4th Grade Information

Ms. McCune’s Fourth Grade Information 2009-2010

SCHOOL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES * Arrival and Dismissal: No supervision is provided at school before 7:00 A.M. Between 7:00 and 7:45 students should report directly to the lunchroom or gym. If students are not in the room by 7:45 they will be counted tardy. Children arriving after 7:45 a.m. must have a parent sign them in at the front office and obtain a tardy slip before going to their classrooms. (Late buses do not make students tardy.) Students should give the pass to the teacher. Students will be dismissed to the mode of transportation specified by the parent. If students need to be checked out early, parents must come to the office to check the child out. A photo ID will be required to check out any child. Check-ins and check-outs are counted as tardies. A student must be in school for 4 hours to be considered present. Please make sure all emergency dismissal forms are filled out and kept up to date in the office. *Attendance: When a student returns to school after being absent he or she has two days to turn in an excuse. It is very important that we get an excuse in writing so that it is recorded in the office in your child’s records. Phone calls and emails are not accepted as excuses. We must have a parent’s signature. If you know that your child will be absent from school for any reason other than sickness or death in the family, you will need to get this pre-approved by the principal. This must be done at least three days prior to the absence. Students need to be responsible and ask what assignments were missed during their absence. Due dates will depend on the length of the absence. If you call the school, assignments will be in the office by the end of the day. Work is usually made up when the child returns to school after an extended absence. * Transportation: If a student’s transportation changes, the school must be notified in writing. If an emergency arises and a change must be made during the day, please notify the office and leave a message for your child before 1:30 unless it is unavoidable. *Breakfast and Lunch Money: Breakfast is served every morning. The cost of breakfast is $1.25. The cost of lunch is $1.80 for a regular tray, which includes milk. Milk is $.50 when sold separately. Extra servings of items are an additional $1.25. The cost of lunch does not include any extra items or “treat” items that the students may purchase. We will have treat day on the last day of the week. Visitor lunches are $4.00. Volunteers eat at the faculty price of 2.50. Our school has a computerized system, which effectively keeps track of all money paid into each child’s account. Please make checks out to Deer Valley Elementary School and put your child’s name and lunch account number on the check. This helps make sure the check is credited to the correct account. If you would like to make payments on line you can go to www.paypams.com and set up a payment account. You will receive a phone call if your 1

child’s account is getting low. Please pay attention to these and keep your child’s lunch account sufficiently filled. *Medicine: If a student needs to take any medicine during the school day, it must be given to the nurse by a parent. A medication form must be completed. Students are not allowed to bring medicine to school in their book bags or lunch boxes. Please label the medication and include instructions for administering it. * Birthdays: It is the school’s policy not to use instructional time for birthday celebrations. I encourage you to come eat lunch with your child on his/her special day. Please send invitations for parties through the mail unless every child in the class is invited. CLASSROOM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES *Communication: If you need to inform me of anything regarding your child, please feel free to get in touch with me. I prefer e-mail if possible. My email address is [email protected]. I check my school email several times a day, and I will respond as promptly as possible. If you do not have email and prefer to talk to me, you may call the school at 439-3300. Please check your child’s binder daily, because other than weekly memos I will send out reminders and other additional information throughout the week. If there is something I need to know immediately please send a note and ask your child to give it to me first thing in the morning. I have a special place for notes and will read them first thing in the morning. Weekly Memo: A weekly memo will be given to each student each week. It will contain dates of weekly tests, quizzes, and projects; a list of event dates for the class and school; and any memos that need to be communicated. Students will put this in the front of their binder. Binders/Agendas: Check your child’s binder and agenda every night including Wednesdays and weekends. I will put any additional communication from various parties in the front of the binder and should be checked and removed nightly. Any forms requiring return should be completed and returned to the teacher through the binder. Weekly Folder: All information pertaining to grades and behavior will be communicated through the weekly folder, including midterm reports and nine week report cards. *Grading: Tests and major projects will be worth 100 points. Quizzes, class work, homework, and other small assignments will be less than 100 points depending on the individual assignment. The following is an example of how I average to get a final grade: quiz project quiz test homework Points earned: 30 90 25 85 40 Points possible: 40 C 100 A 30 B 100 B 50 B Total points earned divided by total points possible = Grade Percentage Total Points Earned = 270 Total Points Possible= 320 = .843 = 84% - B

