Montana Magnet’s 3 rd Grade Welcome to the JUNGLE

Welcome to 3 rd grade! You are in for quite an adventure! This year will be challenging for your child. We will begin brand new skills the first week of school. Be prepared for challenging curriculum in all subjects. A lot is expected of our students, which is why we are a Blue Ribbon School. High expectations for scholastic achievement and conduct helps us maintain a school climate many people envy. Be involved in your child’s academics. Involved parents will have higher achieving students. I’m excited about starting a new year and look forward to getting to know your child and you. So, strap in tight for an amazing 3 rd grade adventure!

Grades in Science and Social Studies Six grades will be taken each nine weeks. One home project will be assigned each nine weeks and grades will be taken from these assignments. Cursive Handwriting Cursive will be taught and grading will begin once a number of letters are mastered. Children will be expected to use cursive in a variety of areas once they have mastered the entire alphabet. Multiplication and Division Students will be expected to master the multiplication families from 0 to 9 by Spring Break. Once multiplication begins one fact family will be taught each week before moving to mixed drills. Chapter Books for AR Students will leave picture books behind and will read chapter books for AR. Half point books will still be used with non-fiction.

What to expect from Homework? DAILY EXPECTATIONS: A weekly guide for Homework will come home on Monday. Students are responsible for paper, appropriate textbooks, and pencil each day for assigned work.. Daily Reading for AR Spelling Math STUDYING FOR TESTS: Study guides will be sent home in plenty of time for adequate preparation. Parents should review the study guides for several nights to prepare for a test. Spelling words are sent home each Monday. Please review your child’s daily papers and homework. Most tests are announced on the weekly homework guide.

Accelerated Reading is very important in 3 rd grade. Students need reading practice with accountability. AR is an incentive-based program that allows teachers to monitor comprehension.  Goals are set each nine weeks. The completion of a goal is expected and will be graded at the end of each nine weeks.  Students struggling to meet his/her goal will attend Second Chance Ranch during recess, and/or activity classes and special events.  Students will be rewarded for goal completion with a party or field trip each nine weeks.  Students are also rewarded with a trophy for completion of 3 rd grade certification or point goals in May.

Mastery of addition and subtraction is a must. Timed drills will begin immediately and will be given daily. Multiplication families will be introduced one fact family a week. There will be 3 days of practice followed by 2 days of testing. Students will be rewarded with gumballs for their individual gumball machines upon mastery of each fact family. Upon completion of each fact family, we will move to mixed testing in order to demonstrate mastery of facts. Once task is completed gumball machines will be awarded.

How Can You Help? Our Classroom: Party Organizer Party Volunteer Send Supplies Collect pictures for Yearbook Collect box tops Your Child: Monitor your child’s daily reading. Read with your child sometimes. Call out math facts. Discuss daily school work. Study for tests with your child. Provide plenty of school supplies.

IMPORTANT EXTRA SUPPLIES Pink eraser Fabric pencil pouch 4 New tennis balls $5.00 Art Supply fee TEACHER WISH LIST Large bag of M&M’s (plain) 1 Large bag of Skittles Can of Dust Remover (Compressed Gas Duster) 1 Bottle of Pledge Multi- Surface Cleaner Bright Colored Copy Paper

 Complete Student Information Form  Check Transportation  Put away class supplies