Back to School -Everything you need to know about 3rd Grade!

Please keep this information for reference throughout this school year. I may refer you to this packet in the future, as many answers to your questions will be found here.

Contact Information: ekirkman@cmsd12.org 719-527-0300

Please contact me via email, telephone, or by writing a note in your child’s planner with any questions or concerns. If you need to meet with me, please schedule an appointment for a conference. I will not be able to meet with you at the beginning or end of the day when students are coming into the classroom or are being dismissed. Please speak to the front office staff if you need to get a message to your child during the school day.

Daily Schedule

Arrive on time:

Students arrive no earlier than 7:40 A.M.

The start of school bell rings at 7:50 A.M.

Students will be tardy if not in the classroom at 7:55 A.M.

Dismissal at 2:50 P.M. at the 3rd grade/4th grade pod door.

Morning Meeting (adopted school-wide)

4 Components : Greeting, Sharing, Activity, Morning Message and Interactive

Reading (Pearson Reading Street)

Reading groups based on the child’s reading levels

Assessments determine placement; however groups are fluid throughout the year.

“Flooding” (outside teacher support for qualifying students); 3 times a week

Weekly Reading Selection Test every Friday

Please read with your child at least 20 minutes daily

Spelling

Spelling words are sent home Mondays. Students should study their spelling list every night and will be tested on Fridays. Challenge words are optional and will add 1 point to total grade for every correct challenge word.

Writing: Step Up to Writing;

Whole group instruction

Small group work with teacher

Groups are fluid according to the skills that have been mastered

Weekly Paragraphs

McGraw-Hill, ConnectEd My Math (new math series) 3rd Grade standards:

Place Value, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Properties and Equations, Fractions, Measurement, Represent and Interpret Data, Perimeter and Area, and Geometry

*Homework is assigned every Monday through Thursday nights.

*Check your child’s planner or our class homework page on the PVE website for assignments and due dates.

*Practice Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication Math Facts at home.

*Students need a solid foundation and quick and rapid knowledge of these facts.

Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears (HWoT)

*We are learning cursive handwriting, but daily usage is optional.

Kit Based Science: FOSS and Step UP

Life in Ecosystems

Forces and movement

Weather

For our Homework Policy refer to your child’s planner

Specials

P.E. All year (Mr. Johnson); ;Music 1st and third quarter (Mrs. Peterson) and Art 2nd and 4th quarter (Ms. Foster)

Students should always follow the school dress code. Remember that backless/strapless sandals are never allowed in school.

Snacks

Always send in a water bottle with your child’s name clearly labeled (even if it is a one time use water bottle). Students are encouraged to drink water throughout the day. (NO flavored water, Gatorade, milk/chocolate or juices allowed.)

You may send in 2 healthy snacks for your child each day. Snacks are meant to give your child energy throughout the morning. Snack time begins around 9:35 A.M. and second snack is at 1:50 pm. Healthy snacks include pre-sliced and peeled fruits (bananas are the exception) and veggies (no dip, please); crackers, cheese, Granola bars, and pretzels. Candied fruit snacks (Fruit by the Foot, Gummies...), cookies, popcorn, and candy bars can be saved for lunch-time treats. Students should be able to open their own snacks and lunch items without adult support. Snack time snacks needing forks or spoons are not allowed (such as fruit cups with syrup) as students will be doing class work while consuming their snacks. Class work does not stop for a specified snack period.

Students must take their water bottles home daily for cleaning. Please do not allow your child to bring toys or poppers to school unless designated by an educational plan.


Student Planners


* You will find a sticker with your child’s Username, Password, Student Number and District email address soon. An index card was sent home with this information.

*Student planners are used to relay information from school to home and from home to school. ***It is best to use email to reach me. I will respond quickly!

*Students are expected to write daily homework assignments in their planners.

*On page 19 of the planner, please sign to confirm you have read and reviewed the policies with your child (if not already done). Please refer back to the planner for homework and other school policies.

If you have any questions (or cannot read your child’s handwriting), you may visit the Piñon Valley website to access my homework/information website: www.pve.cmsd12.org

Go to Piñon Valley Elementary on the main website

Click on the Classrooms tab


Click on Kirkman

Click on the “My Website” which takes you to our classroom website.

