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MORNING PROCEDURE When the students arrive in the morning, they are asked to unpack, turn in homework folders (students are asked to keep all parent notes attached in their homework folder), and begin their morning work on their own. They are expected to quietly complete their morning work and have all materials ready at their desk for the day. All students are to be in the classroom and ready to start the day by 9:15am. I ask that students come to school prepared with all of the supplies they need for the day. If students are late, they must stop at the office and check-in as they will be sent to class with a tardy pass. LUNCH/SNACK Family members are always welcome to visit at lunch. Our lunch begins at 11:05 and ends at 11:35. Parents who wish to eat lunch with their child need to sign in and wait in the lobby where the front office is until our class goes to lunch. When a visitor comes to eat with a child, a student may only ask one friend to sit with them. This rule is in place so others may have sufficient room to eat with their children as well. The school asks that you do not send any carbonated drinks or glass containers to school with a child in order to maintain a safe environment. If students have money for their lunch account they take it to the cafeteria first thing in the morning before coming to class. It is the student’s responsibility to remember to take money to the cafeteria. Each day children are allowed to eat a small snack. Snacks should consist of juice or water and some type of cracker or fruit. No candy, peanut products, soda, etc. We will eat snack at the end of the day around 3:45. Please remind your child they are NEVER allowed to share food with any of their peers. This is a school rule because we have allergies and we do not want allergic reactions to happen because students are sharing lunch items and snacks. DRINKS Students are allowed to bring water to school and leave it on their desk throughout the day. They must bring a water bottle that has a lid that is able to close. Students must take these home each day. If their water bottle becomes a disruption or hinders their learning, they will be asked to leave it in their backpack.
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Third Grade Handbook
2015-2016Irwin Academic Center
Ms. Fisher
8/24/15Dear Third Grade Parents,
Welcome to your child’s third grade class! I have high expectations for your child, both academically and behaviorally. I know your expectations are high as well. Working together we can help your child become a responsible, respectful, high-achieving student.
Soon I will send home important information about the beginning of the year from classroom routines and schedules to the CMS grading policy. There are so many papers to read and fill out, so please take your time reading over them and send them in as soon as you can. I understand if this may take a few days. Many of the documents will be emailed if at all possible. Let me know if you do not have email access on a regular bases and I will send a hard copy of any forms for you. I will also put most of our classroom information on my website. You can always find it through the Irwin site under ‘Faculty and Staff’ or at the bottom of my emails under my signature. This is the web address:http://msfisher.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/
I will keep you informed as to what is happening in the classroom through periodic notes or phone calls, and weekly emails with class and curricular updates through a classroom newsletter. If you need to reach me with any questions or comments pertaining to Irwin Academic Center and/or your child, you can reach me via email at [email protected] or by phone at 980-343-5480. I will make every effort to return your call or email within twenty-four hours. Feel free to set up a scheduled time to meet before or after school throughout the year. Obviously visitors are welcome, but please do not show up in our classroom during instructional hours for an impromptu conference. I can not guarantee that I will have the adequate time or attention that you deserve. This is especially true in the morning when students are coming in, and in the afternoon before or during dismissal.
Attached you will find some important information about my classroom guidelines, procedures, and curriculum. Hopefully this will answer many of the questions you may have regarding your child’s third grade education. Also, please take time to read over and study the “Parent and Student Handbook” for Irwin Academic Center. Our administration team worked diligently on creating an extremely useful resource with an immense amount of vital information pertaining to our school and how you can be a valuable part of your child’s educational journey at Irwin. If you have any questions about Irwin’s Parent and Student handbook please email me and/or any of our fabulous administrators. I am looking forward to working with you to make this a successful and enjoyable year for your child.
Sincerely,Christine Fisher
MORNING PROCEDURE • When the students arrive in the morning, they are asked to unpack,
turn in homework folders (students are asked to keep all parent notes attached in their homework folder), and begin their morning work on their own. They are expected to quietly complete their morning work and have all materials ready at their desk for the day. All students are to be in the classroom and ready to start the day by 9:15am. I ask that students come to school prepared with all of the supplies they need for the day. If students are late, they must stop at the office and check-in as they will be sent to class with a tardy pass.
