1.

Grade Level and Classroom Theme

o 3rd Grades Fired Up for Smore Learning

2. Getting To Know You

1) Switch Sides If I will put one long line of masking tape on the floor which will divide
the classroom into two sides. I will say a statement and students will walk over the line and
switch sides if they agree with a statement. For example: Switch sides if you have a pet; if you
prefer summer over winter; if you have siblings. The goal is to get everyone talking about why
they did/didnt move and so students can see who shares similar interests to them.
2) Get-to-Know-You Jenga I will print out open-ended questions, cut them into strips, and
then tape them to Jenga blocks. Students will be placed in small groups of 5 to play. As a student
pulls out a block, they will have to answer the question aloud for their group members. Example
questions include: What would you do with a million dollars? Describe the perfect dinner. What
is one thing youre good at?

3) Blobs and Lines Students will be prompted to either line up in some particular order (ex.
by birthday or alphabetically by first name) or gather in blobs based on something they have in
common (ex. eye color). The goal of the game is to help students quickly discover things they
have in common with each other. Additionally, students dont have to come up with anything
clever, they can respond to every question without thinking too hard about it, and the game will
keep students moving and talking.

3. Classroom Helpers

1) Trail Guides will be the line leader and caboose.

2) Reading Rangers will keep the classroom library clean, reshelve books, and also help
students check books in and out.

3) Campsite Clean Up will pick up trash and sort into either the trashcan or recycle bin.

4) Station Scouts will straighten/clean up stations after use.

5) Picnic Crew will record lunch counts and also wash cafeteria tables.

6) Helpful Hikers will be the go-to students for anything else the teacher may need.
 Students will rotate biweekly through the roles alphabetically by last name.

4. Birthday Celebrations & Parties

1) Valentines Day Each student will decorate a paper bag (provided by the teacher) with
their name. Students will write positive affirmations to one another on pink construction paper
hearts. During recess, I will stay in the classroom and preview the notes to make sure they are
appropriate and will deposit them into the corresponding bag. Valentines Day is important
because it celebrates love and friendship. Receiving positive words of affirmation and
encouragement is very uplifting and for some students is a nice contrast to the neglect they may
receive at home. Parents will be invited to write their child a surprise Valentine note.

2) Veterans Day Students will decorate cards and write thank you letters to active duty
service men and veterans. Veterans Day is important because it is a time to honor and express
gratitude to those who have made great sacrifices to preserve our freedom and also to reflect on
the United States principles of freedom and democracy. Celebrating Veterans Day is especially
important to students who have family members and/or parents in the military.

3) Earth Day Students will make art or something useful out of a recyclable object brought
from home. Examples of objects to bring include: milk carton, toilet paper roll, tissue box, egg
carton, etc. Earth Day is important because it educates us about what we have and what we are
losing by acting in ways that arent environmentally friendly or energy efficient. Earth Day also
reminds us that we need to take action now to protect our environment before its too late.

4) Mardi Gras The students will decide on a theme as a class and then decorate shoe boxes to
be a float that follows in that theme. I will ask local shoe stores for shoebox donations for those
students who do not have one. To end the day, we will line up all the floats in the gym and then
have a parade throughout the school in which parents will be invited to watch. We will also
enjoy a king cake donated by a parent. Mardi Gras is important to celebrate because of its
significance in Louisiana culture and tradition.

5) Shark Week We will celebrate Discovery Channels Shark Week by spending a week
learning about the ocean and sharks. As a project, students will make a 3D ocean diorama (in a
shoebox) which will accompany a report on a shark species of their choice. I will ask local shoe
stores for shoebox donations for those students who do not have one. Celebrating shark week is
important because as one of the big predators in the ocean, sharks keep the ecosystem balanced
and ensure that all lower parts of the food chain are controlled. This is crucial because our planet
depends on the oceans, as they cover nearly three-quarters of Earth.

5. Academic Groups

1) Rabbits reading low 4) Birds math low

2) Raccoons reading middle 5) Bears math middle

3) Rattlesnakes reading high 6) Beavers math high

6. Learning Centers

1) The Learning Lodge: Sharing Stories Round the Campfire will be where the class
library is located in a corner of the classroom. It will have a brown rug (dirt) and several
camping folding chairs and coolers for both seating and storage. The chairs and coolers will be
centralized around a campfire made of tissue paper and paper towel rolls. The wall will be
decorated with a paper tent and paper trees. Students who are rewarded with reading time may
go to the reading center. All students will have a chance to visit during center rotation.

