Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome! I am very pleased to have you in my class for the 2011-2012 school year. My name is Stacy Broussard and I will be one of your child’s teachers in third grade. This is my 16th year teaching third grade and I truly enjoy it! I am married to Ted Broussard and we have 2 sons, Logan,11 and Zachary, 8.
I hope you and your family had a restful and enjoyable summer. Unfortunately, now it’s time to get back to business. Third grade is a very important grade because students will be getting ready for the iLeap test in the spring and the Leap test next year. Mrs. Romero and I have planned many challenging and exciting activities to help prepare your child.
As mentioned earlier, your child will have 2 teachers this year, myself and Mrs. Romero. I will be your child’s homeroom teacher, as well all other subjects, except Social Living, which Mrs. Romero will teach. The specifics of each subject follow below.
A discipline policy will be sent home for you to review and discuss with your child. We strictly adhere to these rules and consequences in both classes. A class chart follows the students from class to class, including library, P.E., and Music. Student conduct grades are determined weekly and will be sent home with test papers on Wednesday. School notices and letters are also included in the folders. Please review your child’ work, sign the folder, and return it the following day.
Listed below is our grading scale:
100-94 A
93-87 B
86-80 C
79-70 D
69 below F
Reading: Students will be introduced to a new story and vocabulary weekly. We will cover most of the information in class and review. Vocabulary tests are given on Thursdays of each week. Students will also take a comprehension test on Wednesdays. This consists of an unseen passage which students will have to read and answer questions.
Aside from class work and tests, your child will have a take home reading passage that needs to be read aloud each night. Please initial the bottom of the page Monday-Thursday and return it on Friday. Each week’s passage is worth 2 points for a total of 12 points per six weeks. Student will also be given a comprehension passage every week. Students will have a week to complete and return the passage for a 3 point grade. In a six weeks period there will be 6 passages for a total of 18 homework points.
Finally, our class will be participating in the school wide AR program. Though it is not graded, I do ask that students earn at least 5 points per six weeks. I will send a reminder home mid six weeks to let you know how many points your child has. At the completion of each six weeks students who have reached their goal will be treated with a reward. Mrs. Poche also has school wide incentives in the library. ** Students can earn bonus points in Reading each six weeks for surpassing their AR goals. I will inform you when the time approaches.
Math: Students will be issued a consumable math workbook. We will do lessons in class that correlate with the homework assignments. Please check your child’s book each night to review the day’s lesson. Tests are usually given on Fridays. A letter will be sent home prior to the test to inform you of the test dates and what material will be covered.
We will also work on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts throughout the year. Students will also be issued a facts book to practice facts in class and at home. Our goal is to have students complete a 5 minute timed test on 100 facts.
Spelling: A new list will be introduced on Monday. Students will practice the words in class and should be practicing at home. We will have a misspelled words test on Thursday and an oral test on Friday.
Language: The textbook will be a guide for teaching skills, with an emphasis on writing. The students will be tested weekly. Some work will be done in class and some will be assigned as homework. Writing assignments will be done mostly in class.
SOCIAL LIVING: Your child will be given a grade in Social Living this year. Science will be taught for half of the school year and Social Studies will be taught the other half (3-6 week rotations of each subject). We will start the year off with science, and by the fifth week, we should be doing Social Studies. Study guides will be given to help prepare for tests. Test dates will be given on the same day the study guide is issued. Supplemental handouts may be given in addition to the study guide. Please review these supplemental handouts with your child. Besides tests, science grades will also come from group activities, worksheets and projects.
Homework: Students will be issued an assignment pad, the cost is $3.00. Homework is to be copied in this note pad. Please check it daily. If your child should be absent, please call the office in the morning so I can have their homework prepared by 2:00. There is some sort of home learning each night except on Fridays. After 2 assignments are missed, a homework notice is sent home. A class newsletter will be sent home weekly highlighting what skills and assignments will be due for the week. Finally, you can also visit the school website to access homework assignments. The website is http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/sites.htm. You can also access my webpage to locate information at www.k12.la.us/stacyb.
Additional supplies: Aside from the list that was sent home at the end of last year, I am also asking that each student bring in the following items:
· $8.00 ($3.00 for assignment pad, $5.00 for art, AR, and holiday incentives)
I feel this year is going to be very productive. By working together we can make it the best year possible for your child. If you have any questions throughout the year please don’t hesitate to ask. I can be reached by email @ or you may call the office at 937-6915 and I will return your call as soon as possible.
Yours in Education,
Stacy Broussard