LUNCH/SNACK• Family members are always welcome to visit at lunch. Our lunch
begins at 11:05 and ends at 11:35. Parents who wish to eat lunch with their child need to sign in and wait in the lobby where the front office is until our class goes to lunch. When a visitor comes to eat with a child, a student may only ask one friend to sit with them. This rule is in place so others may have sufficient room to eat with their children as well. The school asks that you do not send any carbonated drinks or glass containers to school with a child in order to maintain a safe environment. If students have money for their lunch account they take it to the cafeteria first thing in the morning before coming to class. It is the student’s responsibility to remember to take money to the cafeteria. Each day children are allowed to eat a small snack. Snacks should consist of juice or water and some type of cracker or fruit. No candy, peanut products, soda, etc. We will eat snack at the end of the day around 3:45. Please remind your child they are NEVER allowed to share food with any of their peers. This is a school rule because we have allergies and we do not want allergic reactions to happen because students are sharing lunch items and snacks.
DRINKS• Students are allowed to bring water to school and leave it on their
desk throughout the day. They must bring a water bottle that has a lid that is able to close. Students must take these home each day. If their water bottle becomes a disruption or hinders their learning, they will be asked to leave it in their backpack.
BIRTHDAYS• We have not received any information about Birthdays yet, but I assume
they will still be the last Friday of the month. August Birthdays will be celebrated at the end of September with those students. I will send accurate information home about birthdays as soon as possible. Any child who has a birthday that month will celebrate together. If a parent would like to send a snack in for the celebration and/or would like to join us, I simply ask for you to email me 24 hours ahead of time. Also, I ask any utensils, plates, napkins, etc. we may need for clean up and/or eating be sent in along with the treats. We will celebrate summer birthdays toward the end of the school year.
ABSENCES• If a child is absent, please send a written excuse with the child on the day
he/she returns to school so it can be changed from an unexcused to an excused absence in the office. Parents please write all notes to me or the office and send them in in your child’s homework folder so I will be sure to see it first thing in the morning when I check folders. If you have a doctors note please place it in your child’s homework folder.
DISMISSAL CHANGES• It is also VERY important to send a written note informing me of
any transportation changes. We will not accept any transportation changes by email, phone, or after 3:30 p.m. Please list any transportation changes on your child’s agenda or in their take home folder. If a transportation change comes up after your child is already in school, you must call the front office and fax a note to the school. They will then place this note in my mailbox and call me to ensure I relay the message to your child. If we do not have a note in writing (not electronically), it is school policy to send the child home as usual.
THURSDAY FOLDERS• Thursday folders are folders that include your child’s work for the week as
well as important information from the school and will be sent home every Thursday. Thursday folders are an important form of communication between the school and families. Please take the time to read through all the papers that are sent home in them. Also, please be sure to clean out the Thursday folders each week. Please sign them each week.
HOMEWORK FOLDER• Please look in the homework folder each night! We will write our homework
in our agendas, but you will see the discipline log in the homework folder as well as any worksheets that need to be completed. Sometimes homework is due the next day, sometimes it is due in a few days, and other times it is due at the end of the week. Initial your child’s discipline log nightly and Reading Log nightly. The reading log will go home each night!
VOLUNTEERING• We love parent volunteers at Irwin Academic Center. I do ask
parents to please contact me at least 24 hours in advance if they would like to volunteer and/or tutor so we have something for you to do when you come to school. All parents have to sign-up on the CMS website to become a registered volunteer in the classroom EACH YEAR. Parents are not allowed to volunteer in the classroom, attend field trips, or eat lunch with their child in the cafeteria until they sign up as a registered volunteer. You can find an application volunteer form on our school website. This is an important safety measure for our school. We want to know exactly who is coming in contact with our children and I am sure all parents can appreciate our caution when it pertains to student safety. We also ask for parents to not disrupt instructional time during the day to have individual conferences about your child. This includes the morning when you are dropping off your child. If you need to set up a conference with me I ask that you email me with your question, comment, and/or concern and will get back to you within 24 hours. I will give you my available times before and after school and you can let me know what time works best for you and your family. It is important for me to know what you would like to talk about during your scheduled conference time so I can be prepared with materials and resources to aid our discussion.
ROOM PARENT(S)• I will be assigning a room parent (possibly more than one) for our
class. The room parents will be in charge of organizing holiday parties, classroom activities, writer’s celebrations, end of the year activities, and more! Please look out for e-mails from them throughout the year requesting for help. I will announce who our room parents will be by sending an e-mail once they are assigned.
BATHROOM• Each day we will do 1 or 2 bathroom breaks. The students will get to
go after lunch and in the afternoon before recess. If a child has to use the restroom at a different time they must ask me and I will let them go. I do tell students that they are not permitted to go while I am teaching unless it is an EMERGENCY.
PROJECTS• Your child will have one project per quarter this year. You will be
notified in advance of due dates and will be provided a rubric as well.
