Welcome to Fourth Grade

1. Welcome to Fourth Grade

2. Your Child Is A Super Star

3. Presenting…. Our Fantastic Team : Mrs. Erin Modde Ms. Kerri Dunleavy Ms. Amy Sanderson

4. Mrs. Gaye Fedesna Ms. Kristina Gisin

5. Expectations for the Learning Environment • Listen carefully. • Follow directions. • Work quietly. • Do not disturb others who are working. • Respect others. • Be kind with your words and actions. • Respect school and personal property. • Work and play safely.

6. Rewards and Consequences Each classroom recognizes good behavior in different ways. Consequences for not following the rules will result in a loss of citizenship points.

7. Communication: • The easiest way to get a message to each homeroom teacher is through e-mail. • Each teacher’s e-mail is listed on the Lake Pointe website. • Send any notes with your name and your child’s name on it. • The afternoons of October 3rd and October 8th will be conference days.

8. After School Plans Make sure your child knows what the after school plan is before coming to school. • If the after school plan changes from the normal routine, they will need to present the homeroom teacher with a written note at 8:00 a.m. They will then be sent to the office to obtain the correct going home pass. ***Students will not be given permission to use the phone to change after school plans once they arrive at school. ***

9. Lunch & Snack Time • All fourth graders go to lunch from 11:25-11:55 and recess from 11:55-12:15. • Teachers will designate a time during the morning when students may eat a healthy snack. • Food and Allergies Disclosure form- please email your homeroom teacher if you need this.

10. Fuel Cafe • $2.80 Fuel Café Meal • Student may choose up to 5 items (food items and one beverage) • 3 of the 5 must be different components • Protein, Grain, Vegetable, Fruit & Dairy • At least one of those 3 choices must be a fruit or vegetable. • $4.50 Eagle Extra Value Meal • Student may choose up to 5 items (food items and one beverage) • 3 of the 5 must be different components • Protein, Grain, Vegetable, Fruit & Dairy • Selection from: cookie, mini muffin or housemade dessert of day • *Beverage can be 100% juice Capri Sun if has met the above (or choose from regular offerings)

11. I Birthdays I On the last Friday of the each month, from 2:20-2:40, the classroom will celebrate birthdays for those children having a birthday during that month. On the actual day of the child’s birthday, a parent may bring a healthy snack only for their child. No whole class snack.

12. Tuesday Folders • Students’ graded work will go home in their blue Tuesday folder. • Beginning in the coming weeks, most notices from our campus will be offered only electronically. • Parents should take out graded work from the Tuesday folder, sign the form inside the folder that indicates you have received the Tuesday folder contents, then return the folder on Wednesday. • Parents, please pay close attention to what comes home in the Tuesday folder. This is another method of communication and may contain important documents regarding your child’s progress that need your signature.

13. Teacher Conference Time The 4th grade teachers would like to designate 10:40 as our time for conferences. If you would like to meet and this time does not work in your schedule, please email the teacher and another time before or after school can be worked out.

14. School Dismissal All students have been given a pass that releases them from school in the following ways. If your child needs a pass, please notify the homeroom teacher. • Bus rider pass: Dismissed from the back doors of the school facing the back parking lot. • Extended Care students: Go to room 106 or cafeteria. • Unescorted Walkers: Dismissed from the front doors of the Kinder wing. • Escorted Walkers: Dismissed from the end of the first grade hallway by the back parking lot. • Car riders: Exit from the double doors by the gym to the front of the school.

15. If your child is ill, please send a note from home explaining the absence. Make up work will be given when they return to school. This policy also applies for other absences from school.

16. How LPE Handles Bullying: Description of Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: “…the most researched and best-known bullying prevention program available today. It is a whole-school program that has been proven to prevent or reduce bullying throughout a school setting. OBPP is used at the school, classroom and individual levels and includes methods to reach out to parents and the community for involvement and support.” The program will help us to all use the same vocabulary when talking about and defining bullying. It will address not only how to work with the bully and the victim, but it will also focus on the importance of the role of the bystander(s).

