Frequently Asked Questions
What does SSA mean?
The acronym SSA stands for Standard Student Attire. Basic CCSD dress code includes pants, shorts, jeans, skirts, skorts, jumpers, dresses, or sweatpants sized to fit. Shirts and blouses are to have collars, be short- or long-sleeved, and may display the school logo. Sweaters and sweatshirts may be wore over approved shirts. All clothing items must be in basic, solid colors (red, white, black, navy, or khaki). Logos, patterns, and words are prohibited.
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Where do I drop off my child at the beginning of the day?
The gates to the left of the Front Office open at 8:45 AM. As there is no supervision prior to 8:45 AM, students are not permitted to arrive prior to this time and must wait in the front of the school. Once gates are opened, students are to quietly walk directly to class, where Mrs. Wolf will be waiting to greet them.
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Where will I pick up my child after school?
The gates to the left of the Front Office will open at 3:11 PM. Our class will be lined up along the wall prior to opening the gate. Parents are to walk to our class and wait to be seen by Mrs. Wolf to insure her students are going with their correct people. Bus riders will be dismissed by Mrs. Wolf from the line. Students attending Safe Key, walkers, bike riders, and siblings responsible for younger children will be permitted to leave the line at 3:11 PM after checking with the teacher. Students who are not picked up by 3:20 will be brought to the late pick up room, located in the multipurpose room.
May my child bring bottled water to class?
Yes! Because we live in a desert, playing outside can cause dehydration. Having bottled water will prevent this from happening. It will also cut down on classroom water break interruptions. However, bottled sports drinks, colored punches, soda pop, etc., are prohibited. If the bottle were to spill, the liquid would stain our carpet.
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What is the grading scale?
Dennis Ortwein Elementary School has adopted the following grading system and learner behaviors.
POINT VALUE SCALE: 100% of an overall subject grade for assessments and projects
LEARNER PROGRESS SCALE:
A = 90-100% mastery of grade level common core standards
B = 80-89% mastery of grade level common core standards
C = 70-79% mastery of grade level common core standards
D = 56-69% mastery of grade level common core standards
Minimal F = 55% mastery of grade level common core standards
MASTERY OF CONTENT STRANDS: E = exceeds grade level standards S = meets grade level standards N = needs improvement
LEARNER BEHAVIORS: E = exceptional progress S = satisfactory progress N = needs improvement
Daily practice assignments will be checked and returned within three days. A checkmark will be placed at the top of each practice assignment. If there are any errors, they will be circled. No grade or score will appear on assignments and will not be put into the gradebook. Children may redo any practice assignment they choose to help prepare for tests. End of a unit tests will be checked and returned within five days. A score, percentage, and grade will be written at the top of each assessment. If students earn a poor grade on an assessment, they will be given several opportunities within the semester to redo it to achieve mastery (100%), and the score will be changed in the gradebook only when all errors have been corrected.
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Why didn't my child receive an exemplary citizenship on his/her progress report even though he/she has earned daily exemplary classroom behavior?
The citizenship grade is based on eight categories of the Learning Behavior section of the report card. Following classroom rules is only one measure of the citizenship grade. The seven categories are follows classroom rules, observes school rules, follows directions, accepts responsibility, works independently, works cooperatively, and quality of work.
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How do I know if my child is doing well in school?
Your child's academic progress may be viewed on a daily basis when logging onto Infinite Campus.
Daily behavior can be found at the bottom of our Daily Agenda. If your child's circle is colored purple, she had an exemplary day. If it is colored green, she had a satisfactory day, and if the circle is red, she needs improvement on her daily behavior.
Additionally, a progress report will be sent home every few months. The report should be signed by a parent and returned with your child the following school day. If there are any questions or concerns, please note them on the report and Mrs. Wolf will contact the parent as soon as possible.
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May my child bring birthday cupcakes to school?
Yes. However, the treats will be served and eaten during lunch time only.
When purchasing treats, please be cautious. Any food item to be shared MUST be a safe snack item and MUST NOT contain NUTS and/or MUST be produced in a NUT FREE factory. A sticker must be visible on the packaging. If any food item does not meet this criteria, that food item will NOT BE ALLOWED to be consumed and will be returned home with your child.
