Please take a moment to read your child s

Please take a moment to read your child’s note he or she wrote you. Please take a minute to look in your child’s Self Smart Data Notebook. The children completed a Quality Parent based on what they felt would be needed from you to have a successful year! Then write a note to your child! The kids look forward to getting your note every year! Montclair Elementary 2015 -2016

• Dr. Walts, Montclair Video, & Our Class Tour • Expectations • Student Quality Work & Responsibilities • Curriculum • Homework, Grading, and Behavior • Communication • Miscellaneous • School Handouts • @ 7: 50 head to cafeteria for 3 rd gr. presentation

Students will: • Be able to work cooperatively with a buddy and in groups • Respect others • Be responsible citizens • Become problem solvers and independent thinkers

Classroom Discipline Policy Individual Discipline The policy follows the characteristics of the “Quality Student” that we have developed as a class. Class expectations that we decided upon were also directly correlated with the Life Skills. Four main characteristics are as follows: Being responsible, being helpful/caring, being respectful, and being a good citizen. These are labeled on the quality student with specific examples of what it means to possess these skills. Each of the four characteristics have a corresponding color: Responsible= blue, Helpful/Caring=Orange, Respectful=Green, and Good Citizen=Red. If the student has been a “Quality Student” the entire school day, he/she can earn $00. 15 in Monty’s Money. Each child has his/her own bank where his/her money is kept. Money that they earn will be used in a monthly class store. If a child is not demonstrating the characteristics of a “Quality Student”, then they will receive a colored stick depending on which characteristic that they are not displaying (i. e. orange stick for not using kind words). Each child has a numbered pocket where this stick will be placed. Also, the child loses five cents. If the child continues to not be a “Quality Student” that day, then he/she will receive another stick, lose another five cents, and will have to complete the top portion of the “Think Sheet”. This will require teacher support and one-on-one discussion with the child. If a third stick is given in the same day, then the child loses all of his/her money, the “Think Sheet” will be competed to be sent home and signed by the parent, and parent contact will be made. If a child does not receive any sticks (or only 1 depending on the situation) for the entire week, then the student will receive an extra reward ($00. 25 for his/her bank, something from the prize box, or an item from the toy vending machine). If the child receives two, three, or more sticks in one week, the Fun Friday activity may be lost or decreased. Group Discipline Plan When the students are performing well as a group, a glass stone will be moved from a plain bowl to a decorative “fish bowl”. Once all of the stones have been earned, the students will have an extra special treat or activity that they have determined in a class meeting. This round, the students have decided on a PJ, movie, lunch party. The time frame to earn all of the stones is usually 1 -1 ½ months. The children can lose stones when they are not behaving as expected as a group.

• Attention to detail in daily assignments (reading directions, spelling words that have been provided, etc. ) • Follow classroom rules students developed as we formed Our Class Vision and Mission • Managing unfinished work • Developing organizational skills

Language Arts We currently use a Guided Reading & Strategy Grouping methodology that allows me to have a comprehensive approach to your child’s reading instruction. We will have weekly vocabulary activities, word study skills, comprehension strategy lessons, & skill lessons. In addition, we will have various reading response activities. We have Literacy Stations that encompass Reading Domains. We also use the Writing Process as we learn the three writing domains: Composing, Written Expression, and Usage & Mechanics. We have approximately 90 minutes of Reading/Language Arts time each day.

Math We have daily instruction for 90 minutes of Mathematics. We use a blended approach of the Investigations Math series and the Math Connects series We will typically use a math workshop format Direction Instruction, Guided Math Groups, and Math Stations

Social Studies & Science = Content We alternate our Social Studies and Science curriculum throughout each nine week block. We began our first nine weeks with Social Studies. Study guides go home around the start of a unit. They are located on our Fusion Page. They are also in your child’s take home folder.

• H. W. Policy is in your folder • Your child writes the H. W. each day in the agenda • Should not take your child more than 50 minutes (please contact me if it is) • Stress quality work (always personal best) • Guide your child with questions and assistance • If emergency arises, just drop me a note (email preferred)

• Grading Policy went home Sept. 19 th • Parent Signature stamp on all assignments where less than a C was earned • Students have an opportunity to retest on unit tests • Corrected work (except quizzes and CFAs (Common Formative Assessments)

• Agenda Daily • Daily Folders • Email • Third Grade Webpage http: //pwcs. montclair. schoolfusion. us/ • Bi-monthly third grade newsletters • Phone • Conferences, interims, and report cards

Book Club: We do Scholastic Book Orders Right Now Sites available to students at home: • Study Island & Raz Kids • Site to come: Math Connects • Field Trips: Upcoming trip to National Zoo • Volunteer (class/school) • Donations for class store • Conference Times – sign up on back table • Parent Communication Form (computer access/email) – back table

• Schoolwide Discipline (Y&O) • MI Parent Brochure (Y&O) • Parent Handbook (Y&O) • County calendar revisions (Y&O) • Parent Survey (Y&O)

Any questions? Feel free to drop a note or send an email if you think of one later! Please remember to write your child a note before we head to the cafeteria. The third grade presentation starts right at 8: 00!

Two Scupltors By Cleo V. Swarat I dreamed I stood in a studio And watched two sculptors there, The clay they used was a young child’s mind And they fashioned it with care. One was a teacher: the tools she used were books and music and art; One was a parent: With a guiding hand gentle loving heart. And when at last their work was done, They were proud of what they had wrought. For the things they had worked into the child Could never be sold or bought! And each agreed he/she would have failed if she/he had worked alone. For behind the parent stood the school, and behind the teacher stood the home!

Thank you for being a big part of our Classroom Community!

for taking the time to attend Open House! I look forward to working with you and your child this year. It is going to be a wonderful year filled with exciting learning activities!