Saturday, July 8, 2017
Student Engagement
One way to keep my students engaged is through academic support. My students will have more than a teacher; they will have a cheerleader, a mentor and a net to catch them when they fall. This will help them become confident in asking for help whenever they need it. I will give them everything they need in order to succeed now and in the future. I will know them personally so that I know their preferred learning methods, their strengths and weaknesses and everything in between.
Another way to keep my students engaged and motivated is through pocket cards. When students see me put their name card in the yellow pocket, they will know to straighten up. When it is in the red pocket there will be a discussion between the student and I in order to reset the attitude of the day and get their name card back in green. Until it goes to red, this method is interruption free and does not need explaining past the first day.
Thirdly, I will keep them engaged through decoration and display. Before the school year starts I will think about color psychology, posters and diversity, which will help students gain interest in my classroom from their very first step into it. Colors can affect our mood and I will use color psychology in order to help set the right learning mood and attitude each day. The right kind of posters can be an encouragement to students because of the diversity that they display. They can also be a helpful way to learn material. When students are happy walking into a classroom, they will be more engaged, thus, be better learners.
Monthly Newsletter
I will post the monthly newsletters on here as well as sending them home.
I will make a new post for each month's newsletter so you can click on the "Newsletter" label or use the search engine connected to this blog to look for the newsletters.
I will make a new post for each month's newsletter so you can click on the "Newsletter" label or use the search engine connected to this blog to look for the newsletters.
Vlog
I will be posting videos for homework. The videos will explain what the homework is and how to do it. This will help them because if the instructions were given to them at 9:00 am and they are doing homework at 6:00 pm, they may need the instructions reiterated. It will also be helpful to you because you haven't been in 3rd grade for decades! 😄
I will update this post with each video. If you need to find it, use the sidebar called "labels" and click on the "Homework" label, then click on the Vlog post.
I will update this post with each video. If you need to find it, use the sidebar called "labels" and click on the "Homework" label, then click on the Vlog post.
About Mrs. Coldwell
Hi Parents and Students!
I am genuinely excited for the 2017-2018 school year! I know we will have a great year!
Let me start out with my contact information
Please allow me 24 hours to respond to you during the week and 48 hours on the weekend.
School= XXX-XXX-XXX
Cell phone= XXX-XXX-XXX
Office hours= Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30
Email= X@school.com
I have been married to Jeremy for 9 years. Together we have 2 kids, Richie (5) and Hailee (1). We lived in Nebraska for 5 years while my husband was in the Air Force. Then we moved to Texas for a year and a half, Georgia for two years and in 2017 we made our final move back to Texas.
I graduated from Winfield High School in Winfield, KS in 2007 and Grand Canyon University in 2017.
FAVORITES
Color: pink
Restaurant: Mi Cocina
Fast Food: Sonic
Drink: Water
Dessert: Cookies, Ice Cream, Cheesecake
Sports Teams: Green Bay Packers and Texas Longhorns
Holiday: Christmas
Movie: Sweet Home Alabama
Music: Country
Season: Fall
Vacation Spot: Panama City Beach
EXPECTATIONS
I want your child to SUCCEED and have fun doing it! In order to make that happen there will be high expectations. There will be homework every night. Sometimes that will be an actual assignment, other times that will be reading. Please support your child with their homework. They need you! Please give them time and a quiet spot each night to finish homework.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY
I will create a classroom that has easy-to-follow procedures, promotes kindness and diversity and is encouraging to everyone. I want everyone to have the same resources available but since there are students with limited internet access or limited parental support they must be able to find that in the classroom. They will feel supported by their peers as well as their teacher so that they can succeed.
Additionally, I want my classroom to be full of kind, selfless students that are willing to help their peers, especially if they are struggling. There are many students in the class profile that need the additional help. We will come together, as a class, to help those that are struggling so that no one stays behind. Students will leave my classroom at the end of the year with a bigger heart, a kinder touch and a more encouraging vocabulary. When one student falls, we all fall.
I am genuinely excited for the 2017-2018 school year! I know we will have a great year!
