Last modified: December 8, 2022

Parent Information English

Welcome to 3rd grade! This is your guide to help your child succeed and have a great year. This year our goal is to start becoming life long learners. We will be working to ensure high levels of success for all students as they push themselves to do their best.

Behavior Management

I handle problems in the classroom with discussion, problem solving, and a natural consequences system. School standards and classroom rules will be discussed in class. Students are expected to follow directions, show respect, and make smart choices. Individual students may need a modification behavior plan, and we can discuss that if the need arises. Please let me know of any questions or concerns. In my classroom, I focus on positive behaviors and reward students when they demonstrate those behaviors, as a group and as individuals.

The school’s hand-off policy is strictly enforced. Students caught violating this policy will have a consequence in the LRR. Students may also be sent to the LRR for speaking disrespectfully, using inappropriate language, or excessive disruptive behavior. Hopefully, we will be too busy learning, exploring, and working to misbehave!

Birthdays

We celebrate everyone’s birthday by singing and with the student getting to wear a special “birthday” hat. You are welcome to send treats with your child on his/her birthday to share with the class. Please give me at least 24 hours notice if you are planning to bring treats and please bring them at the end of the day. Please keep in mind the district policy of no homemade treats. We will have approximately 22 students in our class this year. Birthdays that are on a weekend or holiday will be celebrated on the Friday before. Summer birthdays will be celebrated on the student’s half birthday (ex. July 15th is celebrated on January 15th.)

Communication

It is very important that we work together as partners in your child’s education to ensure that your child has a good school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. There are three different ways to contact me. You may call me at (801) 370-4630 ext. 1130, email me at ladalet@provo.edu, or send a note to school with you child. Email is usually the best way to contact me since I check that the most often. The best way to reach me by phone is at school from 8:10-8:30 a.m. or 3:30-3:50 p.m. It is difficult to reach me during school hours when I am busy teaching, but you may call and leave a message and I will call you back as soon as I can. If you wish to speak to me in person about your students, PLEASE make an appointment with me.

Donations

Teachers appreciate any donation you feel to give to help with the cost of classroom supplies, projects, and field trips. We are asking for donations of $20, or whatever you are able to give. Please take any donations to the office. Thank you for your support of our school and classroom! Another great way to help our class earn more money is to bring in Box Tops. Please turn those in and help our class win the school box top competition.

Homework

Homework will be sent home at the beginning of the week in the child’s homework folder. Please be aware of your child’s homework and help them complete it each night. Parents should initial the homework paper and record minutes spent reading and practicing math facts and return it at the end of the week.

HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS:

1. Read 30 minutes each night
2. Practice fluency by reading aloud for 5-10 minutes
3. Practice math facts (adding, subtracting, multiplication, division)

Homework will be done 5 days during the week. It can be a difficult challenge for both parent and student. Here are some tips for helping your child be successful with homework.

1. Help them determine a regular time and place for homework
2. Occasionally listen you your child read. Make sure you know what they are reading. Also, check them to see if they understand what they are reading by asking them questions.
3. Praise your child for a job well done.
4. Initial their homework calendar each night they meet the homework requirements.

Data Tracking

Student will also have a binder in class to track their progress on our learning targets and guaranteed essentials. Progress reports will be sent home for you to sign and return to see how your child is doing in class. These will be shared at each SEP conference throughout the year. Feel free to come in whenever to see and discuss the progress your child is making.

Topics of Study

Reading: Our focus is reading fluency with good speed, accuracy, and expression. Students will be tested to see how many words they can read correctly on a 3rd grade reading passage. The goal is for everyone to read 100 words in a minute by the end of the year. To help your students meet this goal, home reading should be done aloud. This will improve student’s fluency.

Writing: During the year we will be working towards writing multiple paragraph papers (3 paragraphs) that contain introductions and conclusions. Students will be evaluated on opinion, narrative, and information/research writing topics.

Math: We will be working on 3-digit addition and subtraction, algebra concepts, geometry, measurement, multiplication and division, and fractions throughout the year. Our focus will be quick recall of multiplication and division facts 0-12. Using flash cards at home is a great way to help them master these facts!

