Welcome to Room 176

1. Welcome to Room 176 • Find your 4th grader’s desk • Please write any questions you may have during the presentation on the index card. • Feel free to thumb through paperwork on the desk.

2. About Me! • I am in my third year of teaching in Issaquah! I worked at Creekside as a fourth grade teacher for two years. This is my first year at Discovery. • Graduate of WSU, Bachelors in Elementary Education (K-8), and Minors in Psychology and Human Development. • I have two cats Copper and Apollo!

3. My mission statement • My goal is to… • Model respect, kindness, safety, and responsibility for every student. • Provide all students with strategies to manage themselves well. • Provide all students with tools to navigate any situation with respect, kindness, and responsibility.

4. Volunteers Still Needed! • PTSA Members • PTSA volunteers • Library volunteers

5. Discovery Way Classroom Expectations • Be Responsible • Be Safe • Be Kind

6. Behavior and Classroom Policies • Emphasis on problem-solving • Positive noticing of the desired behaviors • Firm consequences that “fit the crime” • Classroom incentives • Classroom economy

7. Positive Behavior Social Emotional Support (PBSES) • “The Eagle Way”–Be Responsible, Be Safe, Be Kind • Students are taught what this looks like in different areas of the school – classrooms, hallways, Café, Playground, busses… • There are posters around the school to remind students what is expected. • Eagle Coins– Students earn these for demonstrating the expectations and get recognized as a class when they reach certain landmarks. • Social Emotional Learning– We’re using the Second Step Curriculum to teach these critical skills. These lessons are taught by the counselor and teachers.

8. K-5 Social Emotional Learning CurriculumSecond Step Builds Positive Social, Emotional and Behavior Skills + Self management+Self Awareness + Relationship Skills +Social Awareness +Responsible Decision Making

9. Unit 1: Skills for Learning • Listening • Focusing attention •Using self-talk •Being assertive Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Unit 2: Empathy K – 3rd Grade Units • Identifying one's own and others' feelings •Taking others' perspectives • Showing care and concern for others Unit 3: Emotion Management • Understanding strong feelings •Identifying and managing strong feelings • Calming down strong feelings Unit 4: Friendship Skills and Problem Solving • Making and keeping friends •Calming down and using Problem-Solving Steps

10. Unit 1: Empathy and Skills for Learning • Using self-regulation skills to succeed in school • Developing the ability to have empathy • Expressing compassion Social Emotional Learning Curriculum 4th and 5th Grade Units Unit 2: Emotion Management • Identifying and managing strong feelings • Using strategies to calm down strong feelings Unit 3: Problem Solving • Solving problems on one's own

11. Home Links

12. Online Family Resources www.secondstep.org • SSPK FAMI LY70 = Kindergarten • SSP1 FAMI LY71 = First Grade • SSP2 FAMI LY72 = Second Grade • SSP3 FAMI LY73 = Third Grade • SSP4 FAMI LY74 = Fourth Grade • SSP5 FAMI LY75 = Fifth Grade

13. Reach out for support! Teal Morse (Ms. Morse) Positive Behavior Social Emotional Support Coach e: morset@issaquah.wednet.edu o: 425-837-4029 Denise Darnell (Ms. Denise) School Counselor e: DarnellD@Issaquah.wednet.edu o: 425-837-4097 • Supports Discovery with: • Classroom and home- based interventions to support student learning • School-wide systems and procedures to enhance the educational environment for all students • Supports Discovery with: • Classroom lessons focused on social and emotional learning • Family support

14. 4th Grade Curriculum Plan for the Year • In your folder you will find a list of what we teach in fourth grade • Student Account information in their Planner • Clever • SeeSaw • Office 365 • Khan Academy • Type 2 Learn 4

15. Eureka Math – A Story of Units • A comprehensive curriculum written by a team of teachers and mathematicians who took great care to present mathematics in a logical progression, preparing students to understand advanced math • Developed specifically to meet the math standards adopted by our state • Connects math to the real world in ways that take the fear out of math and build student confidence • Teaches math as a “story” to build students’ mathematical knowledge logically and help them achieve deep understanding • This approach can be unfamiliar to those of us who grew up memorizing mathematical facts and formulas

16. Eureka Math – How Parents Can Help • Understand that students are learning math in a way that will prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future – focused math skills and real-world, challenging problems • At the beginning of each module, read the Parent Tip Sheet to get an overview of the topics your child will be learning and how you can support this learning at home • Recognize that Eureka Math lessons can be customized by teachers to meet the varying needs of students

17. Technology What technology are we using in the classroom this year? • Google Expedition Goggles • PowerPoint presentations • Word processing for final writing drafts • Actively Learn: online reading database • Internet Research

18. Typing Proficiency Helps with online state testing in spring HIGHLY recommended to start a typing program at home! • Mavis Beacon • All the Right Type • All-Star Typing

19. Newsletters • Every Fridays I will send home a newsletter via email or kid mail. • Newsletter will have important information and dates of upcoming events. • I am trying to be as GREENas I can so I will email home some important documents as well (other important docs will come home with your student).