Let me start out with my contact information
Please allow me 24 hours to respond to you during the week and 48 hours on the weekend.
School= XXX-XXX-XXX
Cell phone= XXX-XXX-XXX
Office hours= Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30
Email= X@school.com
I have been married to Jeremy for 9 years. Together we have 2 kids, Richie (5) and Hailee (1). We lived in Nebraska for 5 years while my husband was in the Air Force. Then we moved to Texas for a year and a half, Georgia for two years and in 2017 we made our final move back to Texas.
I graduated from Winfield High School in Winfield, KS in 2007 and Grand Canyon University in 2017.
FAVORITES
Color: pink
Restaurant: Mi Cocina
Fast Food: Sonic
Drink: Water
Dessert: Cookies, Ice Cream, Cheesecake
Sports Teams: Green Bay Packers and Texas Longhorns
Holiday: Christmas
Movie: Sweet Home Alabama
Music: Country
Season: Fall
Vacation Spot: Panama City Beach
EXPECTATIONS
I want your child to SUCCEED and have fun doing it! In order to make that happen there will be high expectations. There will be homework every night. Sometimes that will be an actual assignment, other times that will be reading. Please support your child with their homework. They need you! Please give them time and a quiet spot each night to finish homework.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY
I will create a classroom that has easy-to-follow procedures, promotes kindness and diversity and is encouraging to everyone. I want everyone to have the same resources available but since there are students with limited internet access or limited parental support they must be able to find that in the classroom. They will feel supported by their peers as well as their teacher so that they can succeed.
Additionally, I want my classroom to be full of kind, selfless students that are willing to help their peers, especially if they are struggling. There are many students in the class profile that need the additional help. We will come together, as a class, to help those that are struggling so that no one stays behind. Students will leave my classroom at the end of the year with a bigger heart, a kinder touch and a more encouraging vocabulary. When one student falls, we all fall.
Helpful Links
Starfall
This site helps students to learn the letters of the alphabet and how to read!
http://starfall.com
Mrs. Perkins
This site teaches students sight words and also has Power Point presentations that reads the words to the kids. It also has stories, flash cards, and word lists by grade level for students to practice at home.
http://mrsperkins.com
PBS Kids
This site provides kids with reading and math practice and other fun games.
http://pbskids.com
Sesame Street Games
This website allows children to play games that will help them to learn alphabet letters and sounds.
http://www.sesamestreet.org/browseallgames
Storyline Online
Wonderful site! Streaming videos of children's book readings.
http://www.storylineonline.net/
Picture Books Online
Animated story readings for kids.
http://kids.aol.com/KOL/1/koljrstories
Cool Math
This site is great for building math skills.
http://www.coolmath4kids.com
PRONGO
Prongo.com is an educational website for kids. This site offers fun, interactive, and educational
games for kids.
http://www.prongo.com
Kids KonnectA great source of information on all 50 states (and a whole lot more)
http://www.kidskonnect.com/AlphabetizedList.html
Math PlaygroundPractice your math skills, play a logic game and have some fun
http://www.mathplayground.com/
Place ValueIdentify the place value of large numbers.
http://enlvm.usu.edu/ma/nav/activity.jsp?sid=__shared&cid=emready@place_value&lid=4&aid=1026396248
MultiplicationPractice your multiplication facts.
http://www.multiplication.com
The Nine Planets - Just for KidsGreat site on our solar system, designed for kids
http://kids.nineplanets.org/
Reading and Writing
I understand that some kids do not enjoy reading. I understand that not everyone is on the same reading level (some are ahead, some are behind). If your child needs to stay in from recess or stay after school, in order to work on their reading skills, I will be happy to help! I encourage you to encourage your student to read at home even if it means they are reading comic books. Read to them and let them read to you.
Writing can be fun for some, but not for all. I will work hard to make the writing topics interesting. We will be writing narratives (telling a story), opinions (giving your opinion about a topic) and explanatory (tell about a topic). Within reason, students will get to choose their topic so that it is something that it is something that will get their pencil on the paper and their minds working. I love creativity! I want students to have fun writing papers!
