Classroom Handbook Mrs. Winstead S Third Grade Class Eastern Greene Elementary

Dear Parents, Can you believe how quickly the summer flew by? I for one cannot believe it’s already time to get back to school. Before we know it we will be watching football games, toasting marshmallows and finding that ‘just right’ Halloween costume! First and foremost, I want to thank you for entrusting your child to me. As a parent, I know how big of a deal that actually is. I will help to make this transition back to school and into third grade seamless, and ALWAYS welcome your input. Sometimes you’ll notice an issue before me, because though I am an expert in education, you’re the expert on your child! Never hesitate to contact me!! I will get back to you as quickly as possible. Email is always the best way! Please flip through this classroom handbook any time you’re curious about what’s coming up or going on in our classroom. I don’t expect you to read it all at once, but it is a nice tool to tuck away for future reference.  Thanks again, and I look forward to an AMAZING school year! Mrs. Winstead

Table of Contents:

Our Daily Schedule Page 2 Contact Information Page 3 Classroom Rules / Class Pledge / Behavior Management Page 4 Classroom Procedures Page 5 Stability Balls / Snacks / Homework Page 6 Work Of the Week Folder / Money Page 7 Celebrations Page 8 Classroom Volunteers

Room 304’s Schedule 2016-2017 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 7:40-8:00 Morning Work Morning Work Morning Work Morning Work Morning Work 8:00-9:05 Math: Math: Math: Math: Math: *8:10 Morning Calendar, then Calendar, then Calendar, then Calendar, then Calendar, then Announcements Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson 9:10-9:55 Library Computer Lab Music Art P.E. REMEMBER Wear Tennis YOUR BOOKS! Shoes!! 10:00-10:15 D.E.A.R. and D.E.A.R. and D.E.A.R. and D.E.A.R. and D.E.A.R. and Snack Snack Snack Snack Snack 10:15-10:30 Handwriting Handwriting Handwriting Handwriting Spelling Test 10:30-11:00 Whole Group Whole Group Whole Group Whole Group Weekly Reading and Reading and Reading and Reading and Reading Test Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts 11:00-12:00 Small Groups/ Small Groups/ Small Groups/ Small Groups/ Small Groups/ Stations for Stations for Stations for Stations for Stations for Reading and Reading and Reading and Reading and Reading and Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts 12:05-12:35 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 12:40-1:10 Recess Recess Recess Recess Recess 1:15-2:00 Science / Science / Science / Science / Choice Time Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies (writing, math groups, etc.) 2:00-2:35 Fun Friday or FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS continuation of Choice 2:40-3:00 Pack Up, Jobs, Pack Up, Jobs, Pack Up, Jobs, Pack Up, Jobs, Pack Up, Jobs, Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal

Contact Information  My name is Sarah Winstead, the students refer to me as Mrs. Winstead or Mrs. W

 School Phone Number: (812)825-5623 ext. 1304

 Email: [email protected]

 Follow us on Twitter @Mrs_Winstead

 Check my teacher website: http://egreene.k12.in.us/our_schools/elementary_school/elementary_teacher_pages/3rd_grade/mrs__winstead/

 Send in a note with your child, but remind them to turn it in to me

3 Classroom Rules Be Kind, Be Respectful and Do the Right Thing Classroom Pledge “I pledge today to do my best in reading, math and all the rest. I promise to obey the rules, in my class and in the school. I’ll respect myself and others too, I’ll expect the best in all I do. I am here to learn all I can, to try my best and be all I am!” Classroom Behavior Management Incentives Each week I will choose 1 or 2 students to be our “VIP” (Very Important Person). This student will be someone who has done an excellent job following the classroom rules and completing all school work. Every student will have a chance to be VIP! In addition to this, every student has a punch card and once the punch card is full he/she can visit the treasure chest! Self-Monitoring System This is a form of 1 2 3 Magic which is research based and has worked very well in the classroom. It works as follows:

Super Hero You have gone above and beyond everything that is expected! You did it all without being asked! (4 punches and note/call home) Side Kick You are doing everything you should be AND helping others, doing extra academic work, helping out around the classroom, and more. All of this without being asked. (3 punches) Soaring You and doing everything you should be doing and a little more. (2 punches) Ready to Fly You are doing the right thing (1 punch) Danger Zone You have been given a warning for poor behavior (talking, not working, etc.) and need to do a self-check (5 laps @ recess) Consequence You have continued to have poor behavior and will have a time out in class and do a self-check (10 laps@ recess) Kryptonite Behavior has yet to improve. Phone call and/or note home, possible trip to the principal’s office, and recess will be spent reflecting behavior and ways to improve Students are always able to get back to “Ready to Fly” if they can answer the following: 1. What went wrong?