CONNECT CLASS SCHEDULE• All of Third Grade Connect classes are not at the same time this year.
Since we have so many classes, some of the third graders have connect (or specials) at a different time. Our time is 2:15-3:00 each day. We will have a weekly media day where students will be able to sign-out library books. You will be notified within the next two weeks of this day.
Monday - ArtTuesday – MusicWednesday – PEThursday – TechnologyFriday – Spanish
DAILY SCHEDULE• Please keep in mind that because this is a new schedule this year, we may
tweak depending on how well students adjust to this schedule. The end of the day will always remain the same. Please keep in mind if you wish to dismiss your child early, they will be missing recess, connect, or both.
8:45-9:30 Morning Work/Genius Hour9:30-9:45 Morning Meeting9:45-11:05 Math11:05-11:35 Lunch11:35-11:45 Math (Share Time)11:45-12:45 Reader’s Workshop12:45-1:00 Word Work1:00-1:35 Writer’s Workshop1:35-2:15 Science/Social Studies2:15-3:00 CONNECT (Specials)3:00-3:15 Read Aloud3:15-3:45 Recess3:45-3:55 Pack-up/Snack3:55-4:15 Afternoon Announcements/Dismissal
CURRICULUM• We will be holding a curriculum night within the first couple weeks of
school. Attendance to this is important because I will be discussing this year’s curriculum as well as other important things we will be doing this year. You will be notified in advance when this is taking place. Please check your child’s agenda and take home folder for reminders!
EXTRA CREDIT• Students are not permitted to do extra credit independent self selected
projects in order to help raise their grade. I do periodically give a few extra credit questions on tests and Interactive Notebooks.
WEBSITE • I do have a classroom website that will serve as another
communication tool between school and home. I will keep important materials and resources that pertain to this school year. Be sure to check it often! The website is: http://msfisher.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/
CLASSROOM NEWSLETTERS • I will be e-mailing out weekly newsletters. The purpose of these
newsletters is to highlight what we did in class the previous week and also to tell you what we will be learning about in class the following week. I also include important dates and reminders in the newsletter such as test or quiz dates. If you do not have access to a computer or the internet at home or at work please let me know and I can send home a paper copy of the newsletter. Also, please make sure I have your most up to date e-mail address. If you are not receiving a weekly e-mail with a newsletter attached, it means I do not have your e-mail on my distribution list. Simply send in a note with your child with your e-mail address and I will add you to my list!
WISH LIST• In my weekly newsletter I will have a classroom wish list. The
purpose of this wish list is to let you know what classroom supplies or materials we are in need of. If you purchase something off the wish list simply send it in with your child the following day to school and make sure I am aware of who donated the item. This could be anything from supplies to books we are in need of!
DONERS CHOOSE• If you enjoy helping your child’s teacher get supplies/materials to
help the students learning and educational experience for the school year check out www.donerschoose.com. Search your child’s teacher or teacher’s at Irwin and donate because we are always creating project to get funded!
3rd Grade Grading PolicyBelieve it or not, preparing for your child’s future
starts in elementary school!
CMS Grading ScaleYour child will earn letter grades in 3rd grade. The grading scale is as follows:
A = 93-100 ‘B = 85-92C = 77-84D = 70-76
F = 69 and below
What do the letters mean?A - Your child exceeds expectations and is performing above grade level.B - Your child meets expectations and is performing at grade level.C - Your child inconsistently meets expectations and performs at grade level.D - Your child rarely meets expectations and rarely performs at grade level.F - Your child is not performing at grade level.
It is true, the journey to a successful future begins now!! Especially in today’s economy, it is important to set your child on the right path now! Every year, I get a lot of questions about grading in third grade because we begin letter grades. Hopefully this will clear up some of your questions and concerns. If not, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please do not wait until your child’s report card if you have any questions at all. How will my child earn his/her grade?
Students will have a variety of assessments that we use to grade them. They will earn their grade by in class assignments, interactive notebooks, quizzes, tests, rubrics, and projects.
Late PolicyProjects will be accepted up to one week past the due date. Points will be deducted each day from the projects. All missing work must be turned in the following Monday. It will be given out in their Thursday folders. Please make sure to check their Thursday folders every Thursday.
How can You Help?• Be your child’s advocate. Check over all work that comes home in their
Thursday folder and contact me if you have any concerns.• Review and go over all work that is below standard with your child and remind
them of the expectations.• Review material that is being taught. Help your child with things they do not
understand.• Make sure your child is studying before a test or quiz.• Monitor your child’s homework. • Read with your child! Success in school begins with reading comprehension.
