Mrs.

Flack’s 3rd Grade Class

Curriculum Night 2018

 This Year’s Goals
• To meet the needs of individual learners
• To help build responsibility and
independence
• To engage learners in higher order
thinking
• To build respect
Names to know:
• Kim Tierney, Principal
• Elizabeth Griesel, Assistant
Principal
• Carla Lane, Secretary
• Lisa Spears, School Nurse • Waukee’s Mission and
Vision:
“Dedicating to
optimizing individual
learning and potential
for success in a global
community.”
Classroom Blog…
• Classroom updates and important information can be found
on our classroom blog at
https://blogs.waukeeschools.org/aflack
• Goal = post to the blog EVERYDAY with one focus
• This is an excellent communication piece for what your child is
learning in 3rd grade!
• The MG Branch is the building newsletter and will be sent via
e-mail every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month .
Classroom Blog
 Specials
• Day 1: PE (Mrs. Barclay)
• Day 2: Music (Mrs. Helling) / Guidance (Mrs. Neal )
• Day 3: Computers (Mrs. Dirksen) / Art (Mrs. Bebout)
• Day 4: PE (Mrs. Barclay)
• Day 5: Music (Mrs. Helling)
• Day 6: Library (Mrs. O’Connor) Computers (Mrs. Dirksen)
 Attendance
Attendance: If your child is going
to be absent or late please call the
office (987-3363) with that
information rather than
contacting the teacher
directly. This helps ensure the
accuracy of our attendance data
before phone calls are made.
 How is your child getting home??
• If you child’s after school plans change please
let me or Carla (office) know as soon as
possible via a phone call, e-mail, or note. I
can’t allow a student to inform me about a
change in plans due to safety concerns.
• Students may not ride
home with a friend on the
bus if it is not their bus.
Lunch/Recess
• Lunch is from 11:00-11:20
• Recess begins at 11:20 and ends at 11:40
• Please let the office or myself know in the morning if you plan on eating
lunch with your child.
– An adult lunch costs $3.65 this year
• 5 lunch choices (cold, hot, salad, sandwich, & kydzable)
– Water and Juice is $0.70
– Extra milk is $0.50
• Recess Clothing: As the weather becomes cooler, please send appropriate
clothing with your child. During the early fall days it can be on the chillier
side during our lunch recess. Please keep this in mind. Layers are the best
choice!
– At or below 49°: Winter-type coat
– 50°-59°: Sweatshirt/light jacket
– At or above 60°: Long sleeves, or appropriate clothing
for higher temperatures
Snacks
• Your child may bring a snack to school everyday. Snacks
should be healthy, such as crackers, fruit snacks, fresh fruit,
granola bars, raisins, cheese, etc.

• No peanut products—please check the labels when choosing

a snack to send.

