Welcome to 3A!

Mr. Andersons Class

I am looking forward to teaching your child and know it will be a successful
year!
I am very ecited to begin a new school year here at !enno "lementary and
ho#e that you and your child feel the same. My goal is to make your child feel
im#ortant and to achieve their highest #otential in anything that they do.
Assignment Notebooks: (Agendas)
$our child may have some homework assignments to %nish in the evening.
&omework will de#end on the length of the assignment and how well your child
uses the time at school to work on their assignments. "ach student will need to
#urchase an assignment notebook if they did not do so yet. 'his notebook will
serve as an im#ortant mode of communication between #arent( teacher and
child. I will be using this notebook to write notes to #arents and #lease feel free
to write notes to me as well. )arents( I recommend checking your childs
assignment notebook daily. *igning the notebook daily will hel# you kee# track of
your childs school activities and assignments. 'he assignment notebook is +ust
one way we can hel# your child learn to be res#onsible.
Grading Scale:
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Homework Policy:
'he #ur#ose of homework in elementary is for students to have focused
#ractice at home. &omework reinforces teaching at school and develo#s good
study habits to carry on into middle( high school and college. *tudents in the 3rd
grade should be s#ending about 3/-30 minutes each evening on homework.
'wenty of those minutes should be s#ent reading 1and recording on their reading
logs2. 'he other 3/-30 minutes should be used to %nish assignments that werent
com#leted in school( study for tests( #ractice math facts( or #lay an educational
game. 'ry to develo# consistency in when and where homework is com#leted.
)arents should su#ervise homework time without becoming too involved.
Behavior Management:
Clip Chart- see attached sheet
Money
When money is sent to school for lunches( book orders( etc.( #lease enclose
it in an envelo#e with your childs name( amount and #ur#ose for the money.
)lease send the correct amount( se#arate checks and envelo#es for each item.
'he 'uesday 4older or a &omework 4older would be a good #lace to send money
to school in( so when your child clears the folder out they will be able to
remember to turn in the money.
eader!s and "riter!s "orksho#:
5ecades of internationally based research show that students who read
more 6 read better. 'hey develo# more e#ansive vocabularies and achieve
higher levels of reading and writing develo#ment. 'his is #articularly true for
students who have daily o##ortunities to read and write( year after year.
'herefore( a readers and writers worksho# format will be im#lemented in our
classroom. 5aily time to read in school is not a frill or waste of time7 on the
contrary( it is one of the best ways for your child to8
!earn new vocabulary and information
!earn how to choose books
9ead new books
!earn what good readers and writers do
!earn when( how and why we abandon books
Increase s#eed and :uency 1that is( read smoothly and accurately2
9ead with better understanding and im#rove com#rehension
!earn from other writers how to im#rove our own writing
5evelo# a greater interest in reading and writing
5iscover books( authors and genres we love
;ecome real readers and writers for a lifetime.
A #art of the worksho# will be daily <uiet time during which students read
books and write stories of their own choosing. 'hey will also be #rovided
guidance in choosing literature and revising stories. 9eaders Worksho# will
include whole-class lessons( individuali=ed conferences and small-grou# work.
$our child will be e#ected to maintain a reading record and write in res#onse to
their reading.
$our child is e#ected to have a book at school every day7 one he or she has
selected from our classroom library( the school library( the #ublic library( or your
home library. My main goal for your child is that he>she is truly motivated to read(
and read well. )lease +oin me in hel#ing create an environment in which our
children will become readers and authors for a lifetime!
eading $ogs: (G%mball eading &l%b)
;ased on the statement above( we know how im#ortant reading is. 'o
motivate and get kids to continue to kee# trying to be better readers( as we all
can im#rove( we will do a gumball reward system in our classroom. I would like
students to read ?/ minutes a night for 0 days of the week( which e<uals to a
total of 3// reading minutes. @f course they can read more if they wish( but in
order to receive a gumball and>or #ri=es( they need to com#lete 3// minutes a
week. I will have a form sent home weekly with your child and your child is
res#onsible to com#lete the form and have your signature on it. $our child then
needs to have the form signed by #arent>guardian and returned to school Monday
the following week. I am very understanding on busy schedules>con:icts that
results in the student not turning their reading logs in. With that said( students
who continually forget or +ust choose not to turn in their reading logs( will have a
conse<uence. 'hat conse<uence +ust de#ends on certain things but I will be sure
to let you know in advance what the conse<uence may be. Most likely they will
have to s#end 0 minutes on the wall during each recess until they e<ual their
reading log minutes to 3//. It would be a shame to get very far behind on reading
logs. As of now reading logs will not be graded( I ho#e we dont have to come to
that #oint to motivate kids to read. )lease be understanding the im#ortance of
encouraging your child to read.
es#onsive &lassroom:
Im a huge believer in building strong relationshi#s and showing res#ect
towards all #eo#le. *tudents will #artici#ate in the 9es#onsive Classroom routine.
'hey will be involved in morning meetings( sharing( games( activities( and overall
community building. !earning the right way to follow classroom and school
e#ectations( along with communicating with one another( will be a #art of
9es#onsive Classroom. I will be #reaching a lot about being a good #erson of
character( which means doing the right thing when nobody is watching.
S#ecials Sched%le:
Monday 6 Music A 3/830-3/8B0
'uesday 6 ).". A ?830-38//
Wednesday 6 !ibrary A ?83/-38//
'hursday--- Music A 3/830-3/8B0

"ater Bottles:
*tudents may bring a water bottle to school to kee# at a s#ot in the
classroom. )lease make sure the bottle has a #o#-to# to #revent as many s#ills
as #ossible. I will ask that students bring their water bottles home on a regular
basis to wash.
S#elling:
*#elling may be a little diCerent for you and your child than what you are
familiar with from the #ast. @ur #ur#ose is not +ust to memori=e words but( more
im#ortantly( to look at words and study in-de#th how words are made. Learners
who lack the knowledge of how words work are left with rote memorization, which
takes longer and is more easily forgotten.
*tudents will receive a new list of words at the beginning of the week and
com#lete s#elling activities throughout the week. *#elling tests will be given
every 4riday( or the last day of the week. 'he words on the test will be words that
your child has studied during the *#elling #ortion of our day( but they also need
to s#end time studying their words at home.
&ontact: )lease dont ever hesitate to contact me for A.$'&I.D. I am here
for you and your child so #lease again( dont hesitate. "mail works out +ust great
as well as your students agendas as stated earlier. I do want to let everyone
know that I coach !enno 4ootball as well. I am the EF and 4reshmen coach as well
as assistant Farsity coach. I have EF games on Monday( Farsity #ractice on
'uesday>Wednesdays( 4reshmen games 'hursdays( and Farsity games 4riday
nights. If you email or call me #lease be understanding if I do not get back to you
right away. I will do my best to get back to you that night after #ractices>games.
)lease dont feel that youre bothering me if you try to communicate during the
football season( as your childs education comes %rst to anything! 4ootball is the
only s#ort I coach this year so when the season ends 1@ctober>.ovember2 I will be
able to get back to you right after school. 'hank you!
I have high expectations for each of my students. I have a strong passion
on trying my best to be a positive impact on childrens lives. I already care deeply
about your child and want them to learn the key things in life that make a great
person of character at a young age. I do this so they continue to collect good
habits as they become an adult in our society someday. I appreciate your
participation in your childs learning experience. e can look forward to a
successful and en!oyable year"
Mr. Anderson
"-mail8 eric.andersonAk3?.sd.us
)hone8 G/0-GG3-BH/I