If you are unsure as to what constitutes an appropriate item, refer to the following website: http://snacksafely.com/safe-snack-guide.
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When is Mrs. Wolf available to talk with parents?
She is available to speak with parents before or after school and during the classroom prep period. Parents may also contact Mrs. Wolf by e-mail: wolfla@nv.ccsd.net.
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What nights does my child have homework?
Dennis Ortwein Elementary School is a no homework school. However, students are strongly encouraged to read nightly for at least 20 minutes to help master fluency and comprehension.
What additional supplies will my child need each school day?
No additional supplies must be purchased. The district has supplied all materials that your child will need to complete daily tasks. However, if a parent wishes to purchase school supplies, please refer to the third grade supply list that was provided by our school or is located at https://www.ortweinelementary.com/our-supply-lists Hand-wipes and facial tissues are always in high demand and would be especially appreciated. Additionally, large notebooks, boxes of crayons, markers, pencil boxes, etc. take up a great deal of space and, if purchased, will be stored in student backpacks to conserve precious desk space.
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My child was absent. What work does he/she have to make up?
Because only assessments are graded, students need not worry about missing assignments. Assessments are to completed upon their return to school.
However, if you'd like your child to complete any missing assignments for practice, our class work can found on our Canvas home page, under each subject's tab.
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Please note, these assignments are not mandatory and will not be graded or recorded into our gradebook.
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When does my child have P.E.?
Ortwein Elementary School is on a seven day schedule. Our 2023-24 specials times are as follows:
V = STEM
I = P.E.
C = art
T = music
O = library
R = P.E.
Y = music
Please note, this schedule is subject to change throughout the school year.
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Can my child redo an assessment?
Yes, students may take the opportunity to correct mistakes made and redo classroom assessments throughout the school day, during each semester. If redone correctly, fixing the errors noted, your child's assessment score and grade will be changed accordingly.
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I called and left a voice mail message. Why is my child's absence unexcused?
A telephone message or a verbal reminder is no longer considered acceptable responses to your child's absence. A legibly written note, with the student's identification number, must be received within three days of your child's absence for it to be considered excused. If a note is not sent within three days, the absence is considered unexcused and will not be reversed at a later date.
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So what if my child didn't follow directions. The answers are correct.
In order to be successful test takers, children must be able to follow verbal and written directions carefully and correctly. Standardized tests use specific question words. If children are not in the habit of reading and following directions exactly, test results will be poor. Making children accountable for these skills will create appropriate test taking habits and will lead to better test results.
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How will my child be rewarded for following the rules?
When children follow the rules, verbal praise will be given immediately. Other possible rewards include prizes, notes home, and tickets to purchase items from our classroom store.
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Why must my child restate the question in his/her answer?
When writing answers to questions, students should get into the habit of restating those questions in their answers. This simple practice will help them later when taking the SBAC exam. When the SBAC written responses are scored, students are often given numerous points if the prompt is simply restated in the first paragraph: just as they have practiced restating the question in their answer when completing third grade assignments.
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What is a Mad Minute quiz and how is it graded and recorded?
An important third grade mathematics objective is to fluently recall multiplication facts. To reach this goal, the Mad Minute quiz was created. A Mad Minute quiz is an individualized, 13 question math facts quiz taken during a one minute interval. Before the quiz begins, students record the factor on which they are trying to master on their goal chart. They then write that digit in each blank of the quiz and turn it over. The timer is set for one minute and the entire class begins together. Once the time has elapsed, the quiz is checked in class by the student and his results are recorded on his goal chart.
If a student does not answer all 13 problems correctly, he has not mastered that factor and will take a similar quiz the following day using the previous day's fact. The student will continue to work on that particular digit until it is mastered at 100%.
Once a student has recalled 100% of his all factors (0-12) correctly, 15 seconds is taken away from the total time of completion, and begins a second round. If mastery is achieved a second time through, fifteen additional seconds are taken away to complete a third round of digits, and, if completed a third time, 5 seconds will be removed from his total time of completion.
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What is S.Q.U.I.R.T.?
S.Q.U.I.R.T. is an acronym for Sustained Quiet UnInterrupted Reading Time. It is a fancy way to describe our independent reading time.