Welcome to 3 rd Grade Parent Night

1. Welcome to 3rd Grade Parent Night Mrs. Werner Room 11 Mrs. Prestel Room 14 Mrs. Bass Room 21

2. A Little about your child’s teacher, Mrs. Prestel • This will be my 18th year of teaching. (Wow time sure does fly by!) • Started career at Middleton Middle School 6-8th grades, taught there for 9 years. • Took a year off to be home with her new baby. Then accepted a job-share 5th grade position at Joplin Elementary 8 years ago. • Decided 2 years ago to teach full-time. • Married for almost 13 years, 2 children both attend Joplin. (1st grade and 4th grade) • Please contact me through e-mail first and use my school website to gather valuable information.

3. We’d love to have your help this year. Please sign up outside your child’s teacher’s classroom. We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks!

4. Homework • A homework sheet will be sent home on Mondays, and it will be due back on Friday of the same week. However, there will be no assigned homework beyond reading and math facts on three day weeks. • Homework will focus on reading fluency, spelling practice, and additional math computation skills. • On the back of every homework sheet there will be a one minute timed reading. Please do this on Monday and again on Tuesday. Additionally, please have your child read aloud from a book at their level. • Feel free to use the ideas in the homework packet that will sent home next week. spellingcity.com and xtramath.org are great places to help. • A homework grade will be recorded each week. (M or N on the report card) • Additionally, your child’s teacher may need to send unfinished class work home to be completed and returned to school.

6. Standards-Based Report Cards • Meridian School District uses a standards-based report cards for elementary schools. • Science, Math, Music & PE have been on this format for a few years. • Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Spelling) and Social Studies are the new reporting topics. • It is a rubric scale of 1 through 4. • 1 is below basic • 2 is basic • 3 at grade level • 4 above grade level

7. Reading Within our reading program we will teach grade level curriculum as well as differentiated material that will expand your child’s reading skills. Areas of emphasis include, but are not limited to: Literal comprehension Predicting Interpretive comprehension Persuading Vocabulary Summarizing Fluency Topic/Main Idea/Details Gathering Information Analyzing Nonfiction Story Elements Phonics Novel reading Author’s mood and purpose

8. Fluency

9. Language Artshttp://www.meridianschools.org/Staff/DistrictCurriculum/ElementarySchool/3/Language%20Arts/Forms/AllItems.aspx • The language component of our curriculum covers: • Parts of speech • Sentence structure • Types of sentences • Complete sentences • Capitalization • Punctuation • Grammar • Phonic • Figurative Language • Phonemic awareness • Prefix/Suffix meanings • Multiple Meaning Words • Dictionary Skills

10. Writing Your students will have many opportunities throughout the year to practice writing for different purposes. The following are some examples of types of writing students may be doing in third grade. Narrative Journaling Informative Autobiographies Paragraphs Research papers Descriptive Poetry Note taking Editing Process writing Persuasive/argumentative

11. Spelling • A spelling pretest will be given at the beginning of each week. Based on the pretest, students will be assigned a list. • Spelling tests will be given on the last day of the week. • Your child will be spelling test words in isolation and in sentence dictation. • Words Their Way is our new spelling program. When studying the words at home, please group them and study the word families and the rules for adding endings onto the base words. • Spelling practice will be a part of your child’s 30 minutes of homework each night. • Spelling homework will include a writing activity that needs to be completed and returned to school in Thursday Folder.

12. Math As of this year, our math instruction has been aligned to match the National Common Core Standards. As a result of these changes, students throughout the district will be taught the same instructional concepts within the same trimester. Third grade has three Big Ideas that are tied to other instructional concepts. This helps students develop a deeper understanding of math concepts and their interrelationship.

13. Unit 1Big Idea: Multiplication and Division Computation Students understand the meanings of multiplication and division of whole numbers through the use of representations, such as equal-sized groups, arrays, area models and number lines for multiplication, and repeated subtraction, partitioning and sharing for division. They use properties of addition and multiplication (identity, zero, commutative, associative & distributive) to multiply whole numbers and apply increasingly sophisticated strategies to solve contextual problems. Through their work with multiple strategies, students relate multiplication and division as inverse operations. By the end of the unit the students should fluently multiply and divide within 100. RT4 Dimensional Measurement Relationships Students understand that rectangular arrays can be decomposed into identical rows or into identical columns. By decomposing rectangles into rectangular arrays of squares, students connect area to multiplication and justify using multiplication to determine the area of a rectangle. RT 6 Algebraic Symbolism and Evaluation Students continue to develop an understanding of an unknown quantity represented as a symbol such as a box or picture, and solving for that unknown in computation situations including multiplication and division. They continue to develop an understanding of equality around the equal sign (=) and generate equivalent equations in computation situations including multiplication and division. Students continue to develop their understanding of patterns by describing and extending them. Their work with multiplication and division strategies should involve analysis of the patterns that exist within these operations. Students work with various models such as number lines, ratio tables and arrays, and should embed the analysis of the patterns that exist. RT 7 Addition and Subtraction Computation Students continue to develop their understanding of addition and subtraction of multi-digit whole numbers including building their facility with mental arithmetic (e.g., 250 + 600 or 203-199) and by using computational estimation to judge the reasonableness of results. They select and apply appropriate methods to estimate sums and differences or calculate them mentally depending on the context and numbers involved. They apply their understanding of repeated addition and/or subtraction to multiplication and division. RT 3 Number Systems Students extend their understanding of place value to multi-digit numbers in various situations, including understanding how place value relates to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They compose and decompose numbers in multiple ways, such as 3420 = 3420 ones, 3 thousands + 4 hundreds + 2 tens, 342 tens, etc. RT 1 & 2