17. How LPE Handles Bullying: • Lake Pointe uses our morning announcements and assembly to address character education through Character Counts. • We will have class meetings to discuss any problems and concerns that the students may be having.

18. Homework Assignment Planner • Each student should have a planner and will use the planner to note important assignments. • Students who do not have a planner may purchase one through the office. The planner is $6.50.

19. Homework • Homework is a very important part of a student’s academic progress. It should be treated as an opportunity for each child to practice the skills that were learned in the classroom. • Unfinished class work may need to be completed at home and brought back the next day. • Help your child turn in homework on time. Check your child’s planner and homework folder daily. • Homework should be neat and with the correct heading, date, and student number.

20. Spelling • Spelling- Students will receive a new list of spelling words at the beginning of each week. They should study each night to be prepared for the test on Friday. • Homework will include writing each word two times in cursive and an editing activity.

21. We’re going to READ, READ, READ! • Reading Log: Each 4th grade student will read 125 minutes every week. • Track reading in your child’s reading log. Be sure they have included minutes read and nightly responses. • Help your child reach his/her reading goal by designating a quiet spot in your house for him/her to read. • Sign your child’s reading log before Monday a.m. • A grade will be assigned on a weekly basis. • The best way to encourage your child to be a reader is for them to see you reading.

22. S.T.A.A.R. • In 4th grade your child will take the S.T.A.A.R. state assessment. It stands for: The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness • Writing: March 30th & 31st , 1-page personal narrative, 1-page expository, multiple choice revising/editing • Math: April 21st, multiple choice & gridded responses • Reading: April 22nd , multiple choice

23. Writing • Writing-Composition writing is a key factor in fourth grade. Your child will be writing DAILY. During each nine weeks, students will be given various prompts to organize, develop, edit and publish a final copy. The writing process is very involved and very time consuming. Our goal is to publish a final composition during each nine week period using the Writing Process.

24. Narrative Writing • Focus and Coherence -The composition is meaningful to the reader from introduction to conclusion. • Organization -The writer’s thought process is smooth and controlled with transitions adding strength to the writer’s ideas. • Development -The writer’s presentation of ideas is thoughtful and insightful. Each idea is fully developed to enable the reader’s appreciation and understanding of the composition. • Voice -The writer enables the reader to feel a connection with the composition by using unique expressions of emotion. • Conventions -The writer shows consistent control of punctuation, spelling, grammar, word usage and sentence structure throughout the entire composition.

25. Expository Writing • Here are the different types of expository writing genres your child will be learning: • Informative-details, explanations informative writing like from a newspaper. • Classificatory- cause & effect, compare & contrast, such as writing a research paper. • Procedural- “How to”, such as recipes or instruction manuals. • Masked- A “How to” in a more conversational way, not as direct as Procedural, like in a magazine article.

26. Math • Place Value: Whole numbers & decimals • Addition & Subtraction of whole numbers & decimals • Multiplication & Division • Fractions • Geometric Figures • Measurement -Area & Perimeter included • Graphs & Tables • Transformations • Probability • Muti-step problem solving and critical thinking skills are emphasized on the S.T.A.A.R. math test.

27. Science • Physical properties of Matter • Mixtures & solutions • Forms of energy • The changing Earth • Natural resources • Patterns of Earth • Traits of living things • Energy flow in living systems • Adaptations of survival • Life cycles of living organisms

28. Reading • Fourth graders read several novels throughout the year. • Reading skills are reinforced through daily activities from our basal, trade publications and other reading materials. • Individual and group projects will be assigned periodically during the year. • Each class has an assigned library time where they are learning to use our library and able to check out books of their choice.

29. Social Studies: Texas History Incorporates an in depth study of Texas… • Geography Skills • Early Life • Colonization • Statehood • Industries • Modern Day Texas

30. A few more notes to mention: • PTO Volunteer Meeting is tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. • Our first field trip will be to the Meadow Center (Aquarena Springs in San Marcos) on Oct. 31st! Stay tuned for more info on that and T-shirt orders !

31. We are looking forward to a fabulous fourth grade year!!!