Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to Third Grade!

I hope you had a wonderful summer with your family. My name is Kellie Lucas, and I will be your child’s third grade teacher this school year. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your child and working together to make this year a great one!

I look forward to engaging the students in various types of learning throughout this school year. I will be introducing concepts, which will cover mathematical computations, scientific explorations, and communities. I plan to work with students in both small and whole group settings to continue to build their reading and writing skills. I will also spend a great deal of time encouraging positive relationships and interactions in our classroom. My ultimate goal is to create a warm and safe learning environment for your child.

I strongly believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is important for maximum school success. Together, as parents and teacher, we can create a comfortable, exciting, and challenging environment for your child. I will keep you informed about your child’s growth and classroom activities throughout the school year. Please know that I will always welcome your input and support.

I have put together a packet of information to help you and your child become familiar with my expectations for the school year. You may want to keep this packet in a special place so that you may refer to it throughout the year. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to email me at klucas@havsd.net. I also look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have at our Back-to-School night on September 15th. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,Mrs. Kellie Lucas

I know that the beginning of the year can be a hectic and confusing time with many papers coming home. I do not wish to add to the confusion, but I do need to take this opportunity to share with you some policies and procedures that I follow. Please keep this book handy so that you can use it as a reference during the school year. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions or concerns.

Mrs. Lucas ext. 8111 email: klucas@havsd.net Mrs. Barker ext. 8112 email: mbarker@havsd.netMrs. Krier ext. 8114 email: akrier@havsd.netMr. Reynolds ext. 8110 email: mreynolds@havsd.netMrs. Sabin ext. 8113 email: rsabin@havsd.net

The School DaySchool is open for students at 8:35 each day. Students are not permitted into the building before 8:35 unless they have permission from a teacher. Students are expected to be in their classrooms, unpacked, and ready to learn by 8:45. Attendance is taken promptly at 8:45 and your child will be marked tardy if they arrive after the bell (unless a bus is late). Morning announcements begin immediately after the 8:45 bell. Arrival after this time is very disruptive to our morning routine. If you need to pick your child up early, please send a note to me. Email and phone messages are not always accessible, so a note is your best bet. You might also want to call the office to inform them of the early dismissal. The student will be called to the office at the appropriate time.

Teachers may not be interrupted during the school day; lunches, messages, forgotten books, etc. should be left in the office with the student’s name on the item. Students will be permitted to check the office for forgotten items.

Materials/Supplies NeededIt seems like such an unimportant thing, but the type of supplies that your child brings to school can have a huge impact on their ability to stay focused on their schoolwork. Fun erasers, sparkly pencils, and

flashing pens may seem like a good idea in the store but for most kids they are toys. These “toys” prevent your child from attending to their lessons, and for some children make it impossible to pay attention to anything else. Keep supplies simple; save the fun supplies for home. As was stated on the

supply list you received in June (the list can be accessed on the Chestnutwold website) all toy-like supplies will be sent home.

Third Grade Schedule

8:35-8:45 Arrival8:45-9:05 Morning Meeting9:05-10:05 Humanities/Specials10:15-11:45 Language Arts11:50-12:15 Recess12:20-12:45 Lunch12:45-1:20 Language Arts1:25-2:30 Math2:30-2:40 Snack2:40-3:20 Science/Social Studies3:20-3:30 Pack up/Dismissal

*Our Humanities Schedule follows:Monday: Guidance (A Week) Library (B Week)Tuesday: Library (Book Exchange - Library books need to be brought to school every Tuesday)Wednesday: Gym and Music Thursday: ArtFriday: Gym and Music

Change of DismissalPlease make sure your child knows his/her after school plans before they get to school. All changes to their dismissal routine should be communicated to me with a note. Relying on a voicemail message or email alone is risky as these can be inaccessible at times. Without a note, all children will be sent home their usual way. Please make sure you check the Chestnutwold calendar for after school club and activity dates and times. The kids become very upset when they realize that there is an after school activity that they want to attend (or have been told to attend) but they do not have a note.

Classroom Rules/Responsive ClassroomThe third grade team uses the “Responsive Classroom” approach to teaching. This approach emphasizes students’ social growth in addition to their academic growth. Social skills such as cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control are taught directly and indirectly throughout the day.

