May 4, 2012
Dear Parents,
We have had a great week. The school musical was fabulous. The children’s hard work really has paid off. Also, the dioramas look great. The students read some terrific books.
Next week will be a typical week, with the exception of field day on Friday. K-4 grade students are to wear Christian t-shirts with shorts, sweats, or jeans. No short shorts or cut offs are to be worn. They should wear something comfortable, as they will be engaging in lots of different physical activities.
The next state capitals quiz (middle list) will be next Wednesday. We have had to delay because of the many practices for the musical. Mr. Krix wants to make certain the children are well prepared before giving this quiz. The next math test and lesson 27 language tests will be on Thursday. The topic for our language test is commas in sentences. Friday the children will take the lesson 27 spelling and reading tests. Field day activities begin at 9:15, so we should have time to get the spelling and reading tests in first thing in the morning. Please encourage your child to study memory work early in the week.
Have a wonderful weekend!
For His kids and yours,
Mrs. Gordon
Class List
Selena
Donovan
Cody
Wyatt
Jillian
Lydia
KamRon
Johnny
Twinkle
Clark
Grant O.
Solomon
Nicole
Christian
Joel
Conner
Grant W.
Jasmine
Abbey
Julia
All About Third Grade
First and foremost, it is just another year. Do not treat this grade any differently from any other. It is a year to grow and become more responsible, as with any new school year.
HOMEWORK: Mrs. Gordon does not give weekend homework. So you are an ambitious student and want more to do? Read for Accelerated Reader, work on multiplication and division drills, practice memory work and spelling words for the upcoming week, write a letter to Grandma or Grandpa, practicing your cursive handwriting. Students who fail to complete homework (without a really good excuse, written by parents) will need to stay in from recess to complete work.
Expect 30-45 minutes a night. Students who waste class time, may have more homework.
FRIDAY FOLDERS: These continue throughout your child’s years at Trinity. The folder will contain all graded work from that week, a note from Mrs. Gordon explaining details for the upcoming week, and a note from the school office titled, “Friday Facts”. Please always take time to look through this information. Lunch menus, choir schedules, field trip permission forms, special projects, and other information about specific events are all included in the folder. If you ever have a question, please ask.
MATH: Multiplication and division facts become an integral component of our math curriculum. We continue with the Saxon Math Program. There is no book until fourth grade. Side A of the worksheets are completed in class, while side B is homework. Expect math homework every night, except Friday.
SPELLING: Spelling units are assigned on Monday, and due by Friday. Mrs. Schefft teaches spelling. A practice test is given on Wednesday, with the final test to follow on Friday.
SCIENCE: As you may or may not know, our school has won the Governor’s Award for outstanding teaching of science the last several years. Third graders engage in a wealth of hands on science activities. The homework is usually just a worksheet to reinforce concepts taught in class. Each chapter is followed by a test. Study guides are given to aid in test preparation.
SOCIAL STUDIES AND HEALTH: Mr. Krix teaches these subjects. The social studies curriculum includes information about our government, how it operates, and some basic facts on American History. Health is taught twice a week. Mr. Krix and Mrs. Gordon work together to coordinate tests, so the children are not inundated with several tests on the same day.
READING, LANGUAGE, SPELLING: We are starting a new reading program this year for grades K thru 6. It is titled Journey's by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (same company that developed our last reading curriculum). One major difference is that everything is included in one book, and one practice book. I will bring samples with me to the home visits to offer you a little more insight into the program. There will still be reading and spelling tests every Friday, but in addition there will be a language test every Thursday. In many ways this will be better for the children's grades, as each test will not carry as much weight and one low grade will not have as much impact as a test that is only given every two or three weeks. Almost all of the stories are Accelerated Reader stories, and we do have tests available.
MEMORY WORK: Memory work is always due by Thursday, but may be said early any day of the week (before 8:25). Memory work will be due the first week of school, but will be a review. All that will be expected is John 3:16 and Genesis 1:1. Bibles are a gift from P.O.S.T.S. and will be handed out at the home visits or at registration. Students will need them for religion class.
GYM: This is taught by Mrs. Gordon every Monday and Friday. Non marking gym shoes are needed. Gym uniforms start in fifth grade. Girls should wear pants or shorts on Mondays and Fridays, or wear shorts under their skirts.
CURSIVE HANDWRITING: The first two trimesters we review letter formation and connecting letters. Starting third trimester, all work in all subjects must be completed using cursive handwriting.
RELIGION: This is a very interactive class, with much of the work being done together in class. There is an occasional homework assignment, but no tests are given.
DISCIPLINE: We use a system similar to what was used in second grade. We use pins instead of cards. If you pull a pin once, you move to the yellow section, and lose five minutes off of recess. The next move is blue, and you lose all of recess, a third pull results in a phone call to parents. It rarely happens that students move a fourth time in one day, but should this happen, students are sent to Mrs. Spohn’s office.
DIRECTIONS: Always follow directions carefully, and read through them twice before starting any assignment. Always write in complete sentences, unless instructed otherwise. Ten percent is deducted for turning in a no name, or late paper.
If you have any questions, please ask. We are happy to answer all of your questions.
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