1. Welcome and Thank You for Coming!
Rachel Snyder
3rd grade teacher
Curington Elementary

2. Eight Keys of Excellence
Beliefs and Promises
Eight Keys of Excellence

3. Team work is the key! Communication Attendance Behavior Expectation
Grading
STAAR
Other important info

4. How to contact me
I am available for conferences between 2:00-2:30 and after 3:00 some days. Please send a note with your child, me, or call to schedule a conference.
We can work with you if the above times do not fit with your schedule. The BEST way to reach me is through .
Rachel Snyder
School phone #
My room #

5. Attendance Students are counted tardy after 7:40
7:00-7:15 student go to cafeteria
7:15-7:30 students will wait outside their homeroom
90% rule is in effect
Absences
If a student comes to school after 10:00 a.m. he/she is counted absent that day. A note is required telling why a student is absent in order for the absence to be excused. Please send in notes/Doctors notes when your child is absent. Please include full name, date and teacher’s name on the note.

6. Attendance & The 90% Rule
All BISD elementary schools will begin following the State of Texas 90% Rule this year. This means that your child MUST be at school at least 90% of the school year… 17 or fewer absences. Your child will be at risk for retention if they do not meet attendance requirements. If you have questions, or need additional information regarding The 90% Rule… please contact our Assistant Principal.

7. Nightly Parent Duties TAKE HOME FOLDERS:
Red folders go home nightly. They are used for daily communication between home and school. Please check the folder nightly for homework and important notes.
HANDBOOKS/PLANNERS:
Handbooks will come home every night and are another great tool for communication, they should be initialed by a parent every evening. Homework assignments will be written in the handbook at the beginning of every week. Please write any important notes to us in the handbook, but notes regarding absences should be written on a separate piece of paper.

8. The Importance of Homework
Nagy, W. E., R. C. Anderson, and P. A. Herman Learning word meanings from context during normal reading. American Educational Research Journal 24: 237–70.
The Importance of Homework

9. Behavior Expectations
Be Responsible
Be Respectful
Be Safe

10. We expect our 3rd graders to…
Line up and walk in the hall quietly.
Listen and follow directions the first time they are given.
Come prepared to class- pencils, folders, etc…
Be neat- We will not accept
messy and sloppy work-
All work is to be completed in pencil.

11. Grading Scale
Homework will include weekly reading and math. Homework is due on Fridays. OFS – in the library on Fridays for missing assignments For more info go to isd.net/page.cfm?p=11465
90 – 100
A (Superior)
80 – 89
B (Above Average)
75 – 79
C (Average)
70 – 74
D (Below Average)
69 and below
F (Failing)

12. STAAR April 21st – Math (New TEKS!) April 22nd – Reading
Don’t panic! Be encouraging at home.
We will be asking you to write an encouraging letter to your child.

13. Miscellaneous Cougar Cash Class Coupons Snack Lunch
AR (accelerated reader)
I-station (reading)

14. Cougar Cash Class Coupons
3rd grade system to help encourage personal responsibility
Students can earn “cash” for things like great work or having the neatest desk
Students are fined for messy/sloppy desk or work, or not doing their best
Students redeem cash or dojo awards for different classroom privileges such as:
Show and tell
Stuffed animal
Extra computer time
Sit with a friend at lunch
And More!!!

15. Lunch
Snack
Lunch is at 11:40.
Feel free to come and join your child for lunch after you have checked in with the front office.
You may put money in your child’s lunch account by cash or check.
Visitors: Anytime you come to the school, you need to check in with the office and get a visitor tag. This is for the safety of all children. A driver’s license is required at check in.
Please send a healthy snack with your child to eat around 9:00. No nuts please!

16. Reading Extras
We will set goals for AR reading. Students must meet certain goals in order to attend the “Store”
Students can only take test at school, but can check in order to see in that book has an AR test.
I-station is a great online reading resource. I encourage you to use at home.
I-station provides individualized reading lessons and monthly progress monitoring.

17. Scholastic Books
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS: Book Orders will be sent home periodically. This is an EXCELLENT (and cheap!) way for your child to continue reading at home. In addition, we will gain Bonus Points to increase our classroom library. When placing a book order, please make checks payable to Scholastic.

18. 3rd Grade Math
This year your 3rd grader will be assessed on their multiplication facts 0-12 in the spring.
Please continue to practice your facts
Mobymax is another great tool for Math help!
web/games/mathmagician/m athsadd.html m/
com/games.html

19. Why is Fact Fluency Important?
Students who have not memorized basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts will have significant difficulty in middle and high school math courses.
State assessments, which begin in 3rd grade, are now timed. If students are not able to complete algorithms efficiently, the students will be at a disadvantage.
When asked to summarize the characteristics of successful students, BISD instructors of AP Calculus, AP Statistics, and Dual Credit courses include the following descriptors:
Successful students have memorized ALL basic facts.
Successful students show their work on ALL problems.

20. Curington P.E. Shoe policy
Wearing the wrong shoes can really impact a student’s safety or success during PE activities. Shoes like boots, sandals, slip-ons, even dress shoes can get in the way with simple activities like running, jumping, and stopping.  It is important for students to wear proper footwear (i.e. tennis shoes, running shoes, or sneakers) in order to participate safely in class activities, and to be successful with those activities. Your  cooperation for their safety and active participation is very much appreciated.

21. I look forward to a wonderful year with your student!
Thank you for coming!
I look forward to a wonderful year with your student!