1. WELCOME TO THIRD GRADE We will be ROCKING THROUGH THE YEAR, 80’s style! We are the third grade team. We are very excited about this coming up year! We know it will be a great experience for everyone! Please continue to watch the slide show for your child’s teacher specific information.

2. Ms. Cody’s Ocean Learners I am so excited to be your child’s teacher this year and share in his/her experiences! My goal is to help each child become the BEST student and citizen he/she can be!! Your child will be growing in knowledge this year and applying skills learned in previous years. Each child will be pushed to realize his/her potential in being an EXCELLENT student as well as a member of our school FAMILY!! If you, at any time, feel the need to talk with me about your student’s progress in learning or behaviors, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email. I will do my best to resolve any issues that may come up! I look forward to our partnership in making this a wonderful year of school for your child!!

3. This year is a huge jump for your child in learning. Each child will now be expected to handle greater responsibility for learning and personal items (binders, assignment books, notes). Your child will be “reading to learn” and writing more independently. A sense of self-confidence and a greater level of independence will be developed. In third grade, students feel a sense of pride as they are able to do so much more on their own!

4. Reading DIBELS. STAR The STAR test will be given to all students to determine an approximate grade-level for reading. The STAR test will give an approximate reading level and your child will pick AR (Accelerated Reader) books on that level as well as take tests on the books. When a student receives a 100% on the AR test, it is counted as a Book Report. Third graders read to learn. We will use the Reading series as well as independent reading to master skills, develop fluency, increase comprehension and higher- order thinking skills. DIBELS testing will be used for some students to test fluency and comprehension. By the end of third grade, students are expected to be reading 123 words per minute and be able to retell 50% of what is read.

5. Title One Services What is Title One Reading? A federally funded program offered district-wide to help build student success in reading Typically 30 minutes/day of small group instruction based on identified reading skill needs May include reading staff providing small group instruction in the classroom alongside the classroom teacher or out of the classroom How are students identified? DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) STAR Reading (assesses Foundational Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, and Language) Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (determines students’ independent and instructional reading levels) Who receives Title One Reading? Students will be evaluated 3x/year and qualify based on test scores and the overall needs of students in that grade level. If my child gets reading services this year, will he be in the program next year? Students will be evaluated 3x/year Students may receive services at different intervals throughout the school year

6. MATH Addition and subtraction facts should be mastered by third grade. We will use these facts for higher-level adding and subtracting skills. By the end of third grade, multiplication facts will need to be mastered as well. In addition, we will work on place value, time to the minute, fractions, and measuring. MULTIPLICATION IS A BIG DEAL THIS YEAR!! USE YOUR FLASHCARDS TO PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!! We will have pre-tests and post-tests in Math this year. This will show your child’s growth on a topic over time.

7. Cursive Handwriting An exciting challenge for your child this year will be cursive writing. We will practice this in a book that will stay with us here at school. When your child finishes that book, he/she may take it home. I encourage students to not write full words in cursive unless they have learned every letter in that word.

8. This year we will be learning, and becoming authors of, three types of writing: narrative, informational, and opinion. With each type of writing, we will learn skills to help organize thoughts and understand the writing process. Third graders should be able to write multiple complete sentences on the same subject and have an opening and closing with many interesting details. They should also be able to use correct capitalization and punctuation.

9. Science and Social Studies In Science, we focus on the scientific process, plants, matter and energy, the water cycle, and animal habitats. We will use our Science books, stories, the internet, and do projects on these subjects. In Social Studies we will study laws, the 3 branches of government, map skills, and important Americans. We will also cover holidays and other events as they come up.

10. SPELLING We use a program called “Spellography” in Spelling. This program focuses on many skills, including phonics. Your child will receive a new list every 2 weeks on Monday. On that Monday a pre-test will be given (not graded, just to help know what words to really study). The test will be on the Friday at the end of the 2 nd week for a grade. If, for any reason, that changes your child will write it in his/her planner and I will do my best to communicate it in the class newsletter.