Writing can be fun for some, but not for all. I will work hard to make the writing topics interesting. We will be writing narratives (telling a story), opinions (giving your opinion about a topic) and explanatory (tell about a topic). Within reason, students will get to choose their topic so that it is something that it is something that will get their pencil on the paper and their minds working. I love creativity! I want students to have fun writing papers!
This link will help students that need additional help with reading and/or writing.
This link has a lot of books online
Attendance
Your child's presence in school is a strong indicator of his/her future success. We encourage regular attendance and look forward to a successful school year with your child. We will follow the district rules for being late or absent from school.
If a child is marked absent, a phone call will be made to the parent/guardian.
If a child has 3 or more unexcused absences in a 4 week period, a warning notice will be issued along with a conference between administration, the parent/guardian, the student and myself. This conference will consist of making a game plan, as a team, to prevent truancy.
If a child has 3 or more unexcused absences in a 4 week period, a warning notice will be issued along with a conference between administration, the parent/guardian, the student and myself. This conference will consist of making a game plan, as a team, to prevent truancy.
After 3 or more unexcused absences, truancy officers get involved.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Homework & Grades
If your student comes home with homework, it will be after learning the content for about a week, if times allows. They will not learn a new unit on Monday and have homework that night covering that unit. When they have homework it will be for practicing the material (Practice Makes Perfect!) not learning it. With that being said, homework should not exceed an hour on any given day. Occasionally there will be an exception to that for projects but not typical homework.
Students will have vocabulary words each week. In class they will make flashcards to carry with them to study when they have down time. Please check their pockets before doing laundry! FLASH CARDS > CELL PHONES
There will be a homework project due on Thursday, November 1, 2018. I will present the project assignment to them on Monday October 22, 2018. Be on the lookout in their school agenda!
I will be sending grades home in the middle of the semester and in the end. If you want to know your students grades in between those times, please give me notice and allow me a couple days to make sure grades are up to date and get back with you.
90-100%=A
80-89% =B
70-79% =C
60-69% =D
50-59% =F
Grades are EARNED. If you student gives the effort, it will reflect back on their grade. Since homework is not assigned on the same day that a topic is introduced the will have plenty of time to learn it and understand it before getting a grade.
I only accept late work for one day after the due date. If it is turned in late the assignment will receive a 20% reduction. This means, even if they get everything correct, they will only receive a score of 80%. This is non-negotiable. The only way to receive extra credit is to use the "coins" and "buy" extra credit from the Reward Chart.
Remember that I am in my classroom before and after school if students need help or a quiet room to work in.
My office hours are 7:30-4:30 Monday through Friday.
Students will have vocabulary words each week. In class they will make flashcards to carry with them to study when they have down time. Please check their pockets before doing laundry! FLASH CARDS > CELL PHONES
There will be a homework project due on Thursday, November 1, 2018. I will present the project assignment to them on Monday October 22, 2018. Be on the lookout in their school agenda!
I will be sending grades home in the middle of the semester and in the end. If you want to know your students grades in between those times, please give me notice and allow me a couple days to make sure grades are up to date and get back with you.
90-100%=A
80-89% =B
70-79% =C
60-69% =D
50-59% =F
Grades are EARNED. If you student gives the effort, it will reflect back on their grade. Since homework is not assigned on the same day that a topic is introduced the will have plenty of time to learn it and understand it before getting a grade.
I only accept late work for one day after the due date. If it is turned in late the assignment will receive a 20% reduction. This means, even if they get everything correct, they will only receive a score of 80%. This is non-negotiable. The only way to receive extra credit is to use the "coins" and "buy" extra credit from the Reward Chart.
Remember that I am in my classroom before and after school if students need help or a quiet room to work in.
My office hours are 7:30-4:30 Monday through Friday.
Digital Citizenship
Computers, phones and internet are a privilege. If they are used for bullying, harassment or anything else that is not productive for the learning environment they will be taken away for the entire school year. This is non-negotiable. If they are abused your child will use paper and pencil along with encyclopedias and dictionaries for school work.
We will talk about digital citizenship at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year, as needed.
What students will learn:
Privacy- putting your address, phone number or personal information online is not safe.