Morning Meeting: Each day begins with a morning meeting where students have uninterrupted time to greet one another, play games and share important things that are going on in their lives. This

meeting helps build community and creates a positive climate for learning.

Classroom Rules: In each classroom there is a clear and consistent approach to discipline that fosters responsibility and self-control through rules and logical consequences. As a class, we will construct positive guidelines (rules) that will enable us to effectively and efficiently reach our goals. Our guided discussion will result in these three rules:

1. Take care of yourself2. Take care of others3. Take care of things/materials

These rules will be posted visibly in our classroom, where the students can access for daily reminder. In conjunction with our rules, we will be Interactively Modeling all activities and appropriate behaviors that occur throughout the school day (Teacher will demonstrate the behavior, students will observe and then practice the behavior themselves) to ensure student understanding, success and confidence.

After the students have a decent understanding of the rules and appropriate behavior for school, we will talk about the consequences for their actions. A principle that I firmly believe is that every action has a consequence, either positive or negative depending on the elicited behavior. As a class, we will discuss the consequences to all behaviors so the students will know the result if they happen to choose not to follow a rule.

Discipline (1,2,3 Magic)Because of the responsive classroom activities, we find that disruptions to the classroom are minimal. However, along with our logical consequence approach, discipline problems will be handled in the following way. This is a school-wide behavior plan.

The first time a student breaks a classroom rule they will receive a verbal warning and will be told they have been given a “1.”

The second time a student breaks a classroom rule they may be asked to “Take a Break” for five to ten minutes in order to regain self control and will be given a “2.”

If the student can rejoin the group with control, disciplinary action stops here. If however, they rejoin the group and cannot maintain control (third time) they will be given a “3”. The child, with the teacher’s help, will complete a behavior reflection form. The student is

expected to bring the form home to get a parent’s signature and then bring it back the next day. If necessary, they may be removed from the group for the remainder of the activity or they may be sent to the principal’s office. At this point, parents will be called to discuss the incident and determine the appropriate course of action.

Class Discussions/Meetings: When they are needed, we will hold class meetings where students learn to speak freely, yet respectfully about problems that they may have. Students are challenged to work together to solve their own problems. Class meetings may also be used to give the students an opportunity to share feelings of friendship, thanks, hurt, or disappointment with one another. Students learn how to pay a compliment and express hurt feelings in a non-threatening way. This practice allows students to see themselves through their peers’ eyes and is very effective at teaching social responsibility.

HomeworkHomework is a teacher-planned learning activity, which takes place outside of the students’ regular school hours. Homework extends learning beyond the classroom and provides practice, which is an important component of learning. Homework builds responsibility and self-discipline, and it teaches children time management skills. Homework is considered an important part of the instructional program. Parents are encouraged to set aside a regular time each evening to check their child’s assignment book and discuss any assignments their child has brought home. I do not require that you sign the assignment book each night, but I strongly encourage you to check that each assignment has been completed.

Students are given time each day to write their assignments in their assignment book. In the beginning of the year, I will check to see that all assignments are recorded in the books correctly. As the year progresses, there will be a gradual shift in student independence and responsibility to correctly record assignments and gather necessary materials to complete. However, I do maintain a website where assignments are recorded daily.

Third grade students should be spending on average about a half hour on homework each night. Some nights will be less. Try to get to know your child’s weekly routine. Many assignments and tests are given on a predictable schedule. If you are familiar with these routines, you can help your child complete these assignments on time. If your child is spending too much time on homework, let me know right away. I will work with you to find out why the work is taking so long and come up with ways to remedy the situation.

If your child is absent please call the office and request that homework be gathered and left in the office for your retrieval at the end of the day. If your child is not well enough to complete the assignments or does not understand what is to be done, I will work with them when they return to school. If you are unable to get their homework, it is the child’s responsibility to come to the teachers the morning of their return to find out what they missed and what needs to be completed. The teachers will work with the student to prioritize the missed work and set up a timetable for handing in missed assignments.

