All About Fourth Grade!

1. All About Fourth Grade! Mrs. Brown Room 106

2. Arrival • Students may enter the building only after 8:15 a.m. • Students may enter the room beginning at 8:30 to take care of their morning responsibilities. • Entering after 8:40 means that they are late. Being on time is part of being a learner. • Our morning meeting will begin at 8:40, so be on time!

3. Dismissal • Buses will depart in two phases. • Pick-ups and walkers will be called at 3:10. • First phase will begin being called immediately following walkers. (Red and Blue) • Second phase will be called immediately following the first phase. (Green and Yellow) • If there are any changes in the way you get home, a written note is required.

4. Attendance Policy • If a student is to take an educational trip, please speak to me about obtaining an approval form from the office. • At this time, emailed excuses are not acceptable. • If your child will be an early pickup please send a note with them to school, and bring your ID with you to school.

5. When you are Absent • You must send in a written note excusing the absence. It must have a parent’s written signature. • Students will check their mailbox to get any work they may have missed and talk to the “Classroom Buddy”. • The number of days they were absent is the number of days they have to make up work.

6. Allergy Management • Haine Elementary is an allergy protected school • Allergy-free zone in café • Students wash their hands upon arrival and after lunch • No snacks will be permitted this year during the day. We eat at 11:30, so this should not be a problem. • Birthday treats must be non-edible. We will still celebrate in class, just not with food. Feel free to bring another type of treat! • Classroom party snacks must be from the approved list

7. Positive Behavior Management • As a class, you will earn cotton balls to fill a jar. When the jar is full we will have a reward that is voted on by the whole class. • Once we have earned a cotton ball we cannot lose it!

8. Individual Classroom Consequences • 1. Warning • 2. 5 Minutes off recess • 3. 10 minutes off recess • 4. Think sheet/call home • 5. Contact the office • Each afternoon, I will sign planners and make any notes about behavior. Parents will always know how the day was.

9. Classroom Schedules

10. A Brief Look at Content • Reading: Students will consistently learn to use the metacognitive reading strategiesthroughout their day. In doing so, the focus will be on developing a love of reading, building comprehension, helping students to think about text and ask questions as they read, experiencing various genres, working in small reading groups and literature circles with specific skill and strategy focus. Students will be reading novels throughout the year based on their Lexilelevels as a result of the NWEA test. • Language Arts: We have adopted the “Units of Study” by Lucy Calkins. Students will focus on three writing genres beginning with persuasive/opinion, arc of story/narrative, and ending with informative writing.

11. Menu Reading/Language Arts Monthly Menu: The majority of this work is completed at school. BAM is the only component that is completed on students’ time. Components of the menu include: Research Center with Social Studies and Science Connection; Novel Wheel Posters; Tic-Tac-Toe reading responses; Word Work Greek/Latin roots; analyzing various texts; independent grammar study; independent BAM reading; compass learning. Students will learn time management and responsibility. If your child is coming home with a lot of Language/Reading homework each night, then you will know that they are not managing class time efficiently. We will work together on this!

12. A Brief Look at Content • Math: We will be beginning with place value and moving into fractions and decimals; nightly multiplication practice as well as challenging math tasks that teach children how to think and problem solve! CHILDREN MUST KNOW THEIR MULTIPLICATION FACTS- 10 minutes a night. • Science/Health: Monarch Butterflies/life cycles of various organisms, Migration, Motion and Design, Land and Water, Skin, Teeth/Digestion. All units include hands-on Inquiry learning and cooperative group work! • Social Studies: Pennsylvania History and map skills. • Spelling: Students will be focusing on Greek and Latin root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Students will be expected to know the spelling and meaning of these words.

13. Homework • Homework will be given almost every night except Fridays. Expect to have up to 40 minutes of homework each night! • Reading 20 minutes per night is a fourth grade requirement. (Part of 40 minutes.) • Homework should be completed independently and on time. Late work will get partial credit after one day, but after that, NO CREDIT is offered. This is a lesson in responsibility. • If your child is having difficulty with the homework; just write a note at the top of the page or in their planner.

14. Literacy Theme • Super Readers are Super Heroes! • Kick-off assembly to occur in early September • Promotes nightly reading-20 minute minimum in fourth grade • Log reading and sign each night in their reading log-Logs are checked each day! • The more you read the better you read.

