Parents,
Welcome to the 3rd grade! Attached is important information that
will make the transition to the 3rd grade an easy one for you and your
child. You will discover this year to be filled with experiences and
challenges that satisfy a child’s natural ability to inquire about their world.
Please read and discuss all the rules and procedures in this handbook with
your child. Sign and return the bottom portion of this letter by
Friday, August 16,, 2013. If you have any questions or concerns, please
call me at 674-1192 or email me at [email protected]
Mrs. Arter
3rd grade teacher
I have read and understand the rules and classroom policies in 3rd grade.
By signing below, I accept and promise to adhere to the procedures to
the best of my ability.
Parent signature _____________________________________
Date ________
Student Signature ____________________________________
Date ________
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF THIRD GRADERS
After diligently working throughout Kindergarten through second grade in the
acquisition of reading, children are ready to begin exploring more fully the wonderful
and exciting world of independent reading and learning! Throughout third grade,
children are expected to increase their reading fluency, as well as, comprehension
skills in order to become proficient readers. By the end of 2nd grade, all students
should have begun reading chapter books which opened up a whole new world of
reading opportunities. Therefore, it is important to encourage your children to read,
read, read and then talk, talk, talk about the stories they have read. Comprehension
and fluency is a huge focus in third grade.
Third graders also make a shift in writing as a means to communicate. If your child
does not seem to grasp written sentences and paragraph structure and is consistently
confused and upset about this new level of difficulty, please come and talk to me so
we can discuss the gaps in your child’s understanding of writing concepts.
Third graders should have a good grasp of the math fundamentals. They will be given
a short time to refresh their memory of addition and subtraction facts. In 3rd grade,
there is a strong focus to learn multiplication and division facts. It is essential that all
students learn these facts without using their fingers and toes. They will be required to
memorize all facts this year. They will learn how to add, subtract, and compare
fractions. The will also work with some decimals. When you cut or divide objects at
home (pizza, apples, pies), consider talking about the fractions so they can
understand this concept better. When you bake or use a recipe, include our 3rd
grader in the process so they can learn about measuring and fractions.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:
3rd grade is followed by a respect and logic way of discipline. I provide choices when
possible and give natural consequences when rules are broken. On the first day of
school, the class discusses and agrees to 5 simple rules in a classroom constitution. The
students sign the declaration of the classroom rules. When the students choose to
break school or classroom rules, they will pull their card.
Here are the consequences in my room for breaking rules:
 1st time: Verbal warning, move card to yellow
 2nd time: stronger verbal warning, move card to blue
 3rd time: Consequences of my actions, move card to black. I will say to the
student, “I see you have chosen to break the rules 3 times in the classroom
today. This means you have chosen to sign the Responsible Thinking (RT) book.”
Parent will receive and copy and will need to sign and discuss actions with their
child.
 4th time: Strongest consequences of actions, move card to red. Student will
receive a “sad note” that the parent will need to sign. A parent conference
could be scheduled at this time.
Responsible Thinking (RT) book is a red 3 ring binder that contains a copy of our
classroom rules and several blank copies of my Responsible thinking plan. The plan
has 3 short questions for students to answer on their own. Once students have
completed the plan correctly, they sign it, the teacher signs it, and the students must
take it home to have their parents sign it. Then the student returns it to the teacher on
the next school day, or else I contact parents and communicate with them personally
about the problem. This type of plan places the responsibility on the student for their
own behavior and gives them a chance to think about how to improve their behavior.
It also gives the parent a chance to discuss the student’s behavior with them. It’s a
time of training!
Students that have 2 RED cards, in-house suspension, or school suspension could lose
privileges to field trips or fun activities within any given month.
RESTROOM PROCEDURE:
Students are encouraged to use the restroom facilities before school and during each
recess. Students will be allowed to go to the facilities during class if they need to use it;
however, students who use the facilities during the first hour of class will forfeit SOME
recess time. Please understand that I am responsible for the safety and well being of
your children while they are in my care. There may or may not be staff in the
lunchroom and bathroom area to ensure their safety at all times so it is important that
all students use the restrooms during their break times. Only one student may use the
restroom at a time in order to guarantee that there are fewer students in the gym
area. This helps to alleviate difficulties when students may not be supervised.
