WELCOME TO THE 2009 -2010 SCHOOL YEAR IN 
    GRADE THREE

   Welcome to the third grade! School has been in session only a short time, but the students have adjusted quite nicely to their new classroom environment. 
 Third grade is quite different from first or second grade. New skills are introduced and integrated with skills that have been previously taught in the lower levels. Class work becomes more involved and challenging. However, the students are quite capable of handling these new challenges. I am always available to help them out or reinforce skills that are not grasped the first time. With your help and support at home, the students will definitely be successful. Third grade is the crossroads between primary and intermediate levels. It is an important year to get all the basics mastered. 
 I try to make third grade fun as well as a being a strong learning environment. I do so  by using different approaches like centers, games, small group work and large group instruction. Variety is the spice of life. This year , there are new and different programs that are being introduced as well. It should be exciting and fun. Students will find that they have more work to complete and more homework. It may be a bit overwhelming at first , but encourage them and read the instructions going home for each new homework assignment. Everything is always modeled and explained.
ONE SPECIAL NOTE THIS YEAR - WE ARE A PEANUT FREE CLASSROOM!! I will supply all the birthday treats at the end of each month. PLEASE, do not send in eatable treats. PLEASE, do not send in peanut butter sandwiches.

I believe that the first object of education is to make the students feel safe and secure. This is established by creating a learning environment where the students feel comfortable and safe, as well as enjoying being in the classroom. Students need to have a clear set of rules to follow. 
The student has to realize what behavior is expected of him/her and to realize the rewards and consequences.
 I have always believed in positive reinforcement for positive behavior, so the emphasis is on the positive. There will be three types of positive reinforcement in our classroom. The first is the Star  Student of the Week; this allows every child to participate in special privileges for the week. The class votes on the student who follows all the rules of the classroom and who is kind and responsible. No individual gets a second chance before everyone gets one. The second reinforcement is accomplished by rewarding a student for good behavior, good citizenship and responding the correct way, through the use of a check system. For every good deed a check is given. If the student has completed twenty checks during the month he/she receives a small reward. The chart is completed at their own pace. Every twenty checks are a different reward. The reward is presented at the end of each month The third type of reward is a system called Happy Grams. For every good deed or good participation the student receives a happy gram. The student places his/her name on the gram and places it in a basket. At the end of the week two happy grams are chosen. These people are given the privilege of choosing a prize form the happy gram box. What a great motivator. It’s Fun!
 There is also a class reward called Minute Madness. This is a class effort. For every good deed performed by the entire class a minute slip is place in the bin. All the minutes are added up at the end of the month and allotted minutes are put aside to do something special with the entire class. This special event is voted on by the entire class.
 There are times when some students do not chose to follow the rules or be cooperative, this is when I believe assertive discipline should take place. The child should be held accountable for his/her actions. Each child has three stickers place on his/her chart. If he is disruptive or does not follow the rules he/she is given a warning. The second warning a sticker must be taken. When all three stars are taken, he/she looses ten minutes of their recess time. The student will be given a behavior slip to be signed by the parent. The student makes out the slip. If the behavior is continued, he will receive silent lunch in another classroom. Further infractions, a parent conference will be held. A list of all rules, rewards and consequences is posted in the classroom. Information explaining this program was also sent home to parents to read over and sign. 
 Regarding safety issues, please make sure your child knows his/her home address and phone number. Please label your child's important items, sweaters, lunch boxes, backpacks, and sweats.

