Welcome to Fourth Grade

Welcome to Fourth Grade Mrs. Rebecca Lane Ms. Chris Grass Ms. Ally Streeper Ms. Rachel Cangemi Mrs. Katelyn Sugar

Daily Schedule: • 7:20-7:55 Homeroom • 8:00-8:50 1st period • 8:50-9:45 2nd period • 9:45-Lunch 3rd period • 10:30-11:12 Lunches (staggered, with 3rd period) • 11:10-11:36 Recess (staggered times) • 11:40-12:25 Specials • 12:30- 1:20 4th Period (working snack) • 1:20-2:10 5th period • 2:10-2:20 Homeroom- pack to go home • School Hours: 7:20-2:15

Communication • Communication Folder: This folder should always be in your child's binder. Best way to send things in. We will use it for school related flyers and information as well as graded papers. These graded papers will be sent home every Wednesday. Failed assessments can also be found in these folders, may be sent earlier than Wednesday. These will require a signature and need to be returned. • Daily agenda: Should be signed daily • Weekly Newsletter: This will be sent via email on Friday

Contact Us • Feel free to email us! It is the easiest and quickest way to get in touch with us. • rebecca.lane@cherokee.k12.ga.us • katelyn.sugar@cherokee.k12.ga.us • chris.grass@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 770.721.6470 • Teacher websites are located in the ASPEN portal

Lunchroom Changes • Lunch cost $2.35, Breakfast $1.50, Adult $3.50 • AME enforces the county policy that “fast food” is not allowed in the cafeteria (to include the blue tables outside the cafeteria). • You may have lunch with your child only at the blue tables and we ask no other students please. • Meal Pay – Please visit https://www01.mealpayplus.com/default.aspx • Birthday Treats – must be in individual servings and easy for your child to serve – 30 students • Students go to lunch with their 3rd period class.

Calendar • You can access the calendar at cherokeek12.net • Testing Windows • Reading and Math screenings are given in the fall, winter, and spring to monitor the students' progress throughout the year. • GA Milestones: April 2017

Transportation and Early Check Out • All transportation changes must be made to the office in writing before 1:10pm each day. Try to send them in with your children in the morning. • Please try to limit early checkouts. The school day is from 7:45-2:15. • Please do not check students out between 1:45 and 2:15 unless it is absolutely necessary. • If there is a transportation change, a note must be sent with your student in the morning. Emailed transportation changes will not be accepted for your child’s safety. If a transportation change occurs after the child arrives, you will need to call the school and fax the appropriate form with a photo ID attached. • If your child is riding the bus home with another student, BOTH students need a note.

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

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. • Look for sign-ups in October and March • They can be scheduled for phone or in person • If an additional conference is needed it can be made at the request of teacher or parent

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 these as working together with effective academic instruction in a positive and safe school climate to maximize success for all students. 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 “Super Cash.” Please take time to discuss these traits with your student and reinforce these concepts within your own home. • “Super Cash” can be spent at the Hero Headquarters Store • There are also additional rewards throughout the year that students can spend their "cash“ on (Dance, lunch with Mr. Fuller and Dr. Bowling, lunch with friends in the courtyard, etc.)

PBIS continued… • What can I do to support the school? • We have a “Hero Headquarters” 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

Georgia Standards of Excellence &Georgia Performance Standards • We follow the state outlined Standards of Excellence (RELA and Math) and Performance Standards (SS and Science) • Instruction is differentiated in order to meet the needs of all our students. • To access standards for each grade level and content area http://cherokeek12.net/divisions/edprograms/student-performance-standards-and-curriculum-maps/ • You can also look at the standards online at https://www.georgiastandards.org

Math • New Math adoption: Ready and I-Ready Math Series. • Ready refers to the books that the students have. The Practice and Problem Solving book will be kept at home and used when homework is assigned. The Instruction book is kept at school. • I-Ready refers to the personalized technology based instruction. •Math is organized into units including place value & rounding, fractions, multi-digit multiplication, long division, geometry, and measurement. •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. Scores will be averaged at the end of each quarter for a test grade. •Links on website will help reinforce concepts taught in class. Each student has been given an Xtramath.org account. If you have not seen the form come home, please email me!

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 language arts, we do the following: •The Writing Process applied to all our writing projects. •Writing Across the Curriculum –All Subject areas •Journal Writing

Continued… In reading, we do the following: •Bi-Weekly Stories •Monthly AR book tests (1 book that has a corresponding test on either AR or reading quiz must be taken and passed each month. This book will also correspond with the book report in Ms. Grass’ language arts class). •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. Most of the tests in reading are also taken on the computer. The grade can be found on the written portion of the test or ASPEN. •Literature Circles/Leveled Readers

AR/RNQ is on the weekend just to show that it usually spans a full month and it is read outside of school. AR-Accelerated Reader, RNQ- ReadNQuiz Typical Month

Science • Georgia Performance Standards: Broken into five units: • Ecology • Weather • Forces and Motion • Stars and Solar System • Sound and Light • Homework schedule will vary • We will always have a vocabulary quiz each unit and I will create Quizletsto help your child study • Engaging activities and labs

Labs and Projects • Dissecting owl pellets • Creating simple machines • Model car racing designed by students • Making weather tools and more....

Social Studies • The Social Studies curriculum is divided into 8 different Units through the Georgia Performance Standards: - In 4th grade, students begin to study the US history! - Concepts start with the development of Native American cultures and continue through expansion in the 1860's. • 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. • Homework schedule will vary but there will be vocab to go along with each unit. • We will work differentiated through pairs, small group centers, whole group activities, and projects!

Office 365 Free Licenses Each student enrolled in the Cherokee County School System has access to up to 5 licenses to the Microsoft Office Suite including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel. Students use their given username (first initial, last initial, plus 5 digit number) and student created password to access their Office 365 account. This username and password is found in the front of their agenda. The on-line version allows for use by the student on up to 5 electronic devices. To Install Office365 on a home computer:  Open an internet browser.  Type office365.cherokee.k12.ga.us in the address bar.  The students should login to Office365 using their normal network login.  Click on Office365 in the top left corner.  Click Install Office 2016.

Thank You for Coming! We look forward to a great year!

Welcome to Fourth Grade