NOTE: If there are children who have a medical condition that requires the students to
use the restroom more often, please let me know so that I can make appropriate
accommodations for your child.
Every Monday, each student will be given 10 bathroom bucks. The students may use
these when necessary. I will track their time when they are out of the classroom. They
will pay for their time with their bathroom bucks (1 bathroom buck = 1 minute of time
out of the classroom). On Friday, the students with leftover bathroom bucks will cash
them in for “tickets” (1 bathroom buck = 1 ticket). These tickets will be placed in a
container for a drawing at the end of each month. I will choose 5 names and those
students will be able to visit our treasure box.
RESTROOM RULES:
1. Students are expected to use the bathroom during their recess and lunch
periods.
2. When students use the bathroom during class time, they are to go quickly
and quietly and with permission from the teacher and a BATHROOM BUCK.
3. Students should not wait in the bathroom for their friends to finish. The
bathroom is not a place to play or visit. Any student found playing in the
bathroom or gymnasium will pull their card when they come back to class.
4. Students are expected to keep the bathrooms clean. Any student that is
found deliberately making a mess in the bathroom (i.e., clogging up the
toilets with paper towels or throwing wet paper on the ceiling) will lose
recess time or sent to the principal.
NEWSLETTER AND HOMEWORK FOLDER
The students will take home the monthly newsletter on the first Monday of every
month. This newsletter informs the parent of any upcoming events, special plans, or
needs of the classroom. Please be sure to read it each month in order to stay informed
about your child’s school life. Every Monday, students will bring home graded papers
from the previous week in their Homework folder. The graded papers will give you an
idea of what your student is working on and how they are doing throughout the week.
Please check through the papers every week: sign and return the parent comment
sheet attached to the papers on the following day. This is my way to ensure good
communication between parents and myself.
HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK:
It is the belief of Sherman Thomas Charter School that homework plays a significant
role in the learning opportunities of all students. Your third grader will have on average
of forty-five to sixty minutes of homework, four days a week (Monday through
Thursday). Homework participation allows you to be fully involved in your child’s
education and helps you become aware of what is being taught in the classroom. It
also provides the student with an extra opportunity to practice concepts learned at
that time. This year your student will maintain a homework Planner. Each Monday
your child will write all homework assignments from the display on the board in his/her
planner. It is your job to sign the planner each day. This is another place for you and I
to communicate. If there is any unfinished classwork, the student is responsible to
complete that work. It is the student’s job to place the work inside the homework
folder at the end of each day. Please check the student’s planner in order to verify
what work needs to be completed. It is your child’s responsibility to complete their
homework and bring it back the following school day. Students will only receive full
credit for completed and handed in work on time. Any late Math assignments will be
received but only given partial credit. Students who forget, lose, or do not finish their
homework will not receive credit for their homework. If students turn in late
assignment, I will give partial credit. If a child has not completed his homework, he will
complete his homework during recess until the homework is complete.
For the most part, Homework will be Math, Vocabulary, Spelling, and occasionally a
History or Science Project. Math is to be returned daily. The spelling and vocabulary
packet will go home on Monday and must be returned (completed) on Friday. Each
parent should check and sign their child’s Math homework. Parents should review
any mistakes or misunderstanding daily. It is a good idea to keep the spelling
homework packet in the homework folder. It could be less likely that the work will be
lost or forgotten at home on Friday. This year spelling and vocabulary packets are
graded; therefore, if it is not turned in, it will hurt your child’s grade in Language Arts.
When a Science, History, or Shurley English Test is scheduled, I will send home a study
guide. It is important that you and your child spend time studying for the test. You will
need to develop studying strategies that will help your child learn how to study and
prepare for tests.
Although I do not assign homework on Fridays, the students have a chance to add an
extra 5 points to be applied to their most recent Math test by completing the Math
homework on the Fridays that we have a Math lesson. This homework must be turned
in on Monday or it will not be accepted.
PROJECTS:
Occasionally, the students will participate in a class project for homework. These
projects will be centered in History or Science. The projects are activities that parents
may help their students and count their TIME for volunteer hours. They will usually share
their project in class in order to learn how to speak in front of others (3rd grade
standard).
FREE HOMEWORK PASSES:
There are times in life that homework can become a burden! I have provided a free
pass allowance for all students. All students will receive 4 “Free homework Passes” this
year. The reasons are very specific, but you may use them whenever you need them.
