3rd Grade Weekly Update

Hello 3rd Grade Parents,

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We had a great first 3 days of 3rd grade. We worked on the routines and procedures in 3rd grade, and got more familiar with our schedule. We are excited about this year, and working with this group of kids!

Thank you parents for helping your child start to set up their homework routine. Instilling these routines is so valuable at the beginning of the year. So many students were proud to share their parent signatures in their planners! It has been a good start to our year.

Firsts for this week: This week your student will be bringing home their yellow homework folder for the first time. We will begin our reading logs for homework this week. The reading log can be taken out of the folder and hung on the fridge or put some other place where your student can easily record their reading each night. Reading logs are sent home on Monday and are due back the following Monday. Our third grade goal is 100 minutes each week. How your family would like to break these minutes up throughout the week is up to you and your student. The math homework is to be brought back the next day in the yellow homework folder. Thursday folders and Weekly Doings Notebooks will also be coming home for the first time this week. Both are great forms of communication. I spend a lot of time grading class and homework assignments to send home in the Thursday folder so that parents can see how their child is doing. The Weekly Doings Notebook is a great form of communication about what has happened at school from your student. (See below for more information.)

**Picture day will be Wednesday, August 20!

Please continue to send your child to school with a water bottle and a healthy snack. Also, you may want to consider packing your child a light sweatshirt since our air conditioning can be quite chilly for some people.

Mr. Halley would like to invite your child to join the choir at Cherokee Trail Elementary and you can sign up HERE. The choir program here at CTE is booming and last year it had over 80 members! All choir students get a choir shirt, the opportunity to perform the national anthem before a Colorado Rockies game-they get to be on the field at Coors Field for this! We also have two big concerts in the CTE gym for friends and family in the winter and spring semester.

The choir is open for students in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade and meets in the morning from 7:40-8:20 Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can find more information and sign up HERE.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Halley ghalley@dcsdk12.org and thank you for supporting the arts here at Cherokee Trail Elementary.

Run Club: FROM: MICHELE WHITTINGHAM - PE

2025 CHEROKEE TRAIL ELEMENTARY RUNNING CLUB

(Open to grades 1-6 - Sorry no Kindergarteners)

6 days OF TRAINING to help prepare for the Fun Run!

MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
August 25 TO September 15 - 7:40-8:25 am

Tuesday, September 16th - Our final run will coordinate with the CTE fun run.

COST $25 PER Child

REGISTRATION INCLUDES: 6 days of supervised training at CTE, ribbon prizes along the way for running laps, other special prize and Unlimited FUN!

SORRY - NO LATE REGISTRANTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!

You must register online!

LINK to Register

Please pay in Myschoolbucks by AUGUST 23rd!

Specials: Mrs. Crawford - Music, Ms. Christou -Art, Mrs. Bruce - PE, Ms. Carey - STEAM

Literacy:

Reading: This week we will continue our launch. We will continue to work on smooth transitions and getting ready quickly for our whole group instruction. We will continue to work on reading routines, learning various ways to respond to text and review controlled -r syllable patterns and vowel teams.

Writing: We will continue to work on our routine for writing. We will be continuing with our quick writes and do some creative writing, as well as continuing to write to respond to our reading.

Math:

This week we will be working on Lesson 0. We will be reviewing skills learned in second grade and learning our routines in math.

Science/ Social Studies:

This week we will be doing fun activities with different classes. We will be rotating and practicing how the rotations will work. Students will get a chance to work with all the 3rd grade teachers, and teachers will get to know and work with all the 3rd grade students.

Weekly Doings

We will start our Weekly Doings notebooks this week. Your child will be writing a note home each Friday about what they did that week in school. Your child can choose to write to mom, dad, a sibling, an Aunt, Uncle, grandma or grandpa. They will bring their notebook home on Friday, and whomever they write to should respond back in the notebook. The notebooks are due back by the following Thursday, so that they can write again on Friday. Please have fun with this.

Homework

Please be sure to check and sign your students planner nightly. Homework can change.

If your kiddo is ever stumped on a part of their homework, please write a note in their planner or email us so that I can be sure to help them.

Monday: Read and log,

Tuesday: Read and log

Wednesday: Read and log

Thursday: Read and log

Friday: No Homework

Ms.Christou

Hi!
My name is Elle Christou, and I’m so excited to be joining Cherokee Trail Elementary as a 3rd grade teacher this year! I graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Elementary Education and a Reading Endorsement (K–8). I’m originally from the Chicagoland area and recently moved to Denver. I’m looking forward to exploring Colorado and becoming part of the wonderful Parker community!

I’m passionate about creating a classroom environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed. I believe in fostering curiosity through hands-on learning, exploration, and meaningful connections. My goal is to support each child’s individual growth by encouraging collaboration, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy hiking, skiing, running, and reading. I’m also a big sports fan and love cheering on both the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies.

Feel free to reach out to me at echristou@dcsdk12.org with any questions or concerns. I’m so excited to be part of the Cherokee Trail family!

Ms.Carey

Hi! My name is Sierra Carey and I am thrilled to be part of the Cherokee Trail community. This is my 1st year teaching, but I have wanted to be a teacher since before I can remember, so I am living out my dream! I just graduated from the University of Utah with my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and a Minor in Special Education.

My classroom centers on a positive, supportive learning environment where every student feels valued and accepted. I strive to make learning engaging and exciting for all, while encouraging confidence and motivation.

Outside of school, I like to spend time with my loved ones and friends, travel, and support all the Colorado sports teams!

I truly believe that parents and teachers are partners in a child’s educational journey. Your insights and support are invaluable in helping your child succeed, so please feel free to reach out to me at scarey2@dcsdk12.org with any questions or anything else you and your students might need!

I can’t wait to meet you and enjoy 3rd grade together!

Mrs.Bruce

My name is Tracy Bruce, and I am excited about teaching 3rd grade this year! It was my FAVORITE grade when I was in elementary school. I am in my ninth year of teaching at Cherokee Trail Elementary.

My family and I enjoy watching movies together and traveling/exploring. I love to read, ski, ride my bike, and visit coffeehouses and new restaurants with family and friends. Most recently, I am learning to play the guitar.

My classroom culture is always a priority of mine. It is an environment in which my students feel safe, respected, proud, determined, curious, and have fun learning! I know we are going to have an AMAZING year together!

Mrs.Crawford

Welcome to third grade! My name is Julie Crawford, and I am looking forward to a fabulous year! I know that we will work hard together to make your third grade year the best that it can be. I have been teaching for twenty-seven years in Douglas County School District, thirteen of those at CTE. I have taught first, second, third, fourth and fifth grades. I received my master's degree in reading and literacy in 2006.
My husband, Erik, and I live in Parker. We have three children, Mackenna , Eva , and Aiden. My daughter is an electrical engineer. My son Evan is a welder working in construction, and my youngest, Aiden, is going to school to become an aviation mechanic.

During my spare time I love spending time with my family and friends doing outdoor activities such as hiking, paddle boarding, walking my dogs, and skiing. I am a hockey fan and loved watching my boys play ice hockey and still love to watch the Avalanche. A few of my favorite things include kids, animals, Starbucks, and tropical beaches.

I believe that we, teachers and parents, are partners in your child's education, so please reach out to me with any questions or concerns that may arise. My email is: jkcrawford@dcsdk12.org

I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

3rd Grade Weekly Update