GRADING 

 THE DIOCESE OF PROVIDENCE  INSTRUCTED FATHER JOHN V. DOYLE SCHOOL AND  ALL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE AREA THAT WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE RUBRIC GRADING SYSTEM FOR CLASSROOM GRADES AND REPORT CARDS. THE RUBRIC SYSTEM WILL BE ON A ONE TO FIVE BASES. FIVE MEANING THAT THE STUDENT IS SHOWING CONSISTENT STRENGTH IN LEARNING OR PERFORMING A SPECIFIC SKILL OR ASSIGNMENT AND ONE INDICATING THAT THE STUDENT DOES NOT MEET THE MINIMUM OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENTS. FOUR INDICATES STEADY PROGRESS. THREE INDICATES SOME PROGRESS AND TWO SUGGESTS LIMITED PROGRESS. WHEN A STUDENT RECEIVES A FIVE ON THE ASSIGNMENT IT MEANS HE HAS MASTERED THE SKILL AND USUALLY HAS SHOWN CREATIVITY AND ADDITIONAL EFFORT. I WILL BE SENDING HOME RUBRICS WITH EACH SUBJECT AREA OR ASSIGNMENT THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL, SO PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED. THE RUBRIC WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH THE STUDENT SO THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM. AFTER THE FIRST FEW WEEKS , THERE WILL NOT BE RUBRICS SENT HOME WITH ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE THE SAME WEEKLY.

   SUBJECT AREAS

   READING
 

The third grade reading program encompasses all areas of the language arts, reading, writing, phonics, language and spelling. We are using the Houghton/ Mifflin Series. All the areas overlap, giving great reinforcement.
 The reading book is divided into six different themes with different stories in each theme. The book has a high level of vocabulary and skills, coupled with high interest stories. 
 The students will be introduced to a new story almost every week. Vocabulary for the story will be reviewed and explained on Mondays. The students will have further vocabulary words to learn and review. There are words printed on cards ,that the student cuts out, and places in a vocabulary bag that was provided for them. The student need to look the second list of words up in a dictionary, some of these words are on the cards, so they do not have to look the words up right away. I help them out in the beginning of the year. All this work is kept in a green folder I have provided for them.The students are responsible for ALL WORDS.  so...  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE A STUDENT DICTIONARY TO USE AT HOME. 
On Tuesday night the student will answer the questions to the story we have read in class. 
Phonics, comprehension and decoding skills will be taught the remainder of the week.
 Every Friday the students will be  tested on the story we have read for the week. Reviewing the words on Thursday night will help them. The vocabulary cards help with the definitions and reinforcing. The students do not need to know the exact definition of the word or the spelling or the phonetic spelling. They just need to learn how the word is used in the story.
 READ, READ,READ, READ WITH THEM ! THE STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO READ AT LEAST SIXTY MINUTES A WEEK. A READING INCENTIVE CHART WILL BE  SENT HOME EVERY FRIDAY IN THEIR FOLDER TO KEEP TRACK OF THE MINUTES THEY HAVE READ. PLEASE SIGN IT AT THE END OF THE WEEK AND RETURN IT TO SCHOOL ON THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY. THE STUDENTS CAN USE THE STORY WE ARE READING IN CLASS AS PART OF THE MINUTES. THIS IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DEVELOP RESPONSIBILITY. THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM WILL START LATER IN THE YEAR.
Help them out; set a certain time to read each day. Read together before they go to bed. It is a nice way of calming down after a long day. A student is allowed to bring his/ her reading book home to get a jump-start on the story of the week. The student may also use the weekly story for reading minutes.
 Each student will also have their own book bag to keep books in that they are reading. Later on I will ask them to tell me about the books in their book bag. These are all different techniques to get them interested in Reading in their spare time.This also helps them to read more fluently and easy.
We will also be implementing a guided reading program in the classroom. This will allow the students to read in smaller groups. The material that they will be reading will be on their reading level and be REAL  high level interest. EXCITING! All of these new incentives should help them enjoy reading more and allow them to want to read more. 

   WRITING
 The writing portion goes hand and hand with the reading. Each week we will be writing about a new topic. Usually the topic will go along with a book I read to them in class. The students will be writing about the great person in their lives. The students were given a folder with the writing rubric (what is expected of them in their writing format). They will keep their writing samples and corrections in the folder. All on going writing is kept in their folder.This year they will reread and edit their own work. The finish product should be marvelous. The students writing will become more and more involved and interesting as the year goes on.
 Daily language lessons on the correct usage of words, punctuation and capitalization will help them produce a wonderful finished product. 
 The class always designs a word bank of words to use in their writing. It is posted in the classroom. This helps their writing to become more descriptive and colorful.

