Classroom Information

  • NEW STRUCTURE FOR CLASSROOMS

    This year, each third grader (and some second graders) gets three classroom teachers! Yay! Each of us will teach one of the primary content areas and related subjects. Stacey Lewis will be teaching Reading & Social Studies. Tracie Reed will be teaching Math, and Lizzy Hormann will be teaching Writing & Science. Art and Social-Emotional Learning will be a part of each class as it fits in with the larger content learning. 

    We will have two classes of straight 3rd grade and one class of a 2nd/3rd blend. They will rotate through our classrooms each day. This is a new structure to Sunset, but other schools in the district have followed this model with great success. We are about to embark on a wonderful journey together!

    COMMUNICATION

    When you get your teacher assignment, that person will be your child’s homeroom teacher. Your child will begin and end their day with that teacher. You will receive emails from that teacher. If you have a need or question about a specific content that is different from your homeroom teacher, please email that content teacher directly.

    DISMISSAL & AFTER SCHOOL PLANS

    I want to make sure each child gets home safely each day. If you pick up your child, please wait for them in the designated pick-up area for our grade. I will take students to their buses first, and then I will bring your child to you. Thank you for your cooperation!  

    I ask that all students say goodbye to me and wait for me to return their goodbye before leaving. It gives me a chance to make sure they get to the correct place (bus, with their adult, etc.) and allows me to send them off with a smile. 

    If your child’s after-school plans change, please either:

    For your child’s safety, I cannot let them go someplace different without a note (even if your child says they were told to do so).

    ILLNESS & ABSENCES

    We work to limit the spread of illness (Covid and all other illnesses) in the classroom. We wash our hands often and practice covering coughs/sneezes properly. If your child is ill, please have them stay home, so they can rest and recoup. Getting well is the most important thing for them to do.  

    Some common symptoms of Covid include: fever, sore throat, cough, fatigue, runny nose and/or congestion. Please follow the guidelines for what to do if your child gets Covid.

    Our school district policy says your child needs to be fever-free without medicine for 24 hours before returning to school. They also must be free of gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting for 48 hours. 

    The learning that takes place in our classroom is interactive and activity-based. There are rarely worksheets that can be sent home to duplicate what we have done in class. Upon returning to school, an alert, healthy child can quickly catch up on new concepts. If your child is up for doing work before returning to school, there is a Math Replay video you and your child may watch to see what we learned in math. There are practice pages that go along with the lesson that can be done or doing ALEKS online math practice are excellent activities. 

    If your family plans an extended absence from school, please notify us in advance. To minimize disruptions to learning, please try to schedule vacations during school breaks.

    BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

    Breakfast and lunch are free for all students this year. Milk or juice is $0.75.  

    SNACKS

    Your child is welcome to bring a nutritious, healthy snack if they need/want one. The snack should be manageable by your child - quick and not messy. Good options include fruit, vegetables, crackers, Cheerios, and cheese. (Each year, I will notify families if there is a severe food allergy.) It will be each student’s responsibility to bring their own snack if they want one.

    BIRTHDAYS

    Birthdays are a very special time in a child’s life. Because they are so special, we will sing to your child in three languages and give them a card on their day. Families do not need to send in anything on the day of their child’s birthday. However, if you would like to do something, your child is invited to share a picture or story with the class of something funny or adorable that they used to do when they were younger. (It is helpful if you type it up and send it in or email it to me, so I can help support the story if needed). Another option would be to pass out a non-food item like a pencil. We will not be having birthday treats in class as food allergies and time constraints make this too difficult.

    A note about birthday invitations: Your child can pass out invitations to students here at school only if everybody in the class is invited. Thank you in advance for your understanding of delicate feelings.

    CHROMEBOOKS

    We use Chromebooks a lot in class. We will be learning about Digital Citizenship to ensure that students are safe with the hardware and themselves and respectful to others. While there are countless apps we might use, we will mostly be using Google Apps for Education (Google Classroom, Docs, Slides, Draw, and Forms). Also, our new math program has strong online options for practice. If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them. If I don’t know the answer, I will find somebody who does.