Photographs- Anyone can find your location using a photo that you uploaded, whether it is through the picture itself or what is in the background of the picture.
Copyrights- They will learn that when they use someone else's information, it is not a bad thing (unless they are plagiarizing) but it needs to be cited.
Digital tattoo- Just because you delete something from the internet, it doesn't go away. Everything has a digital tattoo and it can always be found again.
Remember that one day you will be applying for college or a job. Your digital tattoo could come back to haunt you!
We will talk about digital citizenship at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year, as needed.
What students will learn:
Privacy- putting your address, phone number or personal information online is not safe.
Photographs- Anyone can find your location using a photo that you uploaded, whether it is through the picture itself or what is in the background of the picture.
Copyrights- They will learn that when they use someone else's information, it is not a bad thing (unless they are plagiarizing) but it needs to be cited.
Digital tattoo- Just because you delete something from the internet, it doesn't go away. Everything has a digital tattoo and it can always be found again.
Remember that one day you will be applying for college or a job. Your digital tattoo could come back to haunt you!
Reward Chart
I will post the Reward Chart when the students finish it.
The reward chart is used for exchanging the restroom coin for a reward, being rewarded for using kind words, helping others, following instructions, being helpful, etc.
Some ideas are
Movie time
Bring a toy
Lunch with the teacher
Dance party
Help in the library
Pajama day
Choose your partner
Class kickball game
Choose your place in line
Play a board game
Read to another class
Mentor in another class
Show and tell
Extra recess
Chalk at recess
Be the teacher's helper
The reward chart is used for exchanging the restroom coin for a reward, being rewarded for using kind words, helping others, following instructions, being helpful, etc.
Some ideas are
Movie time
Bring a toy
Lunch with the teacher
Dance party
Help in the library
Pajama day
Choose your partner
Class kickball game
Choose your place in line
Play a board game
Read to another class
Mentor in another class
Show and tell
Extra recess
Chalk at recess
Be the teacher's helper
Classroom Expectations
Listening Bodies- When you are listening you will be sitting still, with your eyes on the speaker.
Raised Hands- Raising your hand is best! If all 26 students are shouting I cannot hear anyone.
Quiet Mouths- When your mouth is quiet, you can hear the instructions. Your chances of success are greater when you can hear the instructions.
Walking Feet- Walk instead of run! If all 26 students are running everyone will run into each other.
Caring Hearts- Use kind words! No one likes it when someone is mean to them, so don't be mean!
When entering my classroom they need to put their backpacks away, sharpen their pencils, get their books ready and begin working on the Board Work. Board Work might be vocabulary words, a rhyme, mad libs or an action. BE READY TO LEARN!
It is expected that they use the restroom before class. Each student will receive a laminated coin at the beginning of the month. If they need to use the restroom during class they can “buy” a trip to the restroom. If they still have their coin(s) at the end of the semester they can “buy” a reward from the reward chart.
Raised Hands- Raising your hand is best! If all 26 students are shouting I cannot hear anyone.
Quiet Mouths- When your mouth is quiet, you can hear the instructions. Your chances of success are greater when you can hear the instructions.
Walking Feet- Walk instead of run! If all 26 students are running everyone will run into each other.
Caring Hearts- Use kind words! No one likes it when someone is mean to them, so don't be mean!
When entering my classroom they need to put their backpacks away, sharpen their pencils, get their books ready and begin working on the Board Work. Board Work might be vocabulary words, a rhyme, mad libs or an action. BE READY TO LEARN!
It is expected that they use the restroom before class. Each student will receive a laminated coin at the beginning of the month. If they need to use the restroom during class they can “buy” a trip to the restroom. If they still have their coin(s) at the end of the semester they can “buy” a reward from the reward chart.
Welcome!!
Welcome to Mrs. Coldwell's classroom! Your third grader will be very caring, generous and kind-hearted by the end of this year! In the classroom, aside from instruction, my goal is to teach your child more about diversity, respecting each other and caring for one another. This blog post will have everything that you need to know for the school year. I will expand on other posts if you need more information on anything.
