Welcome to Chat Night

1. Welcome to Chat Night Tamra Higginbotham & Lauren Blake Paine Intermediate Fourth Grade

2. Meet Mrs. Higg • Graduated from UAB, undergraduate and masters degree • 21st year to teach • Married and have two children who are TCS students. Cory is 17 and a senior at HTHS. Connor is 11 and attends HTMS. • Teaching your child reading and language arts this year

3. Meet Mrs. Blake • Graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 2001 • Graduated from UAB in 2004 with Master’s Degree • Tenth year to teach 4th grade • Married and have two sons -Tyler will be 6 in October and Matthew is 2 • Teaching your child math and science this year

4. Meet Our Room Parents • Jane Turner – Room parent for Mrs. Higg’s class • Chandra Warren – Room parent for Mrs. Blake’s class Thank you to all of our volunteers! We appreciate what you do for us!

5. Fun Stuff! • Class Parties – Christmas and End of the Year • Field Trips (correspond to our units in Science and Alabama History) • Birmingham Zoo in October • Montgomery in April • Possible 3rd field trip in the winter or spring Field trip information will be sent home as dates get closer.

6. Student Achievement • Standardized test results are located in your child’s folder. • Let’s take a minute to look at these • If you have questions or concerns about the scores, please contact your child’s teacher to set up a conference.

7. Discuss how to read SAT and ARMT results If you have questions or concerns about the scores, please contact your child’s teacher to set up a conference.

8. Our Daily Schedule 8:00-8:30 Intervention 8:30-10:35 Math & Science (Blake’s class) Reading & Language (Higg’s class) 10:35-11:25 Specials 11:25-12:30 Alabama History Science (Higg’s class) Reading & Language (Blake’s class) 12:30-1:00 Lunch 1:00-1:20 Recess 1:20-2:30 Math (Higg’s class) Reading & Language (Blake’s class) 2:30-3:00 Pack up, Read aloud, WPIN

9. Binder Organization • Should come home each day • Husky Pads should be kept in the binder • Homework/Notes Pocket – • Students should put their homework, study guides, and notes home in this pocket • Anything we’ve done during the day that does not need to be kept may be put here to either keep at home or discard • Tabs – • Tabs labeled AR Log, Reading, Language, Math, Science/AL History • Class Notes, class work, and graded homework go here Please do not clean out your child’s binder and throw things away for him/her.

10. Tests and Quizzes • Tuesdays or Wednesdays • Science tests when needed (Study guide or notes to study will be given) • Language Quizzes as needed • Thursdays – Reading tests • Fridays • Spelling tests • Weekly Math Quizzes - Study class work, homework, and daily math in binder Test dates are subject to change. Test dates will be recorded in the Husky Pad at least two days prior to the test.

11. Reading • Class novels, stories from the basal, nonfiction articles (just to name a few) • At-Home Reading • Each child has a reading log behind the AR tab in the binder to track their nightly reading and AR progress • Parents should sign reading logs nightly • Reading logs will be checked once a week • AR print outs will be placed behind the AR tab when printed. Be on the lookout for these!

12. Let’s look at the nightly reading log, AR goal page for the 1st nine weeks, and your child’s first AR print out.

13. AR (Accelerated Reader) • Each child has an individual point goal to achieve each nine weeks • At the midpoint of the 9 weeks, students should be half way to their point goal • Students should also achieve their book level goal and their percentage correct goal • Please see the AR log and newsletter for due dates • Students will sign up for AR tests when needed. • AR tests will primarily be taken in the morning during Intervention (8:00-8:30). • Please sign up for AR Home Connect to help monitor your child’s AR progress. This information came home with your child last week. • You can look up the level and point value of an AR book from home!

14. Language Arts • Daily Language Practice • Grammar • Writing • Spelling • Spelling words are on the weekly agenda • Handwriting

15. Math • Hands-on approach combined with daily practice • Math Homework • Usually given Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings • Reinforces and reviews what we’ve done in class • Should not take hours to complete! • Students may put a star beside problems they simply “do not get” but they must also show proof of trying to solve the problem. If your child is having major difficulty with math at home, please let Mrs. Blake know.

16. Our Math Classroom • Daily Math (15 minutes) – cumulative review of concepts • Number Talk (15 minutes) – mental math & focus on strategies • Guided Math Lessons usually centered around a PowerPoint and math manipulatives • Math Menu used to reinforce concepts learned during a unit of study

17. Look at Mrs. Blake’s website for math resources.

18. Science and Social Studies • Social Studies • Alabama History • Textbook, internet research, projects (mainly in class) • Science • Mostly Hands-on Approach • Animal Studies, Electric Circuits, Space, Motion & Design, Sound & Light, Landforms

19. Reading AR - 30% Tests/Classwork – 70% Language Arts Spelling - 40% Grammar - 60% Math Homework – 20% All other math grades – 80% Science & Social Studies Unweighted Tests/Quizzes In-Class Activities Grades • Progress Reports will be sent home in the middle of the nine weeks. • Grades are considered through a number of assessments including tests, projects, homework, work completed in class, small group activities, etc.

20. Husky Folders • Comes home on Wednesdays containing your child’s graded papers • Papers will be stapled and placed in one pocket of the Husky Folder • Conduct card containing a weekly conduct grade will be in the other pocket • Please initial all graded papers and return the papers to school the following day • All graded papers will be kept at school until the end of the nine week grading period

21. Conduct • Conduct grades are sent home each week in the Husky Folder. • Students are graded in the following areas: • Displaying self control • Working well with teachers and students • Work habits

22. Let’s look at the sample conduct card in your folder.

23. Communication is Key! • E-mail is a great way for us to communicate • Tamra.higginbotham@trussvillecityschools.com • Lauren.blake@trussvillecityschools.com • If you have not received an e-mail from your child’s homeroom teacher and you would like to be included, please let us know tonight so we can check your e-mail address. • Husky Pads – • Homework is written daily. • It is the student’s responsibility to record the homework correctly each day. • Please review and sign the Husky Pad each night. • Weekly Newsletter – sent home on Mondays • Class Websites – updated occasionally with class pictures

24. Other Info. • Attendance • School day is from 8:00 until 3:00. • If a student arrives after 8:00 am, he or she will be counted tardy unless the bus is late. • Please send a written excuse within 2 days of your child’s absence. • Dress Code • Shorts should be appropriate for school. • Tennis shoes are preferred! • Lunch Money • Please send money in an envelope with your child’s name, lunch number, amount of money, and teacher’s name written on the outside

25. We are looking forward to working with you and your child this year! Thanks for helping start off the year on the right track!