The ABC’s of Mrs. Manickas’ Third Grade Class
A is for...
Attendance- The majority of our learning will take place together in class. We will do lots of hands-on activities and group work. Please plan to have your child attend school every day, except in cases of illness or emergency. The question of when to keep your child home from school is often difficult especially when decisions must be made first thing in the morning. It is important, however, to keep your child home if he or she is ill. This helps to make them more comfortable and prevents others from becoming ill. Children function more effectively in the classroom when they are healthy. If your child is ill, please call the office (704)528-4526 or fill out the online “student absence excuse form” and let the office know the reason for your child's absence. This is for your child's safety. If a student needs to leave early for a doctor or dentist appointment you will need to go to the office to sign him or her out and the staff will call him or her to come to you.
Arrival- Students should arrive between 7:05 and 7:30 a.m. Students should not arrive prior to 7:05 a.m. since supervision by the school staff is not available until then. No child or parent should be in the building before this time. The school bell will ring at 7:25 a.m. and tardy bell rings at 7:30 a.m. Please arrive on time, as instruction begins at 7:30.
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Birthdays –Birthdays are special for children! He or she may bring a treat for the class to celebrate. Please contact me prior to sending treats in to avoid any conflicts. Treats are served at lunch andmust be store bought, with ingredients listed on the package.
Breakfast – Students may eat breakfast in the cafeteria before 7:30. If they choose to eat at school, they must visit the cafeteria or the “grab and go” line before arriving in class. If your child does not eat at school, please be sure that they have eaten a healthy meal at home. A full belly leaves students ready to learn!
C is for…
Communication –Please feel free to contact me by e-mail () or call me at school (704-528-4526) with questions or concerns at any time. Any notes sent in to school should be placed in your child's blue take home folder. If you have any questions or concerns questions, please feel free to contact me to schedule a conference.
Conferences – We will have scheduled parent / teacher conferences throughout the year. If you feel the need for a conference at any other time, let me know and we will set up a time to meet. I will not be able to conference during most hours of the school day, as my attention is needed in the classroom with the students.
D is for...
Discipline- Discipline in our classroom is based on maintaining a warm, family atmosphere. Each student will begin the day on Green (Ready to Learn). Based on their behavior, the students can move up to Blue (Good Job), Purple (Great Job),or Pink (Outstanding) The students may also move down based on their behavior to Yellow (Slow Down), Orange (Think About It), or Red (Stop). Children are given a friendly warning first. I will thenask the child to move his or her clip if the problem continues. Your child will record the color he or she has received that day on their monthly behavior calendar in their blue folder. Major offenses (ex. hitting, talking back, multiple offenses etc.)will warrant a parent contact or a trip to the office.
Dismissal - School ends at 2:20 pm. Car riders get picked up in the front of the school from the car rider line. You MUST send a note to school if your child is to go home a different way than his or her normal schedule. Please do not e-mail me transportation changes. If I am absent or the internet goes down, I will be unable to access the e-mail. To cut down on end of the day confusion, no students are allowed to be signed out after 1:30 in the afternoon.
Dress Code – TES does have a school-wide dress code! To see the list and consequences, please visit the TES website and read the Student Handbook. Please follow these guidelines when it comes to dressing your child: Shorts are to be 1” below fingertip length, shoulders down, no tank tops, no baggy clothing, clothing cannot promote alcohol or tobacco products or contain any inappropriate or vulgar language, pants and shorts must be worn on the waist at all times, shirts must cover stomach when student raises arms over head, tie or velcro shoes should be worn daily (no flip-flops), no sheer or see-through clothing, no shoes with wheel inside them (heelies), flip-flops are not permitted.
E is for...
Emergencies- Please make sure we have the correct emergency information on file for your child. If phone numbers change, you can call or send a note so your child's file can be updated.
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Field trips–Our class will be going on field trips this year. I will send home more information when I know more about the trip(s). Please return permission slips as soon as possible after they are sent home.
G is for...
Grades – Third graders receive letter grades, which are new for your child. Progress Reports will be sent home every 4 ½ weeks and Report Cards will come home every 9 weeks. These reports reflect the progress your child has made toward various third grade objectives. Please sign and return your child's report card the following day.
H is for...
Homework–Your child will have Reading & Math homework Monday through Thursday. Your child should be spending no more than 30 min on homework each night. Your child will be assigned one homework sheet for the week that contains both reading and math. On one side, there will be 4 math problems for each night that follows what we are learning in class. On the other side of the page, there will be a short reading passage with questions. Your child should also be reading for 15-20 minutes a night to help improve their fluency and comprehension.
I is for...
Important Information- Any important papers that need to come home, will be sent in your child's blue take home folder.
J is for...
Job well done- When your child has a job well done in class, they will be recognized in a variety of ways. I believe encouragement and positive reinforcement helps develop excellent self-esteem! We use "Tornadoes" throughout the school as well as a class prize box for those that show excellent behavior.
K is for...
Kindness- We will learn about being kind to others and ourselves every day.
L is for...