My classroom is a very engaging, supportive and helpful environment.
What I need from you, the parent/guardian:
My classroom is a very engaging, supportive and helpful environment.
What I need from you, the parent/guardian:
- Support
- I need you to support your student and their teacher. We all need to work together as a team. We all have their best interests in mind. They need your encouragement and support because what we are doing now, affects their future.
- I also need you to reinforce the classroom rules at home. If we work together as a team and we are consistent, the rules will become second nature to them.
- Communication
- If they are struggling, PLEASE talk to me and we will get a game plan together to help them. I do my best to recognize when students are struggling but I don't see the struggles they are having while doing their homework. Call me, email me or come talk to me in person- we are their coaches and their cheerleaders!
- I will do my best to be in contact with you each month through some form of communication (Newsletter or phone call). Please do not wait for me to contact you, if you have a question or concern. If I have a concern, I will be immediately contacting you to get a game plan together, as a team.
- ~My contact information is at the bottom of this page~
What I need from you, the student:
- Open minds
- A new school year can be intimidating but we will conquer it together. We are going to have so much fun this year! I want you to be open to trying new things, getting your hands dirty and being active.
- Caring hearts
- When we fall, we get back up with the help from others. This year you will be learning a lot about helping and respecting others. If you promise me that you will try, I promise you that it will pay off!
Classroom Expectations
Listening Bodies- When you are listening you will be sitting still, with your eyes on the speaker.
Raised Hands- Raising your hand is best!
Quiet Mouths- When your mouth is quiet, you can hear the instructions.
Walking Feet- Walk instead of run!
Caring Hearts- Use kind words!
When entering my classroom they need to put their backpacks away, sharpen their pencils, get their books ready and begin working on the Board Work. Board Work might be vocabulary words, a rhyme, mad libs or an action.
It is expected that they use the restroom before class. Each student will receive a laminated coin at the beginning of the month. If they need to use the restroom during class they can “buy” a trip to the restroom. If they still have their coin(s) at the end of the semester they can “buy” a reward from the reward chart.
Student Engagement
Reward Chart
Together, my students and I will come up with free, fun things to put on the reward chart. Such activities are extra credit, help the teacher, choose your spot in line, dance party, lunch with teacher, free draw time, etc.
Digital Citizenship
Computers, phones and internet are a privilege. If they are used for bullying, harassment or anything else that is not productive for the learning environment they will be taken away for the entire school year. This is non-negotiable. If they are abused your child will use paper and pencil along with encyclopedias and dictionaries for school work.
Homework
If your student comes home with homework, it will be after learning the content for about a week, if times allows. They will not learn a new unit on Monday and have homework that night covering that unit. When they have homework it will be for practicing the material (Practice Makes Perfect!) not learning it. With that being said, homework should not exceed an hour on any given day. Occasionally there will be an exception to that for projects but not typical homework.
Students will have vocabulary words each week. In class they will make flashcards to carry with them to study when they have down time. Please check their pockets before doing laundry!
There will be a homework project due on Thursday, November 1, 2018. I will present the project assignment to them on Monday October 22, 2018. Be on the lookout in their agenda!
Grades
I will be sending grades home in the middle of the semester and in the end. If you want to know your students grades in between those times, please give me notice and allow me a couple days to make sure grades are up to date and get back with you.
90-100%=A
80-89% =B
70-79% =C
60-69% =D
50-59% =F
Late work
Students will be allowed to turn in homework one day late for 20% reduction on their grade. Assignments will not be accepted past one day after the due date. I will be in my classroom until 4:30 every day.
Extra Credit
The only extra credit that will be accepted will be from the Reward Chart, if the students choose to put it on there.
Attendance
Your child's presence in school is a strong indicator of his/her future success. We encourage regular attendance and look forward to a successful school year with your child. We will follow the district rules for being late or absent from school.
Listening Bodies- When you are listening you will be sitting still, with your eyes on the speaker.
Raised Hands- Raising your hand is best!
Quiet Mouths- When your mouth is quiet, you can hear the instructions.
Walking Feet- Walk instead of run!
