Guided
Reading
This
will happen in small groups. The teacher will select appropriate books
for each group and help guide their reading by prompting effective reading
strategies. These groups will be very flexible and students will move to
various groups throughout the year as their needs change. Students will
do a variety of written activities which relate to the book they are reading.
Accelerated Reader
All
students will be using the Accelerated Reader program on the computer this
year. This involves choosing a book at an appropriate reading level, reading
it independently and then taking a short quiz about the book on the computer.
Students will be earning points for each quiz that they pass. Almost all
of the books in the school library have Accelerated Reader quizzes. Students
will be setting an individual goal of how many points they would like to
earn each month. This will be part of the homework expectations. I encourage
every family to set up the email option on Home Connect so that you can
be notified every time your student takes a quiz. You can also check in
and view your student's progress at any time on your home computer. I will
be showing families how to use Home Connect on Curriculum Night. The Friday
after the last day of each month students who have met their goal will get
to enjoy some free time and those that haven't will get some extra silent
reading time to give them a head start on their goal for the following month.
Independent
and Self-selected Reading
There will be many opportunities
in the room for students to choose books at their interest level. We will
have times for silent reading daily. We will also begin each Friday morning
by participating in an all school silent reading time.
Read Aloud
The teacher will be reading a novel
aloud every day.
Daily
Language Review/Word a Day Vocabulary
We
will be doing a Daily Language Review and Vocabulary activity each afternoon.
This involves correcting grammar, punctuation learning new vocabulary words
and working on a variety of other language skills.
Writing Instruction
Four
Square Writing will be one of the main components of our writing program.
The Four Square method will teach the students how to write effective paragraphs.
We will also be working on how to write a narrative story as well. We will
be applying 6 trait writing components in all of our writing.
A spelling packet will
come home each week as part of the homework expectations. We will have tests
on Fridays and the homework packet will also be due on Fridays.
In
math this year your child will continue to develop their understanding of
number concepts. Topics will include:
computation involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division,
place value, factors, multiples, fractions, decimals, congruence, area, perimeter,
measurement, algebra and probability and statistics. Our math curriculum will
use materials from Scott Foresman, Investigations, Origo Math and Teacher
to Teacher Problem solving. Although
you will see math papers coming home, there are many activities going on at
school that you will not see such as class
graphs, math games, mental math problems, and problem solving in our math
journals.
Science and Social Studies
Science:
There are three science units provided by our school district that
we will study: Human Body, Water and Motion and Design.
les.
Social
Studies: We will be using a newly adopted social studies series which
will mainly focus on Washington State History. We will begin the year with
a short unit on The Westward Movement to help give us some historical context
for learning about Washington State History. We will end the year with each
student doing a report on a county of their choice in Washington State.
Art
Art
will be integrated into the curriculum throughout the year. We will
also have monthly opportunities to explore art through our PTA’s Art Docent
program.
National Geographic For Kids
National Geographic for Kids is magazine for kids that will support our reading
and social studies curriculums. I would like to have our class subscribe to
this magazine this year. I am asking parents to contribute to cover the
cost of your child’s yearlong subscription to these magazines. The cost
for each student this year is $2.50. You may pay cash or write a check to
Meredith Hill. Besides being a source for reading and discussion in class,
your child will keep their copy of the magazine and bring it home to share
with you.
Homework, Binders, Planners,Take Home
Folders & Weekly Reports
Homework
will be assigned weekly. A homework packet will come home every Monday
and is due on Fridays. In addition to the spelling packet your child
should also be reading 30 minutes every night as well as practicing their
assigned math facts to be prepared for individual timings. Your child will
be recording daily classroom assignments in a planner every day. Highlighted
assignments have not been finished at school and need to be finished at home.
