1. Miss Mason’s Third Grade Class 2012-2013 School Year
Third Grade Open House
Miss Mason’s Third Grade Class
School Year

2. How Can You Reach Me? Student’s Agenda Book By phone –301-743-5454By
Miss Mason –

3. the first day of school, please let me know.
Overview
Reading program
Math
Science
Social Studies
Health
Homework
School Wide Behavior Plan
Working Together
You have already received an abundance of information regarding our school’s policies,
class schedules, supplies needed, information regarding field trips, lunch accounts,
celebrations, medical concerns, etc. If you need another copy of the packet sent home on
the first day of school, please let me know.

4. Working With Words Word Wall Words Vocabulary Spelling Grammar

5. Close Reading Whole group (class)-reading the main selection.
Follow up activities relating to comprehension skills and strategies.

6. Guided Reading Rotations
During guided reading, we have three rotations.
When students are not meeting with me for their guided reading group, they are either working independently on their seat work assignment, or they are at a learning center.
When they hear the bell, that signals that it’s time for the next rotation.

7. Rotations Group #1 Group #2 Group #3 1st Bell Miss Mason Centers
Seat Work
2nd Bell
3rd Bell
4th Bell
Clean Up

8. Centers Reading Writing Computers Word Work
Students’ names will appear on clips to indicate what center they are assigned to. The clips will rotate around the center wheel each day.
Reading
Writing
Computers
Word Work

9. Listen to story on tape or cd.
Reading Center
At the reading center, students may pick the text from our classroom library they want to read and decide how they want to read it.
Read to Self
Partner Read
Listen to story on tape or cd.

10. Reading Center
After students finish reading a story, they complete an SSR activity at their desk. They choose any SSR activity from the flip chart in their table’s book basket. Most activities are done in their writing journal.

11. Writing Center
At the writing center, students may respond to one of the daily writing prompts, use the Story Starters book to write a creative story, or do self-selected writing (SSW). All assignments for the writing center are done in students’ writing journals.

12. Computer Center
At the computer center, students explore learning with reading activities on Education City, Success Maker, or even take AR quizzes on Renaissance Place. Sometimes, there are other websites and activities available.

13. Word Work Center
At the word work center, students practice a variety of skills by choosing an activity on an index card from the flip chart. They may be working with the vocabulary words from a story we’ve read, practicing with synonyms and antonyms, identifying compound words, identifying the correct homophones in sentences, completing a word sort, identifying the definitions of multiple meaning words, and lots more.

14. Seat Work
After our close reading lesson, I distribute the assignment for students to complete independently at their desk when it’s their group’s time to do seat work.
When completing seat work, students are expected to be silent. If they have a question about the assignment, our rule is… See 3 Before Me!
If students need to talk to a neighbor because they need help, or they are providing help to someone else, they are expected to use a whisper table voice.
All seat work assignments are submitted to the completed work basket upon completion. These assignments are typically graded with feedback and sent home.

15. Guided Reading
Students read in small leveled groups with me. These ability based groups are constructed by their reading levels from the Rigby Benchmark and Performance Series Testing.
In these groups, students read and discuss leveled texts as I guide them to read with accuracy, fluency, and to build comprehension and application of reading skills and strategies.
Students benefit from small group instruction.

16. Writing Block 6+1 Traits of Writing Ideas Organization Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions
Presentations
Routine and analytic writing pieces based on the selections in close reading.

17. Writing Workshop Working Independently on rough draft
Editing with a partner
Meet with
Miss Mason
Working Independently on final draft
Finished with assignment and working at a center
Caleb Temi Tolu Michael M. Michael A David Mikah
Alexandra Reilly Ja’Kiya Samahria Jay’len Taevon
Daeqwan Elora Kemeshia Talaya Khalil

18. Self-Selected Reading (SSR)
Students choose from a variety of texts to read independently, or with a partner. Students may also listen to the text on a tape or cd.
Students can choose from a variety of activities to complete after reading a text. These activities are located on a flip chart in their table’s book basket.

19. Students have a variety of after reading activities to choose from
*Students have a variety of after reading activities to choose from. Here are a few examples.
SSR Activities
Postcard – Create a postcard with a drawing that shows the setting of your book on one side and write a note to a friend telling them all about the book you have read. For example, “Wish you could read this book because….”
Dear Author – Write a letter to the author of your book to share with them how you really felt about an element of the story (if fiction) or the information (if nonfiction) that you learned from the story.
Fictional Friends – Which characters from the book would you want to be friends with? Explain why. What types of things would you do with that character if you knew them in real life? Write in paragraph form to support your choice.
Interview the Author – Create at least 5 to 7 interview questions for the author of your book. These should be questions that you would ask the author in person if you had an opportunity to meet them.

20. SSR Activities
Persuade Me – Write a letter to your teacher or a friend to persuade them to read a book that you read and liked. Be sure to support your persuasive letter with 2 to 3 positive reasons. Be sure to follow the correct letter format.
Music to My Ears – Find an appropriate song (classical, rock, hip hop, or country) that you feel would make a great soundtrack if your book was made into a movie. Be sure to include some of the lyrics to show how it would fit the book. Reference the text to support your response.
It’s All About Character – Describe one of the characters in your book and explain why you feel that they show good character development by displaying one of the character traits we have studied in class. Be sure to define the character trait you are writing about. For example – Kindness: being friendly and helpful and compassionate. Support your choice of character and trait with examples from the text.
Did you Know? (pamphlet) – Make an informational pamphlet describing the most important facts from your book. Illustrate the important details to further explain the facts you chose.

