Third Grade Information Packet 2013-14 School Year Mrs. Batzel Mrs. Fowler Mrs. Knerem Mrs. Kowalsky Mrs. Price
Assignment Notebooks All children are given an assignment notebook to write down their daily work. By checking these notebooks each day, you will emphasize the importance of being a responsible and organized student. Additional or replacement assignment notebooks can be purchased in the office. Friday Folders and Take Home Folders Your child s papers will be sent home on Fridays. A parent information sheet will also be included in the Friday folder to ensure regular communication between home and school. The parent information sheet needs to be signed and returned the following Monday of each week. There is also a place for parents to indicate the days of the week their child practiced his/her basic math facts. Each student will have a folder to use as a take-home folder. A weekly bulletin will be sent home each week. The Newsletter will have important information for the following week and a spelling list for the next lesson. It is suggested that the weekly bulletin be posted in a central place in your home. Some teachers may communicate weekly assignments through their very own website in that case a web address and directions on how to access the site will be given. Classroom Discipline Policy We believe that an effective discipline plan allows all students guidance in making good decisions about his/her behavior. This is essential when keeping in mind that lifelong success depends in part on selfdiscipline. The plan below outlines our school and classroom rules, possible rewards, and consequences. Green Valley Elementary School Expectations BE RESPECTFUL Respect yourself. Respect other people. (adults and students) Respect property. Respect the environment. BE RESPONSIBLE Turn in homework on time. Be prepared for all classes. (Including phys. ed., music, art and instrument lessons) BE SAFE Keep your hands, feet and all objects to yourself. Walk at all times. Enter and exit the building quietly and orderly. To motivate and encourage students to follow our class rules, we will support appropriate behavior with praise, happy notes home, positive phone calls, and other tangible rewards. The faculty and staff of Green Valley Elementary School follow a school wide discipline policy. Each classroom has a pocket chart where behavior will be monitored through the use of colored cards. However, if a student chooses to break a rule the student will be asked to turn his/her card from green to the next color corresponding with the rule infraction. The colors and consequences are listed below. 1. Green Go, good day! Blue Warning Yellow Letter Home Violet Alternative Lunch Hour Red Principal s Office
* Students will go directly to the office for violations of Parma City School District Code of Conduct and this may result in suspension. (See District Parent/Student Handbook) Grading System Percentage Grade 100 98 A+ 97 93 A 92 90 A- 89 88 B+ 87 83 B 82 80 B- 79 78 C+ 77 73 C 72 70 C- 69 68 D+ 67 63 D 62 60 D- 59 and Below All tests and quizzes with grades that are below average need to be signed by the parents. Parents may check their child s grades via the Internet. Grades will be updated into the system at least every other week. Directions and passwords to access the site will be given to parents after the first few weeks of school. Progress Reports Reports will be sent home the middle of every grading period to address student work habits and concerns. Grades are available via the Internet site. Teachers/Subject Areas If you have a question for a specific subject, please contact the appropriate teacher. F Mrs. Amanda Palinkas -Batzel Mrs. Pam Knerem Mrs. Thersa Fowler and Mrs. Michele Kowalsky Mrs. Monica Price Science Technology and study skills Social Studies Intervention Specialist 3 rd grade all classrooms All other subjects not listed are taught in the homeroom classrooms by the homeroom teacher.
