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SUPPLY LIST 08-09

 

Welcome to Third Grade!

 

Mrs. Colvert
Mrs. Mulhern

 

 

Snacks:  Your child may bring a nutritious snack to school each day.  Items such as fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, trail mix, crackers and cheese, crackers and peanut butter, or shelled nuts are acceptable options.  Please----no candy, sweets, drinks, cookies, chips or any snack that requires a spoon or other utensil, unless student brings own from home.   (Remember to think healthy, not messy!)  We encourage children to bring a water bottle to school.

 

Library:  Students will have a Rudy Library card and will have an opportunity to go to the library to check out a book at least once a week.  If students finish their book before the end of the week, that book may be returned and another checked out.  Only one book may be checked out at a time.

 

Computers:  Students will have an opportunity to work in the computer lab, research lab, and within the classroom on a flexible schedule.  Students may be working on various reading programs, math concepts, research, keyboarding or writing assignments at different times throughout the year.  In addition, students will go to a once a week computer lab that will be academic based.  (Contingent on available funding)

 

Writing:  Mrs. Colvert will be implementing a daily Writers’ Workshop, where students will practice writing, grammar and spelling skills.  Students will write narrative, descriptive, and expository paragraphs.  All paragraphs are required to start with a topic sentence, have at least 3 detail sentences and have a conclusion sentence.  The Step Up to Writing format is followed as a guide.  Daily Language Instruction (D.L.I) and Daily Language Practice is used for student practice in grammar and mechanics.  Other supplementary materials may also be used. 

 

Reading:  We use the Open Court series as our base reading series as well as leveled books and novels depending on students’ reading level.  All students will be flexibly grouped according to skill needs and will meet with teachers for both large and small group instruction.  Reading skills will be monitored on a regular basis to maximize student growth. 

 

Spelling:  Our standards based report card does not have a separate grade for spelling.  The spelling assessment is based solely on how a student spells in their writing.  To emphasize using phonics skills to spell correctly, we will pretest on a specific skill weekly.  If the pretest is passed on the first day of the week, then those students will have more challenging words for that week.  Students will receive weekly spelling lists on Mondays, or the first day of the school week.  A weekly spelling test will be given on Fridays or the last day of the school week.  Once these words have been mastered, we will expect them to be spelled correctly in all other work.  During weeks that have only four school days, the final test will be given on the fourth day of that week.  No test will be given during weeks containing three or fewer days of school.

 

Math:   Mrs. Mulhern uses Everyday Math as a basis for math skill instruction.  There is now more emphasis on thinking skills and writing in math.  Besides solving problems, students are expected to be able to explain in sentence form the process they used to reach the solution.  By the end of third grade, students should know all of their basic addition and subtraction facts, as well as most of their multiplication facts.  

 

At Home Reading:  Home reading will be required this year.  Students are required to read at least 100 minutes every week at home, even if it is a short week of school!  Soon this homework will also include vocabulary practice and a skill based assignment that reinforces the skills worked on in class that week.    

 

Social Studies and Science: 

Social studies units for third grade include:

·        Economics

·        Geography

·        History  (Native Americans and Pioneers of the Pikes Peak region)

·        Civics  (Basic understanding of government, elections and voting)

Science Units will include:

·        Geology

·        Space

·        Chemistry, Sound and other science units taught during specials with Mrs. Calvin

 

Research skills:

·        Zoo Mammals

 

On Mondays of most weeks, we will have mixed class groupings for science and social studies.  Attendance on Mondays is very important!

 

Homework and Planners:  Each child is to write down all of the assignments for the day in his/her daily planner.  This is done together as a class.  Routine homework assignments for third grade include reading each night, practicing spelling words, and working on math facts.  Other assignments may be given on a nightly, weekly or project-based timeline.  The homework folder and planner should come home every evening and a parent should look over the homework and sign the planner everyday.

 

Late Assignments:  All assignments are to be turned in on time and completed neatly!!  We feel it is important to set high standards for our students, so late assignments are not acceptable.  If missing assignments are not turned in by the day after they are due, students will be required to stay in at recesses, or possibly after school until the assignments are complete.  This year we are implementing a 3rd grade only after school study hall on Monday afternoons from 2:30 - 3:30pm.   (Parents will be notified ahead of time, if study hall time is required.  Look for invitations in Friday folders for students who have missing work.  Other students may attend with written parent permission)   

 

Absences:  Work missed because of absences should be turned in within 2-3 days of the absence.  If you know your student will be absent for an extended period of time, please inform us well in advance, so assignments can be sent home ahead of time. 

 

Grades:  Grades for the standards based report card will be based on how well students are performing the standards and essential skills for a particular subject in each quarter.  Grades are no longer based on averages of test scores.    Grades are based more on the mode of students’ work, rather than the mean.  If under most circumstances, a child seems to understand a concept, then he/she will receive the grade that is appropriate with their level of understanding.  To learn more about the essential skills for third grade, please visit the Rudy website or the District #11 website at www.d11.org.  Go down to the Student Achievement menu and click on Standards Based Reporting.  Then click on Parent Essential Skills and then on third grade.  

 

Friday Folders:  Each Friday your child’s work for the week will be coming home in a folder.  Please look through the work with your child.  (The work should not be returned to school, unless noted differently on a particular paper.)   There will always be a notation as to how the week has gone for all 5-day school weeks on a colored sheet of paper that is in the folder.  One parent needs to sign the colored sheet, write any comments that are needed, and send the folder with the colored sheet still inside back to school on the first school day of the following week.  A class newsletter reviewing the week’s learning and giving additional announcements will be sent to your email through the Rudy E Reader each 5 day week.  It is your responsibility to notify your child’s teacher if you do not have an email address and need a copy sent home in the Friday folder.  Mrs. Mulhern and Mrs. Colvert will alternate the responsibility of this newsletter each week. 

 

Discipline:  We are using a scholar dollar and a ticket system.  Students can earn classroom dollars or tickets for positive behavior, completed work, following directions, getting required parent signatures, etc.  At the end of each complete month, our classes will have a “scholar store” where students may redeem their classroom dollars and tickets for various store items. 

Students have developed a joint class mission statement that states their goals and is aligned with our classroom rules:  Be safe.  Be kind.  Be responsible.  Our hope is that students will begin to help each other maintain behavior that supports that mission statement.  Any discipline problems that do occur within the classroom will be dealt with on an individual basis.  Parents will be kept informed of any continuing issues through Friday folders, phone calls, or email.

 

Birthdays:  If you plan to have your child celebrate his/her birthday at school, you may send in treats for the class.  Treats should be wrapped or easy to pass out.  Please no cakes that have to be cut, ice cream, or drinks.  Check with your child’s teacher a few days in advance for an accurate count of the number of students in your child’s class.  Because our classes are mixed grouped in the afternoon, treats need to be at school in the morning, if you are providing treats for your child’s homeroom only.  Multi-class treats will be handed out during afternoon recess. (1:15-1:25 pm)

 

Book Orders:  Periodically, book orders will be sent home in Friday folders.  If you choose to order any books, the order will be due the following Friday.  Orders are usually sent home from both Lucky and Arrow book clubs.   If you order from multiple clubs, make one check out to Scholastic Book Clubs that covers the total cost of the orders.  No Cash!!   

 

Questions?  If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at Rudy during school hours.  We will return messages as soon as we possibly can.  

 Mrs. Colvert:    328-7640   email:  colveps@d11.org

 Mrs. Mulhern:  328-7641   email: mulhese@d11.org