Welcome to Mrs. Garrett’s

Third Grade Class!

*** Please note that all back-to-school paperwork will be filled out online. Go to https://nhcs.net/enrollment  as soon as possible to complete this important enrollment information. ***

 Classroom Routines and Information:

 Third grade is an important transition grade. This is a year when students become responsible for their own belongings, routines, assignments, and behavior. Students also routinely experience letter grades and standardized testing. Students make great strides in self-confidence and independence during this year. We are here to guide and support your child during these changes.

       Third grade is also a significant year academically. Math concepts include multiplication, division, fractions, measurement and complex word problems. Reading concepts include: critical stance, interpretation, and greater comprehension. Narrative and explanatory writing skills are honed. Non-fiction reading strategies are applied in social studies and science. We will appropriately challenge your child in each academic area, helping him or her to grow in knowledge and skills.

Class Values:

Be Safe, Be Productive, Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Kind

Daily Schedule:

 7:40 - Late bell rings

7:40 to 12:00 - Instructional time

11:50 to 12:15 - Lunch/restroom

12:20 to 1:05 - Instructional time

1:05 to 1:35 - Recess

1:40-2:30 Specials

2:35 - Dismissal

Specials:   

Monday – Media

Tuesday - Art

Wednesday - PE (Please wear athletic shoes.)

Thursday – Music

Friday - rotation every other week with Media and guidance counseling

Supplies:

• 2 packs sharpened Ticonderoga pencils – standard size, yellow

• 2 Pink Pearl erasers

• 5 subject notebook – no glitter please

• 1 pack wide-ruled notebook paper

• 2 pocket folders (solid color, no glitter)

• 3-ring binder, 1-inch, view binder, white

• zippered pencil pouch (no boxes)

• earbuds

• 2 glue sticks

• 1 pack crayons (8, 12, or 24 pack, no jumbos)

• 1 pack 12-count colored pencils

• 2 packs 8-markers (1 for class and 1 for art)

       Additional supplies are needed and very welcome! 😊 These supplies include dry erase markers, gallon/quart/sandwich/snack zip-lock bags, Lysol/Clorox wipes, tissues, hand sanitizer, and liquid soap.

Arrival/Dismissal:

       Due to supervisory concerns, students may arrive no earlier than 7:10 am and will be dismissed from the cafeteria to the classrooms at 7:20am. The school day begins at 7:40. Students who arrive after 7:40 are considered tardy and must check in at the office before coming to class. 

       Students are dismissed beginning at 2:35, depending on grade and/or means of transportation. If you need to pick up your child early from school, please go to the office first to sign your child out. However, please note that, with the exception of emergencies, there will be no checkouts after 2:00 and no transportation changes after 2:00. If possible, please send a note with your child when you have a change in transportation. Please remember to have your identification with you when you are picking up early. This is for the safety of all of our students.

       Please check Carolina Beach School’s website for details regarding these policies. As always, parents and guardians must sign in at the office before coming to the classrooms during school hours, even if it is only to drop off or pick up a child.

Parents of car riders are asked to use extreme care in the pick-up line - refrain from cell phone use and pay careful attention to staff directions. For safety reasons we ask that parents remain in cars for car pick-up, rather than walking to the porch for students. 

Parents must have a CBES created tag for car pick up.

Health/Absences:

       Please inform us of any allergies or medical concerns. Prescription and all over-the-counter medications sent to school must be coordinated through our school nurse. Please see the nurse for the necessary forms. 

       All absences will require a written note upon return to school. Please remember that school attendance is very important to this year’s success. Material is covered at a quick pace. Missing days, arriving late, or leaving early can result in a struggle to catch-up. We ask that appointments, trips, etc. be scheduled outside of school time. With that being said, true medical illness cannot be avoided or predicted, so please don’t stress if a day is missed for medical illness. If you must plan a trip during which your child will miss several days of school, please notify us in advance so that we may provide the proper documentation. Otherwise, the absences may be unexcused. 

Newsletters:

Each week students receive a newsletter. It will include homework for the week, announcements and reminders. Students will turn in the parent-initialed newsletter each Monday.

Folders:

Each student will receive a homework folder and Friday Folder. Homework folders (blue) go home and come back to school everyday!! Homework folders hold homework and the newsletter for the week. All notes should be sent in homework folders and given to the teacher by the student. I do not check folders for notes. Students are responsible for bringing homework folders to school.

Finish Folders (red) go home at the end of each week. They contain work from the week, tests, quizzes, and flyers. These folders go home on the weekend and come back the first day of the next week. Please review the material weekly with your child. The most important materials to save from folders are: tests, quizzes, and study guides. All class work can be sorted and placed where you see fit. 