2. Why wasn’t that okay?

3. What should you have done instead/what will you do next time?

Behavior will reset to “Ready to Fly” at the end of each day.

4 Behavior will be reported on the Weekly at Home Practice page daily. Classroom Procedures Morning Procedure As students arrive in the classroom each morning they need to do the following: 1. Put down chair, put up backpack and other belongings

2. Turn in any notes, forms, money etc.

3. Put Homework Folder in Mailbox

4. Check art boxes and make sure you have 3 sharpened pencils

5. Get calendar and DCCR page, trim and glue into Math Journal

6. Go to Breakfast

7. Complete Calendar and DCCR page Afternoon Procedure At the end of the day we’re coming back from FOCUS and have A LOT to accomplish in order to go home. We will do the following: 1. Folders: All students will get homework folders and circle behavior for the day. 2. Punch Cards will get punched depending upon behavior chart

3. Jobs: Classroom Custodians will clean up floor, Librarians will clean up library, Pencil Sharpeners will sharpen pencils, etc.

4. Line-Up: I will call outback students to pack-up first, then cafeteria students. After that, I’ll call students based upon which ones look the most ready (sitting quietly, behavior circled, card punched, etc.). After chairs are up all students are to remain seated crisscross-apple sauce in front of their desks until line up time. At 2:55 outback students will line up with Mrs. Robinson. At 3:00 I’ll dismiss cafeteria students to walk down to their waiting places in the cafeteria and walk the bussers to their buses. **PLEASE NOTE: If transportation changes, please let me know by writing a note. Notes NEED to be turned in first thing in the MORNING not on the way out the door at the end of the day. ** Turning in Assignments All papers need to have name, classroom line number and date on them. Each group has a tray where their work needs to be turned in. If in class work isn’t completed, it will go in the HOMEWORK Folder on the “Return to School” side. It is to be completed that night and returned to school the following day.

5 If a day of school is missed, all homework is to be turned in upon return. All in class work is expected to be completed and returned within 1 day of absence (there are exceptions to this rule). If you know your child is going to be absent please let me know ASAP so we can plan accordingly.

Stability Balls in Class A few years ago I introduced stability balls in my classroom in lieu of a handful of chairs. At first I was amazed by the behavior improvement! Of course now it makes total sense! Kids need to move and allowing them to “fidget” on these balls gives them the needed energy output. I cannot afford to buy for the entire class, but would love it if all my students had a ball to sit on during the day! So, if you would like to purchase your child a stability ball I highly recommend it! Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target and various sporting goods stores sell them for cheap! Snacks and Water Bottles We have quite a long time from breakfast until lunch (12:05!); the students need a midmorning snack to keep them going and ready to learn. Each student is asked to bring in their own snack each day in addition to a water bottle. I prefer the Nalgene bottles with flip up straws because they last ALL year and don’t tend to be as messy as others. Please DO NOT send in candy or heavily processed, sugary foods as snacks. Fruits, chopped veggies, dry cereal, goldfish crackers, pretzels and granola bars are your best options. Homework aka Nightly Practice Your child will have homework every night Monday-Thursday. It is important that you supervise, but do not spend too much time “helping” your child do his or her work. Please sign the homework sheet nightly as your child completes the assignments. Please return the homework folder WITH HOMEWORK daily!! You can expect the following nightly: Reading: Your child is to read for 20 minutes and respond nightly. Some nights I will assign the reading, but most nights they are to choose a book/story on their level to read at home. For responses I expect to learn something about what they’re reading…what is the main character doing? How are you feeling about the story line? What do you predict will happen next? Spelling and Vocab: Practices words nightly. You will have a practice packet sent home weekly with a list of activities to be completed before Friday. I do expect to see that an assignment has been completed nightly. The homework sheet will show suggested assignments, but as long as the words are practiced throughout the week the order in which the assignments are completed isn’t super important.

