Please read the classroom disclosure provided below. Then, complete and submit the google form in the link below.
Disclosure Form
Dear Parents,
I am so excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Quest Academy staff and teach your child this year. I will do my best to make this a positive school experience and a successful year for everyone involved. I have outlined the following items so that you may be familiar with the programs and requirements in my classroom. Some of these items will require help from you so that your child may succeed. Remember: Achieving greater learning at school requires some help at home.
BEHAVIOR SYSTEM: In our classroom, our focus is on positive behavior, effort and progress. There is also a large emphasis placed on team work. In order for each student to be successful, all students in the classroom must be respectful of their peers and the learning environment. Throughout the year, students will have the opportunity to work together to earn FUN FRIDAY privileges.
CLASSROOM RULES:
1. Be Respectful & Responsible
2. Work Hard & Be Kind
READING PROGRAMS: This will consist of a variety of different reading techniques.
1. Classroom Reading: We will be doing whole group reading using stories from our basal readers. We will work with words using phonics to decode words. We will also be reading to each other in small cooperative groups and pairs.
2. Silent Reading: Students will have the opportunity to read silently for 10-15 minutes daily from a book of their choice.
3. Small Group Instruction: During small group instruction I will be working with small groups that will focus on individualized reading needs. We will also be doing Book Clubs in these groups throughout the year.
4. Novel Reading: I will read to the class daily from some of my favorite novels. WE will complete many novels this year!
5. Great Brain Reports: These are brief book reports about the chapter books that the students complete on their own. The students should complete a Great Brain Report after every chapter book he or she completes. Every student will share one Great Brain Report to the class once a month. This is the accountability piece for your child’s 20 minutes of daily reading.
6. Guided Reading Groups: Each group of students will meet with me 2 times a week for a guided reading lesson while the other students are rotating through literacy centers. **YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO READ EVERY NIGHT FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS.** I will be sending home Scholastic Book Orders approximately once a month. If you would like to place an order, please follow the directions attached to the book order. You will place the book order on www.scholastic.com. Ordering from this magazine will help us earn more books for the classroom library. Tutoring: We will have 3rd grade tutoring Monday-Thursday from 3:00-3:00. I will contact you if your child needs to stay after school to be tutored in a specific skill.
TECHNOLOGY : Quest Academy provides a technology rich environment. Technology is used daily to teach the curriculum. To learn more about Quest’s Technology Curriculum please visit the school website/Our School/Curriculum. We will use computers and ipads at least once a day to assist in all subjects.
POETRY: At the beginning of each month, the students will be given a sheet (colored) of poetry to memorize and pass off throughout the month for an oral language experience. They are required to learn at least one poem for a grade within the month. We will be learning all about poetry throughout the year. Poetry is a third grade standard in language arts. This will help the children with fluency and memorization also.
MATH: We will follow the state core curriculum for the basis of our math learning. We will be implementing a new math program this year called “iReady”. It is a wonderful program that we are very excited to teach! This math program is a technology rich program that the students will love! Math instruction will focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100; (2) developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1); (3) developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area; and (4) describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes.
MATH FLUENCY: Each quarter we will focus on one fluency property. First quarter will be addition, second quarter will be subtraction, third quarter will be multiplication, and fourth quarter will be division. Students’ fluency grades will be based on their ability to master fluency facts for each property through 9. These fluency facts will be drilled in addition to the math chapters that we are currently learning.
HOMEWORK: Homework is easy. The most important thing that a child can do everyday is to read 20 minutes, so it is a required homework grade to read 20 minutes each day. In addition to reading minutes, the students will be asked to do 15 minutes of Math practice 3 times each week. A variety of options will be given for math practice as the year progresses.
GRADING: Elementary Grading Scale
4 100%-90% The student demonstrates mastery of the standard (can apply and each).
3 89%-80% The student demonstrates proficiency of the standard.
2 79%-60% The student is approaching proficiency.
1 59%-0% The student is well below proficiency.
Aspire Online Gradebook: Parents have full access to Aspire. You will receive all the log-in information to get into your child’s grades soon (if you don’t already know it). Report cards can also be viewed on the Aspire Online Gradebook. Due to the fact that Quest is a paperless school, I will not send home hard copies of report cards (unless you don’t have the resources). Contact me if you’d like me to send a paper copy of a report card.
RESTROOM PROCEDURES: Students should use the restroom before school, at morning recess, lunch recess, and afternoon recess. Please encourage your child to use the restroom during these times so that the classroom learning and teaching is not interrupted. I am very understanding in emergency situations.
UNIFORM POLICY: See the Quest Academy Parent Handbook for the policy. Please ensure that your student is in compliance with the school uniform policy
ATTENDANCE: I would really appreciate if your child is on time each day. If your child is sick, please keep them at home! If you are planning vacations for the school year, please refer to the school calendar to see if any of the dates we will be out of school could work for your trip. It is very important that your child is at school as regularly as possible
** **Please inform me of any physical problems (allergies) your child might have so that I know how to make things more comfortable for them.**
BIRTHDAYS: The administration has asked that students not bring in any food-type treats. Please do not feel obligated to have your student bring in anything for their birthday. Your child’s birthday will still be acknowledged.
WEBSITE: Classroom Information http://qacblogs.org/ashlyn.sampson/Our classroom website is where you can keep up with our classroom learning. Notes to parents, classroom activities, mini lessons, review material, student success, reminders, and planner notes can all be accessed on the website. You can access the website from the Quest Academy website under Faculty. Parents will be required to “subscribe” to the site this year to receive up to date emails and notices. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I check my email frequently and will respond as soon as possible.
Please feel free to contact me any time you have a concern about your child. We are a team, and the success of your child depends on our working together. The school phone number is (801)731-9859. You may also email me at asampson@questac.org. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your child and having a great year together!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sampson
