Attendance – Your child’s attendance in school is important. For illness or unexpected absences, the absence will be unexcused until a note is received. Our school hours are 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Students may enter the building at 8:00 AM. Please do not drop off your child earlier than 8:00 AM because this is the teacher’s preparation time and there will be no one to supervise your child. If your child arrives at school after 8:30 AM, he/she will be marked “tardy” and should be walked to the office by a parent/guardian and signed in. Your child will receive a tardy slip that should be given to the teacher upon his/her arrival in the classroom.
Allergies - Please be sure to let me know if your child has any food or insect allergies.
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Birthday Parties – If you would like your child to celebrate his/her birthday at school, you may send in a snack to share with the class. Please do not send in drinks. We will celebrate your child’s birthday during our recess time which is 2:30 - 3:00. Please check with me in advance to confirm the number of students in our class. If your child has a summer birthday, we will set a date in the spring when we can celebrate their birthday.
Book Orders - Your child will be bringing home a form to order books several times throughout the year. There is a Scholastics tab on this website to provide more information about how to order books online. If you order through my class, I will be able to earn points for free books to add to our class library.
Box Tops for Education – Please send in your General Mill’s box tops. Our school will receive money for each top that is collected. The PTA has a contest, and our class could win a special prize if we have the most collected in third grade!
Breakfast – Breakfast will be served daily until 8:30. There will be no charge for breakfast. This is a new program Barrow County has started. All parents are being asked to fill out a free and reduced form. You do not have list your annual salary. Students who want breakfast should pick up their breakfast card from Mrs. Ellison's room and then go to the third grade station to get their breakfast and bring it to the classroom. (We are trying to prevent students from walking all the way out to the trailer and then back into the building.)
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Clinic- We have a clinic to help your child if he/she is hurt or sick. This clinic is unable to dispense medication without a note from a parent and doctor. ALL MEDICATION should be accompanied with a note, including over the counter medications and cough drops. If you have any further questions about medicine please contact our school nurse, Ms. Nina Ledbetter, in the clinic. She is awesome and takes great care of our kiddos!
Clothing- (Copied from the Barrow County Student Dress Code Policy)
1. Any clothing, hairstyle, jewelry, chains, or attire that is distracting or causes a disruption or constitutes a safety issue will not be permitted at school. 2. Shorts, skirts, dresses, and spiritwear must be of reasonable length; e.g., mid-thigh if they are to be worn at school. (All shirts, dresses, and blouses must have moderate sleeves.) 3. Clothing such as skirts, pants, trousers, etc., must be worn at the waist. Clothing shall not be poorly fitted or oversized or extremely baggy. Clothing that exposes underclothing or impedes walking will not be permitted. (Jeans, etc., with holes not permitted.) 4. Clothing and/or jewelry, which advertises or displays any insignia of alcohol, illegal drugs, or tobacco is not permitted. 5. Clothing and/or jewelry with words or symbols which are offensive, insulting, embarrassing, sexually suggestive, obscene, gang-related, or promote violence, terrorism, or abusive behavior will not be permitted at school. 6. Clothing that distracts by exposing or accentuating the body, such as spandex pants, see-through garments, halter or tube tops, backless dresses, muscle shirts, bare midriff outfits, or shirts, blouses, etc., that are tied at or may rise above the waist will not be permitted at school. 7. Sunglasses, caps, hats, and other head-coverings such as bandannas and hoods will not be worn inside the school building. 8. Appropriate shoes must be worn at all times at school.
Conduct – In your child’s Monday Folder, there will be a Conduct Report. The Conduct Report will need to be signed and returned with the folder on Tuesday.
Conferences- Parent conferences will be held twice a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. When it is time for conferences, I will send out a link that allows you to sign up for conferences online. I will also send a hardcopy home for those who would rather sign up that way. However, please feel free to contact me at any point to schedule an additional conference to discuss your child’s progress or any concerns you may have.
