Miss Ostrom3rd Grade Disclosure Statement

Uintah Elementary, Room #228 2014-2015

macy.ostrom@slcschools.orgClass Description:

Our classroom will be a safe environment where everyone is part of a community. Every child has the right to a good education and I want to ensure that all of my students get that good education. A lot will be expected from the students, however everything that is expected will be within their ability levels. This year will be an exciting one where your child will learn academic skills as well as learn to care for others and to take responsibility for their actions and their learning.

Grade Level Goals:

Utah has developed a Common Core Curriculum which outlines standards of learning that are essential for all students at each elementary grade level. The curriculum for each grade level can be found on the Utah State Office of Education’s website: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/core

Reading:

Classwork

The students will have up to two different books that they will be reading. One that they will chose on their own which may come from the classroom library, the school library, or home. The second book will be a reading group book which I will assign to them, and will have a daily/weekly assignment. The students will read independently daily. Reading at an independent level builds fluency, comprehension, and accuracy. During our literacy block the students will participate in whole group reading/writing activities from our Story Town program. After the whole group instruction the students will move to Daily 5 where they will rotate between five different literacy centers. During this time I will also be calling reading groups back to work on reading strategies, vocabulary development, phonics and comprehension techniques.

Reading Record Calendar

Every month we will send home a reading record calendar. The students are expected to read 20 minutes five times a week. Every time they read they should be recording the amount of time they spent reading as well as what book. Please sign the calendar before your child returns it at the beginning of each month.

Book Reports

Each month, your child will be assigned a particular type of book (genre) to read (fantasy, realistic fiction, biography, etc…). They only need to read one book of the assigned genre. A report on that book will be due the first Friday of each month unless otherwise specified. Please refer to the Book Report attachment at the back of this packet.

Instructional Materials and Practices

Story Town Harcourt School Publishers 2008

Leveled Readers by The Wright Group, Rigby

**Please save these books listed for classroom reading only: Spiders, Stone Fox, Helen Keller, Charlotte’s Web, and James and the Giant Peach, Helen Keller, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Spelling:

Every Monday I will send out the week’s spelling list on the newsletter. The students should practice these words every night Monday-Thursday and there will be a test each Friday. In addition there will be an unrehearsed dictation sentence that the students will write at the bottom of their spelling tests. The spelling lessons will come from our Story Town program.

Writing:

Writing and reading go hand in hand. Students will have many opportunities to write in all subject areas this year. Mini lessons will be taught daily with a published writing piece at the end of most weeks which will have the students using the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions). Writing will also be a part of Daily 5 and there will be a weekly homework writing assignment called a Night Write. I will give the prompt each week and it will focus on what we’re doing in class.

Around the second half of the year the students will also be learning cursive.

Math:

Third grade math includes activities with problem solving, reasoning, estimation, number sense, computation, geometry, measurement, pattering, fractions, and decimals. Some important goals for Third Grade children are to have a firm understanding of place value and basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We will also learn about Measurement, Time, Graphs, multi-digit Addition and Subtraction, Polygons, Perimeter, Area, and explore Fractions. We will be using the district adopted program of Houghton-Mifflin's Math Expressions which is a language based curriculum that supports algorithms processes.

Science:

We will be studying living and non-living things, force, motion, simple machines, moon, sun, planets, light, heat, and gravity. Our science studies will be enhanced with the PTA science program called “Hands on Science.” This program is supported by parent volunteers.

Social Studies:

This year we will be learning about Environments, North American Indigenous Cultures and Characteristics, Development of Communities, Government and patriotic symbols, and Mapping Skills.

Health/PE: We will be gaining an understanding of Responsibilities/Respect/Rights,

Skeletal and Muscular System, Safety, and Nutrition during our discussions in Health. An HIV/AIDS program will be presented by the district with parent permission given.

