Back To School Night

1. Back To School Night Thursday, August 25, 2011 FOURTH GRADE

2. What we will cover tonight… • Specialty Class Schedule • Home-School Communication • Email/Phone • Classroom Website • Newsletters • Parent Conferences • School-wide Behavior Plan • Fourth Grade Behavior Plan • Reminder Folder • Stop, Think, and Reflect • Homework Policy/Problems • Scholastic Book Orders • Home Reading Program • Accelerated Reader Program • What is it? • Individualization • Grading Policies • Quiz/Test Grading Policies • Grading Policies – NEW! • Report Card Format • Fourth Grade Field Trip • PTO Membership • Nine Weeks Plans • Questions! This presentation will be posted on the classroom website for your reference.

3. About Mrs. Barnes • This is my seventh year teaching at Ashburn Elementary. • I received my Bachelors' Degree at University of Mary Washington in 1999. • I was born and raised in Virginia. • I have four grown children and grandchildren. • I love math!

4. Specialty Class Schedule * Please make note of the days that we have PE, so you can be sure that your child wears shoes appropriate for physical activity.

5. Home-School Communication • This Back to School Night is the beginning of our communication!  • In order to provide the best education possible for your child, we need to work as a TEAM. • There several lines of communication available. • Email • School Phone • Notes • Scheduled Conferences • Monthly Newsletters • Pleasesend me an email ASAP so I can add you to my address book. My email address is Peggy.Barnes@lcps.org

6. Classroom Website The following can be found on my classroom website: • Meet Mrs. Barnes • Newsletters (Updated Monthly) • Study Guides • Scholastic Book Ordering Link and Directions • Nine Weeks Plans • Word Study Program

7. Newsletters • Each month on the first Thursday, a 4th grade newsletter is sent home. Newsletters are available through our class website as well. • Newsletters will follow the same easy-to-read format throughout the school year. • Dates to Remember • Announcements • What We’re Learning

8. Parent Conferences • The sign-up schedule for parent conferences is on the back tablein the classroom. First come first served!  • Sign up tonight if you know your schedule. Please record it. • The schedule will be posted outside the classroom door until conferences, so feel free to come in later to sign up or make changes later on if needed. • Conferences are scheduled for the last week in October/first week of November just as the 1st quarter is coming to a close. • Any conferences before or after that will be either parent requested or teacher requested.

9. School-wide Behavior Plan

10. Fourth Grade Recess • The fourth grade teachers at Ashburn recognize the value of recess to our students. • Gives students a break (Everyone needs a break. Us included!) • Increases students’ time on-task in classroom • Promotes social interaction • Optimizes the brain’s performance (increases brain blood flow) • EVERY student in fourth grade will receive at least 15 minutes of recess (free choice, unstructured time) EVERY DAY. • All of Fourth Grade’s Recess will be held from 12:10 pm - 12:25 pm on a daily basis.

11. Fourth Grade Behavior Plan • TheReminder Program is the behavior • plan that all of fourth grade uses. • The way each classroom teacher • implements the program will vary from • classroom to classroom, but the basis of • the program will not change. • Fourth grade will no longer be participating • in “Fabulous Fridays” on Friday afternoons, • but instead will be implementing a daily extra recess reward for • those students who complete homework and show good behavior • in the classroom. Reminder Program

12. Reminder Folder • In my classroom, I use a Reminder Folder. • When a student is not demonstrating desired classroom behavior, they will simply be “reminded” that their behavior is not appropriate. • When a student gets a reminder, they will be asked to go to the reminder folder and write the number of • their violation inside. • “Johnny (playing in desk during centers), • you are not managing your time wisely. • Please sign the reminder book.” • These numbersmatch the behavior • characteristics on the report card.

13. Think Sheet • Students that get reminders throughout the day will need to fill out a “Think Sheet” during extra recess time. • Each reminder that a student receives will result in the loss of 3 minutes of extra recess. If a student receives three or more reminders in one day, they will lose all of their extra recess. • The student will be in a supervised classroom within the building and will use this time to fill out a simple“Think Sheet.” • If a student receives three or more reminders in a day, the “Think Sheet” will be sent home to be signed.

14. Homework Policy • Homework is given every day Monday through Thursday. • The homework policy for Loudoun County Schools is that a fourth grader have no more than one hour of homework a night. • If homework is not completed, lostor forgotten at home, a student will receive a Homework Alert to be signed by a parent that night. • Students will work on incomplete homework during extra recess time. Once homework is complete, the student may leave and join others at extra recess. • Students who forgot homework at home will need to stay in the full extra recess time and develop a plan to help them remember their homework in the future.

15. Homework Problems • Homework should take no more than one hour per night. If assigned homework is taking longer than that, please contact me so we can solve this problem. • If a question arises on homework that you or your student is unable to answer, please initial it to show it wasn’t skipped. We will go over it in class.

