Welcome to Curriculum Night

Ms. Keen’s Classroom3rd Grade

Note paper is on each desk. Please feel free to leave

your child a message.

Ms. Erin KeenEducational Background:• BS in Elementary Education (University of Wisconsin-Madison)• Master’s in Education—Professional Development (University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse)

Experience:• Beginning my 23rd year of teaching--19 years in Wisconsin, 2 years in

Raymond, WA and 1 year in Issaquah at Sunset Elementary• Levels: Early Childhood, K-3 Cognitive Disabilities, Elementary,

Middle School, Columbia Virtual Academy (online school) for grades K-12

Family:

Daily ScheduleMonday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

• 9:15 – 9:30 Attendance, Lunch Count, Collect Homework Reading or Math Warm Up

• 9:30 - 10:30 Literacy Block (Balanced Reading)Teacher reads aloud and models skills. Shared Reading –student and teacher read together. Guided Reading – small group instruction. Independent Reading Making Meaning – comprehension strategies

• 10:30-11:00 Specialist

• 11:00-12:40 Literacy Block (Writing) Units of Study: Narrative, Informational, & Opinion. Daily Oral Language, Spelling, Cursive & Keyboarding

• 12:40-1:30 Lunch / Recess

• 1:30 – 2:15 Math Block Everyday Math, Math Strategies (problem solving)

• 2:15 – 2:30 Recess

• 2:30 – 3:30 Social Studies / Science / Health

• 3:25 – 3:40 Assignment Sheets (homework), Mailboxes, Pack Up

This is a general schedule; content area time frames may change depending on lesson requirements.

Daily ScheduleWednesday

•9:00 –9:30 Attendance, Lunch Count, Collect Homework Reading or Math Warm Up

•9:30 – 10:30 Literacy Block

•10:30 – 11:00 Specialist

•11:00-12:10 Math Block

•12:10 – 12:40 Social Studies / Science / Health

•12:40- 1:25 Lunch/Recess

•1:25 – 1:30 Assignment Sheets (homework), Mailboxes, Pack Up

Specialist Schedule(30 Minute Blocks)

• Library Monday 10:30

• Music Tuesday 10:30Friday 10:30

• PE Wednesday 10:30Thursday 10:30

• Computer Lab Tuesday 11:45 -12:45

Reading Curriculum• Balanced Reading Program

– Read To (teacher reads aloud and models skills)– Shared Reading (students and teacher read together)– Guided Reading (small group instruction with students reading text at the correct level

of difficulty)– Independent Reading (students mostly reading in “just right” books

Comprehension / Vocabulary/ Phonics & Decoding• Making Meaning

– Teaching comprehension strategies using picture books to explicitly model comprehension strategies.

• Books related to our themes of instruction

Native Americans, Pioneers, Rocks & Minerals• Reading Skills

Examining Characters, Setting, Plot, Problem / Solution, Point of View, Infer from Text, Predict, Compare & Contrast, Fact vs. Opinion, Main Idea, Supporting Details

• Reading at home (20 / 30 minutes per day and record on Reading Calendar w/ parent initials ) • Eager Reader Program - PTA

Written Language• Units of Study / Writers’ Workshop model

Explicit instruction on various forms of writing: narrative, informational, and opinion. Students will practice the new skills, teacher will confer with individual students or small groups, and students share writing.Focusing on the writing process: ideas, draft, proof read & edit, final copy.

• Language Arts: Writing good sentences, identifying sentence fragments, developing a good paragraph, verb agreement, present tense vs. past tense, capitalization, and punctuation.

• Spelling:We will focus on high frequency words, teach spelling generalizations and patterns, and apply these skills to our own writing

• Daily Oral LanguageApply rules and generalizations to two sentences with mistakes to teach proof reading, then students apply these skills to their own writing.

• Cursive Writing / Keyboarding

MathEveryday Mathematics• Developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project• Six Content Strands

– Number and Numeration: counting patterns, place value, reading and writing whole numbers through 1,000,000: fractions, decimals, and integers.

– Operations and Computation: practicing multiplication and division facts, extended to multi-digit problems; working with properties; operations, fractions and money

– Data and Chance: Collecting, organizing, and displaying data using tables, charts, and graphs; using basic probability terms

– Measurement: equivalent units of length; recognizing appropriate units of measure, finding area, using multiplication arrays, coordinate grids, thermometers, clocks, calendars, and maps

– Geometry: exploring 2 and 3 dimensional shapes– Patterns, Functions, and Algebra:

In Everyday Mathematics you can expect to see…

• …a problem-solving approach based on everyday situations;• …an instructional approach that revisits concepts regularly;• …frequent practice of basic skills, often through games;• …lessons based on activities and discussion• …mathematical content that goes beyond basic arithmetic

Everyday Math has parent letters for each unit and Home Link pages – children practice concepts presented in class.

