Dear Parents,

I am looking forward to a great school year with your child and would like to welcome you to Sahuarita Intermediate School. In order to get the best possible start in third grade, some expectations that I have of your child are listed below.

ATTENDANCE:

Class begins promptly at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:05 p.m. Regular attendance and promptness to school is essential for learning success. In the event your child is absent, please ensure that all make-up assignments are completed and turned in.

CLASSWORK:

Students will keep all graded assignments in an assessment binder. They will be given ample time to complete class assignments at school. Students are required to redo all incomplete or failing class assignments and will be given additional credit for this effort. Redo assignments will be stapled to the daily behavior report and should be corrected at home. Please review your child's work, sign and return all redo work to school.

HOMEWORK:

Homework will be assigned on a regular basis about four times a week, Mon. - Thurs.

Students will be provided a weekly homework calendar, which should be kept in their homework folder. You can expect your child to have reading, spelling, and math homework.

Students are required to read independently 20-25 minutes nightly. Students will be participating in a school wide reading program called Accelerated Reader. Students choose books based upon their reading level and interest. Once a student has read a book, they are given an opportunity to complete a reading quiz on the classroom computer. Each time a student passes a test, points are awarded. Incentives are given both in the classroom and in the library each week for points the students earn. Students are expected to earn 1-2 points each week. Please review your child's class and homework assignments, ensuring that work is not carelessly completed.

CONDUCT:

Students are expected to follow the school-wide code of conduct at all times. All S.I.S. students are taught to:

Be Safe,

Be Responsible,

Be Respectful,

Follow Directions.

To promote appropriate behavior both within my classroom and on campus, I provide positive rewards for appropriate behavior and communicate concerns to parents daily.

I use a colored coded system within my classroom to encourage all students to reach for the excellence within themselves. All students begin each day on blue, Great Start, as I believe every day is a new beginning.

Students who demonstrate excellence will receive recognition and will be asked to move their turtle to green, excellent. Each time a student does not follow the classroom rules, a warning will be given and if the behavior continues, the student will be asked to move their turtle to yellow, the warning zone. If after moving to yellow, the student has not corrected the behavior, then the student will be asked to move their turtle to the red zone. Students who move their turtle to the red zone will receive a consequence.

Each child has a daily behavior chart. Student behavior will be noted daily as GREAT, GOOD, OK or POOR.

Students earning four GREAT's in one week will receive a reward in the classroom.

Please sign the behavior chart each evening and encourage your child to do their very best in school each day.

SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT:

POSITIVE PAWS: Students caught exhibiting appropriate or helpful behavior anywhere on campus will be offered a Positive Paw to recognize their positive behavior. Students will receive a sticker and a special note to share with their parents. Please celebrate your child's positive behavior when he or she receives this special recognition.

BOBCAT BEHAVIOR NOTICES: Students caught exhibiting inappropriate behavior anywhere on campus will receive a Bobcat Behavior Notice to discourage negative behaviors. Students will receive a notice which should be signed by the parent and returned to school the following day. Depending on the type and frequency of the behavior, students will receive a consequence at school. Parents will be notified of the consequence on the Bobcat Behavior Notice. If you receive one of these notices, please take a moment to discuss the behavior and encourage appropriate behavior in the future.

CONFERENCES:

If you wish to communicate with me, feel free to drop by the classroom, use the behavior folder to leave a note, or email me at jtatum@sahuarita.k12.az.us.

By having open and frequent communication, we can make this school year the best one yet for your child.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Julie L. Tatum