Mrs.

Flacks 3rd Grade Class

Curriculum Night 2017

 This Years Goals
To meet the needs of individual learners
To help build responsibility and
independence
To engage learners in higher order
thinking
To build respect
Names to know:
Kim Tierney, Principal
Haley Topp, Assistant
Principal
Carla Lane, Secretary
Lisa Spears, School Nurse Waukees Mission and
Vision:
Dedicating to
optimizing individual
learning and potential
for success in a global
community.
Classroom Blog
Classroom updates and important information can be found
on our classroom blog at
https://blogs.waukeeschools.org/aflack
This is an excellent communication piece for what your child is
learning in 3rd grade!
The MG Branch is the building newsletter that will be sent via
e-mail on the 1st and 3rd Fridays. If you need a paper
copy, please let me know!
Classroom Blog
 Specials
Day 1: Art (Mrs. Bebout) / Computers (Mrs. Dirksen)
Day 2: Guidance (Mrs. Neal ) / Music (Mrs. Helling)
Day 3: PE (Mrs. Whipps)
Day 4: Library (Mrs. OConnor) / Computers (Mrs.
Dirksen)
Day 5: Music (Mrs. Helling)
Day 6: PE (Mrs. Whipps)
 Attendance
Attendance: If your child is going
to be absent or late please call the
office (987-3363) with that
information rather than
contacting the teacher
directly. This helps ensure the
accuracy of our attendance data
before phone calls are made.
 How is your child getting home??
If you childs after school plans change please
let me or Carla (office) know as soon as
possible via a phone call, e-mail, or note. I
cant allow a student to inform me about a
change in plans due to safety concerns.
Students may not ride
home with friend on the
bus if it is not their bus.
Lunch/Recess
Lunch is from 12:10-12:30
Recess begins at 12:30 and ends at 12:50
Please let the office or myself know in the morning if you plan on eating
lunch with your child.
An adult lunch costs $3.60 this year
5 lunch choices (cold, hot, salad, sandwich, & kydzable)
Water and Juice is $0.70
Extra milk is $0.50
Recess Clothing: As the weather becomes cooler, please send appropriate
clothing with your child. During the early fall days it can be on the chillier
side during our lunch recess. Please keep this in mind. Layers are the best
choice!
At or below 49: Winter-type coat
50-59: Sweatshirt/light jacket
At or above 60: Long sleeves, or appropriate clothing for
higher temperatures
Snacks
Your child may bring a snack to school everyday. Snacks
should be healthy, such as crackers, fruit snacks, fresh fruit,
granola bars, raisins, cheese, etc.

No peanut productsplease check the labels when choosing

a snack to send.

