Mrs. Sandford’s Third Grade Class

Dear Third Grade Families,

My name is Mrs. Ashley Sandford, and I am so excited to be your child’s Third Grade teacher and look forward to working with each of you to create a fabulous 2019-2020 School Year!  I am originally from Jacksonville, Florida and attended University of Florida for my undergraduate degree.  I then went to law school and practiced family law for three years before realizing working with and teaching children was my true calling.  I became certified while I lived in Corpus Christi, Texas at Texas A&M University. I have previously taught 6^th and 7^th grade.  I cannot wait to begin the school year with our third grade class and dive into a fun and challenging curriculum.

I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to the classroom each day. I also strive to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage present and future leaders.

Routines

We will spend time the first few weeks organizing materials and establishing classroom routines.  One such routine requires the students to write all assignments, tests and project due dates in the Student Planner in an effort to work on our organizational skills and becoming responsible learners. The students have been asked to obtain your signature in the Planner every night. Your time to review and sign the Student Planner is helpful in keeping everyone on track. I check Student Planners each morning for your signature, as well as any notes or comments you may have written.  The Student Planner will be placed in the blue folder every day, along with graded papers and any letters/flyers from our School Office.   Please empty these papers out and sign any necessary forms and return those in the blue folder.

Homework

Students will have homework Monday through Friday.  Your student will bring it home in his or her take home folder.  Inside you will find a pocket for papers to be kept at home and a pocket for papers to be brought back to school.  Take home folders should be brought back to school daily.  Students will be given at least 30 minutes of homework daily.  This includes, but is not limited to, math skills practice and studying for their weekly spelling/vocabulary test.  In addition, they are also expected to read between 20-30 minutes a night.  Homework gives students the opportunity to practice the skills they learned that day while also providing guidance to me on how I may need to modify my instruction for future lessons based on their performance.  I appreciate your help in encouraging your students to complete their assignments. Missed assignments due to an absence from class are expected to be made up in accordance with the school handbook.

Behavior Management

I feel that it is important to provide my students with a safe, quiet, and respectful environment so each child can be successful in school. This can only be achieved if each student is respectful of themselves, property and others.  It is important that each child follow the rules and expectations of the classroom so precious classroom time will not be wasted on behavior issues.

I have put in place a money economy system to help the students monitor their own behavior in the classroom.  Students will earn money (coins) each day that can be used to purchase rewards on Friday. Please note, that your child may not have enough money to get the reward that they are working towards that week and will be able to purchase the following week. Rewards start at $.20 and go up to $2.00. Each student will be able to save and buy a reward. (Some of the rewards include bringing something). Students earn a salary for coming to school every day. If your child is absent then they will not earn “money” that day.

If students are off task or have chosen to not follow the class rules and expectations the consequences will be as follows:

1. One Verbal Warning
2. Pay a “fine” from the salary they earn – the amount dependent upon the behavior or rule not followed
3. Asked to sit in the Reflection Zone for 5 minutes (A spot has been designated in the classroom where the child can get some distance, regroup, and write a note regarding the rule they did not follow and how the plan to improve on this)
4. NO playground time
5. Parent contact/office visit

Please note, there are some behaviors that are zero tolerance and for which an automatic discipline referral will be written.  This includes fighting, threatening, and stealing.

Each student will be allowed to utilize an iPad as a learning tool in the classroom throughout the year. Students will be expected to comply with the school wide rules and expectations for technology use.

P.E.

PE will be on Monday afternoon and Thursday morning. On Mondays, students must wear their regular school uniform and change into PE clothes. On Thursdays, students wear PE clothes to school and then change into their regular school uniforms.  Please place uniforms and sneakers/shoes in a separate bag (no hangers please!) Students may bring a water bottle for PE. Please remember: NO JEWELRY (except small post-style earrings) on PE Days! Lastly, please be sure all of your child’s belongings are clearly labeled!

Opportunity (Help) Sessions for Grade 3 are held on Wednesdays from 2:50-3:30 for students struggling with Math and/or Reading. Please write a note in the Planner if you would like your student to attend. Opportunity Sessions will begin Wednesday, Sept. 11.

I am excited to have your child in class and look forward to working as a team. I value your input and insight as parents and hope you will feel comfortable sharing any questions or concerns you might have throughout the year.  I do welcome and encourage parent involvement in my classroom.  If you wish to volunteer, please e-mail me for more information.

As always, feel free to contact me for any reason, through the Student Planner or e-mail sandford@blessedtrinitycatholicschool.org.

Sincerely,

Ashley Sandford

 “I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”  John 13:34

 News and Notices

Dear all,

Please see the attached Letter with information on work for the next week.  Anything with an asterisk (*) will be due on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.   The packet will have all the information for what the students will do.  I have also created a calendar of to-do items that must be turned in.  Please continue to turn in any missing assignments.  Any missing assignments can be scanned and emailed to me or turned in with the next packet.

Thank you so much for your patience and cooperation.

Week of May 18.May.22.items.due.final (1)

May 18.to.May.22.letter.final

As always, the students can practice IXL for review. You can now use IXL for Science and Social Studies as well.  I encourage the students to continue to do so at home.  If login and passwords are needed, please e-mail me.