We have one – forty-five minute class instruction time with the PE specialist, forty-five minutes additional PE time (can include a 5-10 minute walk/run at one of our recess times daily), and 25 minutes of structured recess at lunchtime.

Arts/Music: Art and Music will be assisted by parents each month with additional art and

music experiences connected to other curriculum areas.

Computer/Technology: We will have 45 minutes of computer/technology study weekly. Our primary

focuses will be on keyboarding skills, informational text, and computer test taking skills. Students will learn how to produce a simple PowerPoint.

Attendance:

Students are expected to attend school regularly, be on time, and come prepared to learn. The bell to enter school rings at 8:20. The tardy bell rings at 8:25 which is when the students are expected to be in their seats. Please send a note or leave a message in order to excuse your child’s absence.

Homework:

Reading

Each student is required to read 20 minutes a night, five days a week and record their information into the reading record calendar. This is due the first Friday of each month.

Math

Math homework will be sent home each afternoon Monday-Thursday that covers what we learned in class that day. This homework is due the following morning.

Writing

There will be a weekly writing assignment that will be due each Monday. The topic will be given by me in the newsletter. This writing is not expected to be long or extremely time consuming. It is to help me get a sense of how their writing is progressing on a weekly basis.

Spelling

The spelling words will come home each Monday on the newsletter and the students should be practicing them nightly so that they’re prepared for the spelling test on Friday.

All class/home assignments are given a zero if not completed by the following Monday. Late assignments will be given minus points for lateness. It is the responsibility of the student to complete and turn in assignments with their NAME on it. There are built in "catchup" times in our daily and weekly schedules for students to finish work. The student has the responsibility to ask for make-up/missed homework and has one week to complete assignments.

Grading:

Evaluations will be based upon test percentages, teacher observations, participations, daily work, and homework completion. Students will receive three report cards during the school year.

3= 97% and above

2= 75%-96%

1= 51%-74%

N or P= 50% and below

Portfolios:

Throughout the year the students will work on a portfolio that will go home at the end of the year. They will assess themselves throughout the year and I will also go over their portfolios throughout the year and give my own assessment of how they’re progressing. These portfolios will also be shown to you during SEP’s.

Behavior Management:

I believe that it is important to have the children help discuss the rules for our classroom. This is their room too! This gives them the responsibility and ownership.

The class rules usually fit into the categories of; Use your inside voice, one person talks at a time, listen, be respectful, pick up after yourself. We are a class of problem solvers. We try to listen to each other and figure out solutions to our problems.

Students are expected to make responsible choices and accept any consequences for misbehaving.

There will be a “How am I doing today” chart in the room where the students can track their day. Green= awesome day, yellow=1-3 warnings, orange= in class Think Time, red= out of class Think Time or office. Three in class Think Time’s in a month and the papers will be sent home to be read and signed by a parent/guardian.

Purple Unicorn tickets- (School wide) these tickets are given out for good behavior. Tickets turn into tokens that can be used in the office.

Course Schedule:

Class Schedule

8:25-9:00 – Morning work

9:00-10:00 – Literacy instruction and writing

10:00-10:45 – Specials

Monday – Computer Lab

Tuesday – P.E.

Wednesday – None

Thursday – Library

10:45-11:40 – Daily 5 and reading groups

11:40-12:10 – Science/Social studies

12:10-12:55 – Lunch and recess

12:55-1:10 – Read-a-loud

1:10-2:15 – Math

2:15-2:40 – Recess and walking

2:40-3:00 – Catch up and clean up

The school calendar as well as the one on my website will tell you of any non-school days and holidays.

Field trips may occur throughout the year and notices will be sent out in advance. If last minute opportunities are available school policies will be followed.

Birthdays:

We will celebrate each child’s birthday in school. If your child’s birthday is in the summer we can celebrate on their half birthday or during the last month of school. As a school we have decided to be a food treat free environment. You are welcome to send in a birthday treat for your child’s classmates such as a book to donate to our class library, stickers, pencils, etc…Additionally, please hand out party invitations somewhere other than at school. Our staff agreement, is that birthday treats and invitations will be returned home if they are brought to school. Thank you for your cooperation in helping all students feel included.

