Welcome to Third Grade!

Building a community of

thinkers and learners.

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.

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.

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

earn 100 tickets each quarter to fully

participate.

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

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.

MOWR(Move on When Reading)

The law (A.R.S 15-701) 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.

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)

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.

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.

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

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)

Enhancing Your Child’sMath 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.

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.

Social Studies

World History - Ancient Rome &

Vikings

American History – Native

Americans & Early North American

Explorers

Geography - Maps

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

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

Parent Communication Open communication is key to student success.

Agenda Notebook

– Sent home every day and returned the following day with

parent signature.

Email 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

Daily Homework

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.

Brisas PTSOALL are welcome and

encouraged to attend

the first PTSO meeting.

August 20

6:30 -7:30 PM

• Kinder Meet & Greet

• Spring Carnival

• Ice Cream Social

• Pumpkin Walk

• Turkey Trot

• Decades Dance

• Field Day

• Student Store

• Staff Meals

• Book Fair and more!

PTSO EVENTS

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

If you have any questions, please email me at kfoster@kyrene.org

Thank you for coming this evening!