6 Math: On Monday (sometimes it will be a different day, depending upon our testing and review schedule) the students will pull out the week’s practice pages. After our math lesson, we begin to work on the Reteaching side of the workbook page. If that is completed, students are then allowed to begin work on the Practice side. If it is completed in school, then there won’t be any Math homework that night. I still require them to take their work home to review with parents each day. W.O.W. Folder I will collect assignments throughout the week, some will be for a grade, some will not. On Friday most assignments will go home in the Work of the Week, or WOW, Folder. The WOW Folder goes home on Friday, and needs to come back on Monday. In addition to completed assignments from this week, important papers, notes, etc. will also be in the folder. Please empty out the “Keep at Home” side each Friday. Be sure to finish and return all papers on the “Return to School” side. Finally, students are to complete the weekly reflection sheet and parents need to sign it, then place it back in the folder on the “Return to School” side. Money Lunch $ If your child is buying lunch here at school you will need to send in either cash or check (made payable to Eastern Greene Schools). Please send in the money in a SEALED envelope or baggie with your child’s first and last name and classroom (304). You can also contact the cafeteria for your child’s lunch account information for instructions on how to put funds into accounts online. Book Fair $ This is an opportunity for your child to purchase books and other fundraiser type items. Prior to each event, all students will have an opportunity to preview items and make a wish list. You may then decide if you want to give your child money to purchase only items on their list, or any item. If you do send in money with your child, please specify if they are only allowed to purchase specific items. You may also decide to come to school during one of the designated shopping times with your child. *Please note that many items do often sell-out during these events so it is a good idea to think of some back-up items. Book Order $ If you are purchasing Scholastic Book Order books for your child, you may do so online using the code GNCCZ. You may also fill out the paper flyer and return it to school with a check made out to Scholastic. Please send in the payment in a SEALED envelope or baggie with your child’s name on it. Your child needs to hand the money to me first

7 thing in the morning. Please do not send in cash unless it is for the exact amount of your book order. Sporting Program $ Eastern offers a plethora of camps and other sport programs throughout the year. If you sign your child up for one of these programs, please follow the instructions on the sheet that come home. Usually, you’re able to return the form with payment to the school. If you do this please send in the form/payment in a SEALED envelope with your child’s name and the name of the program clearly written on the front of the envelope. Celebrations We will have special celebrations for holidays, birthdays and classroom achievements  Special Days and Holidays- We generally do a morning of seasonally themed activities. For example, we might have stations set up where students, read, play bingo, decorate a cookie, do a word search, make a craft, etc.  Birthdays-When it is your child’s birthday you are more than welcome to send in treats and come be a part of the fun. Birthday parties usually last no more than 15minutes. They will be scheduled on your child’s birthday (or most convenient day for you). On Mondays and Fridays we can do parties from 1:20-1:35ish; on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we can do parties from 10-10:15ish. We always start with birthday questions, then we do a silly dance and finish with eating treats. Please follow the following parameters when sending in treats: o All food items must be purchased from a store/licensed bakery o Drinks need to be individually packaged (spills and floor stains…no fun!) o Drinks must be clear in color (once again…stains!)  Classroom Achievements-When all students have mastered a skill, gotten into the 25 point club (AR), learned multiplication facts, etc. we will celebrate by having a classroom party! Party Invitations I ask that you do not have your child bring any type of party invitation to school to pass out unless the ENTIRE class is invited. The only exception to this rule is if your child wanted a same gender party (i.e., girls only, boys only). I realize that birthday parties are expensive and inviting the entire class may not be in your budget. In those instances, I ask that you keep the invites out of school and remind your child to not brag about the upcoming party while here. That creates hurt feelings and a classroom where people do not feel accepted is not conducive to learning. Thank you for cooperating with me on this very sensitive issue.

8 Classroom Volunteers I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE parent volunteers! There are many ways in which you can help out in the classroom. Here are some of your options: Choose your time commitment level.  Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, special events only

 ½ day, morning only, reading only, all day Day Preference  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

 Weekend Help (cutting out, sorting, etc.) Choose what you would like to do.  Clerical (grading, copying, filing, etc.), student help (small groups, one on one)

 Designing/creating bulletin board displays in the hallway Special Options  Classroom Photographer- This person would need to attend all special events and holidays to take pictures and assume the responsibility of emailing and periodically printing those pictures.

 Memory Book helpers- Once a month we will work on creating a page for our memory books…this is the FIRST time I’ve ever asked for her with these, so I’m not sure what this will entail at this moment. All you crafty parents, please give me some input!!

 Special Area Helper- This person would be referred to the special area teachers (library, art, PE, music, computers) or the office to help in that area

*All classroom volunteers will need to fill out the Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet indicating their time commitment level, day preference and area of interest.

**All classroom volunteers will have to fill out the background check form at the elementary office prior to your first volunteer time.