Back To School Night

1. Back To School Night Thursday, August 29, 2013 Mrs. Barnes FOURTH GRADE

2. What we will cover tonight… • Specialty Class Schedule • Home-School Communication • Email/Phone • Classroom Website • Newsletters • Parent Conferences • School-wide Behavior Plan • Fourth Grade Behavior Plan • Reminder Folder • Think Sheet • Homework Policy • Clarity Parent Portal • Quiz/Test Grading Policies • Retakes • Grading Policies • Report Card Format • Fourth Grade Field Trip • PTO Membership • Nine Week Plans • Questions! This presentation will be posted on the classroom website for your reference.

3. About Mrs. Barnes • This is my ninth year teaching at Ashburn Elementary. • I received my Bachelors' Degree at University of Mary Washington in 1999. • I earned a Masters’ in Math Education at George Mason University this summer. • I was born and raised in northern Virginia. • I have four grown children and grandchildren. • I love teaching math!

4. Specialty Class Schedule All fourth grades will have lunch from 12:30 – 1:00 pm. * Please make note of the days that we have PE, so you can be sure that your child wears shoes appropriate for physical activity.

5. Home-School Communication • This Back to School Night is the first time we will be in communication!  • There are several lines of communication available. • Notes • Email • School Phone • Scheduled Conferences • Monthly Newsletters • In order to provide the best education possible for your child, we need to work as a TEAM. • Pleasesend me an email ASAP so I can add you to my address book. My email address is Peggy.Barnes@lcps.org

6. Classroom Website The following can be found on my classroom website: • Meet Mrs. Barnes • Newsletters (updated monthly) • Scholastic Book ordering link and directions • Nine Week Plans

7. Newsletters • Each month on the first Thursday, a 4th grade newsletter is sent home. Newsletters are available through our class website as well. • Newsletters will follow the same easy-to-read format throughout the school year. • Dates to Remember • Announcements • What We’re Learning

8. Parent Conferences • The sign-up schedule for parent conferences is just outside the door of the classroom. First come first served!  • Sign up tonight if you know your schedule. Please record it somewhere. (Sticky notes are provided if needed.) • The schedule will continue to stay posted in the same place until conferences, so feel free to come in later to sign up or make changes if needed. • Conferences are scheduled for the last week in October/first week of November just as the 1st quarter is coming to a close. • Any conferences before or after that will be either parent or teacher requested.

9. School-wide Behavior Plan

10. Fourth Grade Recess • The fourth grade teachers at Ashburn recognize the value of recess to our students. • Gives students a break • Increases time on-task in classroom • Promotes social interaction • Optimizes the brain’s performance (increases brain blood flow) • Every student in fourth grade will receive at least 15 minutes of recess daily. • Most days, fourth grade will have recess between 1:10-1:30.

11. Fourth Grade Behavior Plan • The Fourth Grade Teachers believe in positive reinforcement as the primary behavior management tool. • The Reminder Book is a tool used to redirect students’ behavior when necessary. • The way each classroom teacher • implements the program will vary from • classroom to classroom, but the basis of • the program will not change. Reminder Program

12. Reminder Folder • In our classroom, I will use a Reminder Folder. • When a student is not demonstrating desired classroom behavior, they will simply be “reminded” that their behavior is not appropriate. • When a student gets reminded, they will be told to go to the Reminder Folder and write the number of • the code inside. • “Johnny (playing in desk during centers), • you are not managing your time wisely. • Please sign the Reminder Folder .” • These numbers match the behavior • characteristics on the report card.

13. Think Sheet • Students that get reminders throughout the day will need to fill out a “Think Sheet”.

14. Homework Policy • Homework should not take more than one hour per night. If assigned homework is taking longer, please contact me so we can resolve the problem. • Every student should read independently for at least 15 minutes nightly. • If a question arises on the homework that your student is unable to answer, please initial it to show it wasn’t skipped. We will go over it in class.

15. Homework Policy • Homework maybe given every day. • The homework policy for Loudoun County Schools is that a fourth grader should not have more than one hour of homework a night. • If homework is not completed, lost or forgotten at home, a student will receive a Homework Alert to be signed by a parent.

16. CLARITY Parent Portal • Clarity’s parent portal is an online location that allows you to access to your child’s grades. • In order to use Parent Portal, you need to complete a Login Request (pictured to the right) • You will get your access information in a white sealed envelope. • Even if you signed up last year, you will need to sign up again.

17. Quiz/Test Policies & Procedures • Quizzes and tests will usually be given on Thursdays or Fridays, but are also given other days as well. • We will review in class the day before, but students need to study at home as well. • Students will receive study guides (when appropriate) in class to complete three to five days before an assessment. • There will not be pop quizzes. Students will be informed of a quiz or test at least three days in advance. • Any quizzes/tests for the week will be written in your child’s agenda on Monday.

18. Retake Policy • Students that receive a C / 2 or lower will be given a retakeofthe test or quiz. • These assessments should be returned the next day with a parent signature. Please make corrections incolor pencil using notes or study guide. • The purpose of a retake is to ensure the child’s knowledge of the material. • The retake date for the test or quiz will be in your child’s agenda. • I will re-teach the material and ask you to continue to study and practice at home. • The retake assessment may be rewritten in a different format (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, essay, etc.) from the original assessment.

19. Grading Procedures • Students will receive a combination of number and letter grades on all class assignments, quizzes, and tests. • Loudoun County Public Schools’ grading policy is as follows: • Report cards have not changed. Grading Key: A = Outstanding B = Very Good C = Satisfactory D = Needs Improvement F = Not Performing Progress Indicators: 4 = Exceeds Standard 3 = Meets Standard 2 = Progressing Toward Standard 1 = Below Standard

20. Learning Progression 4 Exceeds More Complex Concepts 3 – Learning Target Meets the Standard 2 – Simpler Concepts, Progressing Toward Standard 1 – Building Blocks, Below Standard

21. 4th Grade Report Card (Pg. 1)

22. 4th Grade Report Card (Pg. 2)

23. Fourth Grade Field Trip • Fourth grade will be taking one field trip this school year. • We are still exploring our options as to where the field trip will be. When a decision has been made, we will pass that information along to you. • Chaperones will be chosen in each classroom through a random lottery of those who turn in chaperone forms.

24. Ashburn’s PTO • The PTO raises about $50 for each student at Ashburn each year. • This is to provide teachers with the tools that your child uses in the classroom every day (like Elmo Digital Presenters and your child’s agenda). • Meetings are held at 7:00 pm in the library every month from September through May. • You can help by participating in their fundraisers. Several of them will not cost you anything. (such as collecting and sending in your General Mills Box Tops or registering your Giant Food grocery card).

25. First Nine Weeks Plans • Reading • Context Clues • Dictionary/Thesaurus • Author’s Purpose • Summarizing • Inferencing • Writing/Language Arts • Organize/Plan Writing • Focus on a Topic • Using Nouns/Adjectives • Noun-Pronoun Agreement • Science • Scientific Method • Virginia’s Natural Resources • Solar System • Math • Place Value • Adding/Subtracting • Elapsed Time • Patterns/Functions/Equality • Social Studies • Relative Location • Virginia Geography • First Americans • Early Jamestown

26. Questions? This presentation will be posted on the classroom website for your reference.