2) Computer Cave will be the technology center where computers are stored on the back
counter. The wall behind the computers will have a large 3D cave made out of bulletin board
paper. Students will visit Computer Cave for research, word processing, and during centers.

3) Letters from Camp will be the writing center. It will be located at a table at the back of the
classroom. It will be equipped with paper, writing utensils, dictionaries, and thesauruses. All
students will visit here to compose and peer edit papers.

Center time will occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 45 minutes. Students will
rotate in 15 minute intervals.
7. Cooperative Group Activities

1) Shoulder Partner is a fast, easy way to pair students which will be effective for quickly
comparing answers in math class.
2) Introvert/Extrovert is effective because the opposing personality traits will balance each
other out. For example, many times introverts know the answer, but they might not want to raise
their hands and speak in front of the class. Hopefully the extroverts will push the introverts out of
their comfort zone so that the introverts will become comfortable speaking their mind aloud.

3) Random pairings are effective because it gives students a chance to work with students they
might not necessarily choose to work with. Random pairing will help everyone get to know one
another better and will hopefully build a friendly classroom dynamic.

8. Classroom Management Plan

Glowing Behavior Students will be divided into 'cabins' (groups) that will each have their
own Mason jar on a bulletin board. Working together and holding each other accountable,
students will work to earn fireflies to go in their Mason jar for exceptional behavior including
compliments from other teachers and a whole week where everyone in the group has good
behavior. Once a cabin has earned a specified number of fireflies, the group will get a reward.

Happy Campers A clothespin behavior system will be used. There will be a poster
illustrating a series of progressive disciplinary action measures. Each day, everyones clothespin
will start out on Happy Camper and may progress to: 1) Check your compass! Make better
choices. 2) Dont feed the animals! No snack time. 3) Lost in the woods! Lost recess. 4)
Something stinks (skunk)! Teachers choice. 5) Unbearable behavior. Parental call.

9. Bulletin Boards & Wall Coverings

1) Mount A.R. will be a large mountain wall decal which will show the achievement of
students in the Accelerated Reader program. At the beginning of the year, everyone will color
their own mountain climber and will start out at the bottom of the mountain. The more one reads
and the more points they get, the mountain climber will move higher and higher up the mountain.

2) Caught doing great work! will be a bulletin board with a large fishing net that will display
student work by hanging work on the net with clothespins.

3) Camp Chores: We All Pitch In will be a bulletin board that displays classroom helpers
and job descriptions.

10. Welcome Letter to Parents

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to 3rd grade! My name is Therese Arceneaux and I am so excited to be your

childs teacher this year. My goal as a teacher is to help each of my students reach his or her
fullest potential and to instill in them a love for learning. I will respect each child and will work
my hardest to help each student achieve the goals of the academic standards set by the state
of Louisiana. Your support is important to the success of your child in meeting these
expectations. Upholding the discipline plan and making sure that your child completes
homework and reads at home is a must. It is extremely important to keep in mind that we all
build on small successes. I encourage you to celebrate your child's success, no matter how small
it may seem. This will keep your child enthusiastic about learning and proud of their work!

Over the course of the year, we will celebrate several holidays such as Valentines Day
and Mardi Gras in which parents will be allowed (and encouraged!) to participate in activities
and visit the classroom. The Mardi Gras parade in which you are welcome to attend is one of the
most anticipated activities of third grade. Please start collecting shoeboxes for projects including
the Mardi Gras float and 3D ocean diorama. I will send out more detailed information to you
regarding your involvement/attendance for parties and celebrations as the date approaches.
Generally speaking, you can be involved by sending supplies and/or treats.

I believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school

success. Throughout the year I will communicate with you through emails, telephone calls,
progress reports, and quarterly parent-teacher conferences. I encourage you to contact me at any
time if you have any questions or concerns. You can call me at school (225) 235-1043 or e-mail
me at tarceneaux@ebrschools.org.

Again, I look forward to teaching your child and working with you to help your child
achieve their fullest potential. Please dont hesitate to contact me or stop in to talk with me!

Sincerely,

Ms. Therese Arceneaux