This year the third graders are using the new math book that we converted to last year. This book combines traditional facts and problem solving. The children are handling it quite nicely. The emphasis is on critical thinking. Each day we start with a review of basic math facts and a math problem that they need to use critical thinking for. The math series also  has a daily review of math skills learned in previous years. In addition to using the math series the teachers in grades one through five are given supplementary material on the basic math facts and computation. The students need to know their basic addition and multiplication facts to perform any math problem. We would like them to be proficient in this area, so computation becomes easier.
Some students still need help in the basic addition math facts up to twenty. Please work with them on this.
Third grade will also be doing multiplication this year. It will be very difficult for them to comprehend, if they have not mastered the basic addition facts. Practice on weekly bases. I have taught them card games and dice games to reinforce the facts. Ask your child to teach you how to play. It is great reinforcement. When you are in the car, have them practice or just have them start adding up the numbers on the license plates. Again, fun but beneficial.

SPELLING

This year we have a new spelling book. Each week the students will have a specific phonetic skill that all the spelling words contain. For example the first week is all vowel sounds and one and two syllables. Students will receive an orange folder with the spelling words of the week. Every week, students have to write a sentence with each spelling word as well as do the work sheet that accompanies the folder . The folder is due on Fridays. Students may work at their own pace. I realize that some students have other commitments after school, so this allows them to spread out their assignment. There will be a spelling test on every Friday. They may use their folders to study from. If there is a short week, students will only have to write sentence with the spelling words, there will be no worksheet. An example will be given as to what type of sentence is desired for the week. The sentence structure will go along with the language skill learned that week. 

    SCIENCE 

 The first part of the school year we will be studying about life sciences , habitats and physical sciences. We are hoping to go on a trip to the Autobahn Society in Bristol.  This gives the students hands on experience with life sciences around them. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

 In third grade, we focus on map skills and geography skills. We also study significant dates and times pertaining to history such as: Pilgrims, presidents, Martin Luther King, black history, history of the patriotic holidays and some colonization along the East Coast.

    RELIGION

 Third grade religion encompasses new material from what they had in second grade. We continue to study the sacraments and their meaning, along with the commandments, Stations of the Cross, mysteries of the rosary. Each chapter in their religion book introduces them to a new saint.
Following in Jesus’ footsteps what it means to be a Catholic is strongly emphasized.

    HOMEWORK

 Homework will be posted every night on Schoolnotes.com. I also post the weekly spelling and vocabulary words every week on the site, just in case they are forgotten in school. Homework will be given every Monday through Thursday. Please make sure the homework is in the school bag every night.
 I have given each one of the students a no homework pass, for a day that homework can not be gotten too.
 Monday night, the students will have reading and math homework. The spelling folder is past out that day, but does not have to be started.
 Tuesday night the students will have reading question and math.
Wednesday night, only math is given. This is a good opportunity to start the spelling assignments.
Thursday night, just math is given. REMEMBER TO STUDY THE VOCABULARY WORDS AND SPELLING WORDS FOR THE TEST ON FRIDAY.
 All homework should be written down in their agendas. All students need to be responsible for their homework.
 Always try to provide a quiet place free of distractions for your child to do his/her homework.

  FOLDERS 

 Folders will be passed out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please check over the work and return the folder to school the next day. Checking the folders regularly gives you an excellent way of knowing how your child is doing.

SCHEDULE

Monday- Gym and Art
Tuesday – Spanish
Wednesday – Computer
Thursday- Music and Library
Friday- Just me!

PICK UP AND DROP OFF

Students will play in the side play yard before school. Third graders line up under the basketball hoops when the commencement bell rings. If it is bad weather students will go to the gym and then be dismissed to sit outside their classroom until school begins. The students are not allowed to play wall ball or run. This is due to a safety issue. There are a great many students out on the blacktop in the morning. We are trying to reduce accidents.
At dismissal time, third graders will be dismissed by Miss Mailoux through the side gym doors leading to the blacktop.

 Every year brings something new and different. The students are always a delight and I enjoy learning from them and about them. This promises to be another good year.
 Please know that I am always available to speak with you before or after school hours. Just contact me and we will set up an appointment.