1. What’s Up? * Rules/Respect *Rights/Responsibilities *Listening/Following Directions *Procedures/Routines *Friendship *Manners/Courtesy *”Getting To Know You” *Teambuilding *Classbuilding/Cooperation *Narrative Elements *Types of Sentences *Writing complete sentences *Numeration *Place Value *Reading and writing four digit numbers *Handwriting *Bucket Fillers/Dippers *Attitudes/Characteristics Our Class News No.1 8/11-8/15 Spelling Words satfeltlast sendnextbest wenthandstand pastgrandstamp beltlendchecked BONUS WORDS: obeysnoticeddepartment accidentexpression What’s coming! 8/11-15……DIBELS Testing 8/21………PTA Meeting 6:00-7:00pm, Media Center 8/22……..PTA Pajama Night at Skateland 5:00-7:30 8/28………Curriculum Night; Two sessions will be held- 6:30-6:55, and 7:00-7:25pm 8/28………Annual Title 1 Meeting, 7:30-8:00pm 9/1………Labor Day-----NO SCHOOL Vocabulary Words departmentaccidentaudience commandsexpressionobeys noticed ! Keep Reading!

2. A note from me… Welcome to our weekly class newsletter! This will appear online each Monday evening to help keep you informed of what is happening in our class during the coming week. You will find spelling and vocabulary words for the week, a list of coming events in “What’s Coming?” and a list of what we are currently studying/working on in the “What’s Up?” section. This portion, entitled “A note From Me….” will contain pertinent parent information. You will also find a mystery word each week located somewhere in this newsletter. The word (and it’s location!) will change weekly. Please write the mystery word in your child’s agenda next to your initials when you have read the newsletter, and your child will earn bonus Bear Bucks! The newsletter is being sent directly to your email, which you registered for at Meet the Teacher, and is also available on our class website under “Weekly Newsletter.” Third grade is a big transition from second grade and an important milestone for your child. Our curriculum is “meatier” and more will be expected. Students will have more homework than in the past, which will result in increased independence and responsibility. Please encourage your child but never do anything for them that then can do for themselves. Check out the “Homework” section of our class website for specific homework policies and suggestions. As part of our class and team building activities, we are learning about bucket fillers and bucket dippers. Ask your child about being a bucket filler, and have them explain to you what it is. Have YOU filled a bucket today? Thank you for checking your child’s agenda and clip chart tracker each night and remembering to initial in the appropriate spot. Students are expected to have signed agendas and completed homework assignments here each morning. Homework is given each night, Monday-Thursday, and should take approximately 30 minutes for your child to complete, in addition to nightly reading. Third graders are expected to read a minimum of 20 min./night, and then fill out a “Thinkmark” page telling about their reading. Students receive one “Thinkmark” page for the entire week, and may choose each night whether to do a “Story Map” or “Retell” section of the paper. Please sign this nightly reading log, and indicate how much time your child spent reading. We began our weekly spelling program today, and your child should have brought home their appropriate spelling list to study for the test on Friday. Each Monday, a practice test is given to the class and those students who reach mastery( misses one word or achieves 100%) move on to the challenge list for the week. These are words with the same phonetic patterns as the regular weekly list, but more difficult, in order to provide some differentiation for those students who are ready to move on. If you or another family member is picking your child up after school, please make arrangements to meet them outside the building at a designated spot. Please remember that if coming on campus, all parents and visitors must sign in at the office and receive a visitor badge. The mystery word for this week is Bucket Fillers. As we begin our first full week of school, the routine is getting a little more familiar to most of the children. Hopefully you have established a regular routine at home as well which include daily chores, a regular homework time, and an established bedtime. When children have responsibilities and routines they are much more comfortable, confident, and know what to expect. Along with responsibilities come the rewards/consequences for our choices. We have talked at length in class about making good choices and the results that come with both positive and negative decisions. Learning to make appropriate choices requires a cooperative effort between students, parents, and teachers. As we work together, we can ensure that your child comes to a sound and well disciplined learning environment where they can achieve success. All children are responsible for their own learning and their own behavior. Rewarding positive behavior helps reduce behavior that may interfere with classroom learning. Good school and classroom discipline, along with student self-discipline is the foundation for success in school. “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” ~~~Chinese Proverb