You will not be given anymore so make sure that you keep track of these passes. I
cannot give credit without the passes turned in on the date it is used. The reasons are
as follows:




I forgot or lost my homework!
Family Emergency
Death in a child’s family
Special family event/Child’s Birthday
You will find these passes attached to this handbook. When you cash them in, please
place your child’s name and date on the pass. You are only allowed 1 for each
occasion, resulting in 4 per year. If the assignment is a graded assignment, I will give
extra time for the student to complete their work. The student will not lose recess for
incomplete homework if they have a free pass.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Third graders learn to be more responsible in the classroom. Each week, the students
share the jobs below in order to enhance their skills as citizens within the working
community in the classroom:
Line Leader
Door Person
Boards Person
Messenger
Paper person
Pencil Person
Promethean Prince/Princess
SNACKS:
Substitute
Light Person
Students have a break at 10:00 every morning. They are hungry by that time and
need some kind of healthy nutrition! Please send a snack for your child. A snack will
not be provided for your student by the school or by other parents. Please provide a
snack for your own child each day.
HISTORY AND SCIENCE:
The students will maintain a student binder. Students will keep their homework folder,
planner, and notes and class work for Science and history. Students will learn to take
notes and use the notes to prepare for their tests. Part of their History and Science
grade will be based on their notes and study guide. Students will need to maintain a 1
inch binder with 5 subjects marked with Science, History, Shurley English, Spelling, and
Discovery Time. Science and History will be tested at the end of each unit. A Study
Guide will be sent home the Monday before each test. It is recommended that each
student study these guides in order to pass the test. Please help your child develop
study skills to prepare for these tests. Students must study in order to pass these tests!!
CONTACTING THE TEACHER:
There are three ways to contact me: phone, email, and Homework Assignment Sheet.
If you wish to contact me by phone, you may reach me at 479-0752 between 7:30 –
8:00 a.m. and 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. If you need to reach me during the school day, call
674-1192 and leave a message. I will not answer phone calls during class because this
will interrupt class instruction. Please do not text me on my cell number. My cell
phone does not have a texting package. If you wish to contact me by email, you
may also email me any time of the day at [email protected] I check my emails
often throughout the day and I will reply. If you choose to write a note to me, you
may write a note on your child’s homework assignment page.
ACCELERATED READING PROGRAM (AR):
Accelerated Reading (AR) is a program that helps students improve their reading
fluency and comprehension. When we begin, the students will receive their
reading level on the AR system. They will pick out a book of their choice in our
school library, at their own reading level. This year’s AR will be graded through a
goal and points system rather than accumulation of books and percentages. Each
student, according to their AR level, will be given an AR goal for each trimester.
After a student takes a Reading Practice Quiz, he/she earns points based on the
book’s point value and how well he/she mastered the quiz. In this way, points are
a measure of reading practice – a summary of quantity, quality, and difficulty.
The chart below shows the number of points students are expected to earn based
on reading time and ability. This chart is flexible if needed. It will be up to the
teacher to make adjustments if they are needed. If you, as a parent, have any
concerns, please feel free to contact the teacher and we can discuss it and
possibly make goal changes.
Grade
Equivalent
Score
Suggested
ZPD
20 Minutes Daily Practice
Points per
Points per
Week
trimester
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
Above 5.0
1.0-2.0
1.5-2.5
2.0-3.0
2.3-3.3
2.6-3.6
2.8-4.0
3.0-4.5
3.2-5.0
Above 3.4
0.6
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.9
1.0
1.2
7.2
7.2
8.4
9.6
9.6
10.8
10.8
12
14.4 or
higher
Read with your child every day, but make sure your child is reading, not you! The
objective is that the student will increase their reading ability, not their listening ability.
All AR books must be returned to school each day in order for students to read them
during silent reading. The students will earn points as they read AR books. The students
will use these points to purchase items in our AR store at the end of the school year.
YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE READING!
All children are expected to read every night for 30 minutes. If your child is below
grade level in reading, you should have your child reading at least 30 minutes per
night. Please make sure your child is reading in a quiet atmosphere. It will help your
child advance to an independent reader if they are reading every day. Please verify
that your child has read each night by signing the planner in the appropriate spot
every day.