Lunch

Lunch is from 11:45-12:20 each day. If you think you may qualify for the reduced or free lunch, please talk to the secretaries in the office. You may pay for lunch at the office or send a check or cash to school with your child. Make sure your account is up to date- your child will get a reminder when the account is low. There will be no lunch charges allowed, so a child who has no lunch money in his/her account will need to call you at home or work and have you bring the money to the school before lunch time. Your child may also bring a lunch from home. Make sure his/her name is printed clearly on the lunch box or bag. Regularly priced school lunch is $2.00 per day. If parents would like to have lunch with their student the adult cost is $3.00.

 Newsletters

Each week you will receive a class newsletter with important information. Please remove it from your child’s homework folder so that I know you have received it. PLEASE READ IT to stay up to date on upcoming events, class projects, spelling lists, and other news. This is a very important link from our classroom to your home.

Recess

All students will go outside for recess unless the weather is particularly inclement. It is important that they get this play/ exercise time. Each child will be required to go outside unless I have a signed and dated note from a parent stating that the child may stay in. However, please write a note only if your child has an injury or is ill. Usually, if a child is well enough to be around other children at school, he/she is well enough to play outside. Please help your child dress appropriately for the weather. When we have snow, it is helpful if students bring gloves, boots, and a hat.

 Volunteers

One way to help all students succeed is to have some extra adult help in the classroom. Students love to see their mom or dad during the school day. There will be a sign up sheet available for you to choose how you would like to volunteer. I will contact those volunteers as the need arises.

There will be a few times during the year when we need parent volunteers to come with us on a field trip, and you will be able to sign up for those opportunities as they come up. If you are in the school to volunteer, please stop in at the office to sign in and get a volunteer sticker so that you are identified as a safe adult.

There are also opportunities to help the PTA.

Attendance

Students are expected to be at school each day on time. If your child is late, they need to go to the office to check in. If your child will be missing school because of a family vacation, please let me (and the office) know in advance so I can have make-up work for them. If they are ill, they can make up work when they return to school. If you need to take your child during the school day, please check them out in the office first. I cannot send your child with you before being checked out. The office will then contact me to send them to the office.

Daily Schedule

In general:

(Monday-Thursday)                                                (Friday)

8:30-8:45 Morning Tasks                 8:30-8:45 Morning Tasks

8:45-9:00 Fluency Fact Practice        8:45-9:45 Weekly Assessment

9:00-10:00 Math (Whole Group)      9:45-10:15 Class Meeting

10:00-10:15 Read Aloud                  10:15-10:30 Recess

10:15-10:45 Math Tier II                   10:30-11:45 Science and Social Studies

10:45-11:45 Specials                        11:45-12:20 Lunch

11:45-12:20 Lunch                           12:20-1:25 Literacy/Math

12:20-1:30 Literacy Whole group     1:25-1:30 Closing Tasks

1:30- 1:45 Recess

1:45-2:15 Literacy Whole group

2:15-3:15 Literacy Small Group (Tier III 2:15-2:45)

3:15-3:20 Closing Tasks

Please be curious about what we are learning. Provide a specific study time and area for your child to work at home. Help them drill and practice spelling words and math facts. Your interest and involvement provides more incentive for your child to learn than you may ever realize. THANK YOU!

Additional Random Stuff

Promptness: Help your child form the considerate habit of being on time by getting to school by 8:30 each morning. School starts at 8:40 a.m. every morning. It is best if he/she arrives between 8:10 and 8:30, as there is supervision then. Students may not be in the school halls before school. Reading: The single more important thing you can do to help your child be a good reader is to read to and with your child every night. When your child is reading aloud to you…Please do:Give you child wait time (5-10 seconds) to try a new word on his/her own. Focus on what your child is doing well. Take every opportunity to build confidence with praise. Be patient. Let your child set the pace. Choose a time to read when you are relaxed and can give your child your full attention. Make each session enjoyable for both of you (stop if you are getting frustrated). Also:Be a good model of reading. Read aloud often to your child. Give your child a comfortable, quiet atmosphere to read in. Ask your child questions about what he/she is reading. Please don’t:Spoil the story by making it a word recognition contest. Insist that every word is read correctly. Your child is reading for meaning. Criticize your child’s reading or urge him/her to try harder. Compare him/her with other children. Expect rapid results. Learning to read is gradual. Thank you for all your help and support! This will be a great year!

Sincerely,

Miss Tobler