Third Grade Newsletter
March 2020
Elementary Team Contact Information
If you have any questions or need any assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us on the elementary team.
- K-1 Literacy Senior Instructional Specialist: Danielle Varcardipone – dvarcard@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-6 ELA Senior Instructional Specialist: Courtney Lough – clough@pasco.k12.fl.us
- PK-6 Math Senior Instructional Specialist: Tracy Miller – tamiller@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-8 Science Senior Instructional Specialist: Lesley Kirkley – lwade@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Social Studies Senior Instructional Specialist: Tina Stavrou-Klem - astavrou@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Fine Arts Program Coordinator: Tom Viking – tviking@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Physical Education Program Coordinator: Matt Wicks – mwicks@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Social Emotional Learning Program Coordinator: Lesley Wilson - lrwilson@pasco.k12.fl.us
Together We Learn Summer 2020
Looking ahead: Summer Learning 2020- Your Input is IMPORTANT
We are excited to offer Together We Learn 2020 Monday July 27-29th, 2020 at Land O Lakes High School. We have been budy planning logistics, but now it is time to dig into planning the learning and we need your input! Please take a moment to complete the enclosed PD Needs assessment as this helps us ensure that the summer learning symposium is built to meet YOUR needs. Thanks for your time!
Elementary Curriculum Feedback
Click here to take the survey and provide feedback.
Extended School Year – 3rd Grade Summer Reading Camp Administrative Internship Program – Elementary Schools
New this year, Pasco County Schools is able to offer a unique opportunity for those that are Assistant Principal Eligible in our district. Are you interested in providing administrative support on-site by leading, coordinating, and facilitating Extended School Year services at selected school sites? If so, this may be the program for you. Click here for more information.
ELA
Unit 4 Module Study is available to help you unpack the unit and plan for instruction. During this unit, learners will understand that there are different types and structures of government around the world, and the role of citizens to stand up for their beliefs to create change. For additional texts and videos to support building knowledge around citizenship, check our the additional resources on the ELN.
Writers will understand that using different sources enhances their writing. They will focus on writing opinion pieces in which they, state their opinion, use relevant evidence from research/texts to form and support an opinion with reasons using facts and details. Students will connect ideas with linking words and phrases and will summarize or restate opinion, in a concluding statement or section.
#PascoSpringReads
WHEN
Friday, March 13th, 5pm to Sunday, March 23rd, 11:45pm
WHERE
This is an online event- Join Twitter to share
MORE INFORMATION
We hope that you enjoy your spring break and spend some time recharging and relaxing! To celebrate and share great reads over break, please Tweet a picture of yourself reading a great book with the hashtag #PascoSpringReads. Each person who posts a picture with the hashtag will be entered into a raffle drawing with the chance to win some additional great reads from our team.
Reading and Writing Connections
Also, remember to check out our Unit 4 Reading_Writing Connection document when planning to use knowledge gained from reading to strengthen writing.
It is also important to use writing to help determine instructional needs for reading, especially in the area of decoding and encoding.
Building Stamina
We have to let each student read complex text everyday. I want you to think about the text you are currently using for core instruction. How much time have you spent reading it aloud to students and how much time have you given each student to read the text on their own or with a partner?
The next time you go to read a complex text to students, please take a few minutes to check the readability by looking at frequency of sight words (power words) and analyze what would make the chunk of text difficult for students to read. See how many 1G/2G Power Words and category words are on a page, how many 1B/2B Tricky Words, what kind of decoding skills will a student need to read the excerpt? We first need students to access the text, then we can build deep thinking around the complex meaning, language, structure and knowledge.
Here are a few resources to support the work:
Eight Ways to Help Kids Read Complex Text by Tim Shanahan
Math
The final module of the Grade 3 year, Module 7, offers students intensive practice with word problems, as well as hands-on investigation experiences with geometry and perimeter. The Grade 3 Module 7 Study PowerPoint and Recorded Webinar are scheduled to be released on 3/13/20. These resources will be found through the Elementary Learning Network within the Mathematics Grade 3 Module 7 Resources under the purple bar labeled "Virtual Learning Opportunities".