11. Cooperative Learning We will be doing a lot of learning in cooperative groups this year. This will be used in every subject. In cooperative learning, ALL students are held accountable for their learning but they often work in groups and rely on each other as well. In cooperative learning groups, no one can hide: everyone participates. Students gain a sense of responsibility and belonging while working in these groups.

12. LEADER IN ME You may hear your child talk about the 7 habits throughout the year. This comes from a program called “Leader in Me” that will be implemented in our room (and throughout the school) this year. It helps children to be in charge of themselves, have a plan, work first then play, think win-win, listen before they talk, work together, and have balance in their lives. While implementing this program, your children will be keeping track of some data of their own such as: attendance, behaviors, AR and STAR scores, Spelling and Math test scores. They will also learn to set goals for themselves and keep track of how they have improved throughout the year.

13. Take Home Binder Check Binder every night Bring to school every day This is the home for your child’s homework, newsletters, spelling lists, and study sheets. Notes from the office will also be placed inside the binder. Please check the binder every night for important information. There will be a spot for unfinished classwork and a spot for assignments that need to be corrected and returned. Students graded classwork will also come home inside the binder.

14. DAILY ASSIGNMENT BOOKS Each child in third grade is expected to maintain an assignment book. THIS IS SENT HOME IN THE BINDER EVERY NIGHT AND SHOULD NOT LEAVE THE BINDER! IT NEEDS TO BE SIGNED EVERY NIGHT!!

15. This will assure that you are aware of what homework may need to be completed and will be a means of communication between home and school. This will be checked every day. Please put notes and other communication inside this book.

16. HOMEWORK There will also be websites on my school webpage for your child to practice skills we are learning in class. I highly recommend using these sites to keep your child engaged in learning at all times! Unfinished Classwork Any work not finished during class time will be taken home for homework and is due the next morning! There will be class time to start most work and it will often be completed in class if time is used wisely. Math Problems Monday thru Thursday your child will have 5 simple math problems to answer. All 20 problems need to be finished and turned in by Friday. Some of skills are review and others are ones we will learn. Have your child show their work and try their best! Practice math facts. All homework is due the next morning unless otherwise noted!

17. Book Reports/AR Quizzes In order to receive a Reading Circle Certificate at the end of the year, your child is required to do book reports. 11 Fiction, 5 Nonfiction. We will read a book and do 1 as a class. Each child will be responsible for the rest of the reports. Each student will keep track of the number of book reports they have completed throughout the year. If a student passes an AR test with 100% it will count as a book report.

18. BEHAVIOR Our school is a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) school. We have school-wide expectations in every area of the building which ask students to be respectful, responsible, and safe. When students do not follow an expectation, they are given a warning. If the behavior continues, they will be sent to the “Chill Zone” to think about and process what they have done. If it continues beyond that, they will go to another third grade classroom (Focus Room) to think about their behavior. If they can get it back together in the other room, they will come back to process in the “Chill Zone” before going back to their original seat. Any major behaviors or repeated infractions will result in a discipline referral to the office.

19. OTHER INFORMATION END OF DAY CHANGES: If your child’s end-of- day routine will be changed, please be sure to call the office or send in a note. Without one of these, your child will have to go home however they normally do. Please call before 2:00 so the office staff can have time to get the message to me. EARLY OUT WEDNESDAYS: Every Wednesday, starting August 26, at 2:30 students will be released early for teacher professional development. Lunch Money: Envelopes are provided to put money or checks in. Send it in with your child and they can turn it in to me or to the black box outside the cafeteria. First Day of School August 18 th Hours  8:40-3:35

20. COMMUNICATI ON My email is codyj@troy.k12.mo.us Please contact me with any questions or concerns. codyj@troy.k12.mo.us The Take Home Binder your child brings home nightly will have important papers and newsletters with classroom information. Please feel free to contact me at anytime throughout the year! This going to be a great year in third grade! I look forward to working with you.