Third Grade Information 2011-2012
School is off to a great start! We have a very busy year planned. We are looking forward to working and learning with your child. We hope you will find the following information helpful. Please contact your childs teacher whenever you have a question. Our conference time is 9:20-10:00 on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. We are also available to meet with you before school by appointment. To schedule a conference you may email your childs teacher, send a note, or leave a message by calling the school office. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Mrs. Batts: Bush: Dean: Parker: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Communication: Effective parent/teacher communication is vital for a
successful year for your child. We are a team! Please keep us informed about anything that affects your child. Regular conferences are scheduled at the end of the first and third nine weeks. Report cards go home following each nine-week period.
Gold Folder: A folder containing graded papers will be sent home each
week. Please take a few minutes to discuss them with your child. Then sign the front of the envelope and return the papers the following day. This is a good way to keep in touch with your childs progress on a weekly basis.
Agenda: This notebook assists the students in keeping up with daily
assignments and homework. Students are responsible for writing assignments listed on the board in their agenda. It will also serve as their calendar with special events and activities posted in it. Please check the agenda for information and to make sure your child is writing down all assignments.
Newsletter: A weekly newsletter will be posted on the website each week.
This will include a curriculum overview for each subject, upcoming events, reminders, and the test schedule. This information will help you plan for the week.
Homework: This is given on Monday - Thursday nights. Each student has a
home folder used for taking home all homework materials and CB handouts. This folder is kept in the binder. No assignments are given the night before a religious holiday or the night of a Cherokee Bend school function. However, this does not include make-up work. All students are encouraged to read at least 20 minutes each night as part of homework. Homework time should be approximately 30 minutes. If your child is spending an unusually long amount of time completing work, please let the teacher know. If the work is not brought in on time, the student is required to do it during recess that day. If this becomes a
frequent occurrence, a late note will be sent home for you to sign and return. The student will continue to miss recess until the note and work have been turned in to the childs teacher. Our recess is 1:45-2:05 each day.
Supplies: Third graders may buy their own supplies at the supply store in the
morning before coming to the classroom. One of the students responsibilities is to come to class prepared each day.
Absences: In the event your child is absent, please send a note or e-mail when
he/she returns to school. Please refer to your Cherokee Bend Handbook for information on what constitutes an excused or unexcused absence. After four unexcused tardies, the fifth tardy will result in an absence being recorded. When requested, work will be placed by the front office by 2:00 P.M. Please arrange for a sibling or carpool friend to pick it up.
CB Directory and Mountain Brook Code of Conduct: Please read this
material carefully. All school policies are explained here regarding medication, dress, special events, etc. Please note the policy regarding medication: Parents must fill out a sheet of directions and give this with the medication to the school nurse.
Book Clubs: One of the best gifts a parent can give his/her child is to foster the
love of reading. Students will have the opportunity to order from various book clubs during the year. This is optional. If you do order, please send a check made payable to Scholastic Book Club along with the order form in an envelope with the childs name on it.
Birthdays: Every child loves a birthday. It is fine for your child to bring a treat
to share with the class at lunch on his/her birthday or an alternate date for the summer birthdays. This treat can be a nutritious snack or nonfood item. Due to allergies, please be aware of the snacks that you bring. No drinks please.
Regularly Scheduled Tests:
D.O.L. tests are every other week on Friday. D.O.G. tests are every other week on Friday. (Alternates with D.O.L.) Spelling tests are every Friday.
Special Classes:
P.E: 9:20-10:00 Specials: 10:00-10:40 Students are responsible for wearing appropriate shoes. Please remind your child!
Special Programs/Field Trips: We are working on plans for interesting and
curriculum-based experiences to enrich our studies. Some will be speakers and/or activities here at school, and others will be field trips. This year our special programs and field trips include the Rock Quarry, Sloss Furance, Vulcan Park, local beekeeper, MBHS Chemistry students, Meteorologist James Spann, and the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College.
Curriculum Overview Language Arts: -Reading is very important to your childs success in all other subject areas. Please help them by talking about the books they are reading. Encourage your child to read independently at home and to share parts of his/her book aloud with you. This is a good way to practice oral reading fluency. -Accelerated Reader: We will use Accelerated Reader to monitor independent reading. Students can take computerized comprehension tests at school. The students will strive to maintain a comprehension average of 85% or higher. Third graders may go to the library before school to check out books, take book tests, etc. Please assist us in making sure that your child is reading ability appropriate books. -Grammar is taught through Daily Oral Language, the Harcourt reading program, and the Being a Writer program. -Writing: We use the Being a Writer program, which focuses on building a writing community. Throughout the year students will learn to write in various genres. Good writing will be modeled through examples of childrens literature. -Spelling: The Sitton Spelling Program focuses on using correct spelling in daily writing, not just spelling words correctly on a weekly test. There is a group of words, the Priority Words, which students are expected to spell correctly in all their work. Each student keeps a list of these words in the binder. There is a copy included for your information in this packet. -Handwriting: Cursive handwriting is taught in third grade. We begin with the lower case alphabet and work on one letter at a time. It will take us until at least late in the second nine weeks to begin using cursive for any of our regular work. By the beginning of the last nine weeks, students should be using cursive correctly in all written work. When they practice at home, students should only work on the letters we have learned in class. Math: We use the math program called Investigations to implement the mathematics curriculum. It is a problem-solving approach based on everyday situations that explores mathematical content beyond basic arithmetic, and revisits concepts regularly. We include daily number talks and frequent practice of basic skills. Science : We use a hands-on approach to science. The third grade topics in order of study are Plants, Weather, Chemical Tests, and Rocks and Minerals. Social Studies: Our major themes include economics, history and Political Science. There will also be a strong emphasis on geography through our Daily Oral Geography each week. Weekly Reader News will be used to enhance the social studies curriculum and strengthen geography and test taking skills. We end the year with a multi-dimensional study of Birmingham.
