Please use the

Super Heropaper to write

your child a note

for their desk

tomorrow morning!

You should

(hopefully) be able

to find a pencil in

their desk.

Welcome to Meet the Teacher NightAugust 23, 2016

Mrs. Alison Gritton3rd grade Teacher

College Wood Elementary

Email:agritton@ccs.k12.in.us

School Phone: 317-733-6430 x.2016

Event Volunteers• Please look for the PTO Room Parent Volunteer

sign-up to be passed around!

YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

About Me…• 5th year teaching 3rd grade…4th year at CWE!

• Originally from St. Louis

• My education degree is from Illinois State University

where I was also a swimmer.

• Family is a huge part of my life… I am married to Brent

and we have a rescue dog named Louie... He is our child for now!

• Personally, I love to visit family, travel, watch sports, exercise,

and explore DT Carmel with Brent and Louie.

• Professionally, I enjoy opportunities to learn and grow as an

educator, and to serve in leadership roles.

• I am thrilled to be part of your child’s learning for the next year and

look forward to making life-long memories!

Questions????Please fill out the question page

at your desk as I am talking. I will

send an email out with all the

questions and answers later this

week!

Our Daily Schedule8:10-8:25 Welcome & CWE-TV

8:25-8:40 Language Arts

8:40-9:55 Math

10:00-10:50 Specials (schedule to follow)

10:55-11:25 Science/Social Studies

11:25-11:40 Recess

11:50-12:25 Lunch

12:25-2:20 Language Arts

2:25-2:35 Closing & Dismissal

Specials ScheduleMonday Computer Lab

Tuesday PE

Wednesday Art

Thursday Music

Friday Media (Library)

Curriculum• National Geographic Reach for Reading

• Handwriting—Handwriting Without Tears

• Everyday Mathematics

• Science—Various Adoptions

• Social Studies—TCI Social Studies Alive!

Literacy•National Geographic- Reach for ReadingEight total units throughout the year

Each unit has a different focus or “Big Question” and is

four weeks long

We begin with Unit 1.1 and continue on with 1.2, 1.3, 1.4,

2.1 etc.

•Reach AssessmentsWe divide up Units by Part A (weeks 1 & 2) and

Part B (weeks 3 & 4)

Test on week 2 over Part A and week 4 over Part B

Review guide and email sent home on Tuesday before

an assessment

Literacy•Reach Tools/Extensions

•Literacy Notebook (vocabulary, spelling

words, grammar, comprehension strategies,

textbook connections)

•Daily 5 Contract (extension of Word Study,

Explorer Books, Reach Stories)

Google Classroom

Literacy•Word Study

•New spelling words are assigned each week

•Correlate with the Unit we are on (Word Study 1.2 is this week)

•Spelling tests every Friday

•Lists can be found on my website under the “Word Study”

tab

•15 Pattern Words, 4 “Watchout Words”, 1 Teacher ’s Choice

•Spelling City

•Grammar •Will be assessed within the Reach Unit Tests

•Focus will be in Lit. Notebook and on review guide

Lucy Calkins Writing3rd Grade Writing Workshop:• Based on opinion, narrative, and

information writing.• Narrative-1st Quarter

• Opinion-2nd Quarter

• Information- 3rd Quarter

• Fairy Tales- 4th Quarter

Social Studies and Science• Social Studies—

TCI Social Studies

Alive!—

– Community

– Government

– Economics

– Geography

*1st & 3rd Quarter*

• Science—

– Scientific Method

– Sound

– Light

– Simple Machines

– Plants

– Rocks & Minerals

*2nd & 4th Quarter*

YES! We support BYODBut what does this mean?

From the handbook: students can bring

and use electronic equipment at the

teacher ’s discretion.

BYOD stands for Bring YOUR OWN

Device, for YOU personally, not for other

students.

I will send an email when we will begin

BYOD, but I am hoping for next week!

“The owner of a personal communication device bears all responsibility

and assumes all risk of theft, loss, or damage to, or misuse or unauthorized

use of the device while it is on Board property.”

• Board policy is

already in place

[Policy 7542]

CCS Policy 7542

• Personal devices can include phones, laptops,

tablets, (iPad, Android, Samsung) or iPods

• Don’t forget the value of an “old” phone – even if

it ’s not on a phone plan any longer, if it has the

capability to connect to Wi-Fi, it ’s useable!

• Also consider “old” Kindles, laptops, or other

devices you aren’t using any longer – it doesn’t

have to be new.

