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Welcome to third grade!  I have prepared this handbook for you, the parents, to be informed on many aspects of third grade.  Please refer to it as questions arise throughout the year.

ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION/WORK:

The Binder

Students in third grade have a binder for all of their work and important papers.  It is very important to bring it to school each day.  The first page in the binder is the weekly organizer.  This is the most important paper for students and parents to keep up with what is going on in class.  Homework is written down here, and any quizzes, tests, or activities for the week are listed.  The front pocket is for homework, classwork that needs to be finished, and important paperwork going back and forth from school.  The back pocket is for papers that can be left at home.  As the year goes on, you will see papers added for writing and reading skills.

We don't always want work finished at home, and that type of work is kept in a folder at school.  We keep packets, long term projects, and things we are going to go over in class in this folder. 

The Weekly Organizer

Each Monday the students are given an organizer for the week.  It has the spelling words, tests, quizzes, and activities for the week, and a place for the students to write down their homework.  It is collected each Friday so that weeks don't get confused.  The study planner for the week can be found on the back of the weekly organizer.  The study planner lists suggested activities for studying for tests and building study skills. 

The Wednesday Folder

It is important that parents review the folder each Wednesday with their child.  There must be follow-up at home for students to continue to be responsible at school.   If your child has had any late assignments – homework or class work – you will see the completed paper, along with a form that your child has filled out explaining what their reason was for not having the assignment on time.  Your child will be asked to take the corresponding textbook home for any grade 85 or lower.  This is specifically meant for "notebook" paper assignments from the textbooks - so that you're able to see what the questions were and where your child went wrong.    Try to take advantage of the opportunity to look over these assignments.  Please sign and return to school any late assignment slips that you receive. 

ASSIGNMENTS:

There are two types of assignments in third grade.

The practice assignment:

This may be in-class or homework.  No percentage grade will be placed on these assignments.  They will be checked in class, either the day of or the day after completion.  It is very important for students to complete these assignments.  The assignments provide reinforcement of what we have learned together, and give the students and myself a chance to see what they know and don’t know.  Papers of this type must be finished.  See below in the Grading section for more information.

The graded assignment:

These assignments will be done completely in class.  They will be graded and a percentage grade will appear on the paper.  If a graded paper is late, 10 points will be taken off.  The assignment should be completed, even if late, to avoid a zero. 

Open book assignments:

There is a tendency to believe that "open book" assignments should be easy A's.  This is not the case for third graders.  Looking up information in a textbook is somewhat new, and requires a lot of patience - something that third graders don't have a lot of!  There are a few different reasons that third graders have difficulty with open book assignments -

1. Third graders believe they "know everything."  So, they tend to overestimate their knowledge and put down answers they think are right, without actually checking the textbook.

2. Third graders are impatient.  They want to finish assignments quickly, so they put down their best guess and move on.

3. Third graders are still developing reading comprehension skills.  They may not realize that an answer doesn't make sense because they don't really understand the words they read.

4. Third graders are just beginning to understand how a textbook "works."  Textbooks use techniques like highlighting vocabulary words and then defining the words in the text, graphs, maps, and picture captions to teach the material.  These techniques are new to third graders.

We will do a lot of work in third grade on learning to look up answers in textbooks.  The following are things your child will learn:

1. When a word is written in bold or highlighted, it is important.

2. A vocabulary word will usually be highlighted.  The definition is usually close by.  Look for sentences such as "a mayor is..."  The words after "is" will be the definition.  Also look for sentences that use OR.  "A mayor of a city OR the leader of the city government" - for example. 

3. When you're trying to match up words and definitions at the end of a chapter, look for the WORD in the text.  Then you can read the definition that goes with it.  It's much easier to locate one word than to find the phrase that will be the definition. 

4. Use the headings in the textbook for help.  If the chapter was about spending and earning money, and you have a question about budgeting, look for that heading in the chapter. 

5. Write the page number where you found each answer next to the problem.  This will remind you that each answer can be found in the textbook.

You can help your child by reinforcing these ideas at home in homework or when they bring home a paper from the Wednesday folder that they've had difficulty with.

GRADING:

English, reading, religion, math, s.s., science  - every assignment is weighted equally

Spelling – weekly tests are 100% of the grade

Completion of all homework and in-class practice assignments and class participation creates one grade for each marking period in each subject.  Each student starts off each marking period with 100 for the homework/practice assignment grade for each subject.  Each time an assignment is not completed on time, 10 points will be deducted from the score.  For example, if your child turned in one math practice class assignment and one math homework assignment late this nine weeks, he/she would receive an 80 for one grade at the end of the marking period.  Assignments that are missed will be made up, during free time that day or recess.  Points that are lost for the assignment being late CANNOT be made up. 

You are used to the grading system that first and second grades use: G, S, etc.  In third grade, we switch over to A-F.  They will stay with this system through the eighth grade.  On the report card, you will see numeric scores.

 Grading Code:

Conduct and Effort Code:

Marks you will see on your child's work papers:

The students often check their own work.  I give them the answers and they mark their problems correct or incorrect.  I ask them to only mark what's incorrect to make the overall paper easier to view.  Sometimes they put check marks by correct items if there's a large group of answers that they may have in a different order than that I  call out.  You will see your child's marks on their papers and you should see the total number missed in their handwriting.  The students check all papers in red pen.  They do not check each other's papers.  You will usually see an additional mark in green or other colored ink in my handwriting at the top of the paper.  The marks are usually as follows:

Sometimes, if your child has a a- on their paper, you will see that I have asked them to correct their mistakes.  The corrections will have been done in class and usually a large check mark will be over the request to show that your child has met the request to correct their paper. 