Contact Information – Make sure the office and I have emergency numbers where you can be reached. Please update the teacher and office of any changes in home/work phone numbers and address throughout the year. Writing a note in your child's agenda is a great way for me to receive that information.
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Discipline – In order to maintain a classroom that allows for children to learn, our goal is to minimize problems so that we can maximize student learning and growth. Misbehavior wastes valuable time and is unfair and disruptive to the others in the class. Our classroom rules are:
1. I will be honest. 2. I will be respectful. 3. I will be responsible. 4. I will be thoughtful. 5. I will have an A+ attitude.
Here at County Line we use a Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) system that focuses on the five traits: honesty, respect, responsibility, thoughtfulness, and an A+ attitude. Each class has a behavior stick. This stick will travel with us wherever we go throughout the day. Each morning your child's clip will start on the green section of the stick. During the day, your child has the opportunity to move up the stick to blue or purple by demonstrating the personal best traits listed above. By the same token, your child can move down the stick to yellow or red by not demonstrating the personal best traits. I will also award Pride Paws to students who demonstrate exemplary personal best behavior. Students will be able to trade Pride Paws for prizes and privileges. F
Field Trip- We will take one educational field trip this year. Look for more information about this on my website in the future.
Fundraisers- Our school participates in several fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for various things for our school. We hope that everyone can participate, but it is not required.
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Grading – 4 – The student is exceeding grade-level expectations of the standard. 3 – The student is consistent and has independent achievement of the standard. 2 – The student is progressing toward achievement of the standard. 1 – The student has limited or has minimal progress toward achievement of the standard. NA – Not introduced or assessed at this time. *Grades are averaged each 9-weeks for report cards.
Good Behavior- Our third grade classroom is a safe and happy place where lots of learning happens. We are a classroom family where teamwork and good relationships are expected. We will spend time learning class procedures. Each student is expected to act within our standards of behavior. Problems will be dealt with one on one. If misbehaviors continue, I will contact you for support.
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Hands-on Learning- The best way to help children learn is to make activities hands-on and meaningful. There are times when seatwork at tables is required and necessary, but for the most part, our classroom will be an active learning environment. Just because work is not being sent home does not mean that learning is not happening in the classroom. We are always learning and growing!
Homework - Our students are in school from 8:30 - 3:10. I have tried to maximize instructional time so that students can use after school hours to recuperate, reflect on the days learning through conversations with parents, and simply be a kid. Therefore, I will not be assigning homework. This means there will not be a worksheet going home for your child to complete and return the next day. There will be no reading log or sheet for you to sign. However, if your child is struggling with reading, vocabulary, spelling, or math facts, I strongly suggest that you make time to practice these things at home when it is convenient for you. I will send study guides home for science and social studies content. This will not be homework, but for you to use with your child as you see fit. We also have other fun projects throughout the school year that students can complete at home. My students have always loved projects, but these will be optional and will not be taken as a grade.
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Ice Cream- Ice cream is available for student purchase on a daily basis. Please keep in mind your child’s nutritional and behavioral needs before sending ice cream money. The cost of ice cream is $1.00. Ice cream can only be paid in exact change or cash.
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Joyful Learning- Children learn best when they feel loved and encouraged. Our classroom builds a feeling of mutual respect, being risk-takers and supporting each other even when we make mistakes. Happy faces are so important!
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Kindness- Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all students, teachers, and staff with kindness and respect.
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Label- Please label your child’s personal belongings…book bag ( please make sure the book bag will hold a daily folder, art projects, lunch boxes etc.) jackets, sweaters, lunchboxes, and any other items you would like returned if lost.
Lunch -Our lunch time is 12:00. Student prices are listed below. Parent lunch is $3.25
Regular Price Lunch: $1.75, Reduced Price Lunch: $.40, Extra Milk $.50, Water Bottle $1.00
Prices for lunch were listed in the breakfast section. Please meet us in the cafeteria if you would like to join us for lunch. It is difficult for the children to keep up with lunch money on a daily basis. I strongly encourage you to pay your child’s lunch money either by the week or by the month. Elementary students will be allowed to charge up to 10 meals. A charge notice will be sent to parents through the student. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the parent.
