Parent Information
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Third Grade!
Third grade is a very challenging year. It is a bridge between the primary and intermediate grades. It is an important time to establish good attitudes about school, to teach children to be independent thinkers, and responsible citizens. Research has shown that “a key determinant for a child’s school success is the value placed on education by the parent. How much a parent reads to a child, helps with homework, or encourages learning has a profound impact on how well the student does in school.”
I would like to share with you a few of my thoughts and expectations:
Homework Agendas and Take Home Folders - Students will be bringing home agendas with assignments and a take home folder each day. One side of the folder is for corrected work. That should be emptied every night. The other side is for homework to be completed and brought back the next day. They will receive a homework star for bringing it back on time. Please review your child’s work. If there is a paper that indicates difficulty with a particular skill, go over it with your child. It will reinforce the reteaching that has taken place in school. Praise your child for work well done and for good efforts in trying his/her best. If you have questions about any work sent home or any other concerns, enclose a note in the folder or write it in the agenda. I will do the same so be sure to check those folders and agendas! When your child has completed their homework assignment, check it to see if it is complete and sign the agenda in the yellow space below the assignment. Write small as you will be signing every night. The school Wednesday folder will also be sent home so expect two folders on Wednesday!
Homework will consist of the on-going study of spelling words (Mon. Tues. & Wed. nights), for a test on Thursday. basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division as needed), and daily reading (20 minutes 4 nights minimum). When students finish a chapter book, they will complete a book review sheet and present it to the class on Fridays. They will receive a star on the reading chart for every book report. This will also account for their report card effort grade, reading for enjoyment. Any other content area assignments will be listed in their agendas. Periodically, I will require some project work to be done at home. Your child will be able to use his/her creativity in deciding how to present these projects. In addition, any daily work that is not completed in school will be sent home and must be returned the next day. The purpose of assigning homework is to reinforce a skill and to develop responsibility. Please encourage your child to follow through on assignments and to take the responsibility of packing it in his/her bag for school the next day.
Grades – When learning a new skill we will reinforce that skill in our daily work. Often, students will correct their own papers so that they can get immediate feed back on any errors they made on their work. Grades are not taken on these papers. It is merely a chance for students to practice a new skill to become proficient. You will know when a paper has been assessed as it will have a circled grade.
Assessment - This year the students will be assessed by New York State. The ELA test will be in January. The math test will be in March. District Benchmark Assessments will be in November and June.
Behavior – Children are expected to maintain a classroom environment conducive to learning. Attentive behavior during instruction and a quiet, independent work time are the expectations of the classroom. Also, children will be encouraged to treat one another with respect and caring in school and on the playground. You will be notified if there is a problem.
Third Grade Program – Our program will be in May. We will showcase the cultures we are studying in Soc. St.
Birthday Parties – If your child is planning a home birthday party, we would ask you not to send invitations to school to be passed out. In the past children have had their feelings hurt if they did not receive an invitation. Children are welcome to bring treats to school for the entire class to celebrate their birthdays. We have 20 students in our class. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in June if your child chooses to do so.
Communication – I feel teacher/parent communication is important. The best time to reach me at school is between 7:30-8:00 a.m. and 2:30-3:15 p.m.. You may also e-mail me at my website at www.elmiracityschools.com. Click on schools, Pine City, classroom pages, and then on my name. Don’t forget, notes in the take home folder work well too!
Sincerely,
Maxine Schwarzbauer