Brushy Creek Elementary School
Third Grade
Major Assessments/Calculation of Grades
Students take benchmarking tests in math and reading each quarter and SC State testing in
the spring. I prepare them for these tests by reviewing content and teaching good
test-taking skills. In the classroom, skills will be taught, practiced, and then tested.
Major tests are weighted differently than minor tests as determined by Greenville County
Schools. If you have questions about how tests are weighted, please see me. Students will
receive a study guide with all major social studies and science tests. Generally, students will
receive at least one grade per week in each subject covering the week’s skills/content.
Some subjects will be tested more often. Students will receive rubrics to guide projects,
writing, and in other subjects whenever possible.
Grades are updated weekly in Backpack. You may view your child’s current grades by
visiting Backpack at any time at gcsbackpack.com. I will provide your child’s ID number if
needed.
If a student is absent and the absence is excused, the student will have 5 school days to
complete and turn in assignments. If for any reason a student is not absent but fails to turn in
an assignment, the assignment will have 5 points deducted for each day it is late for up to
five school days. The late assignment will not be accepted after the fifth school day.
Grading Scale: A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=60-69 U=59 or below
Please sign up for a Parent Backpack account to view your child’s grades at any time.
Report cards are sent home at the end of each nine weeks. Graded work goes home
weekly in your child’s yellow Thursday folder. Conferences will be scheduled as needed.
Student Records
Each student has a permanent record located in the main office which contains
demographics, educational and health history, and test scores. Records are kept current for
the school year with changes and additions made when necessary. It is very important that
parents and guardians complete student information sheets at the beginning of the year.
This information helps us keep permanent records current and provides helpful information
about students.
Homework Policy
Homework is designed to give students the extra practice needed on the skills they have
worked on in the classroom. Generally, students receive math and spelling homework as
well as one weekly reading assignment. Students may occasionally receive homework in
other subjects as the teacher deems necessary. For example, we will ask students to work on
several projects throughout the year and study for major tests. Reading is encouraged each
night for 20 minutes.
Homework Tips:
● Use the homework sheet to check assignments. Teach your child the importance of
completing the homework sheet daily. Initial the homework sheet if you think it will help
hold your child accountable.
● Provide a quiet, comfortable place for homework.
● Show an interest in your child’s work.
● Make it clear that homework is his/her responsibility. Don’t do the work for him, but
check behind him when necessary or provide guidance when he feels frustrated.
● Ask your child to show you his/her work when it is completed. Check that it is complete
and done as accurately as possible.
● Teach your child responsibility by having him or her put homework back into the red
folder and get ready for the next day of school.
3rd Grade Standards:
Please use the following link to access the 3rd grade SC Academic Standards:
http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/
Classroom Procedures
Tests/Quizzes
Please check your child’s homework sheet and the newsletter for information about
upcoming tests and/or quizzes. I will post major test dates and some quiz dates on the
newsletter.
Assignment Planners & Red Folders
Students are expected to write down assignments on their homework sheet each day. Red
folders are to be brought home and returned to school every day. Students have a pocket
in the folder for homework and other important papers. The newsletter will be placed in the
back sleeve of the folder.
I spend time teaching students responsible behavior regarding their folder and keeping
everything in its place. I will remind students for several days/weeks about putting papers
in the right place, but at some point during the first nine weeks students should begin to be
more self-reliant.
Responsibility and organization are very important lessons in third grade. Please help at
home by reminding students to put homework and other important papers back into their
folders daily.
Weekly Graded Work
Every Thursday, students will receive a packet of graded paper work along with a comment
sheet in their yellow graded work folder. Please clean out all work and sign and return the
sheet on Friday. Grades collected from electronic and paper assignments will be posted in
the online gradebook on Backpack for Parents. Please remember that you may view your
child’s grades at any time online.
Communication with Parents/Guardians
Please feel free to write a message, send an email, or call me at any time. Your child will
also have lots of information on their weekly newsletter. You may also check my website for
additional information.
TEMPORARY CHANGE OF TRANSPORTATION: If your child is to go home a different way on a given school day, please send a written note. I cannot accept ride changes by email. If we do not have a written note, we cannot change your child’s way of getting home. This policy is for the safety of your child.
Missed Work/Make-Up Policy
I will supply make-up work when a student is absent. Please let me know in advance if your
child will miss a school day so I can prepare a packet of work for them to complete. If your
child is sick, I will be glad to place a packet of missed work at the front desk for you to pick
up if possible. Students have 5 days to complete missed work after an absence.
Greenville County Schools Attendance Policy
I. SCHEDULES
A. Regular Schedule
1. The school year consists of 180 school days. To receive credit, students must attend at least 85 days of each 90-day semester course and at least 170 days of each 180-day year course, as well as meet all minimum requirements for each course. Accrued student absences may not exceed ten (10) days during the school year. Any absence in excess of
ten (10) may cause the student to lose credit for the year.