After 10 meals, a sun butter and jelly sandwich with milk will be given until all charges are cleared. No student will be denied a meal. If the student is allergic to peanuts or milk, a substitute will be given.
Report cards will be held until charges are paid.
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Medicine- All medication must be dropped off by a parent. It must be kept in the school clinic and cannot be taken in the classroom.
Money- On occasion it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. Please place your money in a sealed envelope with the following information written on it: 1 Your child’s first and last name 2 Amount of money 3 Purpose for the money (lunch, ice cream, spirit wear, field trip, etc…) 4 Teacher name With approximately twenty children to keep track of and several reasons to collect money, this helps me out tremendously and reduces the likelihood of errors. Also, if the envelope is left on the bus or dropped in the hallway this information will help the money to be returned to my classroom.
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Newsletters- Please check the COMING UP! tab on this site to stay informed of upcoming events, announcements, and what skills we are focusing on in the classroom. I will print a hardcopy for families who do not have internet access.
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Parent/Teacher Communication- I look forward to working with your child. It is always exciting to see growth and progress of students. If at any time you have questions, please feel free to contact me. My email address is [email protected] The phone number at County Line is 770-867-2902. I will respond to your message as soon as I can.
Playground- The children will be going outside for recess unless it is raining, the ground is too wet from previous rain, or it is extremely cold. Please keep this in mind when helping your child select clothing for the day. Send a jacket when it is chilly or a coat during the winter months. Tennis shoes also help prevent a lot of falls!
PTA- The PTA is a very important part of our school and your child’s education. We encourage you to join the PTA at the beginning of the year and get involved.
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Question Your Child About His/Her Day- We will be learning many exciting things each day. Please take the time to ask your child about what we learned for that day.
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Report Cards-Report cards will be sent home four times during the year. They will be sent home after each nine weeks. You may keep the report card, but please sign and return the envelope the next day.
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Snacks- Please send in a nutritional snack each day for your child. Students will have a snack in the morning. Please do not send in items with high sugar content (candy and soda will not be allowed at school). Due to spills on our carpet, please do not send in juice or Gatorade. Since we are in a mobile classroom, I encourage everyone to bring a water bottle to keep on their desk.
Specials- Students will have specials every day. Our special time is 10:15-11:00. This will include art, music, P.E, steam, and computer lab.
Spelling- I will not be assigning spelling words this year. However, your child will keep a list of commonly misspelled words in their writing notebook as well as their own personal "word wall". A classroom word wall will also be provided.
Supplies- A list of 3rd grade school supplies have been added to the Coming Up! Link on the website. You can also access this on the County Line website. I appreciate all of the supplies you are able to send in with your child. Please label all of their supplies.
T Transportation- The way that your child gets home from school is determined by you during registration. If there is a change in the way that your child will get home, I must have a note signed by the parent. If I do not have a note, your child will take his/her usual transportation home.
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Visitors- All parents must sign in in the front office before coming to the classroom. You will be given a visitors tag to wear. This is for your child’s safety and the safety of the other students.
Vocabulary- Students will learn and be tested over vocabulary words that pertain to the particular book his/her group is reading in reading groups. I will provide students with the opportunity to practice memorizing these words in class.
Volunteer- We welcome your help in our classroom and from home! There will be a variety of areas that you may choose from to best match your talents, interests, and schedule. Throughout the year I will let you know of other opportunities to help us. While I greatly appreciate all help, I ask that you send a note to let me know if you would like to work in the classroom. This way I can make your time most productive for the children.
W Wish List- As different activities and celebrations approach I will be asking for classroom donations. Specific lists and sign up sheets will be created as the occasions arise.
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You are your child’s first and best teacher! - We look forward to working with you and cannot wait to see all that your child will accomplish this year!
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ZZZZ’s-Your child should get plenty of rest each night. Third grade students require 8-9 hours of sleep a day. It is so important for your child to be alert and ready to learn each day. Set a bedtime and be consistent.