Dear Parents,

Today is the first day of new beginnings for your child. This will be a rewarding experience that will bring about a renewing of the mind through engaging and challenging experiences.

Third grade is a big milestone in your child's life and can be a bit scary. I want to let you know that it will be absolutely fine. Part of the transition to third grade can be a challenge. Students are expected to be more responsible for their actions, work, and learning. You and I will work together to give your child all the tools he/she will need to be successful. YOUR CHILD'S job is to use those tools because he/she is now old enough to be responsible for his/her own success.

We have a lot of exciting things to learn and some challenging work ahead of us. We look forward to building a relationship with you and your child. We are going to have a great year!

Please feel free to contact us at any time there is a question or concern.

The Third Grade Team

Ms. S. Brickey Mrs. L. Johnson
Science/Social Studies/Writing Reading/Language/Spelling

Mrs. McClendon
Math/Health
mond.k12

Work Habits
(Having Everything Ready and Organized)

Students will be responsible for bringing their binder and agenda to school daily. The agenda will be used for homework, parent/teacher communication, and behavior for the day. Please sign agenda daily. This helps us know that we are "on the same page" so to speak. It is very important to check the agenda and binder every day! Please help your student to keep the binder organized.

For students to do their best they will have to work hard and put effort into everything they do. Nothing should be done halfway. Students are here to learn and in order to do that; they will have to put a lot of effort into paying attention, listening, and working. I believe that my students can do almost anything they want to do if they are willing to work hard enough for it.

All work turned in must be neat and on time. All papers must have the student's name, the date, the subject, and the assignment written on the left hand side of the paper. It is important to remain on task and get all class work completed. Students will be given time to complete class work. Any class work that is not turned in will be given a zero, and that is worse than an “F.”

Academics

Reading/Language/Spelling

This year students will focus on advancing comprehension and extending vocabulary understanding. Students will also work on improving fluency, decoding skills, and spelling. The work we do in class is critical as students will move away from selected responses (multiple choices) and begin learning how to write constructed responses. Assessments in reading, language, and spelling will be given.


Many of the language skills students will learn this year should be familiar to them. In third grade the language skills learned previously are built upon and extended. Students will learn how to write in cursive this year. By spring, students will begin writing most of their assignments in cursive.

Typically, students are given a list of spelling words that they memorize and then will take a test on at the end of the week. Students will have a list that can be used to understand the spelling pattern. The spelling test will include some of the words from the list, but most of the words will be unknown and will require the student to apply what has been learned about the spelling pattern. When students understand the patterns of spelling it helps with decoding unknown words and when writing.

Students are required to read daily Monday – Thursday. Students will complete a reading log of the books that are being read. Sometimes the text will be assigned by the teacher and sometimes students will choose the text.

The Georgia Milestones End of Grade Assessment begins in third grade. Students must pass the Reading/ELA portion of the Georgia Milestones EOG in order to be promoted. The EOG requires a lot of independent reading and writing from students. Being able to sit for a period of time and read and write uninterrupted is a beneficial habit to develop. Research shows that reading daily builds vocabulary and comprehension skills. Children who read daily do better on standardized tests because they have built up their reading stamina.

Grading Policy
* 50 % - Reading Tests and Classwork
* 25% - Language Tests and Classwork
* 15% - Spelling Tests and Classwork
* 10% - Homework and Reading Log

Math

Welcome to MATH where critical thinking will be vital. Students will engage in meaningful activities that will be differentiated in place value, numbers and operations, geometry, measurement, fractions, division and multiplication. Students will be expected to explain their mathematical thinking and justify WHY as they make connections, generalize, discover patterns, work through stuck points, listen to, understand, and reflect on their new knowledge. Being able to explain your thinking in math is a higher-level skill and shows deeper understanding. Technology is very important, as I will have practice websites on my class page and students will be expected to work nightly, as often as possible on I-Ready and First in Math. To enhance problem solving skills students will work nightly on constructed responses and complete interactive journal activities weekly. Please make it apart of your evening routine to listen to your child speak about the mathematical concepts. Math will be assessed on the Georgia Milestones EOG assessment.