Please help your child by encouraging them to keep track of their folders! This is a major step in developing responsibility in our classroom community.

Homework:

       Most weeks, homework is assigned Monday thru Thursday. This may include reading, language arts, spelling, math, science/social studies. Homework assignments will be on your child’s weekly newsletter. Please check the newsletter daily.

  Homework guidelines:

• Help set up a consistent place for homework to be done.

• Help your child create a schedule for when each day’s homework is to be done. Again, this is the year when your child will be establishing good study skills and taking greater responsibility for his/her class work. What healthy (or unhealthy) patterns do you want to establish?

• Encourage, motivate, and support your child, but do not do the work for your child! I would rather receive an occasional parent note that says “we had a schedule conflict, we’ll do it tonight,” than to receive work that was not done independently by a student.

• The purpose of homework is for your child to practice and use what he or she has already learned in class. I do not assign homework on concepts that we have not already covered in class. If your child is consistently unable to do the homework by him/herself, please contact me.

• Homework is reviewed but not graded. However, I do keep records of  complete and incomplete assignments.

• Homework is usually sent home at the beginning of the week and should be returned on Friday. Students can and should let me know during the week if they have any problems or questions.

• Independent Reading and Math Fact Practice:

• One of the most important factors in becoming a better reader is to read, read, read! Students will be doing some independent reading at school. However, this is never enough time and needs to be supplemented with reading outside of school. Just as students practice sports and other activities to improve, improvement with reading only comes with practice.

• Another important part of nightly homework is math fact practice. Students who are proficient with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts are more likely to be successful with various math concepts. 

Please see Policy 7420 for our county’s thoughts on homework.

Graded Assignments and Tests:

       Graded assignments will be sent home in a timely manner. Please check over this work with your child. Celebrate, support, and provide encouragement. Graded tests will be sent home after we have had an opportunity to remediate the material in class.  Student grades come from an average of: class work, tests, quizzes, and class participation. 

Grading Scale:  

Beginning in third grade, students are assessed in core subjects as follows:

A: 90–100 Excellent            

B: 80-89 Above Average

C: 70-79 Average

D: 60-69 Below Average

F: Below 60  Failing

Behavior: 

Our class goal is to work together as a community. Working together in a productive, positive environment helps our class community function to the highest potential both academically and socially. To encourage positive behavior and good choices, our class will use Class Dojo!

Each student will have multiple chances throughout the day to earn dojos and rewards. Our rewards will be made into a chart with the student’s input. It is a great way for parents to discuss behaviors on a daily basis.  

*** As per our school policy, bullying and threats of any kind are not acceptable. Students who threaten or bully others will immediately visit with administration. ***

 Snacks and Water:

We are all about brain power, so we encourage healthy snacks. Please do not send sugary snacks. If you have trouble sending in a daily snack for your student, please let me know and we at the school can work together to ensure your student has a morning snack each day. 

We do not have a drinking fountain in our room. Students are encouraged to bring their own refillable water bottle. This may be refilled during the day at the water fountain if needed. No ice, sports drinks, kool-aid, drink powders,  etc. If a water bottle becomes a distraction, I will ask that the bottle be kept in a book bag. 

Birthdays:

We enjoy celebrating our birthdays and welcome store-bought snacks provided for the students to share at lunch. Please let me know when snacks will be sent. Please remember that we cannot hand out birthday party invitations to any students unless the whole class is invited. For summer birthdays, we are happy to celebrate half birthdays. 

Dress code:

Since we have outdoor recess each day, it is highly recommended that students wear athletic shoes every day. Please see Policy 8520 for the county’s guidelines.

Breakfast and Lunch:

Families will need to complete a free & reduced application to obtain eligibility status for the

2023-24 school year.

Prices for the school year:

Breakfast: $2.00

Lunch:        $3.50

What else can you do to help your child be successful this year?

• Be sure your child gets a good night’s sleep (9-11 hours recommended) and a healthy breakfast.

• Talk with your child. Have conversations about their day, your day, their feelings, current events, etc.

• Help your child understand the importance of doing their best in school.

• Encourage your child to ask questions when they do not understand.

• Support your child with a positive attitude about learning.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information. Together, we will provide a great year of learning for our students. More information on school policies can be found on Carolina Beach School’s website or the New Hanover County Schools Board of Education Policy Manual (http://www.nhcs.net/policies/policymanual.htm). You may also like to visit the website for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for more information on curriculum and testing (www.ncpublicschools.org). 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year together! 

Mrs. Garrett

stacey.garrett@nhcs. net

Room 508

910-458-4340