They will keep a folder for unfinished
work that should be checked every night and if there is any unfinished work
it will be homework that they should complete that night. Please
look for your child’s planner in their backpack each night. It will be
a daily requirement for your student to make sure that a parent signs their
planner every night. You may also write notes back to me. Homework
requirements include the spelling packet, reading your Accelerated Reader
books and practicing math facts as well as finishing any unfinished class
work.
They
will also have a Take Home folder. Anything in the Take Home folder should
be removed, read and kept at home. Any
notes or special forms that are returned to school should be placed in the
Take Home Folder. Please check your child’s Take Home Folder on a daily basis
as important notices from the school may come home throughout the week.
Students
will be keeping their finished, graded work in their binder filed under the
appropriate subject. The assignments that are saved in their binders have
been entered into the gradebook. Binders will come home on Fridays so parents
can look at their students weekly work. Science work will be kept in journals
and writing will be kept in a portfolio at school. Our first Social Studies
unit will be kept in a pocket book at school that will come home at the end
of the unit.
On
Fridays I will be sending home a weekly report that will tell you if your
student has any missing work, their Accelerated Reader points earned for the
current month, whether or not they passed their math timing that week and
summarize their behavior and attitude for the week. Please read, sign this
and return it to school. There will be no weekly reports for short school
weeks. If there is no weekly report for a certain week we will write a note
in the planner to let you know.
Classroom Expectations
Our
classroom rules are:
1.
Be safe.
2.
Follow directions.
3.
Do your best.
4.
Raise your
hand to speak.
5.
Listen to the
speaker.
Our school rewards positive behavior and
encourages responsibility in our students by allowing students to earn a Self
Manager badge. A Self Manager follows classroom and school rules without
reminders from adults. After demonstrating good behavior for at least
three weeks in a row, your child will receive their Self Manager badge.
In class we will create a list of appropriate privileges for those students
who become a Self Manager. Students must continue to demonstrate the qualities
of a Self Manager to keep their badge. My hope is that each student
in our class will become a Self Manager this year.
If a student is not meeting the classroom
expectations I may keep him or her in for part of a recess to practice appropriate
behavior.
Specialist Schedules
* Monday & Thursday: Music
*
Tuesday and Friday: PE
Our library checkout
day will be on Wednesday. Please help your student learn the responsibility
of bringing his or her own books back on time each week. Students will be
allowed to checkout two books every week as long as their previous books have
ben turned in.
Arrival & Departure Times
School
starts at 8:50 and ends at 3:20. Students should not be left unattended
on school grounds before 8:40 each morning. In the morning students
will line up downstairs in the playshed and wait to be led into the building.
If you pick your child up at the end of the day, please make sure your child
knows exactly where you plan to pick them up. If you come into the school
building, you will need to check in at the office first. To help ensure the
safety of your child, please notify your child’s teachers and the school’s
office if there is ever any change in how your child is going home.
Conferences
Student
Led Conferences will be held on October 29th and 30th. Look for scheduling
information to come home in your child’s Take Home Folder in early October.
Report Cards
It
is important for you to be familiar with the expectations your child is required
to meet by the end of the school year. In your packet you received today
is a booklet that outlines the fourth grade learning expectations. Report
Cards will be coming home in February and June.
Washington
State Grade Level Expectations This link will allow you to view
all of the grade level expectations for 4th Grade
Help
Wanted
If
you are interested in volunteering in the classroom you are also welcome to
contact me at any time. We especially need parents who would like
to help by working with students one on one with reading fluency and math
fact practice as well as helping prepare classroom materials.
Throughout the year there may be notes sent home requesting help for
special events or activities as well.
End
of the Year DVD Slideshow
I will be creating an
end of the year slide show to celebrate our year together. If you take
any digital pictures of our class throughout the year please e mail them to
sscott@fwps.org and I may be able to include them on the DVD.
Communication
Please feel free to e mail or call
me any time you have concerns or questions. My e mail is sscott@fwps.org
and my classroom number is 945-3243. Please call before 8:45 or after 3:20.
