2. Class Schedule
4. Homework Expectations
5. Instructional Expectations
Reading Workshop
Writing Workshop
Sitton Spelling
Math
Science
Social Studies
6. Assessment Procedures
8. Questions
Class Rules
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Consequences
1. Verbal Warning
2. Behavior Card (student writes name, date, and rule
broken)
3. Behavior Card and ten minutes isolation at recess
4. Plan of Improvement and twenty minutes isolation at
recess
5. Office Referral
Communication
PARENT’S
INITIALS
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Homework
Major Assignments:
READ every night for at least 20 minutes. Students will record
the book they read in their agenda
Math computation practice will be sent home on Monday and
due on Wednesday. There will be a computation quiz on
Thursday.
Spelling word review for test on Wednesday
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1. Set up a consistent organized place for homework to be
completed.
2. Help your child establish either a consistent schedule for
completing homework or help your child create a schedule
each Sunday night that reflects that particular week’s
activities.
3. Encourage, motivate and prompt your child, but do not sit
with them and do the homework with him/her. The purpose
of homework is for your child to practice and use what is
being taught at school. If your child is consistently not able
to do the homework by themselves, please contact Mrs.
White.
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Reading Workshop
Shared Reading
Small groups of students reading the same text
Literature Circles
Readers Theater
Guided Reading
Teacher directs a small group of students focusing on the same skill
Reading level is appropriate for all students in the group
Independent Reading
Students select text with close teacher supervision
Students may read a variety of print (magazines, comics, how-to books…)
Students are accountable for use of time
Students complete a weekly Reader’s Response
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Reading Comprehension
Recognizing that the main goal of reading is to understand the written word and
be able to interact with it in a variety of ways, these strategies are offered to
enhance this understanding:
• Making inferences/predictions
• Analyzing and synthesizing
• Identifying story elements
information
• Using parts of a book
• Comprehending a variety of
• Determining cause/effect
genres
• Sequencing events
• Using graphic aids/organizers
• Discussing texts
• Making text/illustration
• Acquiring and applying new
connections
vocabulary
• Building on prior knowledge
• Applying acquired knowledge
• Identifying main idea/supporting
details
These strategies will be taught through reading, writing, and listening in whole
group, small group, & individual settings using fiction & non-fiction literature.
We will use the reading program Making Meaning for our mini-lessons this year.
This program combines the latest research in reading comprehension with social
development strategies that foster students’ growth as caring and principled
members of the classroom community. Reading comprehension strategies are
taught directly through read-aloud experiences. Students learn to use these
strategies to make sense of their own reading through guided and independent
strategy practice. One way to get a window into students’ understanding is to
help them talk about, and write about their thinking. Our lessons will emphasize
reading, writing, talking, listening, and investigating as the hallmarks of active
literacy. We will be using a variety of texts as mini-lessons throughout the year to
help engage students to reach their full potential in reading.
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Reading Workshop Weekly Rubric
________________________________
Reading Notes:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
CATEGORY 20 15 10 5
Stays on task Student reads Student reads Student reads Student wastes a
independently the almost all (80% or some (50% or lot of reading time.
entire period. more) of the more) of the time.
period.
Chooses Student Student sometimes Student rarely Student does not
Appropriate consistently chooses chooses choose
Books chooses appropriately appropriately appropriately
appropriately leveled books. leveled books. leveled books.
leveled books.
Focus on Student is lost in Student seems to Student seems to Pretends to read
story/article the story. There's be enjoying and be reading the the story. Mostly
no looking around moving through the
story, but doesn't looks around or
or flipping through story, but takes seem to be very fiddles with things.
the pages. some short breaks.
interested. Takes a
few short breaks.
Thinks about the Student accurately Student accurately Student accurately Student has
story/article describes what has describes what has describes most of difficulty re-telling
happened in the happened in the what happened in the story.
story and shows story. the story.
thinking by
predicting,
questioning, or
inferring.
Respects others Student reads Student Student often Student reads
quietly and stays in occasionally is a distracts others. loudly, makes
one place allowing distraction to repeated
others to read. others. comments or
noises OR fidgets
and moves about
often, distracting
others.
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Writing Workshop
Modeled Writing
Teacher writes on overhead and describes the thought process involved
Minilessons focusing on fluency, mechanics, and the writing process
Shared Writing
Small groups of students focusing on the same writing strategies
Partner writing
Guided Writing
Teacher directs a small group of students focusing on the same skill
Writing level is appropriate for all students in the group
Independent Writing
Students select topics
Students are accountable for use of time
Students conference regularly with the teacher
Writing Curriculum
Writing lessons will follow a rigorous yearlong writing curriculum designed by
noted author and speaker, Lucy Calkins. The writing workshop is designed to
give children unbelievable power as readers, thinkers, and composers of
meaning. In today’s Information Age, it has become increasingly important that
all children are given an education that enables them to synthesize, organize,
reflect on, and respond to the data in their world. The foundations of the writing
workshop include:
1) Every day, children need between 50-60 minutes for writing and
writing instruction.
2) Children must learn to write texts like other writers write – memoirs,
stories, editorials, essays, poems – for an audience of readers, not
just for the teacher.
