Viking Review, Assessment, and Feast!

Today in class we placed the review pages for our Vikings unit into our History notebooks. We went over each page and highlighted the parts that would be most useful to review/study. Students were to begin bringing their notebooks home tonight to go through the information, practice the map skills (also available on our game Viking Exploration), and review the vocabulary words from the unit. The assessment on Monday should be pretty straightforward, and all of the information needed is in the History notebook. If your student was absent and has missing pages for any reason, please remind them that they need to be sure to use either my notebook or one of a responsible group-mate to catch up when they return. 

Now, for the FUN part- details about our upcoming Viking Feast!

When:        
Tuesday, November 24th from 2:00-3:30 
Where:       
in the CHPCS lunchroom
Why:          
to celebrate learning and enjoy a meal together as a community
Who:          
3rd grade students and their families. Parents, siblings, grandparents are welcome!
What to expect:   
We will be performing 3 short plays, followed by a feast fit for a Viking!
What to bring:     
Each student is asked to bring a dish to share. Dishes may be dropped off in the Zip room Tuesday morning or brought by an adult to the feast at 2:00. 

From BBC.co.uk: "With no fridges or freezers our Viking family has to take special measures to stop their food going bad. Meat and fish can be smoked or rubbed with salt. Fruit can be dried; grains are made into bread or ale. Dairy produce such as milk is made into cheese. Cooking the meat will make it last a little longer, making sausages will make it last longer still.

At sunset the family gather together in the long house. The usual evening meal will be enlarged tonight because it is one of the three Viking feast nights. In their homelands a horse would have been sacrificed to the old gods. Horsemeat was spitted and roasted rather like a kebab. There will also be salted fish and pork, goat and plenty of fresh bread. For dessert the Vikings will eat fresh fruit and a little honey on buttered bread. Ale will be drunk as well as mead, a beverage made from honey.

Horsemeat was spitted and roasted rather like a kebab.

The Vikings had bowls and plates very similar to our own, but made more often from wood rather than pottery. They ate with a sharp pointed knife, which served as both a knife and a fork (the latter would not be invented for another century). Spoons were made from wood, horn or animal bone. They were often carved with delicate patterns of interlaced knotwork and the heads of fabulous beasts. Drink was taken in horns, similarly decorated and sometimes with metal tips and rims."

From History.com: "While we might tend to think of Vikings standing over huge roasting pits with joints of mutton dripping onto hot coals, evidence suggests roasting and frying weren’t the favored cooking methods of the time. In fact, Vikings most often boiled their meats. Indeed, the centerpiece of the day’s meals was a boiled meat stew, called skause. As meats and vegetables were taken out of the pot, new ones were added, and the broth became concentrated over days of cooking.  Skause was eaten with bread baked with all sorts of grains, beans and even tree bark–birch bark can be dried and ground and is actually very nutritious. Vikings used old bread dough to make sourdough loaves, and would also use soured milk and buttermilk to enrich their breads.

Vegetables and fruits were much more wild than any of our modern varieties. Carrots would have been added to the daily skause, but they weren’t orange; white carrots were the only ones available. Viking farmers cultivated cabbages, beans, peas and endive, and wild apples and berries were also available to Middle Age diners. A wide range of herbs and seasonings helped flavor Viking food, with spices like coriander, cumin, mustard and wild horseradish making an appearance at the table."

And, this page from Viking Answer Lady has a Longship load of information about food, including several recipes found at the bottom of the page. 

I hope you found this information helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions! Also, please write "Thor" in your child's planner for a Home-school connection Dojo point! (or send me a dojo message).

Viking It and Liking It!

Parents, 
Leaving Rome behind us, we are preparing to begin our new history unit, Vikings, this week.  We will learn about the ancient Norse civilization through listening to the story of a young boy named Bjorn. We will learn about the Vikings' cultural practices and their history of shipbuilding, sailing, raiding, and trading. We will also study the geography of the places where Norse people lived and explored, and how living by bodies of water influenced the Viking lifestyle.

Unit Objectives:

3.C.2 Rights, Roles, and Responsibilities in the Political Process.  I compare and contrast citizenship and slavery, including the applicable rights and responsibilities of each..

