Welcome to Fourth Grade

1. Welcome to Fourth Grade Mrs. Debbie Baluch Mrs. Chris Grass Mrs. Alisha Talley Ms. Ally Streeper Ms. Rachel Cangemi

2. Daily Schedule: • 7:20-7:55      Homeroom • 7:55- 8:50       1st period • 8:50-9:45 2nd period • 9:45-10:35 3rd period • 10:35-11:25 4th period • 11:25-11:45 Recess • 11:49-12:27 Lunches • 12:30- 1:20 Specials • 1:20-2:10 5th period • 2:10-2:20 Homeroom- pack to go home

3. Communication • Graded papers sent home weekly, failing work will be stapled to the student’s agenda and needs to be signed and returned • Daily agenda-signed daily • Our Homeroom Websites • Go to Cherokee County website • Go to schools and select Arnold Mill • Click on faculty to find any of our names • If there is a transportation change, a note must be sent with your student in the morning. Emailed transportation changes might not be seen since we have planning at the end of the day and sometimes email is not accessible at that time.

4. Contact Us • Feel free to email us! It is the easiest and quickest way to get in touch with us. • alisha.talley@cherokee.k12.ga.us • chris.grass@cherokee.k12.ga.us • deborah.baluch@cherokee.k12.ga.us • ally.streeper@cherokee.k12.ga.us • rachel.cangemi@cherokee.k12.ga.us • Keep in mind that we are often unable to check email until after 2:30. If you have an urgent concern, it is best to contact the school 770.592.3510

5. Lunchroom Changes • Lunch cost $2.00 • Milk $0.50 • AME enforces the county policy as stated on page 12 of the Parent/Student Handbook which states that “fast food” is not allowed in the cafeteria (to include the blue tables outside the cafeteria).  • Lunch with students: You may take your child only to the blue tables to eat lunch, no other students please.

6. Calendar • You can access the calendar at http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/parentinfo/Documents/2013-14Calendar.pdf

7. Transportation/Early Check out • All Transportation changes must be made to the office in writing before 1:10 • Please try to limit early checkouts. The school day is from 7:45-2:23. • Please do not check students out between 2:10 and 2:23 unless it is absolutely necessary.

8. Cherokee County’s Grading Policy • A 90-100 • B 80-89 • C 71-79 • D 70 • F 0-69 • Keep track of your child’s grades on Aspen

9. Conferences • Two scheduled per year with your child’s homeroom teacher. A conference request will be sent home with times that your child’s teacher is available. • Phone or in person • Additional conferences at the request of teacher or parent

10. Discipline Policy • PBIS-Positive Behavior Expectations (school wide) • General store • Used to reinforce expectations/school rules • Please check your child’s discipline card for marks. • Weekly “Fun Friday” with a special snack for those with 3 infractions or less. • Special lunch for students without any marks for each grading period.

11. PBIS What is PBIS? • PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports more information can be found at http://www.pbis.org • Effective classroom management and preventive school discipline are essential for supporting teaching and learning. PBIS goes further by emphasizing that classroom management and preventive school discipline must be integrated and working together with effective academic instruction in a positive and safe school climate to maximize success for all students. • This year our PBIS committee met to discuss the direction of our school wide expectations. Each grade level has developed an age appropriate framework that will enable all students in our building to be successful!  What can I do to help my child? • The foundation of our program at Arnold Mill involves four key character traits: • A – Acting Responsibly • M – Making Good Choices • E – Exhibiting Safe Behavior • S – Showing Respect • When students are “caught” going above and beyond with these characteristics then they are rewarded with a Buckaroo!  Please take time to discuss these traits with your student and reinforce these concepts within your own home.

12. PBIS continued… • What can I do to support the school? • We have a “General Store” that will be open in September . A schedule will be sent to the teachers the days that it will be open for their grade level. WE encourage donations from teachers, parents, and partners in education, but stocking the store will be a year-long task. Please take the time to clean out your toy bin and donate your gently used items to the school. NO donation is too BIG or too small!  • Needs: • Pencils, pens, unopened Happy Meal toys, balls, games, notepads, school supplies, purses, wallets, sporting good items, bikes, lotion, books, crafts, dolls, or anything you think a child might like. • We appreciate your support of Arnold Mill ES and this positive school-wide initiative! • Questions? Please feel free to contact Dr. Christy Bowling, Assistant Principal • Christy.bowling@cherokee.k12.ga.us

13. Common Core Georgia Performance Standards • For the Cherokee County standards go online to http://www.cherokee.k12.ga.us to access standards for each grade level and content area. • You can also look at the standards online at https://www.georgiastandards.org/Pages/Default.aspx

