Welcome Back! Update from Katie’s Class

Posted on August 31, 2018

Welcome back! I hope you and your child had a good first week of school. A full week is a lot to come back to, but the kids were troopers and we had a lot of fun getting to know each other, our classroom, and our routines. I just wanted to write a quick post to introduce you to our 3^rd grade blog (where most of our class updates will be posted) and to fill you in on some important things to know about 3^rd grade.

Math/Reading: One thing that is a big change is that your child will have both Allison and me as teachers this year. In the afternoons, my class will go to Allison’s room for math and Allison’s class will come to me for reading. This is our second year of departmentalization and we have found that it really allows for us to go deeper with content and really get to know who students are as readers/mathematicians. Your child will still do Storyline, community building, specials, and reading with my “homeroom”. This week, we switched a couple of times so that each class could learn routines and meet the teacher. Next week, we will switch and begin our reading/math instruction!

Start/Dismissal: The first bell rings at 8:55. The tardy bell rings at 9:00. I stand and shake hands until the first bell rings and then I will shut the door. If you arrive and the door is shut, it means your child will need to go to the office and sign in. I have communicated this to the class and will have a reminder note on the door. (If your child is walking down the hall when the bell rings I will wait for them before shutting the door. They do not need to run or turn around and go into the office.)

Dismissal is at 3:15. 3^rd graders are released from the classrooms. If you would prefer for your child to wait in the classroom and be picked up by you that if just fine. If there’s ever a change in your pick up plan and you need to let your child know, call the office and they will tell me. I don’t always have chance to check my email during the day, so the office is the best way to make sure your child get the message.

Nut Free: We are a nut free class. A member of our classroom community has a severe allergy, so please do not send anything with peanuts or tree nuts (coconut is okay). I have been told that foods that say “Processed in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts” is okay. If you have any questions please let me know.

Toys From Home: A new CSS rule this year is that we are not going to have toys from home come to school. This includes Beyblades, stuffed animals, Fingerlings, etc. Students are welcome to bring books from home to read.

Homework: There is no homework in 3^rd grade

Gum: We usually allow 3^rd graders to chew gum, however I will let the kids know when as we have a meeting before I let kids start.

Volunteering: Let me know if you’re interested in volunteering, in either my room or Allison’s! We will also need chaperones for field trips in third grade. Volunteers need a current background check on file. Check in the main office and Melissa or Kate can let you know if yours is current.

Contact: Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, concerns, or thoughts. I am usually available for quick chats before/after school if you let me know in advance, and we can always schedule a meeting if you need more time. My email is klongstr@pps.net and you can reach me by phone at 503-916-6431(leave a message and I’ll get back to you). Allison is also more than happy to talk to you about yoru child, email is ahalvors@pps.net

I had a great first week and I am so excited to get this year started! 3^rd grade is awesome and I can’t wait to see how much your child grows this year!

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Tuesday,

Katie