* I can identify the three orders/classes of Norse people; thralls, karls, and jarls

* I can describe everyday life of the Norse people.

* I can can recall that the Thing was an assembly where the Norse made decisions for their community

3.E.1 Nature and Function of Economic Systems. I analyze how the finite nature of resources affects (and affected) the choices of individuals and communities.

* I can describe the V. peoples’ proficiency and legacy as sailors, raiders, and traders.
* I can explain that only the warriors who went on raids to other lands were called Vikings, and why they are also called Norsemen or Northmen.

3.G.1 Spatial Thinking. I use geographic terms and tools (maps, globes, legends, etc.) to describe space and place and to organize, represent, summarize, and interpret geographical data.

* I can identify and locate Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) as the area from which the Vikings originated.

* I can locate Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Canada, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Norwegian Sea

3.H.1 Historical Perspectives.  I identify and analyze the impacts of significant people, developments, events, and resources of the eras I am studying; I create and interpret a timeline.

* I can explain the importance of Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson.
* I can explain that Norse people worshipped many gods and goddesses, and name the 8 most important deities within Norse mythology.

Below you will find an expected timeline of events for the unit, followed by some suggestions for activities that you may do at home to reinforce what your child is learning about the Vikings. 

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
2 (Human Body review)	3   Who were the Vikings?	4   Home of the Vikings	5  Viking Life	6
9 (Human Body Assessment)	10 Raiders and Traders	11 Veteran’s Day- No School	12 Field Trip to Chief Lelooska, creating our Viking helmets	13
16 Family Life	17 Sagas and Swords	18 Saying Goodbye	19 Sailing to a New Land	20
23 Assessment	24 Viking Feast (Family Showcase) 2:00-3:30 in the lunchroom	25	26	27

* Please note that each student needs to bring an old "baseball" style hat on or before November 10th. Larger (non-kid) hats are preferred. These will be altered so please do not send any hats you can't live without. Write your child's name or initials on the inside of the brim prior to sending to school. 

**Throughout the unit we will be preparing to perform in plays based upon Norse Mythology at our showcase and feast on November 24th. I hope you will be able to join us!

Home-school Connections

Vikings: Geography and Culture-  

On a world map or globe, have your child locate Scandinavia, which includes the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Talk with your child about how Scandinavia is surrounded by water. Discuss how living close to bodies of water influences what civilizations eat, how they travel, etc. Ask your child what the word Viking means. Discuss that the Vikings traveled by sea to raid and plunder other lands. They also traded with other people, gathering resources and goods not available in their homeland. Emphasize that the Vikings were the warriors of a larger Norse civilization. Have your child locate rivers near Scandinavia and discuss how the Vikings would also use these bodies of water to reach faraway lands. You may wish to have your child draw a map of Scandinavia, and label Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.  As we progress through the unit we will also add Iceland, Greenland, Vinland (Newfoundland, CA) to our list of places that Norse settlers expanded to and explored. 

Words to Use-

• ferocious- The ferocious Viking warriors sailed from land to land, looking for areas to raid.
• treacherous- The high waves of the ocean waters were treacherous for the Viking sailors.
• reliable- Bjorn's father was known in town as a reliable blacksmith.
• unison- The Vikings moved together in unison as they used the giant oars to propel the longship.
• sagas- The skalds were poets who were responsible for passing down the sagas of the Viking people so that their history and culture would be remembered. 
• tunic- Bjorn and Toli each received a handmade tunic to wear on their voyage to Iceland.
• indistinguishable- Toli muttered indistinguishable words in his sleep.
• disembarked- Bjorn and Toli disembarked the ship in Iceland and looked around in amazement at their new home. 

Sayings and Phrases-

Your child will be learning the sayings "last straw" and "rule the roost". Talk with your child about  the meaning of each phrase. In relation to "last straw", share with your child a time when you experienced a series of difficult events, with the last event causing you to lose your temper or cry. In relation to "rule the roost," share with your child someone you know who acts as the boss in your family, your workplace, etc. What did that person do that allowed them to "rule the roost"? Find opportunities to use these sayings again and again.