14. Why Common Core? • The COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS INITIATIVE (CCSSI) is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). • Preparation: The standards are college and career ready. • Competition:The standards are internationally benchmarked, ensuring our students are globally competitive. • Equity:Expectations are consistent for all – and not dependent on a student’s zip code. • Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear. • Collaboration: The standards create a foundation to work collaboratively across states and districts. • Georgia’s highly respected and internationally benchmarked GEORGIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (GPS) exemplify the rigor and complexity of Common Core Standards, allowing for ease of transition between GPS and CCGPS. Common Core GPS Resources http://www.GeorgiaStandards.org • Step-by-Step Directions to • CCGPS Resources • From the GaDOE website, select GeorgiaStandards.org, located at the bottom of page (or go directly to georgiastandards.org from your browser). • Select the “Common Core GPS” tab. • On the left side of the page, in a box entitled “Browse Common Core,” select from the following areas: English Language Arts; Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects; Mathematics; or CCGPS GPB Professional Learning Sessions. • From the English Language Arts or Mathematics landing pages, select from the following grade bands: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 or Text Complexity Rubrics Template (ELA). • From the grade band pages located in the box on the right, select the appropriate grade level standards. (Click on the “+” to expand menu.) •  • For Webinar sessions and other resources, select from the English Language Arts or Mathematics pages. Providing Georgia’s students with the competencies necessary for success in the global marketplace  For additional information visit the Georgia Department of Education website at http://www.gadoe.org/CCGPS.aspx Projected Assessment Timeline Curriculum and Instruction (404) 463-0934 “Making Education Work for All Georgians” Dr. John D. BargeState School Superintendent Dr. John D. BargeState School Superintendent2066 Twin Towers East205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SEAtlanta, GA 30334 June 27, 2012

15. English Language Arts • • College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards • • Grade Level Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language • • Literacy Standards in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects • READING: • A progressive development of reading comprehension ensures students gain more from what they read • An emphasis on text complexity and sophistication in grade level texts promotes necessary rigor • WRITING: • Focuses on composing different types of writing: • Argumentative/opinion pieces • Informative/explanatory writings • Narrative texts • Research projects (brief as well as sustained inquiry) • Infuses use of technology in creation, refinement, and collaboration in writing • Includes an appendix of writing samples illustrating criteria required to meet the standards • SPEAKING AND LISTENING: • Focuses on speaking and listening in a range of settings, both formal and informal – academic, small-group, whole-class discussions • Emphasizes effective communication practices • Requires interpretation and analysis of message as presented through oral, visual, or multimodal formats • LANGUAGE: • Includes conventions for writing and speaking • Highlights the importance of vocabulary acquisition through a mix of conversation, direct instruction, and reading • Requires vocabulary to be addressed in context of reading, writing, speaking, and listening • Mathematics • • Conceptual Development • Fluency with Core Skills • Meaningful Learning • STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE: • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them • Reason abstractly and quantitatively • Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others • Model with mathematics • Use appropriate tools strategically • Attend to precision • Look for and make use of structure • Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning • STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL CONTENT: • K-5: Develop a strong concrete-to-conceptual foundation in number and operations, including fractions and decimals • 6-8: Develop a robust understanding of algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics • High School: Apply mathematics and mathematical ways of thinking in novel situations, as college students and employees are regularly called upon to do

16. Multi-Level Instruction • An instructional strategy that enables us to achieve different learner outcomes within a single instructional activity. • First, we design rich, activity-based instructional activities. • Second, we make individualized student support decisions. • Third, we implement multi-leveled instruction techniques in the context of the entire class.

17. SuccessMaker Math and Reading • Used for individualized math and reading practice • Tracks students’ progress and skill levels • 15-20 minute sessions • Improves math and reading skills • Direct correlation between progress in SuccessMaker and success on testing.

18. Math • Math is organized into seven units including place value & rounding, fractions, geometry, and measurement. These units are part of the new CCGPS standards. • Math homework will be assigned Monday- Thursday nights. • Differentiated instruction will be used to meet the needs of all learners. • Students need to master their multiplication facts this year. Timed tests will be given weekly. • Math Homework book from the old series can be found on Mrs. Baluch’s Website under Parent Links as an additional resource for enrichment or remediation.

19. English Language Arts • The standards for reading and language arts are broken into six sections including: Reading Literary, Reading Informational, Reading Foundational, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. • In reading, we do the following: • Bi-Weekly Stories and monthly AR book tests • Various projects and exercises to improve reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary • Bi-Weekly spelling lists reinforce academic vocabulary. Spelling contracts due on the day of the test. • Technology- activities, and research, as well as whole-class interactive activities. • Literature Circles/Leveled Readers • In language arts, we do the following: • The Writing Process applied to all our writing projects. • Writing Across the Curriculum – All Subject areas • Journal Writing

20. Science • Georgia Performance Standards: • Broken into five units: • Ecology • Weather • Forces and Motion • Stars and Solar System • Sound and Light • Engaging activities and labs. • Homework schedule will vary. • Differentiated instruction will meet the needs of all learners.

21. Social Studies • The Social Studies curriculum is divided into 8 different Units. • In fourth grade, students begin to study the United States history. The concepts start with the development of Native American cultures and goes up to the antebellum period ending in 1860. • Other focuses include: • The influence of geography of the United States history • The rights developed during the formation of our government • Using history to further understand economic concepts.

22. Thanks for Coming! We look forward to a great year!