3) Writers do not write with words and convention alone; writers write
above all with meaning. Children will invest themselves more in
their writing if they are taught to select their own topics.
4) Children deserve to be explicitly taught the skills and strategies of
effective writing, and the qualities of good writing.
5) Children need the opportunity to cycle through the writing process
regularly.
6) Writers read. Writers read texts of all sorts, aiming to learn specific
strategies for writing well.
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Writing Workshop Rubric
______________________
20 15 10 0
Stays on task Student writes the Student writes almost Student writes some Student wastes a lot
entire period. all (80% or more) of (50% or more) of the of writing time.
the period. time.
Chooses Student Student needs some Student requires a Student does not
Appropriate independently assistance to choose great deal of choose appropriate
chooses appropriate appropriate topics. assistance to choose topics.
Topics topics. appropriate topics.
Narrative Student fluently Student writes Student writes Student does not
Development writes narratives, narratives with some narratives that are write narratives.
including details and details and lacking in details and
interesting language. interesting language. interesting language.
Punctuation Students always Student sometimes Student only uses Student does not
uses correct uses correct correct punctuation consistently use
punctuation and punctuation and and capitalization correct punctuation
capitalization. capitalization. when assisted by the and capitalization.
teacher.
Spelling Student spells the No Student sometimes Student rarely spells Student does not
Excuse Words spells the No Excuse the No Excuse spell the No Excuse
correctly in writing. Words correctly in Words correctly in correctly in writing.
writing. writing.
Date Stays on
Task
Chooses
Appropriate
Narrative
Develop-
Punctuation Spelling
Writing Comments
Topics ment Grade
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Sitton Spelling
Goal: Students will become confident, strategic spellers in their everyday writing.
Students will work with a list of frequently used words. Our expectation is
spelling mastery! Spelling words become our No Excuse words. These
words must be spelled correctly in daily writing and words will be on future
tests. Tests on Wednesday will include review words and dictation.
English
We will incorporate Daily Editing and our 3rd grade English textbook
to help guide us in the usage of the written language. We will learn
about parts of speech, grammar, punctuation, and correct usage of
the English language.
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Math
Class Lessons:
• Number Talks: 2-3 times per week. Focus on computation strategies.
• Problem solving
• Games
• Manipulatives
• Partner activities
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Investigations Curriculum:
• August – Addition, Data Analysis/Graphing
• September – Addition, Subtraction, Money, Multiplication, Understanding large
numbers
• October – Multiplication, Division, Place Value,
Commutative/Associative/Distributive properties
• November – Multiplication, Division, Connections between factors, multiples,
and division
• December – Geometry
• January – Multiplication, Division, Place Value
• February – Fractions, Decimals, Percents
• March – Probability, Review all computation
• April – Review all computation, Problem solving
• May – Algebraic thinking
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Science
Hands-on curriculum in five major areas of study:
Weather
Space Science
Environmental Science
Earth Science
Life Science
Human Body
Force and Motion
Social Studies
Maps and Globes
Native Americans
Explorers
Settlement
Field Trips
Vulcan Rock Quarry Oct. 5
Worldsong Nov. 12
Desoto Caverns April 22
Zoo May 5
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Grading Policy
50% Assessments & Dictations All assessments are taken from the
Rebecca Sitton Sourcebook.
Spelling
50% Daily Grades
Make-Up Policy: Students may redo any class work or daily assignment which is a C or below.
The students must return the assignment on Monday. The two grades will be averaged for a new
grade. The goal is to learn the material!
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Policies and Procedures
Contact Information
lawhite@hoover.k12.al.us
My cell number: 516-9839
My home number: 987-7173
Arrival/Attendance
If a student arrives after 7:45, he/she will need to go to the office for a
tardy pass
After an absence, a student has three days to turn in an excuse for the
absence
Students will need to be responsible and ask for assignments missed
Please send a note to school following any absence. We are required to
have a written excuse for each absence no later than two days following
the absence.
If you know your child is going to be absent, please let me know several
days in advance. This will allow us to begin to work on make-up
assignments with your child at school.
Transportation
The school must be notified in writing if a students transportation
changes. Emailed changes will NOT be accepted.
If a student goes home a different way once a week, a note must be sent
in each week.
Daily Folders
Daily Folders should be checked each day for notes and papers
Graded papers will be sent home on Friday
Please sign graded papers and return on Monday
Snack
Students may bring a healthy snack and a water bottle each day
Birthdays
Parties are not allowed at school. However, I would encourage you to
come and eat lunch with your child on this special day.
You may send a healthy snack to be shared during the day. We can not
serve these snacks in the cafeteria, but will serve them during our snack
time in the classroom.
Class Parties
Winter Party and End of the Year Party
Book Orders
You are not obligated to make any purchases
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Please send a check made payable to the book club company .
Lunch
Please discuss purchasing seconds with your child. In third grade students
are expected to be independently responsible with this. If it becomes a
problem, please let me know.
Lunch time is 12:38-1:08
Agenda
Study skills and organization are keys to helping your child have a successful year.
We schedule a daily time to write our assignments in our agendas and to review the day’s
work.
Please check the agenda daily.
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