Read Aloud Each Day-

Below are some suggested books about Vikings and the Norse people. Many of them are available through the public library.

Please write the word longship in your child's planner (OR send it to me in a Dojo message) and they will receive a Dojo point for home-school connections!

<3,

Mrs. Gausman

Name Those Bones!

Parents,

We have been working very hard for the past few weeks to learn the names of our bones. To help, we sing "Name Those Bones" with our  ASL signing! Without further ado, here it is!

<3,

Mrs. Gausman

Signing in Third Grade

Parents,

You have probably heard- or hopefully seen, that we are learning ASL (American Sign Language) in the classroom this year. So far we have learned the hand alphabet (and phonograms)  and some key words for the school environment. We are also learning the signs for our daily Riggs words, adding to our sign vocabulary every day. I thought I would share with you some of the reasons that I've chosen to incorporate ASL into our learning. 

Research has shown that pairing signs with English help learners formulate mental pictures. This multi-modal experience can help create new pathways in the brain for storage and retrieval. This helps students remember and recall sight words and spelling words (Daniels, 2001). Studies have also shown that students who learn sign language for specific sight words learn to read at a faster rate (Goode et al 1993/94).

Today’s students are diverse learners and using sign language promotes faster academic achievement within the classroom.   Children learn faster when they can hear, see and feel the words they are learning.  Sign language is a positive multi-modal teaching tool. It encourages active participation and engagement, and, also because it is FUN! 

5 Benefits of Learning Sign Language

1. Improves spelling – Research is showing that children who learn the basic sign language skills (such as American Sign Language – ASL) of signing the alphabet can have improved spelling skills. Signing helps to give kids another tool for remembering spelling words and leaves a larger imprint on the brain. Our muscles have their own mini-memories, so when we add signing a word to orally spelling the word is it easier to remember.

2. Improves classroom behaviors – Some teachers who have incorporated sign language into their hearing classrooms are finding that they have better classroom management. Using signs for things such as toilet and question can reduce interruptions and help keep students on track during instruction.

3. Improves small motor skills – Sign language helps to develop small motor skills because of the dexterity required for communicating with hand gestures. Those who struggle with small muscle strength and coordination can build these skills as well as learn to communicate more efficiently with another language.

4. Builds overall communication skills – When you think of “language” you might just think of your spoken native language, such as English. However, language involves many other aspects including body language, emotional language, and more. An interesting study shows that people who can sign have improved abilities to read general body language – an integral part of communication. Think of the other ways you communicate beyond spoken words, such as sending someone red roses because as a message that says love, because you have learned that different flowers have different emotional messages. Sign language also helps communicate emotions and sometimes allows people who can’t express their emotions in words easily to still give voice to their feelings.

5. Builds a better vocabulary – People have a natural tendency to use their bodies to communicate – such as pointing, shrugging shoulders, or wrinkling the nose. Sign language takes that natural tendency and helps to reinforce vocabulary and the meanings of words. When you can hear the word and see the word spoken it leaves a stronger imprint on the brain. ASL signs are also often closely tied to the actual meaning of the words – they make sense – such as cupping your hand behind the ear to sign “listen”.

The embedded video helps teach the first 40 Dolce sight-words- in other words, 40 of the most common words in our language. We will be adding these in addition to our daily Riggs words. You can help support your child's learning at home by asking about new signs each day, and encouraging practice and review of learned signs. Students should also be finger-spelling their Riggs words each night to reinforce the spelling with the kinesthetic component.  I've also posted a link in the right hand bar of this blog to a fantastic online ASL Video Dictionary. If you'd like to know more about how ASL is incorporated into our learning, or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Mrs. Gausman

October Calendar

Parents,
October is a very busy month, at Cascade Heights and especially in 3rd grade! Here is a quick run-down of dates and events this month!

October 7th-  Roman Legacy project assigned. Click here to see the instructions, rubric, timeline, and study guide. 

Oct 8th- Jog-a-thon (all school)
               MAP testing (3rd grade)
               Book fair opens! 

Oct 12th-  3rd grade begins our Skeletal System unit!
                   Book fair continues this week through Thursday evening!

