1. Welcome to Third Grade! News, announcements, and other educational items of interest can be found on our class website through the Spofford Pond School website or by visiting www.TeacherWeb.com/MA/SpoffordPondSchool/Medugno www.TeacherWeb.com/MA/SpoffordPondSchool/Medugno

2. Room 6 Behavior Expectations At the beginning of each week the students will receive 5 gold coins, which we will call Medugno Money.At the beginning of each week the students will receive 5 gold coins, which we will call Medugno Money. Throughout the week the students have the opportunity to gain or lose Medugno Money based on their ability to follow the classroom rules and guidelines. We will follow the Spofford Pond Code of Conduct.Throughout the week the students have the opportunity to gain or lose Medugno Money based on their ability to follow the classroom rules and guidelines. We will follow the Spofford Pond Code of Conduct. 1st offense - verbal warning (Turn card to Yellow) 2nd offense - loss of Medugno Money & Write It Up Slip (Turn card to Red) * 3 Write It Up Slips ~ Sent home to be signed by parents on a Red Slip

3. Room 6 Behavior Expectations Cont… Once the students have collected 20 Medugno Money, they will receive a homework pass; good for a night without homework! We will also be using a marble jar as a class incentive for transition times, positive whole-class behavior, and extra effort in specials and in the hallways. The students will work toward a special reward such as an extra recess, a Read-In, etc.

4. Classroom Rules The Class rules will follow the Spofford Pond Code of Conduct as follows: Be Responsible ~ Follow directions, stay in assigned area Be Safe ~ Walk at all times; keep hands and feet and other body parts and objects to yourself. Be Respectful ~ Use active listening. No bullying, put downs, teasing, foul language, or vandalism of property. Be Considerate ~ Use appropriate voice volume indoors; keep all areas of the school clean; and DO NOT talk while others are talking.

5. Homework Policy Homework is important because: It’s a great way to get some extra practice with things that we have learned in class. It helps your teacher to see if your child has understood what they have learned in class. It helps your child to be more responsible and more organized!

6. Homework Policy Cont… In third grade, we spend about 30 minutes each night on our regular homework. Part of those 30 minutes includes the 10 minutes that your child should be spending on spelling practice. In addition to those 30 minutes, your child should also be doing 20 minutes of pleasure reading with a book of their choice. If your child has a lot of trouble with their homework or there is some sort of emergency or special situation where they can’t get their homework to school the next day, they need to have a grown-up write them a note, or call the teacher to explain why the homework is not completed. If homework is not brought in on the day it is due, it will result in the loss of Medugno Money.

7. Book Projects/Reports This year your child will be responsible for monthly book reports. (October, November, December, January, March, & May) On the first day of each month, your child will be given a packet that clearly explains the directions and requirements for each project. The assignments are also available on our class website! I have made these packets as comprehensive as possible so that your child fully understands what he/she is required and expected to do. Included in that packet is a timetable to help keep them on track as well as a self-evaluation sheet.

8. More About Book Projects… It is my goal to expose students to as many genres as possible this year so that they may form an interest in, as well as an understanding of various types of literature. Reading material should be at an appropriate, yet challenging level and should be a story that your child has not previously read. I ask that students take the time to select their books carefully.

9. Curriculum  Math  Students study units covering the following mathematical strands developed by the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework:  Number sense and Operations  Patterns, Relations, and Algebra  Measurement  Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

10. Curriculum Language Arts Reading  Houghton-Mifflin Anthology & Reading Workshop  Reading workshop focuses on: Predicting, Inferring, Questioning, Making Connections, Summarizing, and Evaluating. Writing  Outcome pieces:  Personal Narrative, Friendly Letter, Instructions (How-To), Descriptive, Quatrain, Compare or Contrast, and Research Report  Focus on the Six Traits of Writing:  Ideas, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Voice, and Conventions  Zaner-Bloser Cursive

11. Curriculum Science The third grade science curriculum includes the following units:  Animal characteristics and adaptations  Weather  Sound (D.A.S.H)  States of Matter

12. Curriculum Social Studies The third grade social studies curriculum includes 3 major units: Boxford, Our Hometown Massachusetts: Its First People and Settlers Massachusetts: Our part in Our Nation’s Story

13. Report Cards We use a Standards based Report Card. –This card will assess your child based on the Massachusetts State Curriculum Standards. –The Report Card is 4, 3, 2, 1 rubric. 4 - Demonstrates in-depth understanding of concepts; independent application of knowledge & skills 3 - Demonstrates understanding of concepts; consistent application of skills 2 - Demonstrates developing or inconsistent understanding of concepts; often needs assistance 1 - Demonstrates some understanding of concepts with significant assistance

14. Questions ???