Back to School Night 2020-2021
Mrs. Cristy Farnam
Third Grade
Room B8email: [email protected]
Welcome Parents!
I am pleased to be your child’s third-grade teacher this year. At Guadalupe, students, parents, and teachers work together so students can reach their full potential. The following information will help familiarize you with third-grade expectations and procedures.
1. Communication / Procedures
2. Volunteering
Opportunities for supporting our classroom and school-wide activities will be shared with you.
Home and School Club is coordinating our enrichment fund this year. Please see the information provided by them. Virtual field trips are planned until in-person is allowed.
Tentative field trips are:
5. Grades
Refer to Union School District brochure for specific Third Grade standards.
Standards-Based Report Cards:
Progress and Effort grades
E really above and beyond, higher understanding/effort
S as expected/on grade level
I improving but not yet on grade level
N needs improvement or teacher assistance (either lacks understanding or effort)
Rubric Scoring in performance based assessments for all curriculum:
4 Excels
3 Meets grade level expectations
2 Approaching
1 Below
Curriculum
6. Language Arts: Reading
Language Arts: Writing
Throughout the year we will write Narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. We will also write Informational/Explanatory essays to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly based on an article or other non-fiction resources. In addition, we will write Opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information supplied by an article or other non-fiction resources. We will read, listen to, speak and write various forms of poetry.
7. Math
Summary of Year: Third Grade Mathematics Core Curriculum
We use the Eureka Math curriculum. A link for parents and families can be found on the Guadalupe School website under the USD Math link. I will record instructional guidance for every math lesson and this will be posted on our Google Classroom. Another great resource for help is the YouTube channel by Duane Habecker. During distance learning, we will not assign separate homework pages, but these Duane Habecker videos do provide additional assistance with assigned classwork. The problems he reviews mirror the same content as classwork, just with different numbers in the problem sets. (For example, he will demonstrate a solution for finding 7x3 using arrays and the problem set assigned will be to find 8x4 in the same way.)
8. Social Studies
Focus: The History of California and our local region. We use the California Studies Weekly curriculum, Daily Geography, and many supplemental activities and resources.
9. Science
Focus: Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science units. Each trimester will have a different focus. We use a combination of Mystery Science and Daily Science resources and supplement with a variety of other resources.
You can easily access the primary site for distance learning, our Google Classroom, by using your student’s Google ID and password. I hope that you will be periodically checking this site to remain familiar with distance learning. I also have a class website that can be accessed through the Guadalupe School homepage but this site is not changed frequently. Updated information during distance learning will be primarily through Google Classroom.
Mrs. Cristy Farnam
Third Grade
Room B8email: [email protected]
Welcome Parents!
I am pleased to be your child’s third-grade teacher this year. At Guadalupe, students, parents, and teachers work together so students can reach their full potential. The following information will help familiarize you with third-grade expectations and procedures.
1. Communication / Procedures
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone Call 268-1030 ext. 17208 (leave a message with the best number to reach you.) I will be notified when there is a voicemail left for me.
- Make an appointment to meet with me in a Zoom or Google Meet conference call.
- Weekly participation/activity updates will be shared with you. Assessment results will also be shared with you as soon as I evaluate them.
- Your child’s reading range will be evaluated periodically and a report will be shared with you and your student. I share these results with your student so that they can make informed decisions about their independent reading choices.
- Birthdays - Birthdays will be recognized in class meetings unless you let me know that you would prefer otherwise.
- Dress Code- see Student Handbook. Your child should ALWAYS be wearing appropriate clothing during video interactions. This includes class meetings and recorded student presentations. Be aware that some pajamas and leisure wear such as bathing suits do not meet dress standards for public appearance in video conferences.
2. Volunteering
Opportunities for supporting our classroom and school-wide activities will be shared with you.
- All jobs may be “shared” as long as there is a consistent schedule and I can depend on someone to follow through with the commitment.
- Room Parents – this is a great job to share with another person - coordination of parent volunteers and assistance as needed with coordinating class events.