Oct 15th-  10th Anniversary

Harvest Festival and Baking Contest

The Harvest Festival is open from 6:00-7:30 on the playground. Fun for all ages! Please remember that this is NOT a Halloween event, and costumes are not allowed. 

Baking together is a great way to not only build relationships with your child, but to use non-fiction reading skills and math skills in real life. This year’s contest has 4 categories for 4 times the fun! In order to enter, please attach the entry form found below to the BOTTOM of your dish. We don’t want to know who made it until AFTER the judging.

Category 1 – Apple – Any dish made with apple as the primary ingredient.

Category 2 – Pumpkin – Any dish made with pumpkin as the primary ingredient.

Category 3 – Dietary Restrictions – Any dish made with either pumpkin or apple but which is gluten free or dairy free or vegan, etc. Please specify on  your entry form!

Category 4 – Cake Decorating – Cakes of any flavor decorated with the 10 years of Cascade Heights theme. All cakes will be used in the cake walk.

To enter just drop off your entry on Thursday no later than 3:30, to the ZIP room (down the hall from the gym). A piece of masking tape with your child’s name and grade on it will ensure your platter makes it home. 

Third graders will receive 5 Dojo points for entering the Baking Contest!

Oct 21st-  Roman Legacy projects due.   

Oct 21-22-  Legacy Presentations.  We will be presenting from 12:15-1:15 on Wednesday and Thursday. Students will know by Thursday, 10/15 which day they are presenting. If you would like to request a specific day so that you may come, please let me know by Wednesday, 10/14.

Oct 23rd-  Roman Legacy field trip! I believe there is still one slot left if you are interested in volunteering for our first trip of the year!

Oct 26th-  Ancient Rome assessment

Oct 27th-  We begin studying the Muscular System!

October 26-30  Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please click here to sign up or to see your scheduled day and time. Reminders will be sent out the week prior to your conference. 

Oct 29th-  Making Skeleton shirts! Please send a white OVERSIZED (the longer the better!) t-shirt with your student no later than Wednesday, OCT 28th. If you'd like to help with this in-class project, please click here for details and to sign up!

Have a great evening!

Mrs. Gausman
p.s. Thank you for reading all the way to the bottom! Please write the word 'gladiator' in your child's planner and they will receive a Dojo point for Home-School Connection! 

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day!

Dear Families,
     We are nearing the half way point in our unit on the ancient Roman civilization, a civilization whose contributions can be seen in many areas of our lives today. Your child has been introduced to the geography and to the gods and goddesses of Rome. She have also learned about the legend of the founding of Rome, the evolution of the Roman government, the Punic Wars, and what daily life was like in the city of Rome. Here are some suggestions for activities that you may do at home to reinforce what your child is learning about the ancient Roman civilization. 

1. Using a map

     On a world map or globe, have your child locate the continent of Europe and the city of Rome, Italy. Talk with him about the location of Italy, it's shape, and the location of the Mediterranean Sea. Discuss with your child that Italy is called a peninsula because it is surrounded on three sides by water. Have her look at the globe or map and try to find other peninsulas. Have your child locate the Tiber River and discuss its significance in the founding of Rome. You may also wish to have your child locate Greece as a way to bridge learning from last year in second grade. The Greeks and Romans had a lot in common!

    2.   Draw and write
     Have your child draw and write what she is learning about the ancient Roman civilization, such as Roman gods and goddesses, or what a scene from the city of Rome might have looked like. Ask questions to help your child use the vocabulary he is learning at school. Ask him to describe what he has learned about ancient Roman family life.

     3.   Roman and Greek Myths
     Your child will be learning about ancient Roman mythology and how many of their myths were shaped by Greek mythology. Discuss with your child the myths, and the Roman gods and goddesses she is learning about. Remind your child that mythology is the collection of myths, or stories, associated with the beliefs of a particular group of people that explain why people act a certain way, how things came to be, or how things happen in nature. Your child will also be making up a myth of their own!

     4.   Sayings and Phrases: Rome wasn't built in a day, All roads lead to Rome, and When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Your child will be learning these sayings. Talk with your child about the meaning of each phrase. In relation to "Rome wasn't built in a day," share with your child an experience or a project that took you a long time to finish, requiring a lot of patience and persistence. In relation to, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," share moments in your life when you followed the traditional customs of a culture different from yours. Find opportunities to use and reinforce these sayings again and again.

