Stonebridge 3rd Grade Handbook - Stonebridge Elementary

Welcome...

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to 3rd grade! We are looking forward to a powerful year of academic, social, and emotional learning. We are delighted to be teaching your child this year as they embark on new adventures in learning!

We will be utilizing the Responsive Classroom approach to create a safe, challenging, and joyful classroom and schoolwide climate for all students. The Responsive Classroom approach understands that all students’ academic, social, emotional, and physical are important. The six guiding principles of a Responsive Classroom include:
Teaching social and emotional skills is as important as teaching academic content.
How we teach is as important as what we teach.
Great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
How we work together as adults to create a safe environment is as important as our individual contributions.
What we know and believe about our students informs our expectations, reactions, and attitudes about those students.
Partnering with families is as important as knowing the children we teach.

Thank you for the privilege of teaching your child. It is going to be a wonderful year!

Sincerely,
Rosa Csulits
Laurie Dudley
Shannon Foster

Printable Version of Handbook

Teacher Contact Information

Front Office: (651)351-8700

Attendance Line: (651)351-8701

*When your child will be absent:

Enter the absence on PowerSchool OR
Call the attendance line: 651-351-8701

In addition, contacting your child’s teacher directly via email or phone is always appreciated!

Curriculum

Math

Literacy

Literacy instruction consists of Reader’s Workshop, Writer’s Workshop, and word work. Each day students will receive direct instruction in skills and strategies that lead to proficient reading. They are given ample amounts of time to read high interest, self selected, just right books. During independent reading time, students will meet with the teacher or in small groups focusing on skills at their instructional level.

Writing Workshop begins each day with a whole group lesson on a writing skill or strategy. We practice together and then students work independently on their piece of writing. Teachers then meet one-on-one and/or in small groups with students to give feedback, teach next steps, and monitor students’ writing.

We will use the Words Their Way curriculum for word work instruction. Based on years of research into invented and developmental spelling, the classroom-proven framework of this successful series is keyed to the five stages of spelling and orthographic development. This curriculum meets the needs of each student based upon his/her stage of spelling development, from emergent through derivational relations.

Science

Throughout the year we will complete these units: Structures of Life; Physics of Sound; and Sun, Moon and Stars. We also have 2 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) kits: Designing Parachutes and Designing Plant Packages. Students use the engineering design process, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative discussions while designing products and processes.

Social Studies

Homework Responsibilities

Multiple studies show little evidence suggesting that homework has a significant effect on student learning at the elementary level. At Stonebridge, our expectation is that kids read (or a parent reads to them) each evening as homework. The minimum guideline is 20-30 minutes for third grade. In addition, as this is a very important year for learning the multiplication/division facts, we encourage spending time studying flashcards and/or playing math games on a device.

The overarching theme at our school is that we will not be assigning homework other than what is described above. On occasion, there will be some exceptions. First, we need to look at the difference between homework and schoolwork. Homework is defined as work assigned by the teacher to be completed at home. Schoolwork is defined as work that was unfinished at school, therefore, the child brings the work home to complete it. This may happen if a child has missed school for an illness or on an occasion where the child did not finish the work during the time provided in school.

Homework must be effective if it is assigned and effective homework assignments must be prescribed in a certain way. For example, an effective use of homework would be the teacher sitting down and thinking, ‘Max has trouble with place value, so I’m going to give him five problems on place value.’ Then the next day the teacher sits down with Max and asks, “Was this hard for you? Where did you have difficulty?” Then the teacher gives Max either more or less material based on what was learned. This type of effective homework is very different compared to all children receiving the same math worksheets to complete on a nightly basis.

Lastly, we’d love to see kids get the opportunity to play with family and friends, take the dog for a walk, help out around the house, and get outside as part of their nightly routine.

I truly appreciate the support of the community of Stonebridge, not only outside the school but within. Families are so welcoming and supportive of the children and the sense of "family" really shines through in this school. I love the involvement with teachers and parents – wonderful!PARENT COMMENT

Friday Folders

Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher whenever you have questions, concerns, ideas, or just need some information regarding your child. We are a partnership and we appreciate your feedback and input in helping us work with your child. Email is a great way to reach us, though we don’t always have the opportunity to check our messages once the school day has begun. If you need to get a message to us during the school day, please call the office number at 351-8700 and leave a message with the secretary. If you have a change in transportation plans for your child, please email, write a note indicating the change, or call and leave a message; otherwise we will send your child home the way you have previously indicated. Make certain your child understands that they need to give their teacher the change of transportation note.

Daily Schedule for 3rd Graders

8:45 - 9:15: Morning Meeting

9:15 - 9:55:   Specialists

9:55 - 10:55: Reading

10:55 - 11:15: Read Aloud/Snack

11:15 - 11:45: W.I.N. (“What I Need”) Time

11:45 - 12:09: Word Study/Writing

12:09 - 12:54: Recess/Lunch

12:56 - 1:30:   Writing (continued)

1:30 - 2:15:   Math

2:15 - 3:00 Science/Social Studies

3:00 - 3:15:Closing Circle/Dismissal

Recess

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Parents can assist by following arrival and dismissal procedures listed below. These procedures can be found on the Stonebridge website under the Parent Resources section.

Classes begin at 8:45 a.m. with dismissal at 3:15 p.m.
All Students: 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
School Patrol: 8:15 a.m. and 3:35 p.m.

We have no supervision outside of these times.

There are four types of dismissals at Stonebridge:

Walkers: Students who walk home. If you are meeting your child at school, please wait outside or in the vestibule.
Bus: Students who ride the bus.
Carpool: Students who are picked up in a vehicle.
Adventure Club: Students who attend on-site child care.

Students are released in a gradual manner to facilitate safety in the hallways. Adventure Club students go to the cafeteria. Walkers and bussers go out first. Carpool students wait in the gym until busses have left the parking lot, which is no later than 3:25 p.m. Carpool students are escorted outside to meet their rides.

A.M. Traffic Reminders

Our morning busses drop off on Owens Street south of the school entrance and arrive at approximately the same time. This results in some of our busses waiting where the carpool lines up north of the school entrance. It is important for parents to wait behind the busses and be signaled in by our traffic controller. We have had a number of near accidents with cars taking a right turn in front of the bus in order to get into the school entrance. This will be a temporary delay as the busses will move forward as soon as the space is available.

Once into the school parking area, proceed towards the school entrance following to the right.
Stay in line, pull ahead to the marked carpool sign.
Pull away promptly to keep the line moving.

P.M. Traffic Reminders

Afternoon announcements are made at 3:15 p.m. Messages for students should be called into the office no later than 2:45 p.m.

The end of the day can be very hectic. We are asking you to make appointments outside the school day. If you need to pick your child up early, plan on some extra time. Park your car in the parking lot without blocking other vehicles and be mindful of the handicap spots and crosswalks. You will need to activate the intercom upon arrival and one of our office staff will sign your child out. Your child will meet you in the vestibule.

All Stonebridge students need to exit the building at the end of the day from the main front entrance doors.
Students are not allowed to meet vehicles in the parking lot.
Parents need to use the carpool line.
You will not be able to make a left turn when the traffic controller is in the intersection.

Carpool/Pick Up Vehicles

Line up on the west side of Owens street (along the curb), just north of the school’s entrance.
Wait for our traffic controller to signal you in.
Please do not block driveways or crosswalks.
Once into the school parking area, proceed towards the school entrance following to the right.
Stay in line, pull ahead to the marked carpool sign.
Pull away promptly to keep the line moving.