Lunches:

Beginning this school year, all lunch payments must either be made online, through the main office, or to the classroom teacher. Online payment is the preferred method of payment.  To sign up for online payments, make a payment, or manage your balance online, visit:www.MyPaymentsPlus.com. You will need your student’s ID number to complete registration. If you don’t know your child’s student ID, please contact the school to obtain this information.  Please make sure to select the option to receive low balance notifications.  To aid in managing your student’s account on-the-go, MyPaymentsPlus also has a free mobile app available for iPhone, iPad and Android phones.  Sending cash or checks to school, while acceptable, are often less reliable.  If paying by check, please make it payable to Salt Lake City School Food Services. 

We greatly encourage you to make online payments! This frees up both classroom and office time.

Contacting me:

My email is macy.ostrom@slcschools.org and I can also be reached by phone 801-584-2940 ext. 228

I also have a class website http://www.msostromsclass.weebly.com

I’m excited to start this year and to start working closely with both you and the students!

Sincerely,

Macy Ostrom

The Salt Lake City School District does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities, except where appropriate and allowed by law. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries and complaints regarding prohibited discrimination, harassment, and retaliation: Kathleen Christy, Assistant Superintendent, 440 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, 801.578.8251. You may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, Denver, CO, 303.844.5695.

My child and I have read and discussed this disclosure statement and agree with what’s in it.

_______________________________ _____________________Parent/Guardian Signature Date

_______________________________ _____________________Student Signature Date

Things I should know about your student:

Likes and dislikes:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Allergies or medications I need to know about:____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Favorite school subjects:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Favorite books, TV shows, and movies: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Favorite foods: _________________________________________________________________

The best way to contact you (Parent/Guardian): Home ( )_____________

Cell ( )__________

E-mail: _______________

Book Reports Book reports are a required part of your child's reading grade. The purpose of these reports is to expose your child to different genres. The following is being required for these reports.

1. Your child should read a book that is at least 60 pages a month on the assigned genre for the monthly report. This length may change as the year progresses and can also be dependent on your child's reading ability. After they have read the assigned genre, they can choose other genres to read for the rest of the month. 2. If your child is not sure about a book he or she wants to read, have them talk to their teacher. Librarians are also an excellent resource. The book is supposed to be on their personal reading level.

3. Comic books, picture books, or encyclopedias are not acceptable sources for book reports.

4. One week before the book report is due; we will send specific directions for the report and a form that will need to be completed.

5. All book reports (and Reading Record Calendars) are due on the last day of each month, unless otherwise stated.

6. Book Reports must be turned in on time for full credit. Late book reports will be docked at least five points.

7. Your child's grade will depend on how well they follow the directions, neatness, spelling, and punctuation.

Assigned Reading Month Type of Book September Reader's Choice October Mystery November Realistic Fiction December Winter Holiday Books! No book report due. January PowerPoint Country Report – Non-fiction February Biography March "How To…" April Fantasy May End of May Reader’s Choice! No book report due.

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN – Permission for parent-aides to grade papers and record scores.

Dear Parents,

Due to the amount of paperwork I have at the end of each teaching day, I am requesting your permission to have parent volunteers correct or grade student work. Please fill out this sheet and return it with your child to school.

I find that I can be a more effective teacher if I can spend my time with the students and not be concerned about the flood of papers that can build up. ALL work and assignments will remain confidential.

Thank you,

Ms. Ostrom

__________________________________________________________________

Check one

________ I give permission for a parent aid to correct my child’s papers and to be helped by an aide when Ms. Ostrom thinks it is beneficial.

________ I do not give permission.

Child’s Name: _______________________

Parent’s Signature ___________________________ Date: __________