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Parents will be informed of grades in weekly folders, midterm reports, and report cards every nine weeks. If you would like a print out of your child’s grades and averages I can do that for upon request. Just send me a note or email and I will have it to you within a few days. *Snack: Students can bring a personal snack daily. Snacks need to be easy to eat finger foods and nonmessy. Please do not send a snack that requires a spoon. I tell students that I should not be able to smell, hear, or see their snack in an obvious way. Students may only bring water to drink. * Payments: Money brought for various payments such as field trips, book orders, lunch, and so forth, should be in a sealed envelope with the child’s name, teacher’s name, and payment purpose on the outside. Once money has been paid there are no reimbursements. Change will not be given if exact amount of payment is not sent. *Personal Belongings: Students do not need to bring toys, electronic games, large amounts of money, or personal items of value unless it is arranged between the teacher and parent. The teacher will not be responsible for taking care of these items and will not take responsibility if they are lost. *Book Orders: Book Orders will be sent home about once a month. If you want to order please fill out each book order form, and make sure that you put your child’s name on each order. Make one check payable to Scholastic, not the school. We cannot accept cash either. Please return orders by the deadline date, which will be stapled to the orders. Your orders will help get books for the classroom.

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FOURTH GRADE RESPONSIBILITIES * Discipline: The students will be given a grade in the following areas of conduct: • Listens and follows directions • Uses time wisely • Demonstrates respect for others • Demonstrates self-control • Completes homework • Completes class work • Works well with others Guidelines will be posted in the classroom and every child will be expected to follow them. If a student’s behavior is unacceptable over a period of time, the parent will be contacted. In case of serious misconduct a student will be sent directly to the office. If at any time you are concerned about your child’s behavior in any way please contact me and we will discuss the situation. Important: If your child is being negatively affected by any other student’s behavior please contact me so I can immediately address the situation. * Organization of Materials: I will be working to help students improve their organizational strategies throughout the school year. It is very important that they can easily access their work and supplies when needed. Please check your child’s binder nightly to remove any memos and notes sent to parents to help them avoid clutter. The students’ binder is probably the most important organizational tool. Students need to keep all work in their binders in the appropriate subject sections. If students are unsure of an assignment’s subject area, they need to ask, so that work is not misplaced. Students should always have paper, pencils, and a red pen at their desk. Students need to attempt to keep their binder and desk neat and uncluttered at all times. All extra materials, such as markers, crayons, scissors, etc., that are not used on a regular basis, will be kept in cubbies. * Homework: Homework will be written down daily by each student and initialed by the teacher. Parents need to look at homework agendas daily including weekends and Wednesdays. Parents do not have to sign unless you would like. Please set aside a time and place to study and complete homework every night. I recommend that students spend at least 30 minutes doing something for school. If they do not have written homework or study assignments they should read, work on math facts, work on a writing assignment, or study for a future test. Students should complete homework independently unless there is a lack of understanding and help is needed. All students will check their homework in class the following day. There will be little homework on Wednesday nights or over the weekends in accordance with Deer Valley’s homework policy. Reading and occasionally study assignments will be given at these times. If homework is not done or is incomplete, students will fill out a conduct slip and sit out of recess until all assignments are complete. Consistent missing homework will result in a lower grade. If there is an emergency or medical reason for missing or incomplete homework, I must receive a note from a parent to excuse that student from the consequences. I will expect all missed assignments to be made up.

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`*Studying: Ultimately it is the student’s responsibility to keep up with test dates, have all materials needed to study, and communicate with parents that a test is coming. But, fourth graders still need help and guidance when learning to study for a test. Parents should help students try a variety of study methods to find what works best. A weekly memo will be given to the student each week with test and project due dates. Please remember to check agendas and binders daily. * Weekly Folders: Folders will be sent home every week. The folder will contain graded work, some practice examples, and informative notes. It is the responsibility of the student to take the folder home and return it to school with a parent’s signature. It is very helpful if the folder is returned the next day. All graded papers will be stapled together. I expect for them to remain stapled together as they were sent home. It is very important that a parent sees all grades. Please take time to go over missed items with your child. Should you find any mistakes or have any questions about graded papers please bring it to my attention. Do not send notes in the folder that you want me to see immediately. Please ask your child to hand it to me first thing in the morning. I do not check folders until later in the day.