• Snacks need to be store bought and come to school with a

label.
 Birthday Celebrations
• Students have the opportunity to decide how they will celebrate
their birthday or ½ birthday in our classroom. They can choose any
item on the Birthday Menu or come up with a different idea for
their special day!
– Class Game
– Extra Recess
– Craft/Art Project
– Treats
(Bring packaged treats to share, it is a Waukee CSD policy that peanut
products are not permitted in the classroom. We currently have 26 students
in our class.)
– Science Experiment
– Dance Party
– Open Gym
– Lead a class lesson
– Computer Lab/iPad Time
 Ways to Communicate
• DAILY: planners, take home/Friday
folders, and blog posts
• WEEKLY: Friday Folders
• MONTHLY: The MG Branch
(biweekly)
• AS NEEDED: Seesaw, Leadership
Notebooks, phone calls, and/or
emails
• TRIMESTER: Progress Reports
Planners
• This is an excellent school-to-home connection.
Your child will complete this everyday by recording
any homework and various school reminders.
• I stress that this is the child’s responsibility to get
out and show you each night.
• Feel free to communicate through written notes in
here as well. For example: change in transportation
for the day, being picked up early, etc.
Planners Expectations
• Student needs to get an adult signature every night.
• Please record nightly reading minutes in the reading
section (needs to be written by an adult).
• I will check weekly minutes each MONDAY morning. I will
be looking at the total from Monday through Sunday. Our
first weekly goal is 60 minutes.
• The same system will be used for weekly math fact
practice. Our first goal is 25 minutes per week.
– Practice flashcards, write/solve facts, roll dice, etc.
– Play a board game, play a game on the iPad, etc.
• Please complete the corresponding HL as the lesson taught
that day. Your child will write the lesson in their planner
each day.
• Once per 6-day cycle, your child will write their new word
work words in their planner so they can practice at home.
Planners
 Flexible Seating
• Research based and a
highly popular trend
in education
• Provides choice and
flexibility
• Encourages
collaboration and
problem solving skills
• Allows children to
own their learning
 PBIS
Respectful
Responsible
Safe
Caring
 Leadership Notebooks
• Leadership Notebooks are a great way to
check in with your child on their goals,
progress, and celebrations more frequently
rather than just at conferences.
• Part of being a Leader in Me school is the
sharing of data between school and home.
• Leadership Notebooks will include a reading
goal and a math - fact fluency goal to begin
the year.
 Leadership Notebooks
• Leadership Notebooks will make an appearance at home
more frequently. My goal is to send them 4 different
times. Use the communication page.
 Leadership Club
• In an effort to motivate and encourage good behavior, as a third grade we do Leadership Club.
• This is a time where students are rewarded for being respectful, responsible, safe, and caring as
well as for displaying the 7 habits.
• Leadership Club will take place on Fridays, at the end of the day for about 15-20 minutes.
• There will be activities such as: class/grade level games, interactive drawing, dance parties, extra
recess, etc.
• Students who do not qualify (see criteria below) will go to the designated work room to finish
work and/or take part in a reteaching of behavior expectations.
• Students will need to...
-Meet their weekly reading goal and weekly math goal.
(As soon as time is made-up, they may join Leadership Club)
-Get their planner signed nightly
-Have turned in all math homework when due
-All classroom work for the week is completed
-Get 5 or less behavior tallies for the entire week. Warnings are always given first.
(categories are: Interactions with Others, Follows Directions, Line Basics, Body Basics, Problem
Solves)
-There are instances where students will automatically not be allowed to go
(example: physical aggression or office visit)
• Please help encourage great behavior and responsibility at home! We are excited about this!
 Reading Minutes
• 60 minutes of reading per week. The amount of time will
increase 5 minutes every month as the year progresses.
(October 65, November 70, etc.) Our goal is to read 100
minutes per week by the end of the year.
• I will check reading minutes from the previous week
(Monday-Sunday) on the following Monday.
• Students will record from their planners into Leadership
notebooks daily.
• Please help your child get these reading
minutes in. 10 minutes a night before
bedtime is an excellent routine to start!
 Math Fact Minutes
• 25 minutes of math facts per week. The amount of
time may increase as the year progresses.
• I will check math fact minutes from the previous week
(Monday-Sunday) on the following Monday.
• Please help your child get these math fact minutes in.
3-5 minutes a night before bed time is an excellent
routine to start!
• Begin with addition and subtraction facts and then we
will move to multiplication and division as the year
progresses. Watch planners for guidance on what math
facts to focus on.
 Reading
• Daily 5: • CAFÉ
– Read to Self – Comprehension
– Work on Writing – Accuracy
– Read to Someone – Fluency
– Listening to Reading – Éxpanded Vocabulary
– Word Work
Workshop Model:
 Small Groups
 Guided Reading
 Conferencing
 Strategy groups
 Book Clubs
 Reading
• Expected benchmark • Skill Focus:
levels – Active word solving
Fall: Level M – Fluency
Winter: Level N/O – Summarizing
Spring: Level P – Compare/Contrast
– Questioning
– Characters
– Topic, Main Idea, and
Details
– Determining Word
Meaning
Writing
Will tie into science, social studies, and reading

• Informative/Explanatory • 6 +1 Traits of Good Writing

• Ideas
• Narrative
• Organization
• Opinion • Voice
• Short Research • Word Choice
• Sentence Fluency
• Purpose • Conventions
• Editing • Presentation

• Revising
Science & Social Studies
• Science Units of Study: Heredity & Survival (animals),
Weather, and Forces & Interactions.
• Social Studies Units: maps, communities, economics,
landforms, natural resources, government and citizenships,
identify major land and water explorers, and individuals who
had a great impact on History.
 Everyday Math
• Unit 1: Routines, Review, and • Unit 7: Multiplication and Division
Assessment • Unit 8: Fractions
• Unit 2: Adding and • Unit 9: Multiplication and Division
Subtracting Whole Numbers • Unit 10: Measurement and Data
• Unit 3: Linear Measures and • Unit 11: Probability, End of Year
Area Review
• Unit 4: Multiplication and
Division
• Watch for skill IPPs, Checking Progresses,
• Unit 5: Place Value in Whole various assessments and Math Journal
Numbers and Decimals pages to come home either individually or
in your child’s Leadership notebook to
• Unit 6: Geometry show their understanding.
www.everydaymathonline.com
Main Page
Your Name Here!
Word Work
• We will be focusing on CLOVER, spelling patterns, rules,
and high frequency words/most common 3rd grade
words.
• We will pull word sorts associated with Words Their Way,
use frequent patterns and rules, and incorporate
grammar rules in our lists.
• Students will learn the rules associated with the English
language rather than memorize their spelling words.
• Word work words will be written in your child’s planner
at the start of each list.
• Will not start until middle of the year.
•
Assessments
Benchmarking will be done two times throughout the year to
determine Independent and Instructional reading levels
(October and April)
• MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is made up of two
computer-based tests (Reading and Math) taken three times
throughout the year, in the fall, winter and spring
• FAST Assessment: State mandated Reading Assessment (Fall,
Winter, and Spring Assessments)
• Iowa Assessments (formerly known as Iowa Test of Basic
Skills) will take place in February.
• Watch for reminders of upcoming tests in planners/blog.
Communication
• It is very important to keep the lines of communication open
between school and home. Communication is the key to a
successful school year.

• Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions,

concerns, or comments via email at
aflack@waukeeschools.org, phone at 987-3363 x 6346, your
child’s planner, or through a note.
 THANK YOU FOR COMING!!!!

• I am looking forward to a fun

and exciting year teaching
your child!