Welcome Back to School

1. Welcome Back to School Mrs. Stout’s 3-4 Grade Intermediate Class 2011-2012

2. A Little Bit About Mrs. Stout • Education • West Branch High School • University of Iowa ~ • BA, Elementary Education • MA, Developmental Reading. • Teaching Experience • I have been teaching for 17 years. • 5th grade ~ 1 year at St. Patrick’s School, Perry, Iowa • 4th grade ~ 11 years, Wilton Elementary • 3-4th grade ~ 5 years, Wilton Elementary

3. My Goals • To provide the academic and social skills the students need to grow and develop as learners. • To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment. • To help the students make new friends and discover new interests.

4. Class Subjects • Math • Mrs. Owens teaches 3rd grade • I teach 4thgrade • Science and Social Studies • Mrs. Owens teaches Social Studies • I teach Science

5. Class Subjects • Reading • FACE/Daily 5 • FACE (fluency, accuracy, comprehension and expanding vocabulary) • “Daily 5” model (5 choices for practicing reading skills ~ read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, writing, and working with words) • Accelerated Reader (“AR”) • Individual goals • End of the Year ice cream sundae celebration for the students who reach 100% of their AR goal.

6. Class Subjects • Language Arts • Writing (6 +1 Traits) and cursive • Spelling • 4 levels of word banks • Weekly, 7 words and 3 sentences • Semester, test over the word bank. If the student scores 90% or better, then they move to the next word bank level.

7. Homework • I encourage families to set up a study time for 15-30 minutes every night so your child can finish homework, practice math facts, read, write, play an educational game, etc. • Every Monday and Wednesday night your child needs to write their spelling words 2 times, and turn it in to me on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

8. Late Work • If your child has late and/or incomplete work, it will be noted in their agenda. • Full credit—work turned in on time • 15% taken off score and lose a “Responsible Student Ticket” - work turned in late • Recess will be used to finish late work, unless it becomes a chronic problem. • The homework room will be used if there is a chronic late work problem. Parents will be notified a day before if the homework room will be utilized.

9. Grading • Your child’s work will receive either a percentage grade or a checkmark grade. • √+ = Above satisfactory, √ = Satisfactory, √- = Needs improvement

10. Agenda • A great way for you, your child, and myself to communicate. • Needs to signed or initialed each night. • If work is highlighted and/or circled, your child needs to finish that assignment. • If the work is check-marked, it is complete.

11. Responsible Student Tickets • At the beginning of each month, your child will receive 40 Responsible Student Behavior tickets. • Your child will need 30 tickets by the end of the month to participate in the Positive Classroom Behavior Party. • Your child may lose tickets for inappropriate behavior and/or late work. • When a ticket is taken, your child will write the reason on it and turn it into me. This system is successful because it holds students accountable for their own behavior.

12. Water Bottles and Healthy Snacks • Your child is allowed to bring a water bottle to school. • Please make sure it has a lid, and either put it in a sock or send a wash cloth to absorb the condensation. • Your child may bring a healthy snack (fruit, veggies, granola bar, small baggie of cereal, etc.) to school. Please do not send anything that needs refrigeration.

13. I’m looking forward to working with you and your child this year. Let’s make it a GREAT year! Mrs. Stout