Parent PortalCMS provides Parent Portal, a user-friendly Web application to help parents and families become more involved in education. Parents can check their child’s attendance reports and grades from any computer at any time. Parent Portal is a computer-access program that helps parents track their children’s progress in school. It is available to parents of all CMS students. Parents may obtain a login and password to Parent Portal when their student has been enrolled in a CMS school. Visit the school website for directions on how to do this.
3rd Grade Homework PolicyHomework is an important part of a student’s success in the
classroom. It reinforces key concepts taught in class as well as teaches independence and responsibility.
What kinds of homework assignments should I expect and
how will I know when and what the homework is?
You should expect 30 minutes of reading homework each night. Each child must record their reading on a reading log and get it signed by a parent. Their reading log will record their at home and school reading. They will code it with a S or H on their log. It must get returned to school each day. Each student will also have math homework nightly and spelling homework two times per week. There will sometimes be a social studies or science assignment that we begin in class and they need to finish. Every child will be responsible for writing down the homework correctly in their agenda and making sure they take home all necessary materials. I will sign each agenda at the end of the day letting you know I have checked their agenda and the homework is written correctly. Each night a parent must also sign the agenda letting me know that you have looked over their homework for completion and correctness.
How often will my child get homework?
Expect homework Monday through Thursday. Unless there is a project or unfinished work, I like to not give homework on Friday’s because family time is important too.
How long should my child spend on homework?
Students should be able to complete homework assignments independently and in a reasonable amount of time. In third grade, students should expect to spend about 60 minutes on homework each night. If your child is taking a lot longer than 60 minutes because they don’t understand it, write me a note so I can work with your child.
What can I do to support my child?
Have a specific time and place for your child to complete their homework.
Supply them with a comfortable and quiet place to complete their homework.
Help them with their homework only when needed.
If they are having trouble encourage them to look in their interactive notebooks (that should be going home nightly) for answers before they ask for help.
Look over homework for completeness and correctness when they are finished.
Don’t just give them the answer if they need help, explain how you got the answer.
If you and your child are confused about a particular question have them circle it and we will go over it the following day. They will not be penalized.
What if my child has missing/late class work or
homework?Homework will be checked for completion daily by me. If your child does not complete his/her homework or they forget it at home they will receive a warning and begin their day on a 1. You will be notified of this through their behavior calendar. They will need to turn in their homework the following day. All missing homework and class work will be given to students on Thursdays when Thursday folders go home. The Thursday folders are organized by make-up work on the left and work that can stay home on the right. Any and all missing work is due the following Monday. No late/missing work will be accepted past Monday. If students refuse to hand in assignments that were graded they will receive a zero. Please make sure to look at their Thursday folders.
ProjectsLong-term projects will occur approximately once every nine weeks (per quarter). A letter will be sent home notifying parents and students of the requirements, grading rubric, and due date(s) of these projects ahead of time. Late projects will receive points off daily.
Classroom Economy in Room 113This year your student will be participating in a classroom economy as a part of our behavior management system. Everyone knows that students learn through experience. To understand the economic forces that affect their lives, students have to experience those forces first-hand. Participation in a classroom economy is an experience that students will remember long after they have left the classroom. Throughout the school year students will earn valuable life skills such as: job applications, how to write a check, keeping a check register, the exchange of money for goods and services, as well as supply and demand.
Students will be rewarded for hard work and good character and fined for poor choices. For every debit that the student receives, there will be a consequence. All students will have a classroom job to perform and will be paid in classroom money. They may spend the money in a class store. Below is a more detailed explanation of our credit and debit system.
How to earn CREDITS (+) each day• Arriving to school on time • Bringing homework (including agenda) to school • Salary for doing your job • Follows all school and classroom rules • Writes homework correctly in agenda • 100% on a test• Shows above and beyond character (Teacher Discretion)• Group with the most team points at the end of the day How to earn DEBITS (-) each day• Does not bring in homework (including agenda) to school• Forgets or does not properly do classroom job• Every time a school or classroom rule is broke • Does not write homework correctly in agenda • Being a bucket dipper • Turning in a paper without your name• Using or handling classroom furniture improperly Debit Consequences• 1 = First Warning• 2 = Second Warning • 3 = 15 Minute Silent Recess• 4 = 30 Minute Silent Recess & Think Sheet• 5 = Parent Phone Call, 30 Minute Silent Recess, & Think Sheet• 6 = Principal Referral
Please look in your child’s take home folder each night for their check register to see a description of their daily credits and debits. This will give you a good picture as to how their day went at school. Be sure to sign their log each day. Let me know if you have any questions!
