Policies
I’d like to welcome you and your child to our third-grade class. I’m looking forward to a super year! This letter is to familiarize you with our classroom expectations and policies. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at:
Mrs. Amy Levi
Ridgeview Elementary School
6573 Shimmering Creek Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80923
(719) 494-8700 ex. ______
Email: alevi@d49.org
Grading
Our district uses a standards-based report card. Student and teacher generated scales will be available for the breakdown of the skills from the Colorado State Standards. The grading system:
AP Advanced Proficient
P Proficient
PP Partial Proficient
N Needs Improvement
Most work (assignments, projects, etc.) is graded according to the above system. Homework and class work will be graded using the scale numbers which basically mean:
4 Student exceeds grade level expectations
3 Student meets grade level expectations
2 Working towards proficiency with support from teacher or peers
1 Not showing adequate progress on grade level skills or working below grade level
Student work that is not graded will receive a mark of some sort such as a check, stamp, or sticker along with comments. While this work is not entered as a grade, I do keep track of overall completion.
The majority of the homework that I will expect to be done at home will be:
● Read for 20 minutes each night (including Friday, but not including Saturday and Sunday).
● Write the title of the book in the planner and get it signed by a parent.
● Math assignments will be given as needed. Although, we encourage nightly practice with fact cards.
● Occasional word work may be assigned.
Some unexpected homework may be:
● Any assignment not finished during class may be assigned as homework, depending on the circumstances.
● Occasional online educational sites: Lexia, Zearn, ST Math, etc.
Student Planners
This year we are using student planners as a way for each student to become more independent and responsible for homework. Each day, students are responsible for recording their homework for the night. I will also use their planner for communication along with email. Please sign the planner nightly. A great idea is to set up a nightly routine at the beginning of the year (I always ask my child to place the planner near the coffee maker so I can sign it in the morning. Then, as my son grabs his lunch, he also grabs the planner)!
Late Work
Any assignment given will usually be due the next day unless specified otherwise. Late homework will still be required to be turned in. Consistent late or missing assignments will be reflected in the effort and/or responsibility portion of the report card.
Make-up Work
If a student misses school and the absence is excused, he/she will be given two days for each day absent in which to complete make–up work. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the work missed during an absence and turn it in promptly.
Office
Notices from the office generally go home each Thursday in the Thursday Folders. In addition, student work and classroom communications are placed into these folders. Please check your child’s backpack each Thursday for his/her Thursday Folder.
If you ever need to let me know something important during the day (like change of plans for how your child will go home, etc.) please call the office. The office will then buzz our room and let me know. Often times I don’t get to check my emails throughout the day since I’m teaching. I would hate to miss an important message.
Lunch Money
You may choose to make payments for lunch using the online website: https://payschoolscentral.com/#/user/login. Hot lunch may also be purchased by sending money in with your student. It is helpful to put the cash or check (made out to FALCON FOOD SERVICES) into an envelope or baggie with your child’s name and amount on it. Lunch money is collected daily during our morning routine.
Water Bottles/Snacks
Many students need a drink after recess, during class time, etc. Living in the high altitude does cause dehydration to occur more frequently. I encourage students to bring a water bottle to school – it must be one that seals to prevent spills (no screw tops or straws). The students can refill the water bottle during appropriate times throughout the school day. Students may only have water in the water bottles; no juice or soda.
We will have a morning snack while students are working. Students are encouraged to bring healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables, granola bars, crackers, Fig Newtons, yogurt, cheese, hard boiled eggs, dry cereal, seaweed, mini bagels with cream cheese, Sun chips, and pretzels. Snacks should be around 100 calories. Please no candy, gum, cookies, or other junk food. The sharing and trading of snacks is not permitted unless your child brings a small bag of Doritos…then I must try them to make sure they are good J. But seriously due to allergies, please no peanut or nut products in the classroom.
Medications
All medications, including cough drops, are administered through the front
office. Teachers are not allowed to dispense any medications. Please be sure to
include a note from the doctor along with the medication. I also appreciate a
“heads-up” from you on any medical concerns to help me make good judgment calls
when your child comes to me with complaints such as headaches and/or stomachaches.
Book Orders
Throughout the year Scholastic Book orders are sent home. Due dates and online ordering codes will be mentioned in the nightly emails. You may place your order online or send a check made payable to Scholastic Book Clubs. Books generally arrive about one week after the order is placed. Please consider purchasing at least one book for your child when you see these flyers. By doing so, we let our children know that reading is important to us. Online ordering is a great way to earn an extra book for the classroom library, too!
Activity Fee
Thank you for paying the $20.00 activity fee. This money is essential to purchasing supplies each student needs. We use this money to purchase the student planner, student magazine subscriptions, notebooks, folders, science, and craft supplies. A portion of the activity fee also goes to the Enrichment classes.
Box Tops
We collect them!
Discipline Policy
As a class, we make a “Social Contract.” Our social contract is an agreement of our behavior. The students in our classroom create this contract. The goal of our social contract is to develop a self-managing classroom where respect and success go hand in hand.
The social contract is based on these three premises:
● Be kind
● Be responsible
● Be safe
Rewards
As in every job well done, we get rewards. I like to give a lot of verbal praise, “T-mails” or other positive notes, Husky Roos (school-wide positive tickets), coupons (sit where you like, sit in a comfy chair, lunch with a friend, no shoes), positive office referrals, and positive emails or phone calls home.
Depending upon whole the class, I might use some of the following strategies as well:
● Marble Jar: The class as a whole earns reward with a marble jar system. Adding marbles to the jar reward appropriate behavior. When the jar is full, the class may have extra recess or a party of their choice (short movie, PJs, hats, or Slippers for a day, etc.)
● Class Tickets: On some occasions, class/grade level tickets may be used for incentives.
● Table Group Points: for a weekly prize to the winning table group
● Individual Rewards: such as free time or the opportunity to help in another teacher’s classroom.
Consequences*
1st time: Warning
2nd time: Buddy Class (out-of-class time)
3rd time: Thinking Sheet (to be signed by parents)
4th time: Phone Call to Parent/Guardian or Office Referral
*Depending on the severity of the incident any of these steps may be passed over.
The social and academic development of each child is of the greatest importance. Communication is also key to a successful year! I believe communication is a vital part of your child’s education, so I will strive to keep these lines open through daily emails, our website, and monthly newsletters. Please read through them all.
Together, we can help your child become a self-directed, life-long learner!