Guide to the 1st Report Card
Wayne Highlands School District
Damascus School
3rd Grade

Levels Of Achievement
for Academics
Excellent = E
Good = G
Satisfactory = S
Needs Improvement = N

Excellent means...
Requires minimal prompting
Consistently grasps instructional concepts
Consistently produces HIGH quality work
Consistently applies learned skills
Consistently demonstrates critical and creative
thinking skills

Good means...
Requires some prompting
Frequently grasps instructional concepts
Frequently produces HIGH quality work
Frequently applies learned skills
Frequently demonstrates critical and
creative thinking skills

Satisfactory means...
Requires regular prompting
Usually grasps instructional concepts
Usually produces work of satisfactory
quality
Usually applies learned skill
Shows some evidence of critical and creative
thinking skills

Needs improvement
means...
Requires frequent prompting
Infrequently grasps instructional concepts
Produces work of inconsistent quality
Needs frequent reteaching and additional
practice
Shows little evidence of critical and creatice
thinking skills

Communication - Reading
All grades are based on your child’s work on his/her independent
reading levels in guided reading. Your child’s level may or may not be on grade level (see the check mark
at the top).
READS INDEPENDENTLY (Taken from the PA Standards)
Can identify the purposes and types of text before reading.
Makes use of titles, headings, chapters, table of contents, glossaries.
Uses knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns to decode and understand new words.
Reads with comprehension in mind - predicts, changes predictions, rereads for meaning, adjusts rate as needed.
Learns new vocabulary connected to the texts and uses the words properly across the curriculum.
Reads fluently and accurately.
Comprehends fiction and nonfiction, retells or summarizes the major ideas or themes, connects the new
information or ideas in the text to known information.
READS CRITICALLY IN ALL CONTENT AREAS
(taught but not assessed this quarter)
READS, ANALYZES, AND INTERPRETS LITERATURE
Reads and understands literature.
Identifies basic story elements, such as character, setting, plot, problem, and solution.
Identifies structures in poetry, such as rhyme, rhythm, personification
Identifies structures in drama, such as dialogue
Reads and responds to nonfiction and fiction including poetry & drama.

Communications - Writing
Types of Writing
Write narrative pieces (stories, poems, plays).
Include detailed descriptions of people, places and things.
Use relevant illustrations.
Include literary elements
Quality of Writing
Write with a sharp, distinct focus identifying topic, task and audience.
Write using well-developed content appropriate for the topic.
Gather and organize information.
Write a series of related sentences or paragraphs with one central idea.
Incorporate details relevant and appropriate to the topic.
Write with controlled and/or subtle organization.
Sustain a logical order.
Include a recognizable beginning, middle and end.
Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition.
Use sentences of differing lengths and complexities.
Use descriptive words and action verbs.
Revise writing to improve detail and order by identifying missing information and determining whether ideas follow logically.
Edit writing using the conventions of language.
Spell common, frequently used words correctly.
Use capital letters correctly (first word in sentences, proper nouns, pronoun \"I\").
Punctuate correctly (periods, exclamation points, question marks, commas in a series
Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions properly.
Use complete sentences
Present and/or defend written work for publication when appropriate.

Mathematics
Mathematics
The only skills reported on the report card are those which students are expected to be secure in and those skills needed for the PSSA (state testing done in March).
Numeration and Counting
Counting by 10s and 100s forward and backward
Understanding place value (up to 4 digits)
Completing fact and number families
Understanding odd and even
Operations and Mental Math
Knowing basic addition and subtraction facts
Making ballpark estimates in adding and subtracting
Measurement and Geometry
Telling time to the nearest minutes
Counting money
Making change
Distinguishing AM and PM
Measuring to the nearest 1/4 inch
Measuring to the nearest 1/2 centimeter
Patterns, Rules, and Problem Solving
Identifying and using number patterns to solve problems
Finding equivalent names for numbers
SCIENCE
Plant growth and development
Ecosystems
Other Notes
We had technology this quarter not guidance. They alternate quarters.
The Learning/Social Development part of the report card DOES NOT have Es and Gs. I am only permitted to use S or N.

Learning Strategies
Social Development
Please note that all items in this
category are either marked S or N.

Parent Conferences
I look forward to seeing you for
conference day on Thursday, November
8th.