Bucket FillersWe will be reading the story Have You Filled a Bucket Today? in class. This book helps get the message across that it is important to fill each other’s imaginary buckets by saying positive things. It also stresses that one can be a bucket dipper by saying negative things to someone. Each student will have his or her very own bucket that is displayed in our classroom. During their free time, students will have the opportunity to fill each other’s buckets by writing positive comments on the designated bucket slips. Students will check their buckets occasionally and at the end of the year they will have a ring full of slips to take home and treasure. This is now a school-wide program and students will have the opportunity to fill other teachers’ buckets as well.

Snacks and FoodEvery afternoon at around 2:45, students will be given time to eat a small snack before transitioning into Social Studies or Science. A snack is an excellent way for your child to get the energy he/she needs to concentrate for the rest of the day (including homework time), but only if it is a healthy snack. Examples of small, healthy snacks include crackers, pre-cut vegetables and fruit, popcorn, cheese, etc. Please do not send in foods that are overly sweet (brownies, cookies, chocolate covered granola bars, etc.) or salty/greasy treats (potato chips, Cheetos, etc.). If you send in yogurt or fruit cups, please send in the proper utensils, as I cannot guarantee I will have these.

Class PartiesThere are three scheduled class parties during the year. The first party is the Halloween party and parade. The second is the winter party,

which is followed by the Valentine’s Day party. While these parties are planned and run by homeroom parents and the teachers, you may be asked to contribute to the class party fund and/or provide a food item, etc. for the party.

If you are thinking about being a homeroom parent, be advised that we run our parties a little differently in third grade. We do not have separate parties for each homeroom. Instead, we have one big party in which all the kids participate. Each classroom is set up as a different station and the students rotate through each room. Also, as the students go from one room to another, they will not be in homeroom groups. We take this opportunity to mix them up a little and let them hang out with their friends from other classes.

**Homeroom parents will provide safe snacks (using the safe food list) at all school parties.**

Birthday CelebrationsBirthday celebrations may no longer include food or drinks. We as a class will acknowledge your child’s birthday by singing and giving them special birthday privileges. Their desk and workspace will be decorated, they will receive birthday wishes from their classmates, and they will be line leader for the day. They will also receive birthday “goodies” from me. The no food and drink rule is school-wide. You may consider the following as alternatives, which was suggested by Mr. D:

- Donate a book to our classroom library that includes a note from the student. The child can read the book/note to the class. You may also donate a book to the school library! The following website will help you do this: http://www.btsb.com/sosl/chestnutwoldelementaryschool/http://www.btsb.com/sosl/chestnutwoldelementaryschool/

- You may send in pencils, a bookmark, or small novelty item (no food)- Send in a favorite book that your child or teacher can read to the class.- Show a talent! Perform for the class or for the school on the morning

announcements!Please keep in mind that we only designate about 10-15 minutes for birthday celebrations.

My WebsiteA great resource for you throughout the school year will be my website. I will keep it updated with nightly homework, pictures, and curriculum information and activities. You can access the website on the Chestnutwold site. Just go to Faculty and click on my name.

ACADEMICS

Language ArtsThe Third Grade Language Arts curriculum is divided into a few

parts: Reading, Writing, Spelling (a separate handout about our spelling program will be sent home after the first week of school), Speaking/Listening and Handwriting. The Reading component of Language Arts encompasses: Phonics/Decoding, Reading Fluency/Sight Words and Comprehension. Third Grade starts to move from learning to read, instead to; reading to learn. We have a heavy focus in teaching the students many different comprehension skills to aid in the understanding of their reading. Some of the comprehension strategies that are taught are:

*Predicting/Inferring/Drawing Conclusions*Sequencing*Cause/Effect*Monitoring/Clarifying*Summarizing/Evaluating*Identifying the Topic/Main Ideas/Details of a Selection*Identifying Story Elements (Setting, Characters, Problem/Solution, Events, etc.)

The Houghton Mifflin Reading Program (2005 Series) is utilized to instruct the students in Phonics, Vocabulary, Spelling, Fluency and Comprehension. In addition, we use Cunningham’s Four Blocks Language Arts Programs to aid in frequently misspelled words (Word Wall), prefixes/suffixes and the root meanings of words, in addition to opportunities for self-selected reading.

