Central School

June 2009

Welcome

Your children are growing up!

Let’s get ready for third grade!

Move-Up Day Schedule• Introduction• Winner Takes All • Third Grade Classroom Visits• Tour• Lunch/Recess• Dance Activity

Please meet…..

• Health News - Mrs. Livesey• Guidance – Ms. Guenther

Third Grade Teachers• Mrs. Brophy• Mrs. Crescibene• Mrs. Feggans• Miss Jamieson• Mrs. Zinicola

Creating Culture & Climate…

• Cougars Read…..• Enrichment Services Program• SALAD/Debate• Page Turners• Art Club/Art PEP• Instrumental Music/Chorus• Fundraising

Typical Grade 3 Day• Morning Announcements • 90 minutes of English Language Arts• 90 minutes of Math• Writing Periods (workshops)• Science and/or Social Studies• One Special Area• Lunch and Outdoor/Indoor Recess

(12:45 – 1:30)

Learning About Third GradeIn third grade your child will move beyond "learning to read" and will begin "reading to learn" and start reading more for pleasure. Your child should enter third grade reading fluently and with comprehension. He/she will be learning how to use a more formalized writing process of drafting, editing and finalizing. Your child will probably take tests on a more regular basis.

More About Third Grade

• Put the learning pieces together to take on more complicated assignments

• Apply the basic skills learned in their primary years and begin to work independently rather than with the explicit directions

• Curriculum focuses on learning about the past, present, and future. Literature, social studies and even science follow events over time, such as observing the phases of the moon or how rocks erode into sand.

Reading•Making Inferences •Summarizing•Main Idea and Supporting Details•Cause and Effect•Sequencing Events•Author’s Purpose and Point of View•Fact and Opinion

Math • Number and Operations in Base Ten • Addition and Subtraction/Place Value•  Operations and Algebraic Thinking• Multiplication and Division •  Numbers and Operations – Fractions• Understanding Fractions/Fraction Comparison and

Equivalence•  Geometry • Two Dimensional Shapes and Their Attributes•  Measurement and Data• Time /Perimeter/Area/Liquid Volume and Mass/Data•  Money• Counting coins and bills

Social Studies•The Community and

Communities in History•The Land and Resources•Newcomers Settle•People from Many Places•Our Government

Science• Plants • Animals • The Water Cycle • Weather• Solar System

Activities and Trips

• Multicultural Performance• Newark Museum• Town Hall• Papermill Playhouse

Academic Skills

• Be able to copy to notes or information from a Smart Board

• Be able to write neatly in cursive, because the small muscles of the hand have developed

• Read longer stories and chapter books with expression and comprehension

• Use prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other strategies to identify unfamiliar words

• Memorize multiplication tables• Tell time to the half-hour, quarter-hour, five

minutes and one minute

Physical and Social Skills

• Work cooperatively and productively with other children in small groups to complete projects

• Understand how his/her choices affect consequences

• Become more organized and logical in his/her thought process

• Build stronger friendships • Be more influenced by peer pressure,

because friends are very important at this stage

A few thoughts……• To prepare for third grade, take your child to the library and have

him pick out books of interest at his reading level. Continue to read aloud to your child and ask comprehension questions about the text, to see if he understands the who, what, where, when and how of what he is reading.

• If he is reading nonfiction, you could have him pick out interesting facts about the topic. Have your child use sticky notes to jot down their facts and then tell you what they wrote.

• In math your child will learn the multiplication tables, how to tell time to the minute and how to solve problems with fractions. To practice fractions at home, you can help your child divide fruit, such as an apple, a pizza into fractional parts.

• "Learning to solve problems in math is a critical skill, and many of the math standards and tests expect children to be able to reason through problems. Ask your child to explain how he found the answer."

Formative Assessment•NJASK

– Reading– Math – Science (Grade 4 only)

•I Ready•DRA•Benchmark Testing

Attendance/Tardy Procedures• Regular attendance is stressed. Please be on time.

• Absences must be verified; phone the school

nurse at 973-887-4292.

• If you would like your child’s teacher to prepare missed assignments, please call the school office before 10:00 a.m. to allow for preparation of work.

• Late arrivals must be checked in through the main office before proceeding to class. In the event of an early departure, parents must sign out in the office before picking students up.

Some things to remember…

• Students may enter the building at 8:35 a.m. and are dismissed between 3:00 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. Students being picked up are dismissed from the cafeteria.

• A note must be sent in by 11:00 am if you plan to pick up your child.

Conferences/Report Cards• Report cards will be distributed four times per

year. Grades can be accessed via PowerSchool.

• Parent/Teacher conferences are typically held in late November/early December.

• Please contact your child’s teacher if any problems arise during the year.

• Working together and communicating throughout the school year will help to ensure a successful experience for your child.

Practice, Practice, Practice• Practice math facts

• Read, read, read – EH Library (Tumble Books)

Go Cougars!

Thank You

Thank you for attending the Grade 3 Orientation. I look forward to a successful and rewarding school year with your children.