Dear Parents/Guardians and Students, Welcome to the 3rd Grade!

I am looking forward in getting to know you and your family, and I am very excited about the opportunity to teach this school year! My teaching philosophy is student-centered and I believe in providing students with many hands on experiences in all subject areas. Such experiences will be informative as well as enjoyable for the students. My goal is to use a variety of teaching strategies that will tend to all learning styles throughout the school year. I hope for this year to be a great learning experience for your child! In this packet, I have included information concerning classroom rules, consequences, rewards, and policies. I ask that you please fill out the return signature sheet indicating that both you and your child have reviewed the information. I would be delighted for you to visit our classroom, schedule a conference, or volunteer to help out during this school year! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me by calling the school (555) 555-5555 X5555 or via email at teacher@education.net. Again, welcome to the School! Lets work together to make this the best year ever! Sincerely,

Miss Aiken

Throughout the school year, Room 303 will be celebrating class birthdays! In honor of your childs birthday, he/she may bring in a treat to celebrate their special day. If your childs birthday falls during the summer, a special date will be arranged for your child to celebrate during the school year. Treats should be accompanied with any utensils, cups, napkins, etc. that will be needed to create the least amount of mess as possible. If you choose to bring a drink for the class, please limit to 100% juices. Treats can range from healthy snacks, your childs favorite treat, or a small sweet. Please be sure to bring enough to offer all 22 students. ***If you are planning a party for your child outside of school, please mail party invitations in the mail. Unless all students in our class are invited, students will not be allowed to pass out party invitations at school to prevent any hurt feelings***

Classroom Rules

#1

be RESPECTFUL

-school: property, rules, playground, gym, cafeteria -self -others: classmates, teacher, aides, parents, and other staff

#2

do RAISE YOUR HAND

-listen to others -raise hand quietly while waiting to speak -participate in class

#3

be RESPONSIBLE

-come to school prepared -turn in assignments on time -write assignments in planner -keep desk, folders, and cubby organized

#4

be ROCK STARS

-do your best work -help others -dont be afraid to ask questions!

Ask your child about Miss Viola Swamp from the story, Miss Nelson is Missing!

Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior

First Strike

-Direct reminder to student -either verbal or nonverbal

Second Strike

(lose a ticket) -Direct but private verbal reminder -Discuss expected behavior and future consequences

Third Strike

(lose a ticket)

-Take a Break -Private student-teacher conference

Fourth Strike

(lose a ticket) -Loss of privileges: recess, desk moved, etc. -Phone call home and/or student-parentteacher meeting

Fifth Strike

(lose a ticket)

-Loss of privileges -Referral to Counselor, or Principal

Homework Assignment Policy
All work to be turned in to the teacher should be:

Neat and legible

Completed Turned in on time Students own work

Homework Expectations * Each student received a homework folder with two sides. One labeled Keep Home and the other Bring Back To School. Students are responsible for bringing back all assignments with the use of this folder. * Parents are encouraged to ask their child each day Do you have any homework? and each night Show me your homework. An assignment book is filled out each day by the students to inform parents of any work that is to be completed for the next day. I require students to have their assignment book signed each night at the beginning of the school year. * Please contact the teacher if a special emergency occurs that prohibits your child to complete his/her work!

I have read and discussed with ___________________the following:

Print Your Childs Name

-Welcome Back letter -Classroom Rules -Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior -Homework Assignment Policy/Consequences/Expectations -Rewards for Rock Star Behaviors -Classroom Birthdays Policies -Important room 303 Information

_____________________________
Parent Signature

_____________________________
Student Signature

___________
Date

Yes, I do give permission to have my child photographed/video taped throughout this school year No, I do NOT give permission to have my child photographed/video taped throughout this school year

Once Again,

Rewards for Rock Star Behaviors

Students who demonstrate Rock Star behavior in the classroom will be rewarded in the following ways: -Verbal praise -Call/note to parent -Incentive Stickers

-Raffle tickets to be used for Friday Treasure Hunt! -Once students collect 10 tickets, they may trade in for a chip to be used with our Treasure Hunt plinko board!

Examples of Rock Star behavior: -Outstanding work on assignments/tests -Helping classmates and teacher -Following class rules -Keeping a neat and organized desk -Asking relevant questions -Good reports from other teachers and staff

Important Room 303 Information

Graded Work Folders Every Tuesday, your child will be taking home a graded work folder. The folder will contain all graded tests, quizzes, and assignments from the previous week. Once you have seen the work, please sign the attached sheet and have your child return the folder on Wednesday with all the work inside. By providing your signature, I know that you have seen all of your childs graded work from the previous week. At the end of each grading period, the folder will go home with all materials to be kept at home!

Edline You and your child will also be able to communicate with the teacher through Edline. I will be posting important information, helpful websites, newsletters, and spelling/vocabulary words throughout the school year. Student of the Week Students will also be participating in a Student of the Week program. Students will randomly be picked each week as the Student of the Week. The student chosen will be asked to provide pictures of him/her to display on the Student of the Week poster. Students will also be given the opportunity to bring in items to share with the class throughout their special week. I will be informing students the Monday before their week so they will have the opportunity to locate pictures/items to share starting on Friday. Please support your child with this fun activity. Pictures/Videos Throughout the year, I will be taking pictures of students while working on assignments, completing routine tasks, presenting projects, working together during activities, etc. At the end of the year, I will compile the pictures into a slide show. This is a great way to remember our special year and see how much the students have grown! If you would NOT like your child to be photographed, please check your preference on the sign and return sheet. I also plan on having the students use Flip Video cameras for special projects and assignments for different subject areas. Again, please check your preference on the sign and return sheet. Supplies In order to practice organization skills, I am asking each student to bring a 1 1/2 to 2 inch 3 ring binder to school by Monday, Sept. 14th. A binder that has a hard cover (not bendable plastic) works best. This binder will be used to organize our Assignment Books, Take Home Folder, and other important information. Please let me know if this presents any problems for you, as I am sure we can work something out. During Math class (and other classes too) this year, we will be using individual dry erase boards and makers often to review concepts. Along with the usual supplies your child brings to school every day, I am also asking each student to bring in at least one dry erase marker and an old sock or regular dry eraser for use with the dry erase boards. Also, with cold

weather coming before we know it, room 303 also welcomes any donated tissues, ziploc bags, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes to the classroom. I really appreciate anything you can do to help with our class supplies. If there is anything else we need in the future, Ill let you know! Reading Book Report/Project For each six-weeks in Reading, students will be required to read a chapter book and complete a book report on their chosen book. Students are given 15-20 minutes every day to read their chapter books- which should give them plenty of time to get through their books in the first six-weeks and complete a book report. (If the six-weeks is coming to a close, and a student does not have his/her chapter book completely read, he/she can then take it home in order to complete it in time.) Students will complete a different kind of report/project every grading period after reading their chapter books. Please make sure that your child has his/her chapter book IN SCHOOL every day to read during this time. Thank you for taking the time to look over all of this information. I appreciate all that you do, and I look forward to working together with you this year!