Mrs. Sears' Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

How do I contact Mrs. Sears?

Please feel free to email me at psears@usd268.org or call the school office at 542-3137.

What do I do if my child will be absent from school?

Please notify the school, when your child is going to be absent, by emailing the teacher and the secretary, Eileen Sagner at esanger@usd268.org

 ACADEMIC QUESTIONS:

When does homework come home?

Homework will come home on Friday in the Friday Folder. It will be due on the following Friday.

 What is the difference between homework and classwork?

Weekly homework consists of the poem for the week, reading log, and xtra math. These will come home on Friday in the Friday Folder.

Classwork is work that your child did not finish during the day.

What comes home in the Friday Folder?

In your child’s Friday Folder you will find their homework, reading log, poem, graded work, reminders, and notes from the teacher.

 What is my responsibility as a parent with the Friday Folder?

Please look through the papers with your child. This will give you an idea of how they are performing academically. Keep the papers. 

What are the requirements for the Great Poetry Race?

Each Friday, your child will receive a poem in their Friday folder.  Their goal is to read the poem to as many different people as they can. Each time your child reads this poem to someone, the listener needs to sign the back of the poem. The person who reads the poem to the most people by the following Friday will get to keep a furry friend at their desk for the day!  Remember, one reading is equal to one signature, even if more than one person is listening!

 You may read it to the same person on a differentday.

*14 signatures are required each week.

What is Daily 5 and C.A.F.E?

    The Daily 5 is framework that helps best organize time during reading/literacy block to ensure students are engaged in meaningful reading and writing activities. This framework encourages reading independence and gives children the skills needed to create a lifetime love of reading and writing. It consists of five tasks that are introduced individually. It is modeled and supported by teachers throughout implementation.

     CAFE is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. It includes goal-setting with students in individual conferences, posting strategies on a whole-class board, and developing small group instruction based on clusters of students with similar goals.

To learn more click here,

http://www.thedailycafe.com/public/main.cfm

What is Rocket Math?

      Many of you are familiar with Rocket Math already. The second grade teachers use the program as well. This year Rocket Math is available in an app on the students' iPads! Rocket Math only takes a few minutes each day of class time. The students work on a couple facts at a time.  The program allows each child to go at his or her own pace, taking as many days to master those two facts as needed. Students are given an opportunity daily to show they have learned a set of facts by passing a test.  A test is considered passed if the child meets their individual goal missing only 0 or 1. 

        You can help your child progress and learn faster by practicing at home. 

 What is Sitton Spelling?

     Our spelling program this year may be different from what you’ve come to expect as “spelling.” Instead of a weekly list of words to memorize, this program emphasizes the learning of important words, not for a Friday test, but for a lifetime of spelling in the real world—that is, spelling correctly in writing. 

Spelling Practice:  A list of words for each week are on the third grade website. 

 What is the Common Core?

     Here is a link to common questions about Common Core.

Math:http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/introduction

Reading (ELA) http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/3

 What is the grading scale?

90-100=A

80-89=B

70-79=C

60-69=D

59 and below=F

*Social Sciences will be graded with S and U

MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS:

What is the discipline plan?

     Student choices are tracked on a Clip Chart. The chart is similar to the color cards you’ve seen in the past. All students begin the day on green in the middle of the chart. Clothespins are moved up or down depending on choices. All clothespins are moved back to green at the end of the day.

 What about recess?

     Your child receives two fifteen minute recesses a day, one before lunch and the other in the afternoon. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather.

 How does snack time work?

     We will have a snack time each day. Each child may bring a snack for him/herself. I ask that the snacks be simple and nutritious. We will not stop class for snacks, but will enjoy them as we work. If your child does not need or want a snack, they do not need to bring one. Snacks are optional. General guidelines:

·      The snack should not be part of their lunch. In the past, some students decided to eat 1/2 of their sandwich at snack time and then didn’t have enough to eat at lunchtime.

·      The snack must be nutritious.

·      It should be easy to eat in 10 minutes or less.

·      Please do not send candy, cookies or chips.

 What is the 3rd grade water bottle policy?

This year we ask that no water bottles be brought to school because we are implementing Ipads.

Ipads and water bottles do not mix.

 Birthdays?

     Your child may celebrate his/her birthday at school. It is appropriate to send or bring treats to school on or around your child’s birthday. We usually hold the celebration at the end of the day. If your child has a summer birthday, choose another day to celebrate. If you are planning a birthday party at home and have invitations to send, I ask that they be sent outside of school unless the whole class is invited. This will save hurt feelings.