Welcome to Curriculum Night Ms. Bierlein 3 rd Grade Glacier Ridge Elementary.

Welcome to Curriculum

Night

Ms. Bierlein3rd Grade

Glacier Ridge Elementary

Opening• Originally an Ohio girl, but my fiancé and I

recently moved back to be closer to family.

• Educational Background• B.A. in Psychology from The College of

Wooster• M.Ed. in Reading Education from Ohio

University

• Professional Background• 7 years teaching in Anne Arundel County,

MD and DC Public Schools• 1 year as a Reading Specialist

Mini Lesson

Important Times

• School Day 9:00a.m.- 3:40 p.m.

• Lunch/Recess 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.

• Related Arts 1:55-2:40 p.m.

• Please send a Healthy Snack each day; this snack will be eaten in the afternoon before dismissal.

Communication

• Email: [email protected]

• Class News will be posted in an email and in our Google Classroom

• For any transportation changes - please call the office and speak to someone.

• If a child is going home with a classmate, both students need a note to the office.

Curriculum

• Common Core State Standards

• View Dublin website (www.dublinschools.net) to see curriculum by grade levels

Take Home Binder

• Planner & GRE Folder- please check for homework and papers each night.

• This is a daily communication tool, so please send any notes for me (or the school) in the GRE folder.

• Homework will be written in the planner. Expect a weekly reading assignment, and math homework periodically.

Class Mascot

Our class decided to represent the charactertrait, enthusiasm. We voted on a cheetah as the best mascot, or symbol of this trait.

Class Motto

We learn as fast as cheetahs

run.

Reading Workshop

• Reading is assessed by the DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment)

• Mini lessons followed by individual conferences and small group lessons/work

• Focusing on: writing about what they read, answering comprehension questions, looking back in the text, and writing their thinking

• NonfictionTuesdays in the classroom-this will best prepare our students for the application of the standards to real-world situations, as well as testing.

Reading at Home• Goal: Please have your child read at least

20 - 30 minutes per night from multiple genres & sources.

• Students may read: books from home, online, the library, and books from our classroom.

• Reading reflection & strategy work will be completed on Google Docs weekly.

Writing• Writing focuses on the writing process

• Writer’s Notebook daily

• Research, Literary Nonfiction, Narratives, Stories, Poetry, etc.

• Conventions-Using correct capitals, punctuation, and correct spelling

• Family Journal on Friday

• Author Shares and Publishing

Word Study

• Small groups and whole class activities

• Focus on: high frequency words, vowel patterns, parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, meaning, syllables, etc. (as assessed by the DSI)

• Five Major Components: Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Word Recognition, Visual Strategies, Vocabulary, and Word Structure.

Math

• Number Talks as a daily opening- encourages mental math, as well as explanation of strategy.

• Hands on activities connect Common Core standards with real-world applications.

• Ample work time allows for remediation, enrichment, and independent/group problem solving.

• It is our goal that every third grade student knows their multiplication and division facts (up to 9) with automaticity by the end of this year.

8 Mathematical Practices: • Make sense of problems & PERSEVERE in

solving them• Reason abstractly and quantitatively • Construct viable arguments and critique the

reasoning of others• Model with mathematics• Use appropriate tools strategically• Attend to precision • Look for and make use of structure• Look for and express regularity in repeated

reasoning

Math Homework

• I will designate appropriate Math Homework as I deem necessary for each topic.

Science/Social Studies/Health

• Taught in units – 2 to 3 weeks long

• Project based (some work at home)

• SS/Science notebook – used to show curiosity and help guide new learning

• Guest speakers

• Trips to the Metro Park for hands-on learning

Progress Reports

• Hard Copies go home eachTrimester (every 12 weeks)

• AC: Achieving PR: Progressing LP: Limited Progress

• Please check Progress Book bi-weekly for updates

Guidance

• Guidance: 12 sessions throughout the year taught by Mrs. Coon

Integrating Technology

• Classroom computers & laptops

• Internet Research

• Flip Cameras

• iMovie

• Podcasts

• Keynote Slides

• Pixie/Pages/ Microsoft Word

• Class Webpage

• Gmail and Google Docs

Enrichment and Intervention

• Students will be taught based on their INDIVIDUAL needs and pushed to their potential.

• We provide choice and celebrate students’ interests.

• Each lesson is differentiated either by process, product, or content based on student need or interest.

District Assessments

• Fall Test – Nov. 30th-Dec. 11th

• Spring Test – April 4th-April 29th (Reading) May 4th- May 13th (Math)

• MAP testing in fall and spring

Parents will be notified as soon as a date has been determined

• Please do not schedule any appointments or vacations on these dates.

Book Orders

• Must input online with our class activation code: JTQRR

• Lower prices than book stores & a wish list for our room

• A chance to get books that match your child’s current reading ability and interests (“Just Right” books)

• Usually once a month

• Adds books to our classroom library!

Volunteers • I will be emailing for parent volunteers

in October. This will give parents the opportunity to get Fingerprinted. (This should be done at Central Office.)If you are unable to come into school, but willing to help from home, please email me with that information, as well.

• I will assign volunteers on a monthly basis starting in October.

• THANK YOU in advance!

Work Time

To be completed:

• Sign up for conferences on a laptop (Google Doc)

• Read your child’s note in the family journal, and respond.

• Complete the preferred method of contact form

• Explore our classroom

• Write any individual questions for me on a post-it and place in the parking lot

Closing/ Reflection

• What questions do you still have that are applicable to the group?

• Individual questions/concerns should be left in the parking lot, or sent via email.