I hope some of these classroom procedures help you as you plan for the new year.
Welcome to Third Grade!
I am delighted to be working with you and your child this year. We will be seeing some new faces in the halls this year. Some will be teachers and some will be students. Please greet everyone with a smile to make them feel welcome.
Our Classroom
Our days will be full of many different areas of study - Reading, Phonics, Math, Language Arts, Spelling, Social Studies, and Science. Each week the children will also have different Special Classes: Library, Art, Music, Computers and P.E. Our theme this year is Down on the Farm. I have many activities planned to help make Third Grade fun.
Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures
Children will be dismissed at 3:12 pm. Please, do not take them from the classroom before this time. We will dismiss walkers and children being picked up through the front doors. The children may be picked up there. Children riding the bus will exit the east doors to the bus pick-up area.
Tardies & Attendance
In order to maximize the educational opportunities, classes need to begin promptly. Students should be in their classrooms when the bell rings (8:15 A.M.) Students not in their classrooms will be marked tardy. Chronic tardiness will be addressed by administration. Students arriving late to school must report to the school office before going to class. The principal will make the determination per the handbook of tardy or not and give the student a pass to enter class.
Appointments
At times your child may have appointments that require him/her to leave school early. Please remember that all students must be signed out in the office. It works best if you stop by the office first, then someone will call the room and I can get your student ready to go. This way you can be signing out while your child is getting ready to go and possibly save some time. When possible, please let us know in advance when your child will be leaving early, either through a note or a phone call. (See school handbook for more information on this matter.)
Birthdays/Invitations
If your child has a birthday during the school year, you are welcome to bring in a treat item for their special day. We will celebrate in the afternoon. Send all utensils, plates, napkins etc. I do not have these items on hand. Please remember this is not meant to take the place of a birthday party. It is just a special snack. If your child has a party planned during the year, he/she can hand out the invitations to the class. Please make sure there is an invitation for every child. If it is a boy party all boys should be invited if the invitations are to be passed out at school. The same holds true if it is a girl party. You are also welcome to mail the invitations if you are limited to the number attending although I am unable to give out student addresses. Be considerate of each child's feelings. No one would want their child left out.
Toys
Please leave all toys at home. If a child does bring something to school and it is out during class time, it will be taken away and kept until the end of the day. If this happens repeatedly the toy may be taken away for a longer period of time.
Money
Periodically, your child will bring money to school for lunch, field trips, book club orders, etc. When sending money to school, please remember to place all money in an envelope clearly marked with your child's name, what the money is for, and the amount enclosed. Please try to send exact change when sending cash.
Book Orders
I will send home a Scholastic Book Order form with your child occasionally. This is a great way to add to your child's library. Of course, it is completely optional.
Field Trips
We will take a field trip in the spring. We sometimes rely on parents to be chaperons. Unfortunately, we are unable to include younger siblings on these trips. If you wish to chaperon you will need to make arrangements for siblings.
Conferences
I have many things that must be done in the morning to get ready for the day. As such, if there is an issue you wish to discuss, please set up an appointment for after school or another day.We are going to have a wonderful year. I so look forward to getting to know you and your child!
Mrs. Kestner