Grading Policy
* 50 % - Classwork
* 40% - Math Tests and Projects
* 10% - Homework and Reading Log

Science/Social Studies/Writing

This year in science students will engage in hands-on experiences and learn more about the scientific method. Students will learn about Georgia habitats, rocks, soil, fossils, magnets, heat, and pollution and conservation. Students in third grade are required to participate in the science fair. In Social Studies, students will learn about local, state, and federal government, famous historical figures, foundations of democracy, U. S. geography, and map skills.
Students will learn to write extended writing responses. Students will write informational, opinion/persuasive and narrative pieces. Students analyze text and use those details to write an in-depth response. Writing is assessed on the Georgia Milestones EOG.

Homework Policy

Every day the homework assignment will be displayed on the board. It is your child's responsibility to copy his/her homework. Student papers are checked and sent home on every Tuesday with a behavior report to be signed. Please return these papers on Friday. Students will have homework every day. Homework is important. It allows students the chance to practice what they learned in school and gives you the chance to see what your child is learning. All homework assignments are to be completed by the student and are due daily. I do not accept late homework. It must be turned in on time at the beginning of class. I will not check book bags, binders, folders, or desks for assignments. Students are responsible for putting their name on their papers and turning all work in.

Behavior Expectations

In order for students to learn, our environment must be reasonably free from distractions and disruptions. There are rituals and routines students are expected to follow.

1.  Follow directions the first time they are given.

2.  Raise your hand and wait for permission to speak.

3.  Begin all assignments promptly and stay on-task.

4.  Stay in your seat unless you have permission to do otherwise.

5.  Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.

6.  Use kind words.

When the rituals and routines are followed, the rewards are as follows:

1.  Choose from the treat box.

2.  Receive a satisfactory report.

3.  Earn a good behavior ticket.

Students begin each week with a conduct grade of 100. Each time a rule is broken, conduct points are deducted. For each conduct mark a student receives, the student will lose 5 points from his/her conduct grade. Each time you lose conduct points a certain consequence will follow. The consequences are listed below:

Tally Marks / Consequence
1-2 / Warning
3-4 / Silent lunch
5-6 / Silent lunch; - 10 minutes recess; note to parent
7-8 / Silent lunch; no recess; parent conference
9 or more / Office Referral


Students receive a weekly conduct grade that will be averaged to get the nine week conduct grade. Each week students will get a fresh start and return to a conduct of 100.

I have found it beneficial to address behavior issues in a timely and consistent manner. Students have more productive school years when they realize that misbehaviors at school are not tolerated.

Tardies and Absences

Please remember your child needs to be in school and on time, as everyday a student is absent or tardy he/she gets behind on assignments and misses important lessons. Picking up your child early from school is counted as a tardy. The tardy will be unexcused unless it is for a medical appointment or family emergency. If a student is absent or leaves early, a note is required when returning to school. The absence or tardy will be considered unexcused without a note. Only 5 written parent excuses will be accepted, after this point a student will need a doctor's excuse. Students with 10 or more tardies will not be eligible for perfect attendance.

Dress Code

Every child in a Richmond County elementary school is subject to the dress code policy. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the dress code. I do enforce the dress code policy in my class and students who violate the dress code will be required to call home to request the appropriate dress.

Honor Roll

If you and your child's goal is to receive honors at the end of the year, then your child should begin his/her school year with that focus. Third grade is a big transition for many students and achieving honors may require more effort as your child moves into being an independent learner. As your child progresses through the school year, teach him/her to monitor his/her behavior and academics to ensure that he/she is still on track to meeting his/her honor roll goal.

Transportation

If your child’s transportation changes, I must have a written note from the parent or guardian. If there is no written notification, the student will have to follow his/her usual means of transportation. Please do not email changes in transportation, as I may not see the email before dismissal.

Conferences

If you would like to schedule a conference, please send a note with your child or contact Mrs. Schnorbus, the data clerk. Parent conferences can occur on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

Please take a few minutes to discuss the handbook with your child, then sign and return the attached agreement within the first week of school. I am looking forward to working with your family this year!