Welcome to Room C-2’s 2014-2015 Year of Learning and Fun!

All students will be challenged! There will be differentiation across all curriculum

areas. In C-2, we will work as a team by supporting each

other. Our classroom will be a safe, positive, and

comfortable environment. Learning is fun! We will treat others how we would like them to

treat us!

My goal this year is to build solid communication between home and school so together we can foster the best learning for our children. I hope this year is an enjoyable and successful year for everyone!

Ms. Sylva’s Teaching Philosophy

The last week, we have been working a lot on building our classroom community here in C-2. Group and partner activities Community Circles King/Queen of the Jungle Table Group points Cultural Museum (September 12th)

Building Community

Setting high expectations for mutual respect and polite manners

Positive reinforcement Sticker Charts Table Points Acknowledgement

Behavior Chart Warning Refocus Form Call/Note Home Study Hall

Responsibility/Discipline

On August 2, 2010 the California State Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt Common Core State Standards. The new standards are rigorous, research-based, and designed to prepare every student for success in college and the workforce. The standards are internationally benchmarked to ensure that out students are able to compete with students around the globe. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parent know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

**For practice assessment questions visit www.smarterbalanced.org

Moving Into Common Core

Reading We will be using the Houghton Mifflin Reading

program which has a balance of phonics and whole reading strategies. I use Strategies That Work techniques for teaching students how to be good readers.

Throughout the year, the students will read different chapter books and each student will be a part of different Literacy Circles.

Each student will be responsible for book reports on different genres (fiction, non-fiction, biography, and mystery).

Daily reading homework will reinforce the strategies we are learning in class.

Independent, guided, small group, partner reading, book reports, and one-on-one reading with the teacher will all be a regular part of our reading program.

Curriculum

Writing We will be using the Lucy Calkins 3rd grade units of

study for our writing program. The units of study include narrative, opinion, and information writing.

Students will also learn how to write a friendly letter. There will be explicit writing instruction, as well as

writer’s workshop, and journal writing. Writer’s workshop will be at least 4 times a week. Students will be learning cursive writing.

Math Scott Foresman Text- enVisionMATH Common Core Daily Boardmath and Jumpstarts to both review and

challenge students (warm-up). Use of manipulatives and real life situations to

make math real and easily understood. Teaching our brains to work hard to figure out new

and complex problems. Students will be encouraged to challenge their

classmates by creating daily challenge problems that relate to the current math lesson we are learning.

Science Weather and Climate Animal and Plant Adaptations Fossils Heredity and Traits Forces, Motions, Electric and Magnetic Relationships

Social Studies Map Skills and Geography Communities Ohlone Indians/Changes Over Time Dublin History U.S. Government

Science and Social Studies

This year, each grade level has a cart of Chromebooks. These are laptops that are student friendly. Instead of our normal weekly computer lab time, our classes will use these Chromebooks 2-3 times a week. On these laptops, the students will access their new math curriculum, practice typing skills, and explore educational games and activities. I am very excited to integrate technology into our curriculum.

Chromebooks

We are in the process of coordinating the field trips for this year. We have not secured all the dates, time, and locations, but the following trips are in the planning (although not guaranteed): Service Learning Project (Kids Against Hunger) Dublin Civic Center/ Heritage Center Alviso Adobe Park (Ohlone) Edward Tulane Play (March) Dublin Swim Center (June)

**Drivers/Chaperones are needed for all field trips!

Field Trips

8:25-9:00 Daily Warm-up/Vocabulary/Jumpstart

9:00-10:00 Math

10:00-10:15 Recess

10:15-10:30 Read Aloud

10:30-12:00 Reading/Grammar/Spelling

12:00-12:40 Lunch

12:40-1:10 Reader’s Workshop

1:10-1:50 Writer’s Workshop

1:50-2:00 Handwriting/Cursive

2:00-3:00 Social Studies/Science/Art

P.E. (Monday @10:15-11:00), Music (Wednesday @10:15-11:00),Library (Thursday @1:20-1:50)

Monday & Tuesday release at 2:00. Collaboration Wednesday release is also at 2:00. Thursday & Friday release is at 3:00. Please check the calendar on the John Green Elementary website or our C-2 packet for all collaboration days.

Daily Schedule

Please check your child’s Minder Binder and homework folder everyday for homework!

Everyday: Read for 20-30 minutes Practice spelling Math

Projects: Book Reports Science Experiments Research Reports

Homework

Please fill out the volunteer sheet if you can help out at home or in the classroom.

The Room Parent’s duties include: Coordinating parties (Halloween, November Cultural

Feast, Winter Party, Valentine’s Day, and End of the Year) Please check our the Green PFC website for more Room

Parent info Other Volunteers are needed to help with:

Correcting homework and assignments Copying, stapling, filing, etc. Specialty projects (art, science, etc.) Classroom Centers Parent Drivers/ Chaperones

Parent Volunteers

Please enjoy a refreshment at the back table and sign-up for a conference time.

Thank you for the wonderful amount of supply donations. We also have a donation board in the front of the room.

Please feel free to email me at: sylvasarah@dublinusd.net or call me at 833-4200 ext. 6636.

The best times to reach me are before and after school. I check my e-mail regularly and I will get back to you promptly.

Our classroom website is up and running. Please visit www.teacherweb.com/ca/greenelementary/sylva

Thank you for coming!