• If the device can connect to the internet and has

a browser, it should work!

Types of Devices

Classroom Management• Our classroom rules are consistent with the Cardinal

Rules that are posted. – Safe. Responsible, Respectful

• Clip Chart to earn Super Sticks.

– 1 clip up=1 Super Stick

– 2 clip ups= 5 Super Sticks

– 3 clip ups= 10 Super Sticks

– Off the Charts= 15 Super Sticks

• As a class, we can earn a “pom pom” in our

compliment jar. When the jar is full, we will earn a

special activity.

Super Sticks

Red- 1 point

Orange- 5 points

Yellow- 10 points

Green- 15 points

Blue- 20 points

Purple- 25 points

Homework• Homework will be given each evening Monday-

Thursday as an extension of our learning day.

• Assignment Notebook will be filled out each day

with me and is used to help encourage

responsibility.

• Consequences—Any homework not turned in will

result in student losing a Super Stick

• Homework should be around 30-45 minutes each

evening.

Standards Based Grading

Tests & Assessments • Unit Tests in reading every 2 weeks.

• We will send home a review guide the Tuesday before a

Unit test.

• Spelling test every Friday.

• NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association)– It’s a test that will help us teach things kids don’t already know and will

help guide my whole group and small group instruction.

– If they are answering questions correctly, it will get harder as they go

along. That means, THEY WILL GET SOME WRONG AND THAT’S OK! It

could be frustrating, but we are trying to find things out they don’t

know!

– It is untimed, but for most kids it will take the whole specials time.

– ALL students have practiced during computer lab and media.

– This is NOT a high stakes test like ISTEP.

Tests & Assessments• Social Studies & Science assessments will be taken

using various testing strategies. A review or study

guide will always be sent home to review.

• Writing will be assessed using a rubric from the Lucy

Calkins curriculum.

• No letter grades on Report Card, but I do

indicate percentage and letter grade on all tests.

This is to help make students aware for next year

when they WILL receive letter grades

Formative Assessments (Practice!)

• Homework

• Center or Station work

• Math Practice

• Journaling

• Other forms of daily work

or check-ins

Summative Assessments (T he Big Game!)

• End-of-Unit Tests

• Performance Tasks

• Presentations and Projects

IST EP!!!• 3rd grade ISTEP includes English Language Arts &

Math

• We also take an IREAD3 test that is only for 3rd

graders in Indiana. This is a reading skills

proficiency test…

–Comprehension

– Letter, sound, word relationships

Communication• Friday e-mail about the week and what is coming up the

following week.

• Please check your child’s Responsibility Folder for graded

and checked work each day.

• Classroom Webpage is updated daily/weekly with

information, including daily assignments and word

study/spelling list & RAH (Read At Home).

• Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or

questions regarding your child at any time. Communication

is vital for success!

Absences• Sickness or excused absence: Call or email both

the office and Mrs. Gritton

• Vacation: Two weeks notification. Fill out a

prearranged absence form under Attendance on

the College Wood website.

• See absence policies in the CWE handbook

available online.

Reminders• Check out our classroom webpage on the College Wood

homepage. This will be useful for resources for at-home use!

• 3rd graders are allowed DOUBLES at lunch…

• If your child deviates from his/her usual dismissal procedure, it is

necessary to complete the online notification by 1:30 pm.

NOTES, PHONE CALLS, or E-MAILS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED!

Classroom VolunteersWe will use Volunteer Spot for our volunteers this year.

There is a link on my website to register and sign up

to volunteer in the classroom. This will include…

Clerical

Mystery Reader

Field Trips (email will be sent)

Questions????Please fill out the question page

at your desk. I will send an email

out with all the questions and

answers tomorrow!

T hank You!• Special thanks to PTO for all their support to our

school and aiding in the support of teachers!

• Thank you so much for allowing me to share in the

life of your child. I am looking forward to a

wonderful year growing and learning together!

• If you are leaving, Ms. Colver is room #15 and Mrs.

Lewis is room #17.

Math: A Workshop Experience!• Everyday Math Series—a spiraling curriculum!

• HomeLinks will be in a book form with a blue cover

and handed out at the beginning of a new unit.

• Look for Parent Letters at the beginning of each

new unit to be posted on my class website. They

will be helpful for assisting with homework.

• We will be working hard on facts and concepts

throughout the year! (Rocket Math) Fact practice

at home will be necessary. Use the folder

provided to practice at home.

• Everyday Math Website

T hank You!I appreciate you coming this evening and being dedicated to your child’s education!