1. Building a community of
Welcome to Third Grade!
Building a community of
thinkers and learners.

2. Learning Expectations
Students will take responsibility for their own learning.
Instruction geared toward facilitating independence, supported by teacher modeling.
Expectations will be clearly communicated.
Time management and organizational skills are necessary for student success.

3. Behavior Expectations
Students will take responsibility for their behavior and recognize that their actions have consequences.
Classroom rules and behavior expectations will be clearly communicated to students.
Positive reinforcement in the way of verbal praise and rewards will be used throughout the year.
There are clear and consistent consequences to help students manage their behaviors.

4. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
As a team, we support the school-wide implementation of our PBIS management plan including:
daily communication of behavior choices in agendas (1-4 scale),
receiving PBIS tickets, weekly, monthly, and quarterly drawings,
and participation in the end of quarter
academic choice time. Your child will need to
be 3 or higher on the rainbow chart 80% of the quarter days.

5. Think Time Steps Step 1: verbal warning Step 2: in class refocus
Step 3: out class refocus
parent contact (Think Time)
Step 4: sent to office

6. Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards
The standards involve deeper understanding and comprehension of concepts.
Students will be required to think, reason, and analyze to achieve higher level understanding.

7. MOWR (Move on When Reading)
The law (A.R.S ) now states that when a 3rd grade student scores far below the 3rd grade level on the state assessment, they will not be promoted to the 4th grade.
There are some special allowances for students who have received less then 2 years of English instruction and for some students with disabilities.
Using district assessments and considering academic progress overtime, within the next month we will identify students who may be at-risk of falling far below. Together, we will create an Individual Intervention Plan (IIP) to support optimal learning.

8. Reading- Listening and Speaking
Core Knowledge (CKLA) is the foundation of our reading curriculum. CKLA connects engaging topics within and across grades, building knowledge and connected vocabulary for deep comprehension.
Through listening and speaking students are exposed to higher text complexity and vocabulary.
Students practice the routine of asking and answering questions about what they hear which is an important part of reading comprehension instruction.
When answering questions, students will be expected to answer in complete sentences that restate the question in both speaking and writing. (Response to Text)

9. Our goal is for students to become critical readers and thinkers.
Reading
Students must read widely and deeply from among a broad range of high-quality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts and demonstrate skills including:
Key Ideas and Details - What did the author say?
Craft and Structure of Text – How did the author say it?
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas - How to evaluate, use, go beyond what the author said.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Our goal is for students to become
critical readers and thinkers.

10. Enhancing Your Child’s Reading Skills
Keep reading to your child even after he/she learns to read.
Ask your child questions about what was read. Language & thinking skills develop when children discuss what they have read.
To become a fluent reader, your child should be reading 20 minutes a night.

11. Writing
Students will be able to organize information, develop ideas, and support them with facts, details, and reasons.
3 Text Types:
Argument/Opinion
Informative/Explanatory
Narratives
Conventions, Grammar, and Spelling

12. Mathematics
Emphasis on explaining why to develop a deeper understanding of math concepts.
The standards place emphasis on reaching the solution using different strategies and less on rote memory.
Students are expected to know their addition and subtraction facts fluently through 20.
Instruction will focus on these domains:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking- Multiplication & Division
Number and Operations in Base Ten 
Number and Operations—Fractions
Geometry & Measurement  
Measurement and Data 
Mathematical Practices (behaviors that lead to fluency, application, and a deep understanding of the standards)

13. Enhancing Your Child’s Math Skills
Please do not teach your child the traditional algorithm. This strategy will be taught in fourth grade.
Ask them to show you their mathematical strategies.
Give them the opportunity to justify their answers.

14. Reading and Math IFG (Instructional Focus Groups)
Students will be in flexible groups for math and reading to enhance, review and strengthen specific 3rd grade standards.
Student performance and need determine how groups are formed.
Teachers rotate between different level skill groups throughout the year.

15. Social Studies World History - Ancient Rome & Vikings
American History – Native Americans & Early North American
Explorers
Geography - Maps

16. Science Living Things – Animal Classifications & Ecosystems
Matter & Energy - Light & Sound
Astronomy
Coding Exploration
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
In Science we will use:
Hands – on instruction
Research projects
Problem solving, scientific process,
and vocabulary development

17. Technology Projects will be created that integrate technology
Technology on Demand-Students have access to laptops in all pods.
Promixa and Document Camera for class viewing
Smart Board to enhance classroom learning and student involvement
Projects will be created that integrate technology

18. Parent Communication Open communication is key to student success.
Agenda Notebook
Sent home every day and returned the following day with parent signature.
and phone
Weekly Newsletters
Friday Folders will be sent home with all of your child’s work for the week.
Quarterly Assessment forms, Report card
Grading System
Proficient: 85% or above
Developing: 70% - 84%
Area of Concern: 69% or below
Parent/ Teacher conferences

19. Daily Homework Homework will begin on August 13th.
Third graders will have nightly homework due the following day.
Monday and Wednesday will be reading/grammar practice.
Tuesday and Thursday will be math practice.
There will be a quarterly writing assignment. During that week students will not have nightly homework.
Spelling words will be listed in the newsletter each Friday prior to the weekly assessment.
Homework will begin on August 13th.

20. Brisas PTSO
ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend the first PTSO meeting. August 20
6:30 -7:30 PM
PTSO EVENTS
Kinder Meet & Greet
Spring Carnival
Ice Cream Social
Pumpkin Walk
Turkey Trot
Decades Dance
Field Day
Student Store
Staff Meals
Book Fair and more!

21. Fundraiser – 2018 Read-a-thon
The goal is to fundraise AND increase the love for reading in students
Reading starts Wednesday, September 5th - Friday, September 14th
Includes daily treats, exciting prizes, grade-level raffles and fun events!
Prizes for ALL students who participate.
No minimum $ amount required to participate
100% of money goes directly to help Brisas
Only planned fundraiser this year
Goal is to raise $30,000 to fund many school programs
More information the week of Aug. 27th

22. If you have any questions, please email me at mboerg@kyrene.org
Thank you for coming this evening!
If you have any questions, please me at