The Houghton Mifflin Program is broken down into four themes:Theme 1: Off to AdventureTheme 2: TraditionsTheme 3: Incredible StoriesTheme 4: Animal Habitats

Each theme has three or four stories (plus a theme review) that teach the necessary phonics, spelling and comprehension skills. In my classroom, we will work approximately two weeks on each story of the theme. Using the stories, I will be giving direct whole group instruction on vocabulary, decoding skills and targeted comprehension skills (that change every story). In addition, during the two-week period, we will be breaking into smaller guided reading groups where I will provide a deeper focus of instruction in reading fluency, vocabulary and the targeted comprehension skills. At the end of the two-week period the

students will be tested on the application of the comprehension skills and strategies that were taught, in addition to the spelling patterns (A Word Study packet will be coming home at the beginning of the year about this). These tests are a good indication of whether your child is understanding and applying the material that is being taught.

During Writing class in Third Grade, we focus on teaching and bringing students through the whole Writing Process: Prewriting, Drafting (Rough Copy), Editing/Revising, Proofreading, Publishing (Good Copy) and Sharing. The students will be writing about various topics in the different writing modes:

* Imaginative / Narrative: Writing in which the main idea is to tell a story.

* Descriptive: Writing in which the author “paints a picture” for the reader.

* Practical / Informative: Writing in which the main intent is to provide clear information. Some milestones for writing in Third Grade include: learning to successfully set-up a paragraph, friendly/formal letters, learning to write with powerful language, using transition devices to tie thoughts together and writing multi-paragraph essays.

Finally, the Third Grade Handwriting Without Tears Program introduces cursive writing. Through this program students will receive instruction in the correct cursive letter formation and connection skills, printing of smaller letters on narrower double lines and will build greater speed and writing fluency. The Handwriting Without Tears program offers easy to learn curriculum that works for all students, child friendly language, methods to eliminate backward letter and number writing, and a simple, vertical style of cursive that is easy to read and write. We will start the program sometime in October and continue through the school year.

Mathematics

Third Grade is the first year that the students may have a different teacher for Math class. Students will either stay in my class for Math or switch to Mrs. Lucas, Mrs. Krier, Mr. Reynolds, or Mrs. Sabin. After switching, your child’s designated teacher will provide more in-depth information about their policies and procedures. Our math program is called Math in Focus (Singapore Math).

The Singapore math program will help students’ build a solid conceptual understanding through a focus on problem solving. Students will both acquire and apply the mathematical concepts and skills in a wide range of situations, including non-routine, open-

ended, and real-world problems. The mathematical concepts will be taught in depth and at a higher and deeper level to allow for content mastery. Students will learn to use physical objects to demonstrate how to solve equations and they will also be taught how to draw a diagram of the concepts they are working on. They will learn to use model drawing to solve and better understand word problems. The pictorial approach allows students to have a tactile experience instead of trying to imagine the problem in their heads. By having students diagram the elements of the word problem they develop a strong understanding of why a solution works.

The program has a unique framework with a focus on building problem-solving skills and an in-depth understanding of essential math skills. Students are not just talking about concepts but seeing it through hands-on activities. They are not just learning it for the tests, there are re-teaching and enrichment opportunities to retain lessons, which are foundational mathematical pieces that build upon the skills that students need for the real world.

ScienceThis year, we hope to take an in-depth look at three major areas:

Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. The National Geographic Science program introduces students to real scientists and experts and gives concrete examples of scientific study in practice throughout our world. Students will participate in investigations and activities that will engage them in scientific inquiry.

During Science class, students will keep a Science Notebook to keep track of their day-to-day investigations, observations, notes and conclusions. Students will be encouraged to ask lots of questions in order to inquire more information about the scientific world. Students will be assessed on their participation and cooperation in investigations, their Science Notebook (effort, focus and organization) and a formal assessment at the end of each unit.

Social StudiesThird Grade Social Studies is deeply rooted in the study of

Communities. We will be looking at the components that make up a successful Community. We will also take a look at both local communities and communities of different children from around the country and the world. We will be exploring the history and economics of different communities as well. In addition, our Social Studies program gives us the chance to investigate many different types of maps, globes and atlases.

The students will learn from a variety of different media, including our Communities Textbook, movies, websites, storybooks and projects. Throughout each chapter in our textbook the students will have practice activities that follows the in-class reading. At the end of each chapter the students will be formally assessed.