     5.   Words to Use
     There are a lot of new vocabulary terms that we will be learning about and using. Try to use these words as they come up in everyday speech with your child.

• ruins- Although no one lives in the buildings today and some of the statues have fallen down, the ruins in Rome help us understand this ancient civilization.
• attributes- Mrs. Denman has many good attributes like patience and kindness.
• elaborate- The Morgan's house by the lake was elaborate because each part of it was carefully placed to make it look like an enormous mansion. 
• conflict- Collin got in trouble at school today as a result of the conflict between him and Joe about who could play with the puppets first. 
• defied- Although his parents told him not to go swimming, Keith defied them and went anyway. 

     6.   Read aloud every day
     It is very important that you read with your child every day. Set aside time to read to your child, and also to listen to your child read to you. You can maximize this time by finding books that relate to our study of Rome, at your local library or book store. I have an extensive list of recommended titles for this age and reading levels. I am happy to share if you are interested!

Our first Family Project for the year will be introduced next week, and due the end of October. We will also be building our own Cascade Heights Roman Road (with our 6th grade buddies) from the patio to the amphitheater! 
Finally, our October field trip, on October 23rd, will be a tour of modern examples of Roman legacies, followed by our own Gladiator Games!  

Sincerely,
 Mrs. Gausman

Multi-letter Phonograms and Italics

Parents,
This week we've finished the 26 single letter phonograms and have begun the multi-letter phonograms. Over the next few weeks we will gradually introduce full words (and sentences) to the homework. Because we are also practicing our cursive italics and careful handwriting, please help to uphold this expectation on homework each night. Below are examples of how the phonograms are written in italics. In case you need it, here is an earlier blog post for the single letter phonograms in italics.

What Should Homework Look Like?

Parents,
As the year gets rolling, it's important to make sure that homework habits are being formed, and that the work is being done correctly- to avoid frustration for you and your student! Here is a quick breakdown of what you can expect, and what it should look like at home:

The Planner
Planners should come home every day, with all assignments written down. I check planners every afternoon for accuracy, and to ensure that each student has the materials they will need (ie. books, green folder, etc.) Occasionally, someone will be missed, but you should look for my stamp to indicate that I checked it over. Please look over your child's homework each night and initial the  planner.

Reading
In the fall, 3rd graders should be reading 20 minutes per night. At least 10 minutes should be read aloud to someone. Even after readers become proficient enough to read silently, reading aloud is still extremely important. Keep this habit going as long as you can! ;)


Riggs
For the next few weeks, we are reviewing/learning phonograms in conjunction with our learning of cursive italics. For now, your student should have a page with phonograms down the side, to complete 1 row of each for handwriting practice. They should also be saying the phonogram OUT LOUD every time they write it. Next week we move into the multi-letter phonograms (and italics joins!)
Once we finish all the phonograms and move into spelling (most likely early October), homework will look more like this, with words written 5x each on the top and sentences written on the bottom of the page. Missed words from the previous night should be written on the back, 5x each.




















Rocket Math
We do a Rocket Math facts test every morning. Your child will come home with that day's test, with either a star if they passed, or a reminder to practice. Please celebrate successes and take 2-3 minutes each night to practice "around the box". These facts are done orally, and should be coming out fairly quickly. Our goal is automaticity! If a fact is said incorrectly, or if your child pauses for more than a second, say the corrected fact and remind them to repeat it 3x then move back 3 facts and continue. These pages do not need to return to school.

Saxon Math
Your child will have a math lesson almost every day. These should be done in their new Written Practice books. We will write the date,  lesson number and page numbers, at the top of our page each day. On Thursdays we often do 2 lessons, which are due on Monday. On test days there may be an investigation, and usually they will have their test back to be corrected, signed, and returned the next day. Students typically get 10-15 minutes in class to begin homework, ask questions, or participate in small group instruction.



History (reading)
Once or twice a week your child may have a reading assignment from the history text book. At this point in the year, this should be done either as a read to or read with for most students. This reading DOES count toward the nightly 20 minutes. 