Looking for ways to enrich your Grade 3 learners? Enrichment tasks and the resources to support these tasks can be found through the Elementary Learning Network within each module under the green bar labeled "Enrichment Opportunities". Click here for the Grade 3 Module 7 Enrichment Opportunity.
Science
Summer Science Academy Cohort
The Science Team is excited to announce that we will be hosting a multi-day Summer Science Teacher Leader Academy in June. We are looking for 60 third through fifth grade teachers who want to develop their knowledge around Science, engage in Academy style lessons, participate in Make & Takes each day and develop their leadership skills to grow science within their buildings and further. Look for more information coming soon with dates, additional details and how to apply to be part of our first cohort!
FSSA Review Resources
The link below contains a variety of resources shared by teachers across the county or created by the Science team. These resources include Science Olympiad. The expanded options for review ensure that you can tailor your time to meet the needs of you students and school. For many schools that may mean a combination of Olympiad in the weeks immediately before the FSSA and a continuous review that starts sooner. The folder also contains resources for third and fourth grade annually assessed standards. If you teach fifth grade, these resources can help you remind your students of past learning. If you are a 3rd or 4th grade teacher, these resources will help you to spend time reviewing grade level content before the students move on.
WIPRO Science Fellowship Opportunity
Applications opened for Cohort 3 of the WIPRO Science Educator Fellowship on January 6th.
The TB Wipro SEF program is designed to foster teaching and leadership skills in those who have a minimum of three years of teaching experience and are committed to staying in the classroom within their school district for the next two years. Applicants do not need to have prior leadership experience. While many teachers may find these skills to be helpful for other avenues of leadership in the district, this program is not designed to facilitate the transition of a classroom teacher to becoming a school-based or district-based leader, such as a principal or superintendent. Up to twenty teachers from grades K-12 representing areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/environmental science will be selected to be a Fellow for two years beginning in August 1, 2020. This is a partnership between USF and Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. The cross county design of the project has sparked numerous meaningful conversations.
Application and Information
http://bit.ly/TB_Wipro_Application
Carnivorous Plants Webinar
One of the WIPRO Science Fellows from Hillsborough County is hosting a free webinar for teachers on Carnivorous Plants. Kenny Coogan is a middle school science teacher who also writes content for TEDeD. The webinar will be held on March 14th at 8pm. You can join the webinar by using this link: New Link
Pasco Science & Engineering Showcase Update
On February 1st, we hosted over 500 young Scientists from throughout Pasco County at TEWMS for the first annual Pasco Science & Engineering Showcase. Roughly 350 of those students represented third through fifth grade. Our youngest scientists presented ways to help increase mobility and access for those whose movement is limited, solutions to slow climate change and better ways to recycle. We recognized 80 Elementary students at the evening Awards Gala on Wednesday February 5th. Through the help of business partners like Home Depot, Pearson Education, Discovery Education and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, we awarded nearly 30 Special awards to our youngest students. Thank you so much for the work you do K-5 to prepare our students for these types of opportunities. Next year’s Showcase is January 30th with the Awards Gala on February 3rd.
FSU Maglab
Summer 2020 Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) - FSU Mag Lab
Summer 2020 Teacher Research Program
The application process for the Summer 2020 Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program at the MagLab in Tallahassee, FL is now open. The RET program is a six week residential program that pairs elementary, middle, high school and college teachers with scientists at the lab to conduct research on materials, energy and life. The program offers a $3600 stipend and travel/housing for non-locals. The application, program information and examples of previous year’s projects can be found here
The program dates are June 15th – July 24th, 2020
Deadline to apply is April 17th, 2020.
For information or if you have any questions please contact Jose Sanchez sanchez@magnet.fsu.edu
Social Studies
As we begin March, we take time to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it's impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions. In 2020, we celebrate the centennial anniversary of women's suffrage and as we head into a national election, what a powerful way to share this journey of suffrage with our students.
Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
· Section 267.0618, F.S., The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
· Resources and information https://www.womensvote100.org/florida
· Section 1003.42(q), F.S., Required instruction - The study of women’s contributions to the United States.
Suggested instructional lessons:
Breakout EDU Votes for Women Suffrage
NEA -Women’s History Month, Grades K-5 Lessons
Women’s History Learning Network Page
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March 25th - Medal of Honor Day
In Florida, March 25 of each year is designated as “Medal of Honor Day” and Medal of Honor has been added to s. 1003.42, F.S., Required Instruction, p.4. This is a perfect opportunity to embed the Medal of Honor Character Development Curriculum. This is a great way to embed these values as we launch the 4th quarter.
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Disney-Nomics -Gear up for Financial Literacy Month by joining the USF Stavros Center as they share how using Disney movie clips can help teach key Economic concepts.
March 25 - 5:30 PM- 7:30 PM - Stipends & Dinner Provided
To sign up - please click here
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Students grade 3-6 are invited to attend the Chasco Fiesta
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Monday, March 30 - Thursday, April 2, 2020 10 AM - 2PM
Please use this link for more information
DBQ Tip of the Month
Creating Draft Versions of Assignments for Presentations
In this newsletter, we'll cover:
1. Why would you want to use a draft version of your assignment when modeling in DBQ Online?
2. The 3 ways of annotating: what are examples of each of these?
3. How do you set this all up in DBQ Online?
Art - - Music - - PE
Art & Music:
Introducing our new Fine Arts Website. This website is for outside families to learn about the fine arts offered throughout our county. You can find our website by going to the Pasco County Schools website then click on the "Departments" tab at the top. Once there, scroll down and click on "Fine Arts".
Applications for the Florida Arts Model Schools (https://www.faae.org/florida-arts-model- schools) and for the Advancing Arts Education Grant (https://www.faae.org/advancing-arts- education) are currently in review and will be announced in early March.
Arts4All Florida offers spring break and summer camp programs that teach music, movement, theatre, and visual arts to students of all abilities. We host our own camps and can also provide inclusive art activities for yours. Click HERE for a list of upcoming upcoming Arts4All Florida Camps.
Arts4All Florida provides webinars during the school . year so that teaching artists, classroom teachers, cultural arts organizations, parents, and adult artists with disabilities can keep up-to-date on the latest information in arts and disability. These webinars are provided free of charge.
One of the webinars that is available in March is "Basic Accommodations in the Arts". Click HERE for more information and registration.
Physical Education:
Is it physical education or physical activity?
https://www.shapeamerica.org/publications/resources/teachingtools/qualitype/pa_vs_pe.aspx
Student Growth Outcomes Template:
NEW GAME:
Beanbag Bowling
https://www.shapeamerica.org/uploads/pdfs/2017/Bean-Bag-Bowling.pdf
SEL/Compassionate Schools
Did you know that those collaborative teaching strategies you’re using are helping your students build their relationship skills? CASEL identifies relationship skills as “the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed.” Students who are able to constructively navigate conflict and work in diverse groups are more likely to be successful in life. Here is a great video that digs deeper into the importance of building students’ relationship skills.
Accountability Research and Measurement
The Comparative Results report combines student results across multiple assessments and compares these results by standards and item attributes, even down to an individual student level.
Visit the March edition of our Assessment and Data Literacy SharePoint page to learn more about the below questions with regard to the Comparative Results report.
· How well did my students perform on a specific standard?
· How well did my students perform on a specific item type? Item attribute?
· How well did a specific population of students perform on a standard/ item type?
· How well did my students perform compared to the cut levels set on the test?
· How well did my class perform compared with the school? With the district?
If you have questions about these topics or myProgress, please contact Amanda Phillips (x. 42340,aphillip@pasco.k12.fl.us).