1. Welcome to 3 rd Grade 2014-2015

2. Ways YOU can help your child this year: Please make sure your child attends school on time each day. Send your child with a backpack each day. Look in your child’s backpack each day. Encourage your child to talk about school. Help your child with the homework each day. Read with your child at least 20 minutes each day.

3. DONATIONS The following items are ALWAYS welcome as donations to the class: **glue sticks** Tissues Lysol / Clorox wipes Ziploc bags of any size Dry erase markers – fine or regular tip Pencils Items that are distracting in the classroom and should be left at home are pens, pencil sharpeners, markers, and toys.

4. HOMEWORK  A homework packet will be sent home at the FIRST of each week and is to be sent back to school at the END of each week.  The packet will include spelling words, vocabulary, and a math page to practice for assessments at the end of each week.  The packet will also include a page for recording reading minutes. This will be turned in at the end of each month.  Extra games, practice sheets, and learning sites will be listed soon on our class webpage.

5. VOLUNTEERS Our class loves volunteers – whether it’s once a week or occasionally. Some volunteer opportunities this year include: Room parent (spearheads groups for class parties, helps w/PTA)  Halloween  Winter celebration  Valentine’s Day  Clerical help – each Friday morning with homework folders  Reading Centers – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings  Math Pull-outs – testing on math facts, Wednesday mornings  Field trip volunteers will be asked for closer to the activity

6. CURRICULUM There is a NEW Language Arts program this year – adopted district wide and implemented in all elementary grades. It is through McGraw-Hill and will contain our spelling and vocabulary words – as well as introduce our students to new and exciting text. There are leveled readers that will be used during small group instruction to support their learning. Feel free to ask to see the text your students will use. Math will start out reviewing and adding to concepts learned previously, i.e. time, place value, addition, subtraction, etc. We will be moving into multiplication and division and learning multiple ways to process these facts. Find ways to re-enforce multiplication and division in your every day interactions with your child. (Example: arrays)

7. CURRICULUM CONTINUED... All 3 rd grade students will be focusing on the writing process. Your child will be doing writing in language arts, math, science, social studies, etc. In other words, they will be doing a LOT of writing. They also will need to be able to process that writing on the keyboard. Any practice you can do at home with keyboarding will be beneficial to your child. We will be doing rotations for Science, Social Studies and Keyboarding/Music. Students will get to go to each class once a week to study these topics. We are excited to get to know all the 3 rd grade students through these rotations. Mrs. Pearson- Science Mrs. Gallegos- Social Studies Mrs. Brickey- Keyboarding/Music

8. BIRTHDAYS Birthdays are important in third grade. We will make cards for each child on their birthday. You may send a treat if you wish, but it is not expected. Guidelines from the Health Department mandate that any treat has to be store bought and in the original wrapping. Due to allergies, nonfood items are preferred (pencils, stickers, erasers, book donation to the class). For the children with a birthday in the summer we will celebrate their birthday the week they are Student of the Week.

9. IN OUR CLASS..... We will be working on being part of a community as a class and in small groups. We will focus on positive re-enforcement through earning group privileges and then working towards class points and rewards. If there is a concern, we will make contact with you through email or a phone call. Each student is expected to show RESPECT for themselves, their fellow classmates, their teacher, and school property.

10. MYDSD Pay lunch fees View Desk (Davis Essential Skills and Knowledge) Busing information Schedule SEP Conferences

11. Thanks for coming and supporting your child.