Homework can be found in the Homework Tab

Tardy Policy


The school day begins promptly at 7:55 A.M. daily. Your child will be counted as tardy when he/she arrives in the classroom after 7:55 A.M. After three (3) tardies in any academic quarter, you will be contacted to discuss the importance of getting your child to school on time and develop a plan of action. The teacher will notify the principal of the outcome of the conversation. 
After five (5) tardies in any one quarter, the principal will contact a parent to create a tardy plan. If the tardy plan is not followed, the next step may result in a notice of non-compliance with the compulsory attendance law, which could result in a petition for order to compel school attendance.

Absence Policy

Work missed from any absences may be made up. (Based on teacher discretion) For each day a child is absent, two days are 
given to complete and turn in the missing work. Assignments will be given to the student 
upon returning to school.

Illness

We encourage you to keep your child at home if they are sick. You may refer to Dr. Peak's letter to parents for specifics on the district policies.

Per Dr. Peak's letter to parents:

Daily Health Screening and Staying Home

The most important protective practice schools and parents can take is to require students and staff to stay home when they are ill. Guidance from El Paso County Health recommends screening for all students and staff before entering school buildings as the best approach to ensure the lowest risk of virus transmission.

*Self-screening by parents with a home temperature and symptom check has been identified as the most effective strategy to achieve this objective.

*Parents must be diligent in self-screening each of their children daily to assess whether the following symptoms are present:

*New onset of cough or shortness of breath or any 2 of the following:

Fever (100.4 degrees or higher),

Chills,

Muscle pain

Sore throat

Loss of sense of smell or taste

Gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, or nausea

If the above symptoms are present, students should remain at home and parents are encouraged to consult with their health care provider regarding next steps.

Children who present symptoms at school will be isolated from faculty and students in the health room or other designated safe space and parents will be contacted immediately to take their child home.

Facial Coverings and Masks

Masks are currently not required at Pinon Valley Elementary in order to reduce the spread of COVID and its variances. Students, visitors and staff may choose to wear a mask for health purposes.

Students may bring in in their own hand sanitizers, however, it must be a small (purse or pocket size) container as we do not have the space to store the medium to large containers.

Students and staff will not be required to wear masks during the school day while at outdoor recess or participating in exercise activities when social distancing can be maintained.

Conduct with a Substitute Teacher
, Parent Helpers, Playground Supervisors, Cafeteria Staff, any other Adult on our campus

All children should

•behave appropriately


 •follow all classroom and school policies as they would normally


 •treat the all adults with respect
 and follow their direction

Classroom policies and procedures will be followed as normal. If your child does not follow procedures, a discipline referral will be sent home for your signature.



Traffic Safety


• All students and parents must use the crosswalk with the crossing guard


 • The speed limit in a school zone is 20 mph


• Students may not be dropped off or picked up in the ‘red zone’; they may only be dropped off and picked up in the ‘yellow zone’
.

* Remember: Students should not be on school grounds before 7:50 AM and should be picked up no later than 3:15 PM.

• Do not leave your vehicle unattended


 • Parking lot speed limit is 3 mph


• On yellow flag days, the drop off and pick up rules will be the same


• No pets on school property

Staff parking is located at the north side of the building near the kindergarten, 1^st grade/2^nd grade pod, and art room

PVE Website:

We have a new website this year with lots of current information. I recommend you make a habit to check it on Sunday night for planning purposes. From this site, you can link to my web page. I update this on Monday nights (usually).

Birthday Invitations/”Treats”:

Should you want to send in a celebratory “treat” for your child to share with classmates on his/her birthday, food items must be prepackaged and store bought. Items such as a special pencil, eraser, etc. are encouraged due to allergy related issues that have become more common. Should you send in invitations to be passed out, an invitation must be given to each child in the class and will be put in the students’ Friday Folders. Plan in advance. Please do not send invitations needing to be sent home the same day. Should you invite a child from another class, every child in that class should receive an invitation, or we cannot send that invitation home.