About the Teacher
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Mrs. Michelle Morelli
This is my 24th year teaching 3rd grade at Commodore Stockton Skills School. I began my teaching career here and love this school with all my heart! I was born and raised here in Stockton. I have a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Master’s Degree in Cross-Cultural Education.
My goal is for all students to feel safe, valued, confident, successful, and be an active member in our classroom and school community. I will do my best to support my students and their families. I am so very glad to be back for another year with our Commodore community!
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CURRICULUM
ELA
Our core curriculum is Benchmark. This program uses a mix of short mini-lessons and small group instruction. This is our fifth year using this curriculum. We will be adjusting based on student needs.
Assignments- Students will take part in reading, note-taking, answering text-based questions, discussions, and writing. Students must also read books in their AR level and take AR quizzes to work toward their goal. Students are required to read 20 minutes daily at home.
Cursive- A key part of 3rd grade is learning cursive. This is a tradition at Commodore and a skill they will need to move into the following grade levels. We typically begin this in the 2nd trimester.
MATH
Our core curriculum is IReady Math. This is our fifth year using this curriculum. We will adjust and supplement this curriculum to meet the needs of the students.
Assignments- Students will complete worksheets to demonstrate their skill level in each area. In addition to this they will work on assigned lessons in IReady and their Pathway.
Math Facts- A key part of 3rd grade is learning multiplication facts. I will provide families with a suggested order to work on these. I will give weekly quizzes and keep track of the students' progress.
Math Games-I will be using a variety of math number sense games. I highly recommend games like: Farkle, Shut the Box, or any type dice games to increase number sense in students.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Studies Weekly is our core curriculum in social studies. The students will have newspapers and an online curriculum.
Assignments- Students will complete weekly readings, highlight key information, and answer article questions. Each week there will be an online quiz related to the week’s reading. Some weeks we will take breaks from articles and do a project related to the previous week’s subject. These could include typing a report or creating an informational poster.
SCIENCE
This will be our third year using Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt Science. It has a book/workbook as well as digital resources. We are also proudly a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) School. Stem activities are integrated not only in Science, but in Reading and Math as well.
Assignments- Assignments will be similar to Social Studies and will include hands-on experiments.
ART
Art is taught every Friday. We learn about different genres, mediums, and artists. This allows students to develop their hands-on creative side. I also try to connect art lessons to our academic focus.