Snacks need to be store bought and come to school with a

label.
 Birthday Celebrations
Students have the opportunity to decide how they will celebrate their
birthday or birthday in our classroom. They can choose any item on
the Birthday Menu for their special day!
Class Game
Extra Recess
Craft/Art Project
Treats
(Bring packaged treats to share, it is a Waukee CSD policy that peanut products
are not permitted in the classroom. We currently have 20 students in our class.)
Science Experiment
Dance Party
Open Gym
Lead a class lesson
Computer Lab/iPad Time
Other Ideas are welcome, please give at least a day notice to allow for
planning.
 Ways to Communicate
DAILY: planners, take home/Friday
folders, and blog posts
WEEKLY: Friday Folders
MONTHLY: The MG Branch
(biweekly)
AS NEEDED: Remind App.,
Leadership Notebooks, phone calls,
and/or emails
TRIMESTER: Progress Reports
Planners
This is an excellent school-to-home connection.
Your child will complete this everyday by recording
any homework and various school reminders.
I stress that this is the childs responsibility to get
out and show you each night
Feel free to communicate through written notes in
here as well. For example: change in transportation
for the day, being picked up early, etc.
 Flexible Seating
Research based and a
highly popular trend
in education
Provides choice and
flexibility
Encourages
collaboration and
problem solving skills
Allows children to
own their learning
Planners
Planner expectations:
Student needs to get an adult signature every night.
Please record nightly reading minutes in the reading
section (needs to written by an adult).
I will check weekly minutes each MONDAY morning. I will
be looking at the total from Monday through Sunday. Our
first weekly goal is 60 minutes.
The same system will be used for weekly math fact
practice. Our first goal is 25 minutes per week.
Practice flashcards or write/solve facts.
Please complete the corresponding HL as the lesson taught
each day. Your child will write the lesson in their planner
each day.
Once per 6-day cycle, your child will write their new word
work words in their planner so they can practice at home.
Planners
Friday Folders
Student needs to get an adult signature every
Friday, once a week.
Please use the identified sides (Return to
School and Home) to collect and return
information.
 PBIS
Respectful
Responsible
Safe
Caring
 Leadership Notebooks
Leadership Notebooks are a great way to
check in with your child on their goals,
progress, and celebrations more frequently
rather than just at conferences.
Part of being a Leader in Me school is the
sharing of data between school and home.
Leadership Notebooks will include a reading
goal and fact fluency goal to begin the year.
Leadership Notebooks will make an
appearance at home more frequently. My goal
is to send them home once a month.
 Leadership Club
In an effort to motivate and encourage good behavior, as a third grade we do Leadership Club.
This is a time where students are rewarded for being respectful, responsible, safe, and caring as
well as for displaying the 7 habits.
Leadership Club will most often take place on Fridays, at the end of the day for about 15-20
minutes.
There will be activities such as: class/grade level games, interactive drawing, dance party, extra
recess, etc.
Students who do not qualify (see criteria below) will go to the designated work room to finish
work and/or take part in a reteaching of behavior expectations.
Students will need to...
-Meet their weekly reading goal and weekly math goal.
(As soon as time is made-up, they may join Leadership Club)
-Get their planner signed nightly
-Have turned in all math homework by Friday
-All classroom work for the week is completed
-Get 5 or less behavior tallies for the entire week. Warnings are always given first.
(categories are: Interactions with Others, Follows Directions, Line Basics, Body Basics, Problem
Solves)
-There are instances where students will automatically not be allowed to go
(example: physical aggression or office visit)
Please help encourage great behavior and responsibility at home! We are excited about this!
 Reading Minutes
60 minutes of reading per week. The amount of time will
increase 5 minutes every month as the year progresses.
(October 65, November 70, etc.) Our goal is to read 100
minutes per week by the end of the year.
I will check reading minutes from the previous week
(Monday-Sunday) on the following Monday.
Students will record from their planners into Leadership
notebooks daily.
Please help your child get these reading
minutes in. 10 minutes a night before
bedtime is an excellent routine to start!
 Math Fact Minutes
25 minutes of math facts per week. The amount of
time may increase as the year progresses.
I will check math fact minutes from the previous week
(Monday-Sunday) on the following Monday.
Please help your child get these math fact minutes in.
3-5 minutes a night before bed time is an excellent
routine to start!
Begin with addition and subtraction facts and then we
will move to multiplication and division as the year
progresses. Watch planners for guidance on what math
facts to focus on. Shhh . . . multiplication will begin next
week.
 Reading
Daily 5: CAF
Read to Self Comprehension
Work on Writing Accuracy
Read to Someone Fluency
Listening to Reading Expanded Vocabulary
Word Work
Workshop Model:
Small Groups
Guided Reading
Conferencing
Strategy groups
Book Clubs
 Reading
Expected benchmark Skill Focus:
levels Active word solving
Fall: Level M Fluency
Winter: Level N/O Summarizing
Spring: Level P Compare/Contrast
Questioning
Characters
Topic, Main Idea, and
Details
Determining Word
Meaning
Writing
Will tie into science, social studies, and reading

Informative/Explanatory 6 +1 Traits of Good Writing

Ideas
Narrative
Organization
Opinion Voice
Short Research Word Choice
Sentence Fluency
Purpose Conventions
Editing Presentation

Revising
Science & Social Studies
Science Units of Study: Heredity & Survival (animals),
Weather, and Forces & Interactions.
Social Studies Units: maps, communities, economics,
landforms, natural resources, government and citizenships,
identify major land and water explorers, and individuals who
had a great impact on History.
Everyday Math
Unit 1: Routines, Review,
and Assessment
Unit 2: Adding and
Subtracting Whole
Numbers
Unit 3: Linear Measures
and Area
Unit 4: Multiplication and
Division
Unit 5: Place Value in Whole
Numbers and Decimals
Unit 6: Geometry
Unit 7: Multiplication and
Division
Unit 8: Fractions
Unit 9: Multiplication and
Division
Unit 10: Measurement and
Data
Unit 11: Probability, End of
Year Review
Watch for skill IPPs, Checking
Progresses, various
assessments and Math
Journal pages to come home
either individually or in your
childs Leadership
notebook to show their
understanding.
www.everydaymathonline.com
Main Page
Your Name Here!
Word Work
We will be focusing on Grammar, spelling patterns, rules,
and high frequency words/most common 3rd grade
words.
We will pull word sorts associated with Words Their Way,
use frequent patterns and rules, and incorporate
grammar rules in our lists.
Students will learn the rules associated with the English
language rather than memorize their spelling words.
Word work words will be written in your childs planner
at the start of each list.

Assessments
Benchmarking will be done two times throughout the year to
determine Independent and Instructional reading levels (late
fall and spring)
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is made up of two
computer-based tests (Reading and Math) taken twice
throughout the year, in the fall and spring
FAST Assessment: State mandated Reading Assessment (Fall,
Winter, and Spring Assessments)
Iowa Assessments (formerly known as Iowa Test of Basic
Skills) will take place in February.
Watch for reminders of upcoming tests in planners/blog.
Communication
It is very important to keep the lines of communication open
between school and home. Communication is the key to a
successful school year.

Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions,

concerns, or comments via email at
aflack@waukeeschools.org, phone at 987-3363, your childs
planner, or through a note.
 THANK YOU FOR COMING!!!!

I am looking forward to a fun

and exciting year teaching
your child!