Dear Third Grade Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the third grade at Maxwell Elementary! Third grade is a big year for our students! It is a year that we stress personal responsibility, maintain high expectations, and teach the students to respect everyone. Your student will be pushed beyond what they have done in the past, but they can do it! We are extremely excited for this school year and would like to give you some helpful information about third grade policies and procedures.
Academics
Each year we reflect and evaluate our teaching and use this information to help drive our decisions for providing your child with the best education. This year, the third grade team has decided to use a team-teaching approach to educating your child. Your student’s day will be divided into two uninterrupted instructional blocks; one will be designated to language arts, reading, and social studies and the other will be for math and science. It is our hope that this approach will provide the students with creative, focused, and engaging instruction that will spark high-level understanding of our standards. In addition, we have worked hard this summer to align our state standards with the new common core standards that MNPS will be adopting next year. Your students will be working with these new, national standards along with meeting the state standards. It is our hope that this exposure will properly prepare the students for the TCAP achievement test and for usage of the common core standards in fourth grade.
Behavior Plan and Class Rules
Because of our rotation between two different teachers, it is important for the team to adopt a similar behavior plans. Aligning with Maxwell’s 5 Important Words for behavior--Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Safety, and Effort, students are expected to adhere to the following rules:
1. “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” This emphasizes our key words of respect and kindness.
2. “Make GREAT choices; do the right thing.” This emphasizes our key words of responsibility and safety.
*Teachers and students may create additional rules for their classroom that address specific needs within that setting.
*Consequences
When rules are broken, the student will move down a level on the behavior scale. At the end of the day, each student will be given a symbol in their agenda to indicate the student’s behavior that day.
Pink= Wow day!
Blue= Great day!
Green = Good day!
Yellow = Alright Day
Orange = Needs Improvement Day
Red = Unsatisfactory Day
Students begin each day on green. Missing homework assignments or misbehaving will move a student down on the behavior scale. Some in-class consequences are: time out, loss of recess, parent contact, notes home, and loss of Fun Friday.
Please refer to the MNPS Code of Conduct for a list of severe behaviors that warrant a zero-tolerance policy.
*Rewards
Rewards are every bit as vital as consequences. In order to recognize favorable behavior, rewards such as Max Bucks, Fun Friday, written and verbal praise, and treats from the teacher will be given. Students should NOT bring toys from home during Fun Friday. Fun Friday will be given to students who have earned it; it is a privilege not a requirement. Students who receive a behavior referral from will not be allowed to participate in Fun Friday that week.
We also have a marble jar in our class that students will try to fill to earn a pizza party. Students can earn or lose marbles for behavior and participation. The hope is that the students work together as a class to earn something they can look forward to.
Homework
Homework will be assigned weekly and should not take more than 30 to 45 minutes per day. Students will have homework that incorporates reading, problem solving, math, language, and writing skills. Incomplete class work assignments will become homework. Missing homework assignments will move a student down on the behavior scale. If daily homework assignments are taking more than 45 minutes to complete, please contact the teacher.
Absences
Student attendance and punctuality are vital for success in school. Please make sure your child is at school and on time daily. Students complete Morning Work each day as soon as they arrive. If a student is tardy, they are missing important academic time! Make up work will be given when a student returns to school after an absence. If a child is absent for more than one day, please call for assignments. If you know in advance of an absence, please inform the teacher so assignments can be collected and sent home. Absences will not be excused without a valid note. Please see the MNPS Parent Handbook for ACCEPTABLE excuses.
Sending Money to School
All money sent to school must be in a sealed envelope (a Ziploc bags works too!) before being turned in to the teacher. Please record the student’s name, teacher name, what the money is for, and the amount enclosed.
Parent Volunteers
Parent commitment and involvement is another crucial piece to building community and success between home and school. Parents are encouraged to volunteer in a variety of ways in the classroom. Parents are needed as tutors, readers, project helpers, during class festivities and field trips, and to provide class donations and items from the class wish list. Please think about how you can and will commit to volunteer in your child’s classroom this school year.
We look forward to meeting you and working with you this year! Remember, communication and commitment between home and school are crucial for your child’s success in third grade.