2. Because 170 days are the minimum required by the state, the first ten (10) absences may be lawful, unlawful, or a combination. All absences beginning with the eleventh (11th) must be lawful and will be excused if they fall within the guidelines of lawful absences.
II. PROCESS
0. After a student has accumulated three (3) consecutive or a total of five (5)
unexcused absences, a disciplinary referral will be written for truancy. The child is
coded as “truant” in the school database.
1. Parent/guardian conference will be held with the principal or designee.
2. Identify reasons for the student’s unlawful absences.
3. Develop a plan in conjunction with the student and the parent(s)/guardian(s) to
improve attendance.
4. Apprise the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the South Carolina Compulsory School
Attendance Law.
5. Document the conference by having all appropriate conferees sign and date a
Student Attendance Intervention Plan Form in the spaces provided.
TRANSFER OF PLANS
If a student transfers to another public school in South Carolina, intervention
plans shall be forwarded to the receiving school. School officials will contact the
parent(s) or guardian(s) and local team members to review the plan and revise
as appropriate. Court ordered plans may be amended through application to
the court.
Procedures for Makeup Work
1. Provision for makeup of school work missed during excused absences shall
be worked out with the teacher(s) concerned at the earliest time possible
but should not exceed five (5) school days after the student returns to
school.
2. Make up of school work missed during unexcused absences may be
approved only with permission of the principal after consultation with the
teacher(s) concerned.
Attendance/Tardies
School begins promptly at 7:45 AM. This is an opportune time to get assignments copied,
complete morning work, and feel prepared for the day. Help your child be on time.
Punctuality is a quality of good citizenship. When tardy, a child must go to the office to be
admitted to class. When a student has been tardy five times, parents will be contacted by
the school, either by mail or phone.
Non-Instructional Routines & Procedures
Safety Drills
Students practice safety procedures prior to school-wide drills. All students are trained on
where they are to go for such drills and the expected behavior.
Recess
Recess takes place in a designated area under the supervision of the teacher at all times.
While students are not permitted to bring toys to school (see student/parent handbook);
students may bring playground toys such as basketballs, and other playground equipment
as approved by the teacher. The teacher is not responsible for any items brought by
students for recess.
Lunch
Our class has a designated seating area in the cafeteria, and we expect students to clean
up after themselves in this area and in other areas of the cafeteria. Good table manners are
important. Visitors may come for lunch on Tuesdays beginning after Labor Day. Students who have visitors for lunch are asked to eat at the guest table please. Students may not ask
classmates to sit with them and their visitors during lunch unless the classmate also has a
visitor at that time.
Student Behavior: Classroom Management
My philosophy of classroom management and behavior is based on a sense of family and
community. We all need to feel that we are a part of something special, and we all need to
take ownership in how our classroom operates. We work together as a class to create a list of guidelines that will guide our classroom behavior. The rules will be based on being
responsible, respectful, and safe.
Consequences in the Classroom
I will always treat each student calmly and fairly. Part of a healthy classroom environment
includes guiding students to make the right choices and helping them understand that there are consequences-both good and bad-for the choices they make.
Behavior System
This year we will use a money system to encourage positive behavior in the classroom. We
will use “Carolina Bucks” for our classroom currency. Each child will begin the week with $50.
Students can keep all $50 during the week by following school and classroom rules.
Students may also have the opportunity to earn bonus bucks for going above and beyond with standout behavior! If a student fails to follow the school and classroom rules, after receiving an initial warning, he/she will lose Carolina Bucks. The number of Bucks lost varies depending on frequency and severity of behavior(s).
A weekly progress report is kept in the student’s yellow graded work folder. This progress
report will be used to indicate any behavior issues and/or concerns in the classroom. Please check this page each Thursday, sign it, and discuss any comments that may be on the progress report if needed.
If there is a significant behavior concern, you will be contacted by me via email or
telephone. Typically, I find that my students respond to Carolina Bucks so well; I rarely have
to give out additional consequences. If I do, your student and I will discuss the situation and decide together what consequences should follow.
Students will have a chance to buy classroom passes and prizes with their Carolina Bucks
during monthly class auctions!
Other Classroom Incentives:
*We will use team points in our classroom! Each team will work hard to earn team points by working together, meeting class expectations, ensuring their team is ready to learn when
asked, ensuring everyone in their team is prepared, etc. Each Friday, all members of the
team with the most team points will earn a prize!
*Our class will work together to earn class compliment points! The class will earn 1 point when they receive a compliment from me or any other adult in the building for displaying excellent behavior. When their points reach our goal, the class will receive a special celebration!
(A variety of other small incentive programs will be implemented throughout the year as
appropriate to best meet student needs. ☺)