Welcome to Fourth Grade-Track 3


Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year. I am delighted to have your child in my class this year. I am looking forward to a very successful year and I know you are too. I have high expectations for your child and I will do all that I can to help your child achieve these expectations

Good work/study habits, problem solving, self-discipline, and a certain amount of independence are all aspects that I will be encouraging your child to develop. Please help to reinforce the development of these skills at home. Learning must be a cooperative effort between the student, teacher and parents.



Supplies


These are items that your child will need for fourth grade. Please try to have these supplies by the end of the first week of school.






Our Schedule


7:15-7:45 - Students arrive, complete morning work

7:55-8:40 - Math

8:45-9:30 - Specials (M-Th)/Snack

9:40-10:15 - Science, Social Studies

10:15-11:00 – Centers / Guided Reading

11:00-11:50 – Language Arts

11:50-12:10 - DEAR

12:20-12:50 - Lunch

12:50-1:30 - Writing

1:30-2:00 - Recess

2:15 – Dismissal


Volunteers/Visitors


If you are able to help in any way, that would be fantastic! I know that many parents are unable to come during the school day and that is fine. Encouraging your child daily and donating items are also important. Most of my volunteer opportunities will be passed along to you during Open House. If you’re planning on volunteering at school or attending a field trip, you must register with the office prior to volunteering. If you have registered in the past, you must renew your registration!


Lunchtime Visiting – 12:20-12:50


Please join us for lunch anytime. No prior notice is needed. You must eat in the cafeteria with your child if you come to visit for lunch. Thank you for your cooperation.


Early Check-out


If you have to check your child out early, please do so before 2:00. In order to make dismissal run smoothly, we ask that no child is checked out after 2:00.




Student Behavior


This year our school will continue the Positive Behavior Support program. It is a program that teaches and encourages positive behaviors, such as learning, respect, responsibility, and safety. This program has been very successful. I encourage you to become an active participant to ensure success for your child.


LEAP 4 Success Log


Each week, your child’s Monday folder will include a sheet from the “LEAP 4 Success Log”. This sheet is a progress of your child’s conduct and work habits from the previous week. When a child shows inappropriate behavior, he/she will sign the book for the particular behavior.


Coinciding with the LEAP 4 Success Log will be a conduct/work habits rank that your child will earn for the week. The ranks are as follows: Rank 3 (signed the book 0-1 time), Rank 2 (signed the book 2-3 times), Rank 1 (signed the book more than 3 times). Each Friday, students who stayed on a Rank 3 for the week will earn a positive point. After earning 5 positive points, he/she will win a trip to Ms. Schmidt’s treasure box. Please note that rank requirements for the first quarter will be more “relaxed” while students become acclimated to the 4th grade expectations.


Monday Folders


On Monday, each student will bring home a weekly folder. It will contain any newsletters, notes, behavior reports, and a collection of schoolwork. I hope that you and your child will take the time to look through his/her papers. Monday folders need to be returned on Tuesdays. There will be a sheet stapled to the inside of the folder for you to sign that you have reviewed the contents of the Monday Folder. There will be a place on that sheet for you to write any questions and comments that you have. You will also need to sign and return the LEAP for Success Log and any papers that are marked sign and return. For record keeping purposes it is very important that all Monday Folders be returned on Tuesday.




Fun Friday


Every Friday from 1:00-2:00, the students in fourth grade who completed all of their weekly work correctly and neatly, will be able to participate in Fun Friday, which is an hour of outdoor recess or indoor games (each child has a choice). Those students who did not complete all of their weekly work or who did not follow the quality cues, will have to go to the designated “work room” to complete their work. Also, any child who is on a rank 2 for the week will miss half of Fun Friday and any child on a rank 1 for the week will miss all of Fun Friday. Once they have completed their work and they have gotten it signed off by the “work room” teacher, they may participate in Fun Friday. If any student does not finish his/her work during Fun Friday, he/she will be responsible for taking the incomplete work home to finish over the weekend. This completed work will be due on Monday morning. I will attach the Fun Friday “work to do” sheets to the behavior sheet each week to be signed, if applicable.


Quality Cues


Every fourth grader is responsible for turning in neat, good quality work. The following “quality cues” are expected for every assignment that is turned in. If the work turned in does not follow the quality cues, you will see the letter “Q” on your paper. This work will be redone during Fun Friday. The quality cues are as follows:


Agendas


It is important to establish good communication lines between school and home. Students will receive an agenda to write down all homework assignments. Students will bring this home nightly so that you may review your child’s homework.

Homework


Homework is an important part of fourth grade.   You should expect that your child will have some type of homework everyday except Friday.  You will always find the homework assignments written in your child’s agenda.  It will go home everyday.  I encourage you to set up with your child a scheduled time for homework each day.   Students should be able to do most assignments independently, but do help if it is completely necessary.  If you notice that your child is not able to do an assignment on his or her own, please send a note or jot a note to me on the assignment.  I will contact you if your child is falling behind or turning in poor work. Any student that does not complete his/her homework will have to sign the LEAP for Success Log and will complete it during Fun Friday.



Daily Work


Daily work and homework will be sent home with either a check-plus, check, or check-minus on it. Any child receiving a check-minus will work in a small group for extra help on that particular objective. On students class work will also have a circled letter. This circled letter lets you know how much help your child received on that assignment. A circled T means that the class went over or completed this assignment together. Your child should have corrected any mistakes with the class. A circled G means that your child worked in a group on this assignment. We did not review the answers as a class. A circled A means that your child completed the assignment alone. Your child is responsible for writing the letter on the paper. All assessments will receive either a level 4, 3, 2, or 1.


Snack


Please have your child bring a snack daily. We will eat snack everyday at 9:35. Only healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, peanut butter crackers, etc. should be brought. NO SODAS OR CANDY!





I have read and understand the information in this packet.


Student Signature ______________________________


Parent Signature _______________________________


Please detach this sheet and return it in your Monday folder on Tuesday, July 8th.



Questions?


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