For+Parents

August 23rd, 2010

Dear Parents,

Welcome to our third grade class! Your child is truly in for a treat this year! I am excited to meet each child and look forward to working together to help your child reach his/her potential during our time together! I am Mrs. Lowder. I came to Rockwell in February 2008. I currently hold a bachelors degree in elementary education from Pfeiffer University and a masters degree in elementary curriculum, assessment, and instruction from Jones International University. I am working towards my doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a focus in educational technology from The University of Florida. This past summer, I completed my qualifying exams and am now a doctoral candidate. I’ll be working on my dissertation throughout this school year and will graduate this summer. I am also in the process of working towards AIG licensure. As part of my dissertation requirements, I’ll be sending home several permission forms and notification letters to keep you informed of the projects that are going on in our classroom. I will be studying the teaching methods that I’ve chosen to use to help our class succeed and hope to share these methods with others to inspire innovative use of technology in other classrooms. Be on the look out for these important forms throughout the year and always contact me with any questions. We are also happy to have Mrs. Lori Egloff as an assistant in third grade. She will be supporting all four third grade classes as we work and learn together. We are thankful to have her on our team. In addition, we expect to have a student teacher, Mrs. Sarah Furr, from Pfeiffer. Sarah is a senior this year and will be completing her student teaching experience in our classroom. We welcome Mrs. Furr and look forward to the innovative teaching methods that she will use to enhance our learning. This past year I was chosen as a recipient of a 21st Century Model Classroom grant. This presents a sensational opportunity for our students who will each have a laptop to use each day and an iPod Touch. In addition to these powerful learning tools, we will have digital cameras and video recorders, a document camera, and several other innovative and engaging technology tools for learning. Your child will truly leave third grade prepared to be a productive 21st century citizen who is competent in the use of technology to collaborate, create, and solve problems. Throughout the school year we will develop a “Classroom Learning Network” of experts, specialists, and kids from around the world who will support us in our discoveries. Most major concepts for science, and many for social studies, will be explored with support through these collaborations. This makes our learning authentic, real-world, and relevant and broadens students perspectives far beyond Rockwell. I am excited to guide our discoveries this year and look forward to the learning that will take place among our students! I welcome your family to our third grade class! Please feel free to contact me anytime that you may have questions or concerns. Communication is so important and it benefits your child greatly to see that we are all on the same team, working towards success together. I firmly believe that each child has one shot at a successful year and that my role as teacher is to lead and inspire greatness. Thank you for your support along this critical journey! Below you will find some important information that relates to our classroom. You can also find our general schedule on the tri-fold brochure with your welcome packet. Let’s work together this year to help your child achieve a high level of success in third grade! With love, Mrs. Lowder :)

Important Information: Snack time will be each morning and will be a working snack. Please send in a healthy snack for your child each day. This snack needs to be small enough to fit inside of your child’s tub (about the size of a sandwich bag). Only healthy snacks will be aloud as these promote learning and this is our ultimate goal. If your child brings in a snack that is not healthy, the snack will be sent home and he/she will loose the opportunity for snack for that day. Students will also be given the opportunity to visit the restroom throughout the day.

Water bottles are requested so that your child can stay hydrated throughout the day. Hydration is very important for learning to occur. Please send in clear water only in a sealable water bottle. These will be kept on the floor beside your child’s chair.

The tardy bell will ring at 7:55 each morning. This is the time when students must be ready to learn. Morning work will begin at 7:30 so arrival close to this time is encouraged. If your child rides the bus then he or she should have plenty of time to unpack and begin morning work prior to the tardy bell. Students are expected to use the restroom first thing in the morning before the tardy bell rings, unpack their supplies, and get settled into our room. Once the bell rings at 7:55, your child is expected to be ready to start our formal day. Thank you for your cooperation in making sure that your child is able to take advantage of every minute of learning!

Towels for outdoor learning are requested as we plan to “take our classroom outside” on weather permitting days. A breath of fresh air is always welcome to young minds and having a soft place to sit will help your child to be comfortable while learning in the bright blue yonder.

Student grades will be computer based on a variety of factors including classwork, homework, and assessment. Classroom participation/classwork will comprise 25% of the final grade. Homework will count towards 5%. Assessments (both formal and informal), will count towards 70% of the final grade. Students are expected to record reading and math grades in their STAR notebooks. I will also keep record of your child’s progress on skills and concepts in the STAR log. Please review these notes regularly to stay aware of your child’s progress and provide additional support as needed. Contact me anytime a concern arises and we will work together to provide support as needed to help your child achieve. You will notice that some assessments do not have a paper to go along with them. Often times, assessment grades are given after a student has a conference with the teacher, after a task that a student must complete, or a after a presentation that the student gives. Your child should be able to explain to you the tasks that go along with each assessment if you ask them that day (they may not remember a few days later). Many times rubrics are used to computer individual assessment grades. Other times, an assessment might be given with answers written on a dry erase board, a small sheet of paper, or even on a sticky note. Please do not assume that the only grades that are given are on paper. Regardless of the assessment grades given, students will be required to keep records of these in their data notebooks so that they and you are aware of how they are doing.