Reading Log

Field Trip Permission form

Caravan Points

Newsletter #2

Welcome to third grade!! Although the summer has gone by way too quickly, I am eager to begin another dynamic school year!

SCHEDULE

Our homeroom schedule is as follows:

7:45 – 8:00	homeroom
8:00 – 9:15	reading
9:15 - 9:45	math
9:45 - 10:45	specials
10:45 - 11:55	math
11:55 - 12:35	lunch / recess
12:35 - 1:45	writing
1:45 - 2:30	science/social studies

SCIENCE / SOCIAL STUDIES TOPICS

This year we will be studying world geography, ancient Egypt, and ancient Greece in Social Studies. Our science topics include water, human body systems, physics, and animal behaviors. (These topics are subject to change.)

TECHNOLOGY

In third grade, we use computers and netbooks on a regular basis. Although we will use Google Docs as a way to save and retrieve documents from anywhere in the school and from home, your child may want to have a flash drive. This is optional (but encouraged) and the whereabouts of this flash drive is your child’s responsibility.

You and your child will sign a technology Internet Use Agreement at the start of the year. Please review this carefully with your child.

FIELD TRIPS

We have found that we can stretch our field trip budget much further by avoiding the cost of buses and bus drivers for field trips. This year, both of us will be authorized to drive activity buses, which will accommodate about half of each class. We would appreciate parental help in driving and chaperoning the remainder of each class. This counts as volunteer hours, and is a great way to spend the day with your child.

In order to drive students other than your child, you must:

1. fill out the AUTHORIZATION TO USE PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE ON SCHOOL DISTRICT BUSINESS form
2. have liability insurance of $300,000 single limit or $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 combined limit
3. have one seat belt for each passenger

If you are interested in driving on field trips (as your schedule allows), please complete the authorization form, make a copy of your liability insurance form (we can do this for you), and return these to me (not the office).

We are already scheduled to attend the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum on November 23. Two driver/chaperones will be admitted free.

SNACKS AND PARTIES

Our lunch this year is at approximately noon and we will have a snack time at about 9:15 each morning. Please pack a healthy and nutritious snack that is easy to eat while reading. These might include fruit, fruit snacks, granola bars, yogurt, and so on. Please avoid sugar-filled snacks and those that might make a mess.

If you want to send in a birthday treat, I will distribute them in the morning. Our class has 27 students, and we do have a severe peanut allergy. We encourage you to send healthy breakfast foods, such as fruit, fruit kabobs, muffins, or bagels. Do not send doughnuts and other sugar-filled treats. While most sugary snacks are more than delicious, many children have reactions to sugar that make concentrating and learning more difficult. We appreciate your help with this.

COUNSELING

We are fortunate to have a school counselor at Quest. If you would like your child to see Ms. Slocum, you will need to email your permission to me (rsbass@aps.k12.co.us) or to her (email will be forthcoming). The children can request a meeting with her by completing a form and leaving it in her mailbox (or giving the form to me).

DISCIPLINE

I tend to take care of discipline issues with your child, giving him/her a chance to resolve any issues on his/her own. If this does not work, then I will call or email you. It is not practical to contact you about every problem that occurs. Likewise, that does not allow the children the privacy and opportunity to problem solve and make decisions. If / When I contact you, it is in the spirit of supporting your child cooperatively.

COMMUNICATION

The best way to reach me is by email. I check my email regularly and respond as soon as time allows (usually after school). I also send weekly (or mostly weekly) newsletters home that contain announcements, schedules, upcoming events, and overview of classroom curriculum. These will also be posted on the school website.

I use both my home and my school email addresses for communication with families. You may use either one.

rsbass@aps.k12.co.us rivianbass@gmail.com

The children are welcome to email me as well, but please make sure that their emails are school-related. Students with urgent homework questions are also free to call me before 9:00 pm.

HOMEWORK

Math practice will be sent home each Friday and is due the following Friday. Students are also expected to read nightly for 20-30 minutes. Students who do not have enough time in class to complete their work may bring this home to finish.

Rivian Bass