21. SSR Activities
Create a Bookmark for a character in your book – Draw the character and show some of the character’s most important characteristics and features in your drawing. On the back, write down an explanation of your bookmark drawing and explain how it connects with the character and the book.
 Question-Maker– Write 4-6 questions that you would include on a quiz about a text that you just read. Quiz a classmate with your questions.
Mapmaker – Draw a map of the places in your book that characters went to. Be sure to label the important places on your map. Add page numbers to show where this part is in the book.
Collage – Create a collage using magazine pictures and text that represents something “interesting” from your book. Write an explanation for each item that you include.

22. Mathematics Counting and sorting
Investigations include exploring money, data, number sense, Geoblocks, pattern blocks, and connecting cubes
Daily math logs
Students who were in accelerated math last year, are in accelerated math this year. Therefore, they receive the fourth grade math investigations curriculum taught by Miss Nichols.
Students who are in general math receive the third grade math investigations curriculum.

23. Science Life Science Earth/Space Science Physics Environmental Science
Chemistry
Students will attend the science lab twice a week for a 50 minute block with the science teacher, Mr. Emhoff.

24. Social Studies
Climatic Regions
Tropical Temperate
Artic Regions
Japan

25. Health Great Body Shop curriculum
Monthly Health issues that cover a variety of health topics.

26. Homework
Please check your child’s agenda book to see their homework assignments.
Students need to read for at least 15 minutes each night, and complete an activity from their spelling bingo board.
Homework in math, science, social studies, and health will be assigned regularly, but not necessarily daily.
Please look for information regarding special extended projects in the weekly newsletter.

27. Nightly Homework: Spelling Bingo Challenge
Make a chart with three columns: Spelling Word, Same Beginning, and Same Ending. Fill your chart with a spelling, word, another word that begins with the same letter and another word that ends with the same letter.
Write tongue twister sentences for each of your spelling words by using words that begin with the same letter as your spelling word. Underline the spelling word in each sentence. Example: Let’s listen to a lovely lullaby.
Pretend you are someone or something else for a day. Write several sentences about your day, using at least 8 of your spelling words. Underline each spelling word in your sentences. *You can pretend you are an animal, an astronaut, an inventor, a singer, an artist. Just be creative
Write 10 of your spelling words. Then write a sentence using words that begin with each letter of the spelling word. Underline the beginning letters as you use them.
Example: Rain-Randy awakened in the night.
Write an opinion paragraph using at least 8 of your spelling words. Your topic can be about an opinion you have about school, family, movies, tv shows, sports, animals, friends, or any other topic you have a strong opinion about.
Write 8 riddles (puns) using a spelling word in each sentence. Write the answer to your riddle (pun). Underline each spelling word in your sentences.
Use five of your spelling words in a sentence to write about something that happened in the past.
Use five other spelling words in a sentence to write about something that is happening now (present). Underline each spelling word. Example:
Jim walked to school yesterday.
Jim eats an apple at lunch.
Write each spelling word in a sentence using a contraction somewhere in the sentence. Underline the spelling word and the contraction. Example: I don’t know when the bell rings.
Write each spelling word in a sentence that has a cartoon character or superhero’s name as the subject (naming part). Make the sentence something that the person actually did or said. Underline each spelling word. Example: Cinderella walked around the castle.
Write a short story using all of your spelling words. Underline each spelling word in your story.
Write 10 sentences with your spelling words. Underline each spelling word and circle each verb.
Visit
Follow the directions.
*You must have your parent’s permission, and a note is required as proof the assignment was completed.
Write a friendly letter to someone you think is important or special. Include all 12 of your spelling words in the letter. You can write a letter to a teacher, your favorite celebrity, character, an athlete on your favorite team, or anyone you choose. Underline your spelling words in the letter.
Write each spelling word. Make a list of other words that are a part of the same word family. Underline the spelling word.
Example: great, greater, greatest, greatly.
Write synonyms for 5 of your spelling words. Choose 5 more words, and write antonyms.

28. School-Wide Behavior Plan
Cards are flipped for positive behavior six times a day.
If a student receives a step, they miss their card being flipped to the next color for that time period.
We encourage students to reach for the gold everyday

29. Steps-Consequences Step 1= warning Step 2= 5 minute time out
Step 3= 10 minute time out in another class, action plan
Step 4= Phone call home
Step 5= Student incident report
Step 6= Office referral

30. Rewards Dream catchers that can be turned into the office for prizes.
Positive phone calls or notes home.
Friday celebration (every week at the end of the day).
The Big Event (every quarter).
Class marbles in a jar that could lead to a class celebration such as extra recess, a popcorn party, an ice cream party, a dance party, etc.

31. Grading Scale
100-90= A
89-80= B
79-70= C
69-60= D
59 or Below= F

32. Let’s Work Together! Read with your child every night.
Encourage your child to decode words by looking for beginning sounds, chunks and blends.
Try the “Get your mouth ready” & other techniques.
Self-correcting shows good reading behavior!
Please check your child’s agenda each evening for homework assignments, notes from me, and to see what color they earned for the day.
Return Thursday Folders every Friday.
Please make sure your child does his/her homework every night.
Please check your child’s binder or book bag for graded papers to monitor their progress.
Read the weekly newsletters and contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

33. Thank you for
all you do!