If your child did not write how many they missed, I will often write "Remember to write how many missed."  Sometimes I will write "Minus ?"

If you see "ATC" at the top of your child's paper, that means that it was something we checked together in class, but your child was not there to check it with us.  They may have been absent for the day, or absent from class at that time for pull-out programs, etc.  "ATC" stands for "absent to check" and is a note to myself to check over their work myself.

TESTS:

Study skills are very important, and just emerging in third grade.  They rely on assistance at school and home to learn good study habits.  Please help them read and review material at home.  We will talk about how to study often in class.  Review sheets will be given for science and social studies tests.  Study time needed is taken into consideration when homework is given, so as not to overload the students.  Please use the study planners that will be on the back of each weekly organizer to help your child study appropriately and to learn good study habits.

HOMEWORK:

Homework is an important part of the third grade curriculum.  Please set up a homework routine at home.  Homework should take 30 minutes per night on average.  This time includes studying for tests and quizzes.  Each week a study planner will be on the back of the weekly organizer.  It lists suggested activities for studying for tests, quizzes, and math facts. 

EXPECTATIONS FOR WRITING AT HOME:

Sometimes children are asked to finish final drafts or edit papers at home.  Third graders have not perfected the skills necessary to completely edit a paper for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.  It is helpful for you to point out to them mistakes that they cannot find on their own so that they can correct them.  Please use the writing section in the work binder for guidance in writing at home.

CLASS WORK AT HOME:

Unfinished class work is usually sent home to be finished at home and returned the next day. 

EXTRA CREDIT:

Once per nine weeks in each subject area, extra credit will be offered to all students.  It will be announced in class and in the weekly email.  It is not mandatory.  Individual extra credit will not be given.

MATH FACTS:

Math facts are the basis of success in math.  Without having these basics down cold, your child will struggle to complete more complicated math problems in a timely manner.  Addition and subtraction facts were learned in first and second grade.  We continue to practice these by having an addition quiz each Monday and a subtraction quiz each Friday.   One of the most important things learned in third grade is multiplication.  We begin memorizing the multiplication tables in late August/early September.  We learn three new facts per week.  Each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we have multiplication quizzes.    Quizzes are not graded unless it's specifically noted on the weekly organizer.

COMPREHENSION:

In the previous grades, students concentrated on learning to read.  Now that they can read, we will focus on understanding what they read.   Reading comprehension is a big part of doing well in social studies and science.

We use the following language to discuss comprehension skills -

1. making connections - tying what you read back to things in your life or other books you've read
2. noticing - picking up on picture and word details
3. picturing - what images you have in your mind as you read
4. wondering - trying to figure out what happens next
5. guessing - making predictions
6. figuring out - what happens at the end when you put all the pieces together (inference)

These terms come from Constructing Meaning, by Nancy Boyles.

ACCELERATED READER:

Each student has an AR goal each nine weeks.  Two grades for reading are taken from AR.   One for comprehension, and one from percent of goal reached.   Approximately 20 minutes per day is set aside for silent reading time (DEAR).  Students have many opportunities to get appropriate reading material.  Students go to the school library once a week, and we have an extensive classroom library. 

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

Please purchase all items on the school supply list, and not extra items.  Flashcards are to be left at home for multiplication practice.  Distracting items will be collected/sent home.  Individual pencil sharpeners and mechanical pencils are allowed as long as they do not cause a distraction.  Make sure that your child has supplies to use at home for homework and projects.  They should have pencils with erasers, a ruler, a pencil sharpener, loose-leaf notebook paper, and crayons.  Please help your child maintain a neat book bag.  It will help them stay organized and do better in school!

BIRTHDAY POLICY:

On your child's birthday, they will get a birthday bag from the office.  It includes an out of uniform pass, free ice cream coupon, and other small birthday treats.  Please do not send treats from home for your child's birthday. 

MISSED SCHOOL DAYS:

When students return from an absence, they will be given all work that needs to be made up.  If you want the work on the same day as the absence, please notify the office or email me before 9AM.  This will allow me to get the materials together by the afternoon.  Work is to be made up as soon as possible.  The general guideline for turning in make-up work is twice the length of the absence.  For example, if you missed one day of school, you would have two days to complete the work. 

DISCIPLINE PLAN:

Classroom Rules

Minor infractions are dealt with through a tally system.  Children lose points from their conduct grade by choosing behavior that disrupts the class or causes a safety issue.  Talking, not completing work (within reason), running, not being prepared for class, being silly, or not following directions are minor infractions.  A large number of minor infractions add up to a major disruption to our school day.   You can see your child's conduct grade on the parent portal each week.  If the grade is below a 93 (A), there will be notes in the parent portal as to why.  You will know about major issues right away.  Those would include fighting, hitting, bullying or threatening others, cheating, not in the correct uniform, using bad language.  Serious behavior problems will result in serious consequences.  Silent lunch, write-offs, classroom isolation, visits to the principal, calls to parents, or other appropriate consequences will be employed if regular classroom discipline techniques are not effective.

PARENT/TEACHER CONTACT:

On Mondays, I send an e-mail listing spelling words, tests for the week, and upcoming events.  For families without an email address, a paper copy will be sent home with the child on Monday afternoons in the binder.  Our class webpage will also be updated on Mondays with the same information contained in the email.

The best way to contact me is through email.  I check it several times per day and usually from home at night and on the weekends.  My email address is mminchey@stedward.org or jguinn@stedward.org   You can also send a note in with your child. 

Working together will make this a successful year.  Please let us know if we can help in any way!

 Martha Minchey          Jennie Guinn

Please e-mail your questions to mminchey@stedward.org