WELCOME to Mrs. DeShaney’s 3 rd Grade Learning “The Mustang Way!” Expectations Our class expectations model those of Afflerbach’s school wide PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) and Character Counts program. Students are expected to uphold the Six Pillars of Character and to Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible in all their choices. Your student will participate in developing the rules for our classroom based on what they feel it should look like to Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible. These will be developed with the idea that our class is a supportive team and we expect certain things of each other to make our room a safe learning environment! Homework Homework will be assigned to practice and extend the day’s learning, It is also important to build responsibility and independence in your child. Homework is due the day after it is assigned, unless otherwise stated in the agenda. The agenda will be filled out every day by your student and should be signed by an adult that helps to ensure the work is complete. Expected daily homework will include math, cursive and reading. Homework should take around thirty minutes to complete, depending on your learner’s abilities. Thirty additional minutes should be spent reading. Homework will come home in a folder marked “homework”. DOJO DOJO is an online behavior system that awards students points for making safe, respectful, and responsible decisions. They will set goals to earn positive incentives for their behavior. Points can also be lost for behavior that does not follow class and school expectations. MVP of the Week Each week we will celebrate a student as the Most Valuable Person of the Week. They will be given a form to fill out about themselves, and then to share with the class. Agendas Your student will be taking home an agenda each night with the homework for the day. Please make sure to sign the agenda nightly and return it the next day. Homework repeatedly not turned in on time or uncompleted will result in phone call home to establish an action plan for that student. Friday Folder Your student will be bringing home a Friday Folder with their papers from the week. This is how communication takes place between school and home about important events.

Journeys Journals is a comprehensive Common Core reading program that integrates phonics, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling. It is taught both whole group and in small groups, in order to provide opportunities for individual instruction. These interventions support your student whether they are advanced, on grade level, or emerging as a reader. Each week we will focus on a new anchor text and informational piece, along with a set of selected skills and spelling words. Your student’s progress will be monitored weekly. During our reading block, students will also work on selecting “good fit books” and reading to self. We ask that you support their journey by reading each night at home. Writer’s Workshop Using a writer’s workshop format by Lucy Calkins, students will write narratives, informational, and persuasive pieces, as well as a variety of other forms of writing. Everyday Math Everyday Math is a comprehensive, spiral curriculum that follows the Common Core State Standards. It is a spiral curriculum because it builds on skills over time. What is taught in one lesson does not always have to be mastered immediately. It will be reviewed in future lessons to build practice into independence. Activities to support your student’s learning through each math unit will be shared in a parent letter before we begin a new section. Math games such as cards, dice, or fact triangles, are a way to learn while having fun. I also encourage you to practice addition and subtraction facts a few times each night to help your child build computational fluency. They will need those skills to successfully move into multiplication. One-to-One Learning Your student will be issued a Dell Venue Tablet for the school year. The use of the tablet will be integrated into our curriculum to support and enhance learning with the use of technology. Accelerated Reader Accelerated Reader is a program in which your student is assigned a number of points to reach each quarter through taking tests on the books they read. AR can be a motivator for students, but is not to be misunderstood as the core of our reading program. Students are expected though to take weekly AR tests. Cooperative Learning Students will work in cooperative learning groups throughout the year. Cooperative learning is a very effective way to help students become working members of a group, and to help them learn to productively work within a social setting. Research has shown that cooperative learning can play an important part in the social and academic growth of students. Grading Scale District rubrics are used to determine the grading scale on class work and assessments. Our state and school district have been changing to keep up with Common Core Standards to make sure all Wyoming students are at a level playing field to the rest of the nation. These standards are creating more rigor in the classroom. The rubric is as follows: 4 – Advanced/above expectations 3 – Proficient (meets the standards) 2 – Partially proficient 1 – novice/basic level

“The Mustang Way” T he Six Pillars Of Character Trustworthiness (Integrity, Honesty, Reliability, Loyalty) Be honest. Don't deceive, cheat or steal. Be reliable - do what you say you will do. Have the courage to do the right thing. Build a good reputation. Be loyal - stand by your family, friends, and country. Respect (Golden Rule. Tolerance and Acceptance. Nonviolence. Courtesy) Treat others with respect; follow the golden rule. Be tolerant of differences. Use good manners, not bad language. Be considerate of the feelings of other. Don't threaten, hit or hurt anyone. Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements. Responsibility (Duty, Accountability, Pursue Excellence, Self-Control) Do what you are supposed to do. Persevere: keep on trying!. Always do your best. Use self-control. Be self-disciplined. Think before you act - consider the consequences. Be accountable for your choices. Fairness (Fairness and Justice, Openness) Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open minded; listen to others. Don't take advantage of others. Don't blame others carelessly. Caring (Concern for Others, Charity) Be kind. Be compassionate and show you care. Express gratitude. Forgive others. Help people in need. Citizenship (Do your Share, Respect Authority and Law) Do your share to make your school and community better. Cooperate. Get involved in community affairs. Stay informed; Vote. Be a good neighbor. Obey laws and rules. Respect authority. Protect the environment.

Congratulations! You have been chosen as M.V.P. for the week! Please take the Star Student poster home and complete it with all the information about you. Make sure you make it colorful as it will be displayed in the classroom for everyone to see! You are welcome to include pictures of yourself, family and pets. Please return the poster on Monday to kick off your week of being our Most Valuable Person! Way to lead “The Mustang Way!”