- Art Vistas and Ceramics Leads and Helpers– TBD
- Cornerstone – TBD
- Photography/yearbook -TBD
- Library - TBD
- Grade level copying - TBD
- On call project help – special occasions, TBD
- Chaperones for field trips – TBD
Home and School Club is coordinating our enrichment fund this year. Please see the information provided by them. Virtual field trips are planned until in-person is allowed.
Tentative field trips are:
- Marine Science Institute, Ohlone, and the Campbell Historical Museum.
- Purpose – to practice the skills learned in class; to communicate third grade curriculum with parents; to involve parents in reinforcing skills and ideas; and to develop responsibility, solid study skills, and habits.
- Practice math facts (+, -, x, ÷) nightly for 15 minutes. Goal: rote memorization and speed/ automaticity for math facts 0-12. THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR MEETING THIRD GRADE MATH STANDARDS.
- Special Projects: one big project per trimester – research, rough/final draft/presentation.
- Stay on top of your child’s classwork and you will quickly catch when they are struggling with a subject. If I see a need for intervention, I will contact you to discuss.
- It is important that your child review his/her classwork with you. Encourage them to show pride in their work by completing their work neatly and to the best of their ability.
- Recommendation: create a learning environment at home by setting up a desk or table with a portable toolbox (pencils, colored pencils, highlighters, scissors, glue stick), paper, and reference materials. Your child will need access to a computer at home and the school-provided Chromebooks are preferred for consistency. All Math curriculum has video tutorials available if your child needs help.
5. Grades
Refer to Union School District brochure for specific Third Grade standards.
Standards-Based Report Cards:
Progress and Effort grades
E really above and beyond, higher understanding/effort
S as expected/on grade level
I improving but not yet on grade level
N needs improvement or teacher assistance (either lacks understanding or effort)
Rubric Scoring in performance based assessments for all curriculum:
4 Excels
3 Meets grade level expectations
2 Approaching
1 Below
Curriculum
6. Language Arts: Reading
- Core Literature Reading program: all inclusive (grammar, spelling, oral language, listening and comprehension skills, vocabulary, reading, and writing). We will be reading a number of chapter books together in class such as Charlotte's Web, James and the Giant Peach, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Lawn Boy and many more. We will also be using the Houghton Mifflin reading text and practice texts.
- Non-fiction reading will include resources such as Scholastic News, Newsela, and California Studies Weekly, and Daily Science.
- Students will also complete several book reports and book reviews based on books they read during independent reading at home.
- Public Speaking and strengthening listening skills
- Your child will be evaluated for their approximate reading range. Students read at their independent range to minimize frustration and increase comprehension.
- Reading will include: reading aloud, partner reading, silent reading, small group reading and literature circles, choral reading, teacher read aloud/students tracking silently.
- Independent reading will be 30 minutes per day for third grade students.
Language Arts: Writing
Throughout the year we will write Narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. We will also write Informational/Explanatory essays to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly based on an article or other non-fiction resources. In addition, we will write Opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information supplied by an article or other non-fiction resources. We will read, listen to, speak and write various forms of poetry.
7. Math
Summary of Year: Third Grade Mathematics Core Curriculum
We use the Eureka Math curriculum. A link for parents and families can be found on the Guadalupe School website under the USD Math link. I will record instructional guidance for every math lesson and this will be posted on our Google Classroom. Another great resource for help is the YouTube channel by Duane Habecker. During distance learning, we will not assign separate homework pages, but these Duane Habecker videos do provide additional assistance with assigned classwork. The problems he reviews mirror the same content as classwork, just with different numbers in the problem sets. (For example, he will demonstrate a solution for finding 7x3 using arrays and the problem set assigned will be to find 8x4 in the same way.)
8. Social Studies
Focus: The History of California and our local region. We use the California Studies Weekly curriculum, Daily Geography, and many supplemental activities and resources.
9. Science
Focus: Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science units. Each trimester will have a different focus. We use a combination of Mystery Science and Daily Science resources and supplement with a variety of other resources.
You can easily access the primary site for distance learning, our Google Classroom, by using your student’s Google ID and password. I hope that you will be periodically checking this site to remain familiar with distance learning. I also have a class website that can be accessed through the Guadalupe School homepage but this site is not changed frequently. Updated information during distance learning will be primarily through Google Classroom.