Welcome to Curriculum Night

1. Welcome to Curriculum Night Mrs. Ordonez 4th Grade Please make sure you have signed in. It is located on the side table inside our classroom.

2. Philosophy and Mission Statement I believe helping all students be successful in school is imperative in helping create lifelong learners. The students will achieve success in a classroom that is safe, caring and friendly to all regardless of ability level. It is in this classroom atmosphere that students will thrive, not only as learners, but also as individuals. It is this learning atmosphere that the students and I will create.

3. Daily Schedule • Community Meeting • Writer’s Workshop • Specials • Snack/Spiral Review • Math IFG • Math • Lunch/Recess • Reading/Language Arts • Reading IFG • Science/Social Studies/Health • Homework • Character Counts • Volunteers • Communication

4. Math IFG (Instructional Focus Group) • First 30 minutes of math block • Review skills • Students get focus on specific skills they need, including enrichment activities.

5. Community Meeting • 15-20 minutes of the day • Builds Classroom Community • Cooperation/Collaboration • Problem-Solvers • Set our learning goals for the day

6. Specials • Music -Monday • Art - Tuesday • Library – Thursday (Please have borrowed books back to school by Thursday) • P.E. - Friday(Remind your children about wearing tennis shoes!)

7. Curriculum-WritingWriter’s Workshop • Six Traits • Ideas and Content • Organization • Conventions • Voice • Word Choice • Sentence Fluency • Writing Purposes • Personal Narrative • Business Letter • Poetry • Expository Essay • Research • Writing Process • Stages of writing

8. Curriculum-Social Sciences • Social Sciences • Arizona History-Ancient Arizonan Native American Tribes, Mountain Men/Explorers, How Arizona became Arizona • Geography-Salt Dough Maps • Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources • Electricity and Magnets • Water & Weather • Animal Classification and Adaptation- CRITTERS! • Health: Healthy and Safe Choices • Nutrition • Study Skills: Organization, Responsibility 4th Graders are tested in AIMS Science

9. Curriculum-Reading/Language • Reading-Reader’s Workshop • Basal Readers (Harcourt) and Tradebooks • Literary Elements • Compare/Contrast settings, characters, plot • Inferring • Cause and Effect • Summarizing • Fluency • Comprehension • Vocabulary-focus on prefix/suffixes • Language • Spelling-20 words

10. Reader’s Workshop • Shared Reading • Guided Reading • Response Activities • Independent Reading • Literature Responses/Letter

11. Curriculum-Math • Investigations • Scott Foresman • Spiral Review Book • Your child will be learning to solve math using number sense…which may look a bit different than when we were 9-10 years old. • Support for parents exists! • Children are learning to talk about their math reasoning. • Why did you solve it that way? Is there another way to solve that problem?

12. Reading IFG (Instructional Focus Group) • Last 30 minutes of reading block • Review skills • Students get focus on specific skills they need, including enrichment activities. • Phonics • Comprehension • Fluency • Enrichment

13. Six Pillars of Character

14. Homework-Reading • Students are required to read 20 minutes a day five days a week (or MORE!) and record it in their reading logs. The hope and expectation is that they will read everyday. • I encourage you to read some of the books your children are reading. I have multiple copies of many books if you want my assistance in this area. • Starting in late September, the students will be writing me a letter, once a week, about what they are reading at home.

15. Homework-Math, Spelling, Projects • Math homework is strongly connected to the lesson that was taught during class that day. Therefore, if math is assigned, it is due the following day. • Spelling words go home on Thursday. The test is on Wednesday. Spelling Menu items. • Projects

16. Homework HELP!! • It is my expectation that the children are completing their homework and turning it in on a timely basis. If there is an issue, please inform me with a note or email. I understand how things come up in life! • It is my expectation that you are checking your child’s agenda every night. In the agenda you will find school reminders and any homework your child has for the night. Please sign the reading log weekly. I appreciate the support. • I am here to support you too! If you have questions in the afternoon or evening, you can reach me at 480-452-9057. You can also email me as I do check email regularly at home! • I arrive at school everyday by 7:15 am. If your child needs support with something, please call me/email me the night before and I will have a pass ready for them in the office the next morning.

17. Volunteering • Some jobs available: • Wall Artist: 1 hr, once a month • Writing Coach:30 min/weekly • Math Mentor: 30 min/weekly • Reading Mentor: 30 min/weekly • Photographer: special events or whenever • Editor: as needed • Start in September • Sign up in back of room or email me

18. Communication • Email (weekly updates, questions or concerns) aordonez@kyrene.org • Have you signed up for GOING GREEN? • Voice mail: 480.783.3404 • Cell Phone: 480.452.9057 • Web site- http://www.kyrene.org/staff/aordonez/

19. Thank YOU! • Thank you for coming tonight! • If you have questions, please feel free to fill out the index card located at your seat and I will get back to you by tomorrow afternoon! Have a great rest of the evening!