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CURRICULUM * Math: The math curriculum encourages the development of a wide range of math concepts, thinking skills, problem solving, as well as insuring knowledge of basic arithmetic skills. Each skill learned will be reviewed and incorporated into future concepts and units. A variety of resources will be used to develop lessons for math instruction and activities. Math homework will be assigned on most homework nights. Daily Math Routine: *Basic Facts Drill – Timed *Check morning work – (Math Boxes / Problem Solving – cumulative review) *Check and review homework – students self-check *Lesson on Math Objectives from Hoover & State Course of Study *Practice and assign homework Basic Facts: It is very important that students study and memorize all basic facts. These facts are so important when solving more complicated math problems. To memorize multiplication facts, we will spend the first nine to twelve weeks doing “Minute Madness.” This is a fun process which includes 1 minute timed tests beginning with ones facts and moving through twelves. As students master each set they will move to the next set. After the class reviews each set we will move to timed tests with mixed facts. We will continue to review mixed multiplication facts throughout the year. Please work at home if these facts are not mastered. I cannot stress enough how important it is for students to master multiplication facts this year!!! *Science: Hoover has designated the following science units for the fourth grade curriculum:  Motion and Design / Simple Machines  Space  Electricity  Animal Studies These units will be taught using a combination of materials, which allows students to learn science concepts through a number of hands-on activities. The science content will be gathered from a variety of resources, all of which the students will have access through a text book or reproduced information that I will provide. They will be assessed on the science content and the activities completed. Take-home activities may be assigned allowing the students to review a variety of science concepts other than those in the 4th grade curriculum. These will be review lessons that will need to be completed and returned for a grade. Grades may be given on class work, homework, activity completion and participation, quizzes and tests. * Social Studies: **Fourth grade will be swapping classes this year. Mrs. Mc Call will have my class the second half of the nine weeks for Social Studies. I will teach all the Science content. History – Text Book – History Alive According to the Hoover fourth grade curriculum we will be covering the Revolutionary Period of United States History. (1600 to early 1800) This study will include:  Pre-Revolutionary War – Colonial America  Revolutionary War  A New Nation – Building a Government 6

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Beginning Westward Movement

*Language: (Spelling, Grammar, Written Composition) Students will effectively utilize the writing process during writing workshop. They will gather ideas in their Writer’s Notebook. We will begin expanding ideas into well developed paragraphs and move to more detailed in-depth essays and stories. Students will develop ideas into published work by moving through the drafting, revising, editing, and publishing processes. Students will demonstrate satisfactory use of capitalization, punctuation, and word usage. Work should have a well developed beginning, middle, and ending. Students will be expected to complete and publish several works during a nine week period. Three areas of writing will be emphasized: descriptive, narrative, and expository. Exploration in the area of poetry will be alternated with composition exercises. Language and mechanics will be taught through daily editing, writing, and grammar lessons. The students will use the English book for daily grammar lessons. We will use the Spelling Connections text as our spelling units. The review units will not be covered. Students will be given 2-3 assignments weekly to help them become familiar with the unit words and a test will be given at the end of each week. Tests will be given on Wednesdays. Cursive handwriting will be reviewed and encouraged in some assignments. I will not be insisting that students use it throughout the year. *Reading: Individualized reading instruction will be used to strengthen skills and increase a love for reading. Students’ chapter books will be an integral part of our reading program. Assignments will include summary of personal reading, objective assessments of reading passages, vocabulary, skills development, and other various reading activities. Sometimes these assignments will be based on literature the students have chosen and at other times I will assign books or passages for them to read and use in their work. I will touch base with students almost daily to keep track of their reading progress. The students reading level will be assessed using a variety of assessment tools. Students’ use of time during reading class will be assessed and grades will be given. Chapter Books I require that students keep a chapter book with them at all times. Students may get books from any source, for example: city libraries, Deer Valley library, bookstores, my classroom library, etc. I am trusting that students will be responsible and take care of books and books belonging to other sources.

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