Paxtonia Elementary School

Your child’s fun begins between 8:45- 9:00 am when they arrive. Late bell rings at 9:00. Morning announcements are made.

Your child is expected to: Hand in notes and homework Sign up for lunch Copy homework assignment Begin morning work written on the board

Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Safe Be Prepared

Your child will experience grades for the first time. Please remember to be supportive and encouraging. Most subjects are graded each marking period in the third grade except for specials, social studies, and science. Those exceptions are graded in the second and fourth marking periods only. The grading scale that is used in Central Dauphin is as follows: 90 – 100 = A 80 – 89 = B 70 – 79 = C = D 59 or below = F

In Reading: The Houghton Mifflin Reading Series is used to teach the strategies and skills that support the Core State Standards. Students will also participate in skill groups. Along with this program, the children will further learn strategies from the Coach program as a PSSA preparation tool.

In Math: The following math skills are either reviewed or taught in third grade: Solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts Understanding the steps to solving word problems Telling time with conventional and digital clocks Money values, counting money, and counting change Practice basic math facts at home. It is essential. Probability and fractions Understanding place value, skip counting, and graphing

In Spelling: A word list will be given on the first day of the week in conjunction with the reading program. The children will be held accountable for the spelling and usage of the words. Daily practice at home is beneficial.

In Science: Our program is called FOSS. It is process oriented, where children are involved in conducting hands-on lab investigations. Areas of concentration are Earth Materials, Life Structures, Physics of Sound, and Measurement.

In Social Studies: Our social studies program, Harcourt Brace--Horizons, is in place. Students will learn about local, state, and national governments, as well as, the election process. Community life is explored throughout the entire program. As in any program, map skills are a major component.

I look forward to working with your child in making this the best school year ever!!