14. Unit 2: Number Relationships and Representations PSa) Use models to demonstrate an understanding of multiplication of whole numbers up to 10 x 10, including contextual situations (e.g., number line, arrays, ratio table) PSb) Use models to demonstrate an understanding of division of numbers related to the 10 x 10 multiplication facts PSc) Fluently* multiply and divide within 100 (1 digit facts from memory by the end of 3rd grade) PSd) Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide (students need not use formal terms for these properties) Grade 3 expectations limited to denominators 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 RT 1&2 Algebraic Thinking PSa) Recognize, describe and extend patterns involving fractions PSb) Represent equivalent fractions in an equation (4/8 = 2/4 = 1/2) RT 7 Geometry PSa) Partition shapes into parts with equal areas and express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. RT 8 Measurement Systems PSa) Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. RT 5

15. Unit 3: Dimensional Measurement Relationships PSa) Measure area by counting the unit squares and relate area to the operations of multiplication and division. PSb) Multiply side lengths (whole number) to find the area of rectangles. PSc) Solve real world and mathematical problems involving the perimeter of polygons.RT 6 Multiplication and Division Computation PSa) Use models to demonstrate an understanding of multiplication of whole numbers up to 10 x 10, including contextual situations (e.g., arrays, area model. RT 4 Addition and Subtraction Computation PSa) Choose, combine and apply strategies for answering multi-digit addition and subtraction problems, including contextual situations (e.g., find the perimeter. RT 3 Measurement Systems PSa) Select and use appropriate metric units and tools to measure liquid volume and weight. PSb) Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. RT 5 Algebraic Thinking PSb) Represent contextual problems that involve perimeter and or area as a number equation using symbols (e.g., box or picture to represent the unknown side length of geometric figure). PSc) Solve missing number equations (e.g., perimeter and area problems). PSd) Generate equivalent equations (e.g., if two different rectangles have the same perimeter of 36, what could their side lengths be? 9+9+6+6 = 30 =10+10+5+5). RT 7 Geometric Figures PSa) Recognize area as an attribute of a plane figure, understand the concept of area measure and explain why area is measured in square units. PSd) Classify 2D shapes according to their properties and develop definitions for classes of shapes (e.g., quadrilaterals, polygons, rhombuses).RT 8

16. Harvard EdLabs Math pilot program for 3rd grade classrooms • This is a mathematics project that will focus on student achievement in data-driven instruction. (This project is part of a larger initiative that is being called "Build a Better Teacher".) • The math program our students will utilize is called the Khan academy. • 5 iPOD Touch units per classroom. • Parent welcome packets will be arriving in a couple of weeks with more information. • What a great opportunity for our students!

17. Sciencehttp://www.meridianschools.org/Staff/DistrictCurriculum/ElementarySchool/3/Science/Forms/AllItems.aspxSciencehttp://www.meridianschools.org/Staff/DistrictCurriculum/ElementarySchool/3/Science/Forms/AllItems.aspx • Four science units will be taught: • Reason for the Seasons • Living Things in their Environment • Force and Motion • States of Matter

18. Social Studieshttp://www.meridianschools.org/Staff/DistrictCurriculum/ElementarySchool/3/Social%20Studies/Forms/AllItems.aspx • Our Social Studies curriculum is developed around the concept of working together in a community. We will learn about: • Where/Why communities are started • Types of communities • How communities change over time • Community Structure • People in communities • Community leaders/Laws • Goods and services • Supply and Demand • Geography/Landforms/Maps/Directions

19. Other Important Information • A healthy snack at recess helps a student focus during the day. • We have several nut allergies in third grade. Please take this into consideration when sending snacks or providing treats for classroom celebrations. • We are fortunate to have new paint. Last year we had new carpet installed. Please only send clear water for your child to drink in class. • Thank you to everyone who has paid their child’s activity fee. This $18 pays for Weekly Reader and assemblies. • As a cost saving measure, third grade has chosen not to purchase planners this year. • In third grade, students will participate in several district and state tests. These include; IRI, MAP, Universal Screeners, and ISAT.

20. In Conclusion • Please know that all 3rd grade teachers have an open-door policy. • Feel free to ask us questions and let us know if you need help with your child. If we don’t know the answer, we will seek out the information. • General philosophy: • 3rd Graders work very hard at school all day. They are learning academics and good study behaviors, including being responsible for themselves. • The goal is to hold the child accountable in a Love and Logic approach. Your child’s teacher will use methods to motivate them. Your child may make mistakes, forget items, etc. That is a part of learning. It’s okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them!