store for the children in the classroom. Please
help me to solidify the class routines and
homework expectations by checking your
child’s assignment book each night. Your child
will be taking on more responsibility this year
and he/or she will need your help and
guidance.
Communication
Welcome to 3rd Grade!
Mrs. Day
Welcome to third grade at International
School Bangkok! This information will help
you understand our classroom procedures
and academic program. Hopefully, it will be a
good reference for the school year ahead.
I feel privileged to be your child’s teacher this
year, and look forward to working together
and learning together. It is my first year as a
third grade teacher at ISB; however I have
been teaching of teaching grades one
through nine. I’ve worked overseas for the
past seven years, and it has been my privilege
to work with a wide variety of children from
various
ethnic
and
socio-economic
backgrounds. I am from Nova Scotia, Canada.
A New Year for Your Child
This year your child will be going through
some exciting changes. The children are
moving from primary to upper elementary,
which is a big transitional time for them. As
the year progresses, they will grow in many
ways and take on more challenges. The work
will become more demanding. Some of the
students are dealing with living in a new
culture and will need time to make
adjustments.
There are a lot of new and exciting things in
Let’s keep the lines of communication open.
With email we can communicate easily and
quickly. Please do not hesitate to contact me
at anytime at [email protected]. I check my
email in the morning, midday and after school
and will respond with a reply as soon as I can.
A vital part of a successful school year is open
and consistent communication between
home and school. For my part, I will keep you
informed of class activities and other
information through the class blog,
http://inside.isb.ac.th/vday/
Your child’s progress will be formally
discussed with you twice a year at parent
teacher conference time. You will receive
written reports during the year. Besides the
formal conference times, I am available to
discuss any aspect of your child’s learning
throughout the year by phone calls, emails, or
meetings.
Parent Involvement
Taking an active role in your child’s education
is an important part of the home/school
relationship.
Classroom helpers will be
established based on the information you
filled out in the beginning of the school year,
and I will contact you regarding specific tasks.
You are also encouraged to contact me
regarding special interests or cultural
traditions you are willing to share with the
class. We greatly appreciate your contribution
to our learning community.
Birthdays: We would love to celebrate each
child’s birthday at school! You may send in a
small treat (cookies, cake, fruit, ice cream bars,
etc.) for the class if you wish to do so.
Summer birthdays will be celebrated in early
June. Let me know in advance if you are
sending treats.
Field Trips: Third grade will take at least two
field trips this year. Notices will be sent home
regarding details on the field trips. I will be
looking for volunteers to help.
Third Grade Responsibilities
Upon entering third grade, the students
assume more responsibilities. They will be
required to take care of all their own supplies,
clothing and homework. They are asked to
take home notes and return papers from
home. Daily homework needs to be taken
home and completed the next day unless
stated. PE clothes worn on Days A, C and E.
You can help keep your child organized by
establishing routines like having him/her
empty the backpack upon entering the house,
putting the homework folder in a safe place,
and giving you any papers.
Homework
The purpose of homework in third grade is to
provide for the four R’s: Review concepts
taught in class, Record or Research new
information, learn Responsibility and Report
to parents on what he/she is learning.
Third grade homework consists of 20 minutes
of reading nightly. Students will also have
about 10 minutes of math and occasionally
science or social studies. There will also be
various long-term assignments and projects.
Each student has an assignment book to
record homework. The assignment book must
travel to and from school each day. Please
support your child by reviewing his/her
homework each night.
Homework should be completed at home. I
will send a note if your child forgets his/her
homework assignments. Homework should
take about 30 minutes per day. If it is taking
substantially longer for your child to complete
his/her homework, please let me know. We
can work together to find out what can be
done to help remedy the problem.
Success with Reading
The more children read, the better they tend
to do in school. Sustained silent reading
builds not only reading skills, but also helps to
develop vocabulary as well. Children who are
strong readers make better writers. Children
who read a wide variety of literature have a
broad base of knowledge.
Please make sure your child has the time to
read at least 20 minutes a day. Partner read
with your child, read to your child, and/or
listen to him/her read.
Accentuate the
character voices and read with feeling and
emotion. Read a variety of text types,
including
picture
books,
magazines,
newspapers, chapter books and information
books or articles. If your child enjoys a
particular movie or video, check if there is a
corresponding book. For children who seem
less motivated to read, search for material
that is of high interest. Make reading FUN!