16. Home Reading Program • Every night, Monday through Friday, a weekly log is sent home to record reading. This log can be initialed by any adult. It will be checked daily in school. The log cannot be signed in advance. • Those students that get 4-5signatures a week will earn a REWARD from the prize box. • Rewards are by the week and include both tangible (donations accepted) and non-tangible items like: • Extra computer time (2 weeks) • Move your desk for a day (2 weeks) • Homework passes (3 weeks) • Whole Class Reading Rewards 15+ minutes a night

17. Accelerated Reader Program • You may or may not already be familiar with the “Accelerated Reader” or AR Program at Ashburn. • Accelerated Reader (AR) is a program that tests students' reading comprehension skills.  • Ashburn has purchased many Accelerated Reader tests.  A student cannot take a quiz on a book unless we have purchased the quiz.  A list of purchased tests is available on the school website. • AR books from the school’s library are marked with a sticker to indicate the level of the book.

18. Individualized to Your Child • The Accelerated Reader program is individualized to the specific reading level of each student. • At the beginning of the school year, there are a couple different resources that go into determining a level for your child. • Performance on STAR Assessment (Taken on the computer – Made by the same company as Accelerated Reader.) • DRA Level (Developmental Reading Assessment – a comprehensive assessment given to ALL students at Ashburn at least twice a year by classroom teachers that determines a student’s fluency and comprehension.) • Levels are intentionally set a little lower at the beginning of the school year so students can experience success and progress throughout the year. Students are given opportunities for advancement throughout the year.

19. AR Grading Procedures • In fourth grade, students are required to take at least 4 AR tests (2 Fiction and 2 Nonfiction)per quarter at their AR level. • The two highest AR test scores in each area will be factored into the reading grade. This means that if a student doesn’t do well on a test, they just need to take another one to make up for it. • When a student averages between a 90-100% for the quarter, they will have the opportunity to go to the next AR reading level for more challenging books. A student may level-up mid-quarter if they can show four 100%’s (both fiction and nonfiction) at their current level. • A quarter is 9 weeks, so it is a good idea to try to take ONE AR test per week. This will ensure that your child has taken all the required tests and allows time for retakes if needed. Any tests not taken are averaged as ZEROs. In fourth grade, ALL fiction books need to be chapter books. Nonfiction books may be either picture or chapter books.

20. Quiz/Test Policies & Procedures • Quizzes and tests will usually be given on Thursdays or Fridays, but are given other days of the week as well. • We usually do some review in class the day before, but students need to study at home as well. • Students will receive study guides to complete three to five days before an assessment. (when appropriate) • Students will be informed of a quiz or test at leastthree days in advance. Occasionally, there will be pop quiz. • Any quizzes or tests for the week will be posted Monday morning.

21. Grading Procedures • Loudoun County Public Schools has changed their grading policy. • Students will receive a combination of number grades and letter grades on class assignments, quizzes, and tests in fourth grade. • Report cards have not changed. Grading Key: A = Outstanding B = Very Good C = Satisfactory D = Needs Improvement F = Not Performing Progress Indicators: 4 = Exceeds Standard 3 = Meets Standard 2 = Progressing Toward Standard 1 = Below Standard

22. Learning Progression Scale 4 Exceeds More Complex Concepts 3 – Learning Target Meets the Standard 2 – Simpler Concepts, Progressing Toward Standard 1 – Building Blocks, Below Standard

23. Grading Procedures • This is a transitionyear. • Currently, quizzes and tests sent home withlearning progression scales attached will be truly graded according to the new system. • Remember, if you have a question about your child’s grade please ask.

24. 4th Grade Report Card (Pg. 1)

25. 4th Grade Report Card (Pg. 2)

26. Fourth Grade Field Trip • Fourth grade will be taking one field trip this school year. • We are planning to travel to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD on the Harbor. • Chaperones will be chosen in each classroom through a random lottery of those who turn in chaperone forms.

27. Ashburn’s PTO • The PTO raises about $50 for each of the over 600 students at Ashburn each year. • This is to provide teachers with the tools that your child uses in the classroom every day (like Elmo Digital Presenters and your child’s agenda). • Meetings are held at 7:00 pm in the library every month from September through May. • You can help by participating in their fundraisers. Several of them don’t cost anything. (such as collecting and sending in your General Mills Box Tops or registering your Giant Food grocery card).

28. First Nine Weeks Plans • Reading • Context Clues • Dictionary/Thesaurus • Author’s Purpose • Summarizing • Inferencing • Writing/Language Arts • Organize/Plan Writing • Focus on a Topic • Using Nouns/Adjectives • Noun-Pronoun Agreement • Science • Scientific Method • Virginia’s Natural Resources • Weather • Math • Place Value • Adding/Subtracting • Patterns/Functions/Equality • Social Studies • Relative Location • Virginia Geography • First Americans • Early Jamestown

29. Questions? This presentation will be posted on the classroom website for your reference.