WELCOME TO THIRD GRADE
We will be ROCKING THROUGH THE
YEAR, 80’s style!
We are the third grade team. We are very excited about this coming up
year! We know it will be a great experience for everyone!
Please continue to watch the slide show for your child’s teacher specific
information.
Mrs. Ferris’ Class
• I am so excited to be your child’s teacher this year and share in his/her
experiences! My goal is to help each child become the BEST student and
citizen he/she can be!! Your child will be growing in knowledge this year
and applying skills learned in previous years. Each child will be pushed to
realize his/her potential in being an EXCELLENT student as well as a
member of our school FAMILY!!
• If you, at any time, feel the need to talk with me about your student’s
progress in learning or behaviors, please do not hesitate to contact me by
phone or email. I will do my best to resolve any issues that may come up!
• I look forward to our partnership in making this a wonderful year of school
for your child!!
• This year is a huge jump for your child in learning. Each child will now
be expected to handle greater responsibility for learning and personal
items (binders, assignment books, notes). Your child will be “reading
to learn” and writing more independently. A sense of self-confidence
and a greater level of independence will be developed. In third
grade, students feel a sense of pride as they are able to do so much
more on their own!
READING
Third graders read to learn. We will use the Reading
series as well as independent reading to master skills,
develop fluency, and increase comprehension/higherorder thinking skills.
• The STAR test will be given to all students to determine an approximate grade-level for reading.
The STAR test will give an approximate reading level and your child will pick AR (Accelerated
Reader) books on that level as well as take tests on the books. Every 2 weeks, a grade is taken
for having an AR book completed. When a student receives a 100% on the AR test, it is counted
as a Book Report.
• DIBELS testing will be used for some students to test fluency
and comprehension. By the end of third grade, students are
expected to be reading 123 words per minute and be able to
retell 50% of what is read.
Title One Services
What is Title One Reading?
• A federally funded program offered districtwide to help build student success in
reading
• Typically 30 minutes/day of small group
instruction based on identified reading skill
needs
• May include reading staff providing small
group instruction in the classroom
alongside the classroom teacher or out of the
classroom
How are students identified?
• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic
Early Literacy Skills)
• STAR Reading (assesses Foundational
Skills, Reading Informational Text,
Reading Literature, and Language)
• Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment
System (determines students’ independent
and instructional reading levels)
Who receives Title One Reading?
• Students will be evaluated 3x/year and
qualify based on test scores and the overall
needs of students in that grade level.
If my child gets reading services this year,
will he be in the program next year?
• Students will be evaluated 3x/year
• Students may receive services at different
intervals throughout the school year
MATH
• Addition and subtraction facts should be mastered by third grade. We will use
these facts for higher-level adding and subtracting skills. By the end of third
grade, multiplication facts will need to be mastered as well. In addition, we
will work on place value, time to the minute, fractions, and measuring.
• MULTIPLICATION IS A BIG DEAL THIS YEAR!! USE YOUR FLASHCARDS TO
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!!
• We will have pre-tests and post-tests in Math this year. This will show your
child’s growth on a topic over time.
Cursive Handwriting
• An exciting challenge for your child this year will be cursive writing.
We will practice this in a book that will stay with us here at school.
When your child finishes that book, he/she may take it home. I
encourage students to not write full words in cursive unless they have
learned every letter in that word.
WRITING
• This year we will be learning, and becoming authors of, three
types of writing: narrative, informational, and opinion. With
each type of writing, we will learn skills to help organize
thoughts and understand the writing process. Third graders
should be able to write multiple complete sentences on the
same subject and have an opening and closing with many
interesting details. They should also be able to use correct
capitalization and punctuation.
Science and Social Studies
• In Science, we focus on the scientific
• In Social Studies we will study laws, the 3
process, plants, matter and energy, the
branches of government, map skills, and
water cycle, and animal habitats. We will
important Americans. We will also cover
use our Science books, stories, the internet, holidays and other events as they come up.
and do projects on these subjects.
SPELLING
• We use a program called “Spellography” in Spelling. This program
focuses on many skills, including phonics. Your child will receive a
new list every 2 weeks on Monday. On that Monday a pre-test will be
given (not graded, just to help know what words to really study) and
then they will be tested on the Friday of the end of the 2nd week for a
grade. If, for any reason, that changes your child will write it in
his/her planner and I will do my best to communicate it on my class
Facebook page and in the class newsletter.
Cooperative Learning
• We will be doing a lot of learning in cooperative groups this year. This
will be used in every subject. In cooperative learning, ALL students are
held accountable for their learning but they often work in groups and
rely on each other as well. In cooperative learning groups, no one can
hide: everyone participates. Students gain a sense of responsibility and
belonging while working in these groups.
LEADER IN ME
• You may hear your child talk about the 7 habits
throughout the year. This comes from a program called
“Leader in Me” that will be implemented in our room (and
throughout the school) this year. It helps children to be
in charge of themselves, have a plan, work first then play,
think win-win, listen before they talk, work together, and
have balance in their lives. While implementing this
program, your children will be keeping track of some data
of their own such as: attendance, behaviors, AR and
STAR scores, Spelling and Math test scores. They will
also learn to set goals for themselves and keep track of
how they have improved throughout the year.