Math ExtrasIXL – Comprehensive math review site, practice questions, hundreds of skills

Math Strategies – Children practice problem solving strategy presented and explain their thinking in written form (weekly in class)

Science / Health• Scientific Investigation Process

• Salmon / Salmon Life F.I.S.H – Salmon Hatchery Field Trip – • Science Kits Salmon

WeatherEarth Science / Rocks

• Science to Go ProgramAnimal Life Cycles & Characteristics

Forms of EnergyFossils Comparison: Past & PresentEthno botany

• Health Nutrition & Food, Body Systems, How to Stay Healthy, Stress Management, Risk Related to Drug Use, Changes in Families, Self Empowerment, and Conflict Resolution

Social Studies

• Pilgrims• Pacific Northwest Native Americans

Overview of the 5 geographic regions with Native Americans

• Northwest PioneersLewis and Clark

Westward Movement

Pioneer Life

Pioneer Farms

• Map skills

Technology• Basic Operations and Concepts

• Productivity Tool

Learn Keyboarding

Integrate technology with our daily work Library search for booksFind information

• Reinforce LearningSalmon ChallengeBrain PopOregon TrailEveryday Math on line (games & student reference book)IXL Math

RAZ Reading

Field Trips & Activities• F.I.S.H. / Fish Hatchery – to be determined

• Science to Go– Animal Life Cycles – October 1th 2014– Forms of Energy – March 6th, 2015– Fossil Comparisons – April 22nd , 2015– Ethno botany – June 5th , 2015

• PTA Enrichment Activities – to be determined

• Pacific Northwest Coast Native American: Museum Box – March 2015

• Pioneer Farms – May or June / to be determined

Student Responsibility• Successful

Sockeye Behavior

Class management tools• Sensational Sockeyes (individuals)

• Cube Jar – class reward tool, fill the cube jar and earn rewards

• Table Group Chart

• Take a Break (individuals)

• Behavior Chart (individuals)

Classroom Agreements•Help and cooperate with each other•Treat each other nicely•Be clean, neat and organized•Try your best•Show respect

Attendance

• Regular and punctual attendance is important arrive at school on time and try not to sign your child out early.

• Excused absences include: illness/health, religious observances, school-approved activities, family emergencies, and family trips with prior principal permission. 

• Please notify the school before 8:30 a.m. and provide your child's name, teacher's name, and the reason for the absence.

• Students are responsible for completing missed work.  When your child returns from an excused absence, I will provide make-up assignments, along with a reasonable timeline for completion.  Make-up assignments are not provided in advance.

Homework• Assignment sheet filled out each day

• Unfinished work becomes homework and is due the following day

• Assigned homework – Math Home link

• Read 20 / 30 minutes (oral reading & silent reading)

• E-mail: keene@issaquah.wednet.edu

• http://connect.issaquah.wednet.edu/elementary/sunset/staff/ms_keens_site/default.aspx

Parties

• Fall Harvest / Halloween

• Valentine’s Day

• End of the Year

• Birthdays Birthday are recognized in class but without food treats: card from teacher, recognition in morning message and on calendar

• Rewards

Classroom Website

• Specialist Schedule• Newsletter• Curriculum Night Presentation

Bits & Pieces• Turn in Volunteer Opportunities Information Sheet• Sign up for conferences will be in October on line – information will be

sent out by the ISD• Need Individual User Access Informed Consent (computer lab, classroom, library)

• Washington State Patrol Form - Field Trips• Room Parents – A couple of people works well• Need Art Docent - need 1 or 2 people• Bus Passes – Please send notes with children or e-mail before school • Lunch Money• Highly Capable Program / Math Challenge – Tuesday, 9:30-10:30• LAP/ Title I – 30 minutes two days per week.• ELL Program – support comes to the classroom• Family Access (Student information on line- pass word from office)• Sunset Web Site – http://www.sunset.issaquah.wednet.edu

Communication

• Sunset Office (425) 837-5600• Direct line to the classroom:

(425) 837-5636 (8:00am-9:00am and 3:40-4:40pm)

• E-mail (easiest way to contact me during the day and quickest way for a short response)

keene@issaquah.wednet.edu

Questions?

Thanks for coming!