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Kahoot for spelling/review:

https://create.kahoot.it/register/sign-up-options

Once you have an account I will send out the game pins and links for each quiz

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Readworks. org

www.readworks.org/student

2. Students enter class code DF7XDE

3. Tell your students that their default password is 1234

Note: Students can change their passwords when they log in, and you can change student passwords on this page.

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UNIT 4.vocab.spelling.list

Continue to Review Letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, in IXL as review

Practice T, U, BB, CC, TT, EE, FF for preparation for next year

IXL math practice –  Concepts in letters  W, X, and Y for Ch 9 and 10

Reading/English/Spelling Test – Unit 5, Lesson 1 05/15/2020

Chapter 9 and 10 Math Test – 05/15/2020

Kahoot spelling – 05/15/2020

 

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Dates to Remember

Distance Learning – 03/17/20 to 04/06/20

Spring Break – 04/07/20 to 04/15/20

Return to Classroom – 05/04/20

 

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Instructional Videos will be sent via e-mail.  They are made by me to help the students with some of the material.

Link for Charlotte’s Web:

https://cleveracademy.vn/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Charlotte_s_Web_.pdf?fbclid=IwAR029rEnCxVSfb0r2_DWS557ZVxU3I8DwvWlyhG_lXDmas1AC3mE4QcA_Ts

Gloria:

http://www.scborromeo.org/prayers/gloria.pdf

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Updated 05/11/20

Week of May 11.May.15.items.due.final

May 11.to.May.15.letter.final

May 4.to.May.8.letter.final

Week of May 4.May.8.items.due.final

2020-03 – Distance Learning Agreement – student pledge

Week of April 27.May.1.items.due.final

April 27.to.May.1.letter.final

Spanish.04.16.20.to.04.24.20.handouts

Art.3.30.20

P.E.handout.4.16.20

April 16.to.April.24.letter.final

Week of April 16.to.April.24.items.due.final

March.30.April.6.letter.final

Week of March 30-April6.items.due.final

P.E.handout.03.30.20

Art.directions.3.16.20

Lightfoot.music.document

P.E.document.3.16.20

Week of March 23-27.items.due

March.23.March.27.letter

Letter.Work.Packet.3.16.20

Spelling and Vocabulary. Lessons. Unit 1. 1-6

Mrs. Golino

email: golino@blessedtrinitycatholicschool.org

Week of March16 – March 20

 

*ATTENTION:  We are in urgent need of disinfectant wipes (Lysol, Clorox, Seventh Generation and such).  Please send in 2 canisters or more if you can.

 

Phonics-

We are beginning our study of long vowels.  We are learning the sound of long vowel e.  We see it in words like:  bead, tree, and baby.  Practice comparing short e and long e sounds.  Practice finding long vowel e words in the world around you.

Language-

Each letter makes a sound.  Some letters make more than one sound.  Words are made up of letters put together.  Words put together with a finger space between them, make a sentence.

A Noun names a person, place, or thing.  Singular nouns have no s at the end.  Plural nouns have an s at the end.

A complete sentence tells a whole idea.  An example is:  My puppy naps.  An incomplete sentence is missing information.  An example is:  My puppy.

A Naming Part of a sentence tells who or what.  Example:  Two frogs

A Telling Part of a sentence tells what happened.  Example:  jump.

Proper Nouns are special nouns that begin with a capital letter.  Examples are:  Mary, Publix, Beach Boulevard, Blessed Trinity Catholic School.

A Telling Sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.  Example:  My cat sleeps with me.

An Asking Sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a question mark.  Example:  When will we go to the park?

A verb is an action word.  It tells what someone or something does.  Examples:  run, jump, and sleep.

An adjective is a describing word.  It describes a noun.  Examples:  tall, blue, four, sour, stinky, bumpy, loud, and sunny.

An Exclamatory Sentence is said with excitement.  It begins with a capital letter and ends with an exclamation mark.  Example:  Watch out for that snake!

A Command tells someone what to do and gives a direction.  It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.  Example:  Pick up your toys.

Spelling-

We will have our Spelling Test on Thursday (3/19/20).

Our new spelling words are:

grape, leaf, five, oak, stew, snail, baby, fly, soap, true

 

Handwriting-

We are learning how to write our D’Nealian letters.

Religion –

We are learning about …

• Jesus teaches us about forgiveness.  Read the story of the Prodigal Son together in Luke 15:11-23.
• God always forgives us when we say we are sorry.
• We follow God’s laws by showing love for God and others.
• We can ask God for forgiveness at any time.
• Penance is the sacrament in which we receive and celebrate God’s forgiveness.
• In the Sacrament of Penance, we receive God’s forgiveness and peace.
• We share peace with others by loving and forgiving them.

Mathematics-

Practice identifying numbers from 1-100.  We will recognize, count, and order numbers.  Practice finding numbers before, between, and right after.

Practice addition facts with sums to ten.

Practice subtraction facts with a whole of 10 or less.

We are learning about Fact Families.  An example is:

2+4=6, 4+2=6, 6-4=2, 6-2=4

We will begin to learn to measure.  We will learn how to use a ruler.  We will learn about inches and centimeters.

We are learning about place value.  We will study two digit numbers.

We are learning addition facts with sums up to 20.

We are learning subtraction facts from 20 or less.

We are gathering data and organizing this information onto charts and graphs.

We are learning how to add two digit numbers together.

We are learning how to subtract two digit numbers.

We are beginning our study of geometry and shapes.