Lunch- Our lunch time is from 11:05-11:30. Feel free to join us anytime! If you come during this time, be sure to sign in at the office and pick up a visitor's pass. Children may bring a packed lunch from home or buy a school lunch. When sending lunch money with your child, please put it in a labeled envelope or baggie and put it in the blue take home folder. When visiting your child for lunch, we ask that only your child comes to sit with you at the table. Friends will not be allowed to come and sit with other parents and food cannot be shared with other students. “Extras” may be purchased from the lunch line at any time if your child has money on their account. If you would like their “extra” purchases to be limited to a particular day, you will need to put this in writing for the cafeteria staff, as they will allow students to purchase whatever they have money for! The lunch room phone number is 704-528-0331. Any questions regarding your child’s account should be directed to the Cafeteria Manager, Sherry Saunders.
M is for...
Money- When sending money to school for any purpose, please put it in an envelope or baggie, labeled with your child's name and what it is for. It should then be placed it in your child’s blue take home folder.
N is for...
Newsletters – I will create a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter (depending on how busy that current month is) with important information pertinent to our class. This will be emailed to you and also posted on my webpage. If you would prefer a paper copy sent home, please let me know.
Nurse – Mrs. Holland is the part time nurse at TES. Any medications that are to be taken at school MUST be sent in the original container with a note from you about dosage, etc. and will be kept in the nurse's office. I am not allowed to administer medications.
O is for...
Online Information – Due to budget cuts (and trying to save trees!) I will post information such as calendars, newsletters and important information online, so please check our website regularly! I will also be sending out a weekly email with this important information. If you do not have access to email and/or internet, please let me know so I can send homepaper copies.
Organization- Being organized is a huge key to success in 3rd grade! Please remind your child to keep their folders, books, and supplies nice and neat. Make sure they have all the supplies necessary for school each day such as their backpack, blue take home folder, and/or lunch.
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Parties- We are allowed 2 “parties” each school year. I will provide you with more information about each as they get closer.
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Question- Don’t hesitate to call anytime you have a question regarding your child’s education. I believe strong parent/teacher communication is key to your child’s success. The best way to contact me is through email ().You may also call the school and leave a voicemail at 704-528-4526. I will return phone calls as quickly as I can when the students are not in the room.
R is for...
Reading-Because children learn to read by reading, they need plenty of opportunities to read independently. Sufficient time and appropriate materials are necessary to develop and strengthen reading abilities. By giving the children time to read both at school and at home, we can work together to provide a literature-rich environment and a life-long love of reading. Please make sure your child is reading home each night. Your child will be continuing AR this year which helps with comprehension. Students will take a Star Test that will help determine their reading level. AR consists of picking books from the library (on their reading level), reading them at school and/or at home, and taking a short comprehension quiz on the computer (at school).
Recess- The children will play outdoors at 1:00. Remember to send a sweater or coat as the weather gets cooler because we will try to go out if the temperature is not below 32 degrees. Appropriate shoes should be worn – sneakers are best. Please avoid sandals and flip-flops for safety reasons.
Restroom- Please have your child use the restroom shortly before coming to school. We have many scheduled trips to the restroom as a class. Students are allowed to go to the restroom when they ask, but please make me aware of any medical problem that might require frequent restroom trips.
S is for...
Snacks –Since we have an early lunch this year, third grade will not be having snack. Please make sure that your child is eating breakfast so they will not get hungry before lunch.
T is for...
Tardies- Students should be in the classroom by 7:30! A student is counted tardy if they arrive in the classroom (not just in the building) after 7:30. Once your child receives 10 tardies, they will receive an unexcused absence. Arriving late causes students to lose instructional time. Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a key.
Take Home Folder-To help your child carry messages and information to and from school, the students will have a blue take home folder. You are asked to empty the folder each night, along with signing your child's behavior calendar each week. Please make sure your child returns his or her folder daily containing only their homework that needs to be turned in and any notes from home. It would be helpful if you went over your child's papers that they bring home. Praise them on the positives first and then go over with them what they missed.
U is for...
Unity- We will develop a special bond as classmates this year, and learn to work together in a variety of ways. Together we can achieve more!
V is for...
Volunteers and Visitors- We love volunteers! Moms, dads, grandparents... you can volunteer in class or work on things for class at home. Please let me know if you'd like to help and we can find a classroom job for you! Also make sure to fill out the volunteer application in the office. This application is required foreveryone who works with the children in the classroom. TES has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office and wear a badge. TES welcomes and encourages family involvement; however, it is important to remember that while this requirement may seem inconvenient to frequent visitors, it is the goal and responsibility of the school to create a safe learning environment for students and staff.
W is for...
Webpage – Visit our class webpage at keep up to date with important information about our class.
Wish List- Throughout the year we sometimes need supplies above and beyond our classroom materials (zip lock baggies, toilet paper rolls, old magazines, etc.) These needs will be in my weekly newsletters.
X, Y and Z are for…
I am eXcited to work with You and Your child this year! Make sure he or she gets plenty of Zzzz's each night as we have exciting days planned for this year! Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them be alert and ready to learn each day!
Mrs. Manickas