15. Book-A-Month (BAM) • Each month students will have a book to read from a different genre. • This will be in addition to other books we will read in class. • It will be in their Lexile range, and they will have to complete questions that go along with the genre.

16. Compass Learning • A national program • It provides an individual learning path based on the students’ NWEA scores • It will be used about 40 minutes per week during school time. • You may access it from home as well! Login information was sent home by mail.

17. Grading Policy • Grading policy: • 90% and up=A • 80% and up=B • 70% and up=C • 60% and up=D • <60%=F • Grading will come from a variety of assessments: tests, quizzes, experiments, science journals, in-class work, writing assignments, and rubrics!

18. Organizational Tools • Sign Planners every night • Check take-home folders and send back each night • Different colored folders for each subject • Classroom books are school property. If one is damaged or lost, it is the family’s responsibility to replace it or compensate for it.

19. BYOT No cell phone use! • A child may only use registered technology in school (when instructed by the teacher). • It is the students’ responsibility to keep their device safe! • To register a device see the instructions on the district website. • Seneca Valley Homepage • Bring Your Own Technology • Getting Started with BYOT • Registering Mobile Devices

20. Olweus Anti-Bullying Program • Olweus School-wide Rules: • We will not bully others. • We will help others who are being bullied. • We will include those who are being left out. • If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home. Let’s watch a video! Behavior Incident and Think About It Forms

21. Band and Strings • Students will have an opportunity to join band or strings/orchestra this year! • More information will be coming home.

22. Birthdays! • May choose to bring a non-edible treat. • You may choose to come and eat lunch with your child. Be sure to arrive prior to 11:25 to check-in at the office.

23. Field Trip • We are going to Heinz History Center in the spring. • Details are forthcoming. • Chaperones: I will send information home at a time closer to the field trip.

24. Home/School Connection • Success begins at home! • Proper rest, homework support, encouraging reading, etc. • The line of communication with me is WIDE OPEN. It’s essential! • Encourage your kids when they succeed and when they struggle. They need to hear positive words every day.

25. Ways to Talk to Me • Email is the best! I can usually read them, but not respond until lunch or after school. blakleyka@svsd.net • My phone number: 412-860-3323

26. PTO Involvement • Haine has an active and involved PTO! • If you’d like to join, please look for more information coming home soon • Join as a family for a minimal cost

27. Any Questions?

28. Classroom Rules • Classroom Rules will be created by YOU! • We will sign and agree upon the rules you created. • Rules apply to all areas of school, from the bus, to recess, to the cafeteria, and so forth.

29. Entering the Classroom • Your Jobs when you enter the classroom are: • Wash your hands • Turn in any notes from home to the basket by the door • Read the message board and complete morning work • Take a seat and read quietly until the announcements come on. Then, Listen.

30. Whoa! Lockers! • Lockers are pretty exciting, but having them is a privilege. • Keep it organized! Having more space can be dangerous sometimes!

31. Discussion • Raise your hand! • If we are having a group discussion and someone is talking, put your hand down and listen until they finish. • Listening is active! Look at the speaker to show them respect! • Be a kind listener. You may not agree-that’s okay!

32. Being Prepared=Being a Learner • Go to the bathroom before school and at lunch. • Sharpen pencils when you come in in the morning. • You may bring a (filled) water bottle every morning. That way you don’t waste time at the fountain. • If you must leave, use the hand signal, and sign out.

33. Lunch Procedures • We will use hand sanitizer before lunch. • Packers will be dismissed to their lockers to get their lunches. • We will walk quietly to lunch and be respectful to everyone in the cafeteria. • After lunch, we will stop at the restroom to wash our hands and use the facilities.

34. I’m Done! I’m Done! I’m Done! • Early birds will have a choice of activities to do when they are finished. • Reading quietly is always a good choice, but sometimes there will be challenge or extension activities. • Most importantly, please do not disturb others who are still learning!

35. Dismissal 1. Write down homework. 2. When you’re done, raise your hand, and I will stamp your notebook. That is your ticket to go to your locker! 3. Pack up and listen for the busses to be called! *If you have an end of day job, please wait until you are packed up to complete it.

36. Classroom Schedules

37. When you are Absent • You must bring in a written note from a parent a excusing the absence. It must have a parent’s written signature. • You will check their mailbox to get any work you may have missed and talk to the “Classroom Buddy”. • The number of days you were absent is the number of days you have to make up work.