Sincerely,
The Third Grade Team
Welcome to the third grade at Maxwell Elementary! Third grade is a big year for our students! It is a year that we stress personal responsibility, maintain high expectations, and teach the students to respect everyone. Your student will be pushed beyond what they have done in the past, but they can do it! We are extremely excited for this school year and would like to give you some helpful information about third grade policies and procedures.
Academics
Each year we reflect and evaluate our teaching and use this information to help drive our decisions for providing your child with the best education. This year, the third grade team has decided to use a team-teaching approach to educating your child. Your student’s day will be divided into two uninterrupted instructional blocks; one will be designated to language arts, reading, and social studies and the other will be for math and science. It is our hope that this approach will provide the students with creative, focused, and engaging instruction that will spark high-level understanding of our standards. In addition, we have worked hard this summer to align our state standards with the new common core standards that MNPS will be adopting next year. Your students will be working with these new, national standards along with meeting the state standards. It is our hope that this exposure will properly prepare the students for the TCAP achievement test and for usage of the common core standards in fourth grade.
Behavior Plan and Class Rules
Because of our rotation between two different teachers, it is important for the team to adopt a similar behavior plans. Aligning with Maxwell’s 5 Important Words for behavior--Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Safety, and Effort, students are expected to adhere to the following rules:
1. “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” This emphasizes our key words of respect and kindness.
2. “Make GREAT choices; do the right thing.” This emphasizes our key words of responsibility and safety.
*Teachers and students may create additional rules for their classroom that address specific needs within that setting.
*Consequences
When rules are broken, the student will move down a level on the behavior scale. At the end of the day, each student will be given a symbol in their agenda to indicate the student’s behavior that day.
Pink= Wow day!
Blue= Great day!
Green = Good day!
Yellow = Alright Day
Orange = Needs Improvement Day
Red = Unsatisfactory Day
Students begin each day on green. Missing homework assignments or misbehaving will move a student down on the behavior scale. Some in-class consequences are: time out, loss of recess, parent contact, notes home, and loss of Fun Friday.
Please refer to the MNPS Code of Conduct for a list of severe behaviors that warrant a zero-tolerance policy.
*Rewards
Rewards are every bit as vital as consequences. In order to recognize favorable behavior, rewards such as Max Bucks, Fun Friday, written and verbal praise, and treats from the teacher will be given. Students should NOT bring toys from home during Fun Friday. Fun Friday will be given to students who have earned it; it is a privilege not a requirement. Students who receive a behavior referral from will not be allowed to participate in Fun Friday that week.
We also have a marble jar in our class that students will try to fill to earn a pizza party. Students can earn or lose marbles for behavior and participation. The hope is that the students work together as a class to earn something they can look forward to.
Homework
Homework will be assigned weekly and should not take more than 30 to 45 minutes per day. Students will have homework that incorporates reading, problem solving, math, language, and writing skills. Incomplete class work assignments will become homework. Missing homework assignments will move a student down on the behavior scale. If daily homework assignments are taking more than 45 minutes to complete, please contact the teacher.
Absences
Student attendance and punctuality are vital for success in school. Please make sure your child is at school and on time daily. Students complete Morning Work each day as soon as they arrive. If a student is tardy, they are missing important academic time! Make up work will be given when a student returns to school after an absence. If a child is absent for more than one day, please call for assignments. If you know in advance of an absence, please inform the teacher so assignments can be collected and sent home. Absences will not be excused without a valid note. Please see the MNPS Parent Handbook for ACCEPTABLE excuses.
Sending Money to School
All money sent to school must be in a sealed envelope (a Ziploc bags works too!) before being turned in to the teacher. Please record the student’s name, teacher name, what the money is for, and the amount enclosed.
Parent Volunteers
Parent commitment and involvement is another crucial piece to building community and success between home and school. Parents are encouraged to volunteer in a variety of ways in the classroom. Parents are needed as tutors, readers, project helpers, during class festivities and field trips, and to provide class donations and items from the class wish list. Please think about how you can and will commit to volunteer in your child’s classroom this school year.
We look forward to meeting you and working with you this year! Remember, communication and commitment between home and school are crucial for your child’s success in third grade.
Sincerely,
The Third Grade Team