Social Studies We will be using the textbook We the People: Share Our World published by Houghton-Mifflin and a workbook that is specific to the standards for Ohio and the national standards, Ohio Experience. Combined, these materials offer a broad scope of information and activities, from map skills to the factors of production, enabling the students to explore and become involved in real life situations. All quizzes and tests are graded on the grading scale listed earlier. Final grades are a reflection of their daily work, homework, and quizzes/tests. Science Students will be doing hands-on activities provided by the school district in conjunction with the AIMS Education Foundation and are aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards and Common Core Standards. All content information will be put in the students science spirals. All quizzes and tests are graded on the grading scale listed earlier. Final grades are a reflection of their daily work, homework, and quizzes/tests. Math Math Expressions is our comprehensive math program that builds on various concepts throughout each unit. The concepts are integrated so that students will practice a number of skills. All skills are based on the Common Core Standards. Homework in math is assigned almost daily. Assignments completed on time and correctly will receive full credit. All quizzes and tests are graded on the grading scale listed earlier. The overall math grade is a reflection of homework, ongoing work and unit assessments. Language Arts Our reading program is Reading Streets. This language arts program encompasses reading, language, writing, reading fluency, phonics and spelling through a variety of reading selections in the student text. Students will also be engaged in reading stations/centers and taught to use technology to enhance their reading experience. Spelling/Phonics Students have a new list of words every week located on the Family Times newsletter. Spelling/ Phonics words should be studied daily. A pretest will be given on Monday followed by a final test on Friday. Students will also have additional exercises to be completed throughout the week. Any unfinished work must be completed for homework. Students will receive an averaged grade of their daily work and assessments at the end of the grading period as part of the Language Arts grade. Handwriting Correct cursive writing is stressed through practice exercises and on daily work. Writing skills are also reviewed and incorporated in all subject areas. Student s writing should be modeled after the cursive writing alphabet displayed in the classroom. RED, WHITE, BLUE Days The PCSD has designed a three-day rotation for specials aka music, gym, and art. Each school day will be designated a certain color. The color indicates what special your class has for the day. The colors will
be run in Red, White, Blue, Red, White, and Blue and so on. Each special will be 40 minutes long. Your child s teacher will let you know which color has been selected for each special. Physical Education Proper clothing (gym shirts, shorts, or sweat pants, and gym shoes) is extremely important for the success of the program. Students are requested to come to school dressed for gym on their assigned days. They may wear their shorts under their pants or jeans, and wear their gym shirt over the top they are wearing to school. Shoes may be changed in the classroom. Music The students are expected to bring a folder with music supplies to class each session. Student may also have a recorder to bring to music class that will be introduced later in the school year. Art The students are expected to wear an art shirt and bring art supplies to each class session. Science, SS and Technology Switching The switching rotation for science, social studies, and technology class will also follow the Red, White, Blue schedule. Your child s teacher will let you know which color has been selected for each subject. Field Trips Educational field trips will be scheduled throughout the year. They are a privilege that enrich the classroom experience. Each student must earn the privilege to attend a field trip by completing his/her assignments, and by displaying responsible behavior. Book Orders The students may have the opportunity throughout the year to order books through Scholastic Books. Orders will only be accepted with a check for the full amount made out to the company or you may order books through the Scholastic Books website (see catalog & flyer for ordering procedures). Teachers are not able to write a personal check for any cash received. Daily Class Preparation All students must be prepared daily for class with textbooks, assignment notebook, completed homework, library book(s), pencils, and other supplies. Each student is responsible for completing the assigned work and turning it in on time. All students are expected to follow the teacher s directions when answering the assigned questions. Complete sentences are required, and correct spelling of familiar words is important on all assignments. Homework We believe homework is important because it is a valuable aid in helping students make the most of their experience in school. We give homework because it is useful in reinforcing what has been learned in class, preparing students for upcoming lessons, extending and generalizing concepts, teaching responsibility, and helping students develop positive study habits. We expect students to do their best job on their homework. We expect homework to be neat, not sloppy. We expect students to do the work on their own and only ask for help after they have given it their best
effort. Parents should help children with homework if a problem arises, but only after children have tried their best to solve it on their own. In no case, however, should parents do homework for their children. Any homework that is not completed, is incomplete, or needs a parent signature will be sent home that day for completion. This work must be returned the next school day. If any student continually chooses not to do his/her homework, we will ask that the parents begin monitoring their child s work and signing the assignment notebook daily. If students still choose not to complete their homework, they will be required to flip a card on the behavior chart. If there is a legitimate reason why a student is not able to finish homework, a parent must send a note to us on the day the homework is due stating the reason it was not completed. The note must be signed by a parent, and each case will be handled on an individual basis. The assignment must be turned in the following day. We feel that parents are the key to making homework a positive experience for their children. Therefore, we ask that parents make homework a top priority, provide necessary supplies and a quiet homework environment. It is also important to set a daily homework time, provide praise and support, and not let children avoid homework. Please contact us if you notice a problem in homework completion. Contacting the Teacher As always, the fastest mode of communication is a written note sent into school with your child. Email and phone messages are addressed after 3:30 p.m. Please expect at least a 24-hour turn around response time to emails and phone messages. All absences and dismissal changes must be called directly into the Green Valley office. Teacher contact information will be given in the teacher s weekly bulletin. Thank you very much for your support!