BIRTHDAYS:
When your child has a birthday, you are welcome to bring cupcakes and juice to the
classroom. NO RED JUICE OR PUNCH WILL BE ALLOWED. Please let me know at least one
week in advance so that I can schedule it in our day. The birthday will be celebrated
at 10:00 a.m. If you are planning a birthday party at home and plan on passing
invitations out during school, you must invite all children (not inviting students really
hurts children’s feelings. If you are not willing to invite all students, you may pass them
out after school or mail the envelopes from home. I cannot give out students phone
numbers or addresses to any parents.
BUBBLEGUM MATH:
In third grade, the students work towards mastering all multiplication and division facts.
In the classroom, the students take a 100 fact test each day. These tests work on only
one multiplicand and dividend, such as, 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, etc. As the students pass each
100 fact test with a 100%, they receive a dot for their bubble gum machine in the
classroom. When the students pass all multiplication and division facts, they will
receive a pack of bubblegum for their hard work. If the students complete all
multiplication and division facts, they will receive a Mastery of Multiplication Trophy.
These tests are not a part of the students Math grading system; however, they will help
your child progress in learning their Math facts and then the students will be able to
pass the tests in our Math Assessments throughout the year. Towards the middle of the
first trimester, they will be taking a 100 fact test as part of their regular tests. It is
important that the students memorize these math facts so they can pass these tests.
Please note in 3rd grade, we memorize Math facts rather than count manipulatives,
fingers, and toes. The more math facts a student memorizes, the easier multiplication
and division, and the acquisition of more complex Math skills will be. There is a strong
focus on Multiplication and Division on the 3rd grade Math California State Test.
PARENT OF THE WEEK:
In order to help “working parents” achieve their parent hour commitment, you are
invited to take part in my “Parent of the Week” Program. On back to school night,
parents may sign up to be placed on a list for “Correcting papers at home”. Under
the Right to Privacy law, I cannot send home any papers that are graded, but I can
send home practice assignments. I will be assigning a parent for each week to
correct Bubble Gum Math and Math homework assignments. These papers MUST be
corrected and returned on the following morning. Spelling packets will go home on
Friday, but must be returned on Monday mornings. I will provide a schedule of
parents in each newsletter so you will know when the papers will be coming. If, for
some reason, you are unable to correct papers on any given week, please let me
know so that changes can be made. If you do not return these papers 3 times on
time, I will not be sending them home with you any longer. Please try to be consistent!
The bubble gum math is used every day and the students must see if they received a
100% in order to go on to the next level. CAUTION: Do not rely on this method only to
complete your hours. This is just to help you out. If I have 6 families signing up, that
would mean each family would only have papers once every 6 weeks. Only expect
about 2 hours of correcting for the entire week. If you have any questions or concerns,
come to back-to-school night and we will discuss this in depth.
PREARRANGES:
It is important that students come to school every day; however, we understand that
there are times students need to miss school. Sherman Thomas has an incredible
opportunity for your child to keep up with their class work. If your child needs to be
absent, you should request a prearrange contract. This contract allows your child to
complete class work for their absence without counting it as an absence. In order to
be granted a prearrange contract, parents must communicate with our office
personnel before the student is absent. I will then prepare class work for your child to
complete at home. Please note: I will add a sticker in the upper right hand corner for
any work that will receive a grade. The student is required to only complete a portion
of the work but must bring it back on the day they return to school. If your child does
not turn in a portion of the work, plus the signed contract, the day(s) will be counted
as an absence. If absences and unreturned prearrange contracts and work become
a habit, I will be forced to refuse prearranges. It is very important that you use the
program without abusing it. Prearranges aid in our budgetary needs in a way that
supports our school. For every prearrange that is not completed, signed, and turned
in, we lose money and it affects our budget. Please help us out by being faithful in
these matters.
AWARDS:
Awards are given to students who prove to be excelling in areas of academics and
character. Students may receive an award for high achievement in class scores or
most improvement (3rd trimester) in all core subject areas, not just because they have
the highest reading or math level according to scantron, California State Test, or AR
levels. There will be one student in each category chosen by merit only during each
trimester. This becomes difficult when there is more than one student deserving an
award. Please help your child understand that they may or may not receive an
academic or character award each trimester.