20. schedule Specialist Schedule • PE: Mondays/Wednesdays 10:15- 10:45 • Music: Tuesday/Friday 10:45-11:15 • Library: Tuesday 10:45-11:15

21. Snack • It’s hard to focus when you’re hungry!! • Students have no set snack time. If students get hungry throughout the day then they may snack at appropriate times. • Snacks need to be healthy- top two ingredients should not be sugar • Examples: fruit/veggies, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, yogurt, crackers, etc. We are a nut free classroom!

22. fidgets • If your child would benefit from having a fidget at school (such as a stress ball), please let me know what they will bring. • Any fidgets that become a distraction during class will be sent home.

23. homework • Research shows that there is not a connection between homework and academic success at the elementary level! • I do not want homework to be stressful or very challenging for students. I find that leads to frustration for students and families! • Students should be able to do homework independently, and work toward independently setting time to do homework each night and bringing it to school on time. More info on your students desk. 

24. Homework/Planners • Homework will be assigned every night- about 40 minutes most nights (except on weekends). • Read 20 minutes. • Math practice problems. • Review for tests (optional). • Planners • We will fill out each day. • Please review planners nightly with your child.-I do not ask for a parent initial at the bottom of the page (your students are accountable for their own work).

25. Homework nuts and bolts Long Term Absences 3 days absent = 3 days to make up school work 14 days absent = 14 days to make up school work Most of it cannot be given in advance Purpose of Homework: Practice and Responsibility

26. 4th Grade Quality Work/ Best Effort • Best handwriting • Take your time • Correct spelling • Start a sentence with a capital and end with appropriate punctuation • Double check work • Turn work on on-time

27. Star of the Week • Each student has a week during the year where they will be Star of the Week. • Monday: poster or power point presentation • Friday: Friendship book from the class

28. 4th Grade Curriculum Plan for the Year • In your packet you will find a list of what we teach in fourth grade in each subject area: • Math • Reading • Writing • Science • Social Studies • Study Skills • Specialists

29. Science Units: • Ecosystems • Matter • Sun, Moon & Stars • Changes to Earth’s surface

30. Social Studies • Washington Tribes • Pacific Northwest Explorers • Early industries that developed the territory • Special economic regions of Washington • Tribal vs. Local government

31. Reading • Balanced Reading Approach- students will read books at their own level • Luck Calkins is our reading comprehension program • Guided reading groups are used to work on specific skills (shared reading and independent reading) • Fountas and Pinnell may be used to identify your child’s level

32. The “Just-Right” Book • Chapter Books or Informational Books • 1 - 4 words on a page that are new to them • Pausing to make sense of these words accelerates growth!

33. Reading at Home • Students are expected to read 20 minutes every night! • They can read independently. • They can read to someone else. • Listen to a book on tape. See packet on desk for ideas & questions to ask.

34. Differentiated Reading: Small Group Reading: • Flexible – it changes all the time! • Groups of 5-8 kids • Apply new strategies with my coaching

35. Writing • Lucy Calkins Units of Study • Opinion • Informational • Realistic Fiction • Literary Essay

36. If writing is like a house… Structure (framework) Development (style/accessories) Conventions (repairs)

37. Spelling: Spelling will be integrated with writing instruction, with an emphasis on application in students’ daily writing. Intermittent checks and observations of daily work conducted throughout the year to assess.

38. Report Cards and GRADES • 1st Trimester: November • 2nd Trimester: March • 3rd Trimester: June 4  consistently exceeds grade level expectations 3  consistently meets grade level expectations 2  inconsistently meets expectations 1  consistently does not meeting expectations, even with extra assistance/modifications

39. What earns a four…. TWO things must be true • CONSISTENTLY performing well above expectations (such as mastery of 5th grade content) • Independently performing above expectations

40. Parent Communication • Call/Meet: Before School (7:45 – 9) After school (3:45 – 4:15) • Emails are GREAT, and I’ll respond within one day! • CONNECT website • Newsletters: Sent out each Friday

41. Conferences: First week of December (Wednesday the 4th and Thursday the 5th) I’ll email you when the window opens up to sign up for conferences using the online system we used last year.

42. Art Program: Pam Svore (2 lessons) “Fine Arts” Museo Art Academy (5-6 lessons)

43. Field Trips: • Mercer Slough Engineering/STEM focus *October 3rd • MOHAI Museum Exploring history of Washington *February 13th

44. Smarter Balance Testing • How we prepare: • Lessons on test strategies • Special “practice days” prior to the test • Preparation for explaining their thinking

45. Important Testing Dates • Dates TBD Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA) Math, Writing and Reading. ELA- Reading and Writing- 2 days and Math 2 days. • 4th grade will not take the Stanford

46. Money Collection • Thank you for paying online! • ISD strongly encourages all payments to be made online…if this is an issue please talk to Debbie in the office.

48. Other ways to get involved: PTSA!

49. Thank you! Are there any questions?