DAILY ASSIGNMENT BOOKS
• Each child in third grade is expected to maintain an assignment book.
THIS IS SENT HOME IN THE BINDER EVERY NIGHT AND SHOULD NOT
LEAVE THE BINDER! IT NEEDS TO BE SIGNED EVERY NIGHT!! This
will assure that you are aware of what homework may need to be
completed and will be a means of communication between home and
school. This will be checked every day. Please put notes and other
communication inside this book.
HOMEWORK
• Any work not finished during class time will be taken home for
homework and is due the next morning! There will be class time to
start most work and it will often be completed in class. If time is used
wisely in class, your child should not have lots of homework, except
to read and practice Spelling words and Math facts. Your child will
have a folder in his/her binder for homework to be placed. This
includes work that may have been finished in school, but is still
considered homework. Please put all homework back in the folder to
assure your child has it to turn in! All homework is due the next
morning unless otherwise noted! If an item is circled, it is homework
to be completed at HOME.
• There will also be websites on my school webpage for your child to
practice skills we are learning in class. I highly recommend using
these sites to keep your child engaged in learning at all times!
• http://www.troy.k12.mo.us/Page/3763
3-Ring Daily Binder
TAKE HOME
SCHOOL
• Graded work, notes from school,
school newsletters, etc…
Students will be asked to check
their “mailbox” everyday and
will put these papers in their
Take Home Folder. Please
empty nightly but pay attention
and keep items, such as the
newsletter, at home which may
have important information.
• Homework, study sheets,
spelling lists, schoolwork that
has to be signed or redone…PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT
ALL THESE PAPERS RETURN TO
THIS FOLDER SO YOUR CHILD
CAN TURN IN HOMEWORK THE
NEXT DAY. If in doubt, leave it
there!
Book Reports/AR Quizzes
• In order to receive a Reading Circle Certificate at the end of the year,
your child is required to do book reports. 11 Fiction, 5 Nonfiction.
We will read a book and do 1 as a class. Each child will be responsible
for the rest of the reports. They will be kept track of throughout the
year. If a student passes an AR test with 100% it will count as a book
report.
COMMUNICATION
• I have a class Facebook page where I like to update you when important
information comes up. Please like “WCE-Mrs. Ferris Third Grade” to stay in
the loop. This page is to be used to get information to parents. Please do
not message me on here. If you need to communicate through a message,
please send it via email.
• Newsletter: I will send home a paper copy of the newsletter bi-weekly and
sometimes weekly. Check your child’s TAKE HOME FOLDER for this.
• Please feel free to contact at anytime throughout the year!
ferrisa@troy.k12.mo.us
636-356-4246
BEHAVIOR
• Our school is a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) school.
We have school-wide expectations in every area of the building which
ask students to be respectful, responsible, and safe. When students
do not follow an expectation, they are given a warning. If the
behavior continues, they will be sent to the “Chill Zone” to think
about and process what they have done. If it continues beyond that,
they will go to another third grade classroom (Focus Room) to think
about their behavior. If they can get it back together in the other
room, they will come back to process in the “Chill Zone” before going
back to their original seat. Any major behaviors or repeated
infractions will result in a discipline referral to the office.
Arrival/Dismissal:
• Arrival: Students may arrive at 8:15.
Classes begin at 8:40. Students who are
not eating breakfast will go to the gym for
a morning meeting on Monday and Friday
and to their classroom on Tues, Wed. and
Thurs. Students who are eating breakfast
will go straight to the cafeteria and then
go to their classroom.
• EARLY OUT WEDNESDAYS: Every
Wednesday, starting August 26, at 2:30
students will be released early for teacher
professional development.
• Dismissal: Car riders may be picked up in
the Cafeteria at 3:30 on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday. Wednesday is our
early out days. On this day, car riders
may be picked up at 2:27 in the Cafeteria.
Remember to bring your ID when picking
up your child. Please be consistent with
arrival and dismissal times each day. If
you must change, please let the office
know before 2:00, and 1:00 on
Wednesdays.
School starts August 18.
Hours 8:40-3:35
More Information…
• Absences: Contact the school if your child
is or will be absent. Send a note with
your child when she/he returns verifying
the absence. The attendance policy is
located in the school handbook. Please
give this section special attention.
• Birthdays: Students are recognized on
their birthdays or half birthdays.
Students may bring in a snack, help the
teacher for the day, get an extra recess,
OR sit where they’d like for the day.
• Safety: Keep your school contact
information updated for your child, so
that you can be reached in an emergency.
• Clothing: We will be playing outside, so
please have your child wear shoes he/she
can play safely in, and remember a jacket
and/or coat when the weather starts to
get cooler. . Tennis shoes need to be
worn on PE days on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. Please refer to the handbook
for additional information.
• Room Celebrations: If you are interested
in helping in any of our Classroom
Celebrations throughout the year, please
sign up or talk with me at Back to School
Night.