Caring Hearts- Use kind words!
When entering my classroom they need to put their backpacks away, sharpen their pencils, get their books ready and begin working on the Board Work. Board Work might be vocabulary words, a rhyme, mad libs or an action.
It is expected that they use the restroom before class. Each student will receive a laminated coin at the beginning of the month. If they need to use the restroom during class they can “buy” a trip to the restroom. If they still have their coin(s) at the end of the semester they can “buy” a reward from the reward chart.
Student Engagement
Reward Chart
Together, my students and I will come up with free, fun things to put on the reward chart. Such activities are extra credit, help the teacher, choose your spot in line, dance party, lunch with teacher, free draw time, etc.
Digital Citizenship
Computers, phones and internet are a privilege. If they are used for bullying, harassment or anything else that is not productive for the learning environment they will be taken away for the entire school year. This is non-negotiable. If they are abused your child will use paper and pencil along with encyclopedias and dictionaries for school work.
Homework
If your student comes home with homework, it will be after learning the content for about a week, if times allows. They will not learn a new unit on Monday and have homework that night covering that unit. When they have homework it will be for practicing the material (Practice Makes Perfect!) not learning it. With that being said, homework should not exceed an hour on any given day. Occasionally there will be an exception to that for projects but not typical homework.
Students will have vocabulary words each week. In class they will make flashcards to carry with them to study when they have down time. Please check their pockets before doing laundry!
There will be a homework project due on Thursday, November 1, 2018. I will present the project assignment to them on Monday October 22, 2018. Be on the lookout in their agenda!
Grades
I will be sending grades home in the middle of the semester and in the end. If you want to know your students grades in between those times, please give me notice and allow me a couple days to make sure grades are up to date and get back with you.
90-100%=A
80-89% =B
70-79% =C
60-69% =D
50-59% =F
Late work
Students will be allowed to turn in homework one day late for 20% reduction on their grade. Assignments will not be accepted past one day after the due date. I will be in my classroom until 4:30 every day.
Extra Credit
The only extra credit that will be accepted will be from the Reward Chart, if the students choose to put it on there.
Attendance
Your child's presence in school is a strong indicator of his/her future success. We encourage regular attendance and look forward to a successful school year with your child. We will follow the district rules for being late or absent from school.
If a child is marked absent, a phone call will be made to the parent/guardian.
If a child has 3 or more unexcused absences in a 4 week period, a warning notice will be issued along with a conference between administration, the parent/guardian, the student and myself.
Contact Information
Please allow me 24 hours to respond to you during the week and 48 hours on the weekend.
School= XXX-XXX-XXX
Cell phone= XXX-XXX-XXX
Office hours= Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30
email= X@school.com
If students would like to come in for additional help, questions or a quiet place to work on homework they are welcome to do so until 4:30, unless I have a meeting or another obligation. If they are in my classroom after school I will contact you to let you know what time they came and left.
A helpful hint is to look for the labels at the bottom of this page (Homework, Rewards, Rules, etc). If you click on a label, it will show you all the posts that have that label. For example, if you click on Homework, it will show you all blogs that have to do with homework. This post will have all the labels. The rest of the posts will have the labels that correspond with the contents of the posts. Please let me know if you need more explanation.
If a child has 3 or more unexcused absences in a 4 week period, a warning notice will be issued along with a conference between administration, the parent/guardian, the student and myself.
Contact Information
Please allow me 24 hours to respond to you during the week and 48 hours on the weekend.
School= XXX-XXX-XXX
Cell phone= XXX-XXX-XXX
Office hours= Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30
email= X@school.com
If students would like to come in for additional help, questions or a quiet place to work on homework they are welcome to do so until 4:30, unless I have a meeting or another obligation. If they are in my classroom after school I will contact you to let you know what time they came and left.
A helpful hint is to look for the labels at the bottom of this page (Homework, Rewards, Rules, etc). If you click on a label, it will show you all the posts that have that label. For example, if you click on Homework, it will show you all blogs that have to do with homework. This post will have all the labels. The rest of the posts will have the labels that correspond with the contents of the posts. Please let me know if you need more explanation.
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