if you see that your child is struggling with a
particular concept or strategy, please send a note to his or
her math teacher. Math homework should be sent back to
school each day.
Reading and Writing Homework
Your child will be learning
about various reading
comprehension strategies and
grammar skills this year. To
practice these skills and
strategies, he or she will be
assigned weekly reading and
writing homework. It will be
sent home on Mondays and
will be due on Fridays.
Nightly Reading Homework
All students are expected to read for at least 20 minutes
each night. Students are encouraged to read aloud to
family members to practice fluency, and discuss text as a
way to reinforce comprehension skills. Please initial your
child’s reading calendar each night to indicate that this
reading expectation has taken place. The reading
calendar is located in the front of your student’s agenda
book.
Grading
Our students are now moving away from the primary grading
scale, (I, W, N) and will be receiving letter grades for the first
time. Students will receive grades in the following areas:
Math (Concepts and Problem Solving)
Reading
Writing
Language Mechanics
Spelling
Science
Social Studies
Health
Related Arts (P.E., Art, Music, Media)
Grading
All grades will be a combination of class work and
assessments. All third grade teachers will use the
following grading scale:
90-100% = A (Outstanding)
80-89% = B (High Level)
70-79% = C (Satisfactory Level)
60-69% = D (Low Level)
50-59% = E (Failure)
MSA
Students will be taking the Maryland School Assessment
in March. Students will be assessed in reading and math.
The MSA contains a combination of selected response
(multiple choice) and Brief Constructed Responses (short,
written answers). Students will be working on activities
throughout the year to help them successfully meet the
state standards.
The State Department of Education has created a website
containing standards, practice activities, and sample test
questions. Visit http://www.mdk12.org for more
information on MSA.
Website
Please visit the VES 3rd Grade Website to find more
information about news & events, spelling, math, and
more. The 3rd Grade Website can be found by visiting:
http://ves.hcpss.org/ ‘Team Pages’  ‘Third Grade’
The address for the page is http://ves3.weebly.com
You can bookmark the team page, but be sure to check
the VES Homepage for important dates and information.