1. Welcome to 3rd Grade! Please find your child’s chair, have a seat and write a letter back to them! Let’s introduce ourselves!

2. Communication Email: kgarrison@wcpss.netkgarrison@wcpss.net School phone number: 919-233-4300 Feel free to call or email or send a letter in with your child when you have a question or concern. Agendas should be signed nightly (Monday through Thursday). This is a great place to write a note to me and I may also write a note to you! Classroom and grade level newsletters are sent home every other week in Friday Folders or through email.

3. Classroom Website We have a classroom website that can be found at http://kmgarrison.weebly.com.http://kmgarrison.weebly.com Please check it regularly for updates, announcements and lots of information. There are also links to websites that student’s can use to practice skills.

4. Classroom Ground Rules Listen and follow directions the first time Raise your hand and participate Keep your hands and feet to yourself Do your personal best and always use the Covey Habits and manners Be a good friend Have fun

5. Class Mission Statement Our mission is to be leaders who build our knowledge, are friends to each other, and have fun.

6. Behavior Management Positive Reinforcement is the core.  Classroom Economy The student’s will be involved in a year long economic study. They will earn credits and debits throughout the day for their behavior, their job and other things we brainstormed. Once a month, students will get to shop at the classroom store. Need prizes! PBIS—LEAD  Classrooms earn deposits based on the Covey Habits and earn celebrations each time we earn 50 deposits.

7. Curriculum Please look at The Common Core State Standards and NCDPI Essential Standards content at a glance  http://www.wcpss.net/parents/curriculum- resources.html http://www.wcpss.net/parents/curriculum- resources.html

8. Common Core Thinking Deeply  The Common Core emphasizes critical thinking. It requires students to analyze more, discuss more, evaluate more, justify more and explain their thinking & understanding deeply, especially in writing.  Take-Away: Really thinking deeply is hard. Let it BE hard, help them talk it out. Integrating Learning  The Common Core emphasizes learning across disciplines (reading with math & social studies standards combined into one task). Students spend more time working together with different settings, structures & tools.  Take-Away: Problems & solutions happen every day in the real world. Showing How They Know  The Common Core emphasizes proof & evidence. Long gone are the days of worksheets, fact memorizations and skill & drill. Students are not taught this way and they are not assessed this way.  Take-away: The new tests will require students to explain how they know.

9. End of Grade Testing Third Grade is where EOG testing begins. Students are tested in math and reading during the middle of May. We had an “I can’t” funeral at the beginning of the year to shred some of the anxieties. I am committed to getting each student ready for the test by talking about it very casually throughout the year.  Math Problem of the Day  Discussing test taking as a genre of reading

10. Report Cards and Conferences Report cards are distributed at the end of every quarter (October/November, January, March/April, June). Interims will be given in the middle of every quarter for every child this year. Parent/teacher conferences are held around the end of the first quarter (mid to end of October/beginning of November). Student-Led Conferences are held towards the end of the year.

11. Homework My goal for homework is to be meaningful and it should reinforce new concepts that we have learned or be a review. Nothing should be new! Monday through Thursday nights Math (10 minutes)  Completed nightly  Practice math facts Reading/Writing (20 minutes)  Reading at Home (books & questions) starting in October  Letter to me  Practice Word Study Words

12. Volunteering We love to have parent volunteers in the classroom, especially during reading workshop and writing workshop. Please let me know if you would like to volunteer and have not already signed up. I will be contacting everyone very shortly. Thanks for letting us learn procedures and get started. Please make sure to register through the WCPSS database. You may do this any day at a WCPSS school.  Has to be updated EVERY year  Takes a few weeks, so the earlier the better!

13. Book Orders Book orders will be sent home monthly. If you wish to order books, please or order online (http://www.scholastic.com/bookclubs) or fill out the Scholastic form and send in a check. Our classroom activation code for online is GWTNJ.http://www.scholastic.com/bookclubs The books make great gifts and the more orders we have, the more books we receive for our classroom library! The first book order is due on Wednesday, September 25th.

14. Keys to Success in 3rd Grade Get a good night’s sleep Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning and pack a healthy snack. We will have a morning snack and lunch is at 12:15pm. Arrive at school on time (before 8:30am). Close parent/teacher communication. Complete homework nightly. Be positive! Let them see your positive attitude about school!

15. I am looking forward to a wonderful year! Thank you for sharing your child with us and working with us to equip your child with keys to learning! Thank you for coming!

16. Before you leave, please… Make sure you sign in (passed around) Signed the Title 1 compact sheet (passed around) Check the wish list (horseshoe table) Write your child back Write one responsibility per post-it note (horseshoe table)  Blue: Student  Pink: Parent  Yellow: Teacher Take the mint & homework pass (a little thank you from me to you!)