Nightly homework should take between 30-45 min. per night in third grade. This breaks down roughly as 15 min. for Riggs, 15-30 minutes for math and facts practice, and the 20 minutes of reading. This is intended to be practice and review. If your student is spending over an hour, please let me know. There are some strategies that we can discuss to find out what's going on and how we can work together to make homework time less stressful for everyone.


Mrs. Gausman

Back to School Night Recap

Thank you to all of the parents who came to Back to School Night last night! For those of you who were not able to join us, this is the information that was distributed. I will send a hard copy home with your child on Monday, as well. Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like to set up a time to meet in person!

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Three of the field trip dates on the packet are incorrect. The correct dates and times have been entered on our Volunteer Spot page, and sign-ups for ALL field trips as well as Parent- Teacher Conferences are now available.

The corrected dates are:

10/23- Roman Legacies

11/12- Chief Lelooska's Lodge

1/22- Oregon Children's Theater- Geronimo Stilton, Mouse in Space

Feb (date still unconfirmed)- Tryon Creek State Park

2/26- On-campus science exploration day

3/17- Old Aurora Colony (12:00-3:30)

4/21- SCRAP (8:00-12:00)

5/26- Solar System Hike in Eugene (7:00-5:00)

Sorry for the mix-up!

I am really excited to begin a new year with such an amazing group of 3rd graders! Here is a brief overview of what you can expect this year. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Daily Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
7:45-7:59	Arrive, turn in homework, prepare for the day
8:00-8:30	Riggs test and new words
8:30-9:45	Math (Intermediate 4)
9:45-10:00	Snack	Art 10:00-10:30 Snack 10:30-10:45	Snack	Snack
10:00-10:45	Guided Reading		Guided Reading
10:45-11:15	P.E.
11:15-11:45	Music/Library	Guided Reading	Music/reading	Portfolios
11:45-12:15	Lunch and Recess
12:15-1:15	Core Knowledge (History or Science)
1:15-1:45	World Language
1:45-2:00	p.m. recess
2:00-3:00	Language Arts
3:00-3:25	Planners, independent reading, cleaning, and pack-up

I would love to have a volunteer who can stay in the morning until about 8:15 to help check in homework and planners. Let me know if you are interested!

Guided Reading occurs every day in our classroom,  and I would love to have a parent volunteer during this time to help work with small groups.. If you are available and interested, please look at the sign-up on our Volunteer Spot page. . Thank you!

What do we learn about in 3rd grade?

Core Knowledge Units:

Fall	Spring
Ancient Rome	First Peoples of North America
Human body: Skeletal, Muscular, and Nervous systems	Colonial America (up to the Revolutionary War)
Vikings	Ecology, Animal Classification (vertebrates)
Early Explorers of North America	Human Body: Eyes (light/optics) Ears (sound/hearing)
Alice in Wonderland	Rivers of the World
	Astronomy
	The Wind in the Willows

Do you, or someone you know, have a particular interest or experience that relates to one of our units? I am always looking for local Experts to enrich our curriculum. Please let me know if you have something or someone to share with us!  Our goal as a school this year is to have at least one representative from each family spend some time in our classrooms. Guest speakers, special Read Alouds, field trip chaperones, and Guided Reading helpers are just some of the ways that parents can be involved. Let’s work together to find an opportunity that works for you!

Throughout the year, we use the Riggs curriculum for spelling and writing, as well as Institute for Excellence in Writing. We do a lot of writing in 3rd grade! We will also learn Getty and Dubay Italic Cursive this year. We start cursive in September, as we are reviewing the 71 phonograms. This allows a slow enough pace for students who are new or struggle with their phonograms, and gives a new challenge for Riggsperts to focus on.  At home, you can help your student remember to slow down and focus on proper letter formation when completing homework, and by reviewing the phonograms nightly.

Field Trips

Our first field trip of the year is on October 23rd . We will be traveling to 4 locations as we tour modern examples of Roman legacies. Slots are listed on our Volunteer Spot.  Please see the office to complete all volunteer requirements ASAP if you are interested. Field trip Fridays are instructional days- students are expected to be on campus from 8:00-3:30, in uniform. Please try to schedule long weekends and appointments on the 3 other Fridays of each month!