There will be three students per year to receive an Aggie Award. An aggie award is
given to honor the student who excels in all core subjects, by his/her effort, and plus
displaying good character in class and socializing times as well.
One student will be chosen as an aggie of the month based on the character for that
trimester. These students will be chosen on how they display their character in class,
the playground, and during lunch.
FIELD TRIPS:
3rd grade will be going to approximately 5 educational field trips this year. It is
essential that parents help out with the driving; otherwise, we will not be able to leave
the school. We need you! The schedule is listed below. Notes will be sent out at least
2 weeks in advance if not more. If you decide to drive your vehicle, you will have to
provide the school with proof of driver’s license and insurance. I prefer to take cars
that can hold 5-8 students.
SCHOOL WEBSITE:
Sherman Thomas has a website at www.stcs.k12.ca.us. Please use this website often.
Some items that you can find are listed below:









Websites links to help students improve in Reading, Math, History and
Geography, and Science.
The current months Classroom Calendar.
Poem of the Month
3rd grade handbook
3rd grade standards
Math fact cards that you can print and practice with
Reading comprehension help for parents.
Shurley English Parent Handbook (This will help you with homework).
Bubblegum Math practice tests that you can practice at home
If you have any suggestions for the website, please feel free to suggest. I always
want to help you out as much as possible.
POEM OF THE MONTH:
The teaching of poetry is a great way to teach grammar rules, reading fluency,
vocabulary usage, language patterns and the flow of word usage. This year, the
students will be required to memorize a poem fluently each month. We will practice
this poem every day. The memorizing of these poems will be included for their
poetry component of the Language Arts grade. You will receive the poem at the
beginning of each month so that you can help your child read their poem each
month. The poems may also be found on my website as well as, in “What Every 3rd
Grader Should Know” book.
EXTRA CREDIT:
In third grade, History and Science tests can be a challenge. I am giving your
students a chance to complete 1 (one) extra credit report for Science or History. If
your child performs poorly on a test, he/she may write a report about that particular
subject. The report must be a 3-4 paragraphs long and turned in by the last day of
the trimester. Students must write the report refraining from plagiarism (copying
another author’s work). The writing should sound like a 3rd grader, not a college
graduate. The students may earn up to 10 points for completing this report. The
points will be added to their lowest test score. They will continue learning to write
reports so this is good practice. They may use books, internet, or encyclopedias to
complete the work. An example of this would be if a child failed a test on the River’s
of the World, he/she would be allowed to write a report about a River we’ve
discussed in class (Ganges, Yukon, etc.). This child would then get an extra 10 points
on their test. This could bring a student’s grade of a 60% to a 70%.
The grading system this year is based on A, B, C, D, or F, rather than 1-4. I have listed
below thegrading matrix so you gain the understanding necessary to correlate the
numbers with their grades.
ACRONYM
MEANING
PERCENTAGE
GRADING
A++
Excellent
100%
4
A
Awesome
93-99%
3.9
A-
Awesome
90-92%
3.6
B+
Super
87-89%
3.5
B
Super
83-86%
3.3
B-
Super
80-82%
3.2
C+
Satisfactory
78-79%
3.1
C
Satisfactory
73-77%
3.0
C-
Satisfactory
70-72%
2.8
D
Unsatisfactory
60-69%
2.7
F
Unacceptable
and failing
Below 69%
2.3
0-4 GRADING
Grades will be disbursed in the following manner:
LANGUAGE ARTS
Category
Reading
MATH
Percent
Category
HISTORY/SCIENCE
Percent
of
of
Grade
Grade
20%
Math fact
20%
tests
Spelling
10%
Written
Category
History
and
Science
Workbook
and notes
Percen
t of
Grade
ART
Category
Percent of
Grade
25%
Projects
50%
25%
Test
50%
Participation
25%
15%
Study
5%
Elements Book
15%
15%
Following
10%
Tests
AR Goals
10%
Homework/
Classwork
Shurley
10%
Oral Test
Guides
10%
English
Project
directions
Grammar
Shurley
10%
Benchmark
English
And Cum.
Writing
Review
30%
Tests
Rigby
5%
Reading
Level
Star Level
5%
Literacy
Level
Fluency
5%
Summative
15%
Tests
Penmanship
5%
/Cursive
Music and P.E. are graded on participation, following directions, and following rules.