Northern Lincoln Elementary

Third Grade Team

Welcome to third grade!  We are very excited about this year.  Several positive changes have taken place over the summer.  The Early Learning Center has gotten new siding, there is a full size basketball court on the extended playground and, thanks to our PTA, we have two beautiful, new playgrounds that the children are enjoying immensely.

Policies

In third grade, there is a strong push for children to become more responsible.  Children in this grade are expected to have between 30 and 40 minutes of homework per night.  Homework will be given on a nightly basis Monday through Thursday.  It is expected to be turned in the next day, unless otherwise stated.  Most often, the homework will be in the area of English/Language Arts (Reading/Writing), Math, and Spelling.  Occasionally, there will be Science and Social Studies homework.  

All students are expected to read for 20 minutes each night. Following the reading, parents are expected to review with the child what was read.  A list of suggested questions to use for this review will be provided to the parents.  After this brief review, parents are expected to sign a reading log.  The parent signature is the only way for the teacher to know that the child has indeed read.  The goal of this nightly reading is to develop a love of reading as well as to develop the reading habit.  It is our intention to have the children choose reading as a leisure activity.  Keep your conversation of the nightly reading light and fun.  It is not to be turned into a “quiz”!

Your child will have a spelling test every Friday.  Please keep in mind that the spelling grade on the report card represents your child’s average on the weekly spelling test.  The report card grade does not include the spelling your child uses on written assignments.  It is not indicative of how your child generalizes spelling conventions.

Each child has been given a red homework folder.  These are important as all correspondences and schoolwork is sent to and from school via these folders.  This folder provides a consistent communication between home and school.  All corrected tests, notices, and other communications will be sent home with your child as they become available.  Papers marked "Sign and Return" should be brought back to school as soon as possible.

Behavior and Tutorial

Respect towards others and school property is expected of the children at all times, including recess.  If a child engages in aggressive behavior (hitting, kicking, pushing, punching, verbal bullying, etc.) during recess, he/she will be escorted inside and will miss the remainder of recess.  If the misbehavior warrants further punishment, a subsequent recess may be taken away from the child or some other consequence as deemed appropriate by to the vice principal or principal.

Small group review or reteaching is available to the children during recess.  The child’s classroom teacher will determine who is in need of review or reteaching on a given day.  The child will then report to “tutorial.”  A third grade teacher will be available during this tutorial four out of five days each week.  This period can also be used to complete unfinished work.  Again, the children assigned to tutorial for this period will be selected at the classroom teacher’s discretion.