Planners, Homework, and Projects

In 3rd grade, we have homework every night! Once we get into the swing of things, you can expect Riggs/spelling every night, and math most nights. There will also be writing, history, or science, but those will not be the same every day. PLEASE check your child's planner every night to see what we're doing. In addition to the daily work, each unit generally has a Family Project. These are assigned 3-4 weeks before they are due. Project information, including directions and grading rubric, will be sent home (and be emailed out, and available on our class webpage!) Our first project, our Roman Legacies, will be assigned toward the end of September and due the end of October.

In addition to homework, your student's planner is also how I will communicate with you how your child's day went. Every afternoon, students will record what color they “landed on”. This becomes a running record, and it is essential that the planner be brought to and from school every day, checked by a parent, and signed. Thank you for your cooperation!

Falcon Five and our School-wide Behavior Policy

All students at CHPCS are expected to follow the “Falcon Five”- Falcons are Respectful, Resourceful, Responsible, Tolerant, and Safe. We have also created a color-coded system that will be the same in ALL classes. In 3rd grade, we have magnets that are moved down the chart as needed. They are:

Green- Everyone starts here each day- Keep it up!

Yellow- 1st warning (no “verbal only” warning this year). Please note, this is JUST A WARNING. We all slip up, and having a yellow means just that. Could you go an ENTIRE day without making ANY mistakes? I know I couldn't!

Orange- A 2nd warning

Blue- Time out. Student will take a short break from the situation to reflect before speaking to the teacher and re-entering the group.

Red- At red, there will be a logical consequence connected to the behavior, and the parent is notified, either by phone or email, depending on the situation. Red is either a '4th warning' for small behaviors, or a '1st time' for actions that endanger self or others.

Hot Pink- student is removed from the classroom. This is an office Referral and will be followed up by administration. Referrals also require a conference with the parent, teacher, and administrator.

A Full copy of our school-wide discipline policy is included at the front of every student's planner as well as available on the CHPCS website.

In conjunction with the consequences above, we also have several Positives to help children learn to make good choices! In our class we use the Class Dojo program to recognize positive behaviors. Class Dojo also allows you and I to communicate via “messenger” (like texts) and through “Our Story” which are whole-class updates and what’s going on in class. Signing up and checking Dojo is quick and easy, and I’m happy to answer any questions or help if you need assistance getting started!

Communication

The best way to reach me is by email. If you have something arise during the day that needs immediate attention, please phone the office. My primary method of communication will also be email. If you do not have email or have another preferred style (letters, phone, text..) please let me know. We also have a class blog.  Ideally it will be updated each  week, and will include news and announcements, upcoming events, as well as photos and updates of what's happening in the classroom. Please go to http://ch3rdgrade.blogspot.com/ and 'subscribe' to receive automatic notifications when updates occur!

I can also answer quick questions via Class Dojo messenger. This is GREAT for updates, like “Bobby is going to carline today.” or to request a call or conference.

Student progress will be communicated with the student portfolios. These are similar to what you are familiar with from 2nd grade, except that they are in binders instead of folders. Students will be reflecting on their work and selecting pieces to display on our “Best Work” wall (bulletin board in the hallway) and placing new items in the portfolios every Thursday.  It will take us a few weeks to get up and running, but by the end of September, you should expect to see your child’s portfolio coming home every Thursday, to be returned to school on Monday. Please review new items, celebrate your child’s successes, and help them to set new goals for the following week.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences

Fall conferences this year are the week of October 26-30th . A sign-up sheet is available on Volunteer Spot. I will be sending out the link on Friday, September 11th  (after I’ve updated from in-person sign-ups at Back to School Night) and you can sign up at your convenience. I look forward to working with each of you this year to make 3rd grade an extraordinary experience for your student!

Thank you for coming tonight! Let me know if you have any questions that I may have missed! And, thank you for sharing your child with me!

Angela Gausman

a.gausman@chpcs.org

(503)683.3140

http://ch3rdgrade.blogspot.com/