Dear Parents,
The following is an outline of our grade level procedures that the 4th grade team has written so that we can be consistent in providing the best academic setting for learning this year. Please review each area carefully with your child and then sign the bottom of the last page and return as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention to this matter - The 4th grade Team
Fourth grade will be divided into 2 teams and change classes. One teacher on each team will teach the Reading/Social Studies/Creative Writing block while the second teacher will be the Math/Science/ Language Teacher.
In the coming months you will hear about such items as “Georgia Performance Standards”, “Essential Question”, etc. Georgia Performance Standards are what the state requires each student to master. An essential question is the standard written in the form of the question so that at the end of each unit a student will know about that standard by being able to answer the question. You will see the standards posted throughout the building. You will see them in classrooms, hallways with student work, on assessments, and on rubrics.
Morning Routine - Students are expected to enter their homeroom in an appropriate manner, unpack, make lunch choice, identify their form of transportation, and sharpen at least 3 pencils for the day. This time is to be used to complete the daily lesson of the Daily Grammar Practice book then students may take AR tests in reading or get an AR book from the library.
Grading – All grades taken will have equal weight. Tests will receive 100 points with occasional bonus points. Announcements of tests will be given through weekly newsletters, recorded in student agendas, and can be located on www.schoolnotes.com. Students will be given at least 3 days notice for tests. Teachers will strive to limit testing to the following days. However, please be aware that there may be occasions when that may not possible.
Monday – Reading
Tuesday – Language Arts
Wednesday – Math
Thursday – Science
Friday – Social Studies
Incomplete work - All assignments are given the appropriate time in which to complete. When a student is out, any make-up work will be given the standard 3 days to return to the teacher. If students have misplaced class work, and are not able to locate it, the teacher will not be held responsible for extra copies, however alternative assignments can be provided if requested. It is the student’s responsibility to turn work in on time.
Organization – A major goal for the 4th grade is organizational skills. Students are requested to have 6 different colored folders that have 3 prongs for each subject. Students will keep notes, study guides, work in progress and other materials in these folders. In addition, they need 2 journals, one for reading and one for creative writing. Students need to make sure they have 3 sharpened pencils daily and plenty of loose leaf notebook paper. * Please note extra paper, pencils, and sets of colored folders need to be stored at home, and replenished as needed. If needed, have your child replace the folders each nine weeks.
Book bags---In order to help students maintain their organization, we are requiring students to carry their book bags to their classes. In their book bag they need to maintain their composition books, folders, as well as pencils. Jackets are also needed to be with the students at all times. The only exception may be during the coldest winter days when a very thick coat is needed. Please keep all extra items at home so that the book bag may not become too heavy for the student to carry.
Communication - The 4th grade team has joined www.schoolnotes.com. Parents have 24 hour access to this website that will have all assignments, homework, special announcements, upcoming tests, etc.... on it. Parents may register their email address so schoolnotes.com will notify you of changes that are made each week. In addition, you will be receiving information about the new country program Infinite Campus that will allow you to view news about the classroom. You may email us at school if you have questions or concerns. Students will also be required to write in their agenda all homework, special projects and upcoming tests daily. Your child’s agenda may also be used for your communication to your child’s teacher. However, please remind your child that you have a note inside the agenda. Teachers may not check the agendas daily in an effort to encourage our 4th graders to take responsibility for their school work. Student folders with grades papers, announcements, school information, etc. go home each week, usually on Tuesdays. The folder needs to be returned the following day. Failure to return folder could result in your child sitting out of recess.
To access schoolnotes.com you will go to http://www.schoolnotes.com. You type in 30277. There, you will need to scroll down to find Ms. Campbell’s name. She will have the entire 4th grades information on there. Click on that link and you will find all the information you need to know. If you have any questions or concerns you may email Ms. Campbell from that website with your child’s name and homeroom teacher, if it is not Ms. Campbell, or you may email your homeroom teacher directly. If you need help logging in we will also show you how to do that.
Math
1. The new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) went into affect the 2007-2008 school year for math. As a result, expectations of our students have increased. In an effort to reach the GPS/CRCT goals in math this year, 4th grade will use Accelerated Math as one form of review and skill maintenance. The use of this program may not begin until a few weeks into the year.
2.Basic Skills will be given on Monday, as a math warm-up. This will need to be completed as homework Monday night. It will be graded as a daily grade each Tuesday. Basic Skills is a review of all skills taught.
3. Students are expected to know their basic multiplication facts when they enter the 4th grade. By the end of the year, students should be able to complete 100 multiplication problems in 5 minutes and 100 division problems in 10 minutes. Timed tests will be given throughout the year to accomplish this goal. The first semester will emphasize multiplication success and the second semester will be dedicated to basic division facts.
Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in reading overlap in all aspects during the school year with our stories from our textbook and the novels we will read. One of the areas in the reading section of the CRCT is “reading for comprehension.” As a grade level, we will us the following to encourage our students to read more in an effort to increase their scores in this area and achieve the state required GPS in Language Arts.
1. Accelerated Reader – As an incentive to keep
students reading and improve reading vocabulary/comprehension as required by
the state GPS, we will continue to use the AR program. All of the regular school
rules will apply to AR in our rooms. We will have in our classroom charts on
the wall where students may see how many points they have earned. The point increments in our rooms will be 10,
25, 50, 75, and 100 points. Once a student achieves 10 points they will put a scoop
on the wall, and then every time they reach a new point increment they will
move their scoop to the correct points.
At the end of the year we will have an ice cream celebration based on
points. Students will keep up with their reading/taking AR tests by completing
a form in a notebook located by the computers.
Their teacher will initial each time they take a test. Students must maintain 85% comprehension to
receive points on the wall for ice cream.
The
10 points - 1 ice cream scoop
25 points – 2 ice cream scoops
50 points – 1 topping
75 points – 1 more scoop/extra topping
100 points – 1 more topping
2. The
3. “Reading for Information” is a CRCT skill we will use in all subject areas, especially in Science and Social Studies. “Research Skills” will be used in these subjects as well through class and home projects.
Language/Creative
Writing
1.Grammar Skills will be taught using Daily Grammar Practice, through our writing assignments, and other materials. We encourage you to review the DGP lessons daily with your child. DGP is completed daily using the same sentence and a weekly test will combine the daily activities.
2. Creative Writing – 4th grade has a great emphasis on creative writing. Students will keep a writing journal in which they will expand their knowledge of the writing process in the form of essays, plays, poetry, letters, stories and other types of writings. This is a part of their reading grade each nine weeks. At times, it may also be a part of their language grade. We will be using the book 6+1 Traits of Writing as a guide in teaching students how to be better writers.
3. Cursive writing – 4th graders learned how to write in cursive in 3rd grade. The first few weeks will be spent reviewing this skill. The final drafts in the writing process will be completed in cursive unless otherwise instructed by the classroom teacher. Writing in manuscript or cursive in other lessons, projects and assignments will be determined by the individual teacher. Please encourage cursive writing in your child. As they get older, they will be able to determine how they like to write and develop their own writing technique. However, Georgia Performance Standards mandate that students are proficient in cursive writing at this age.
Science
and Social Studies
1. Study guides will be provided before the test as a review to prepare for the test. In Social Studies it will often be a part of our daily lessons to complete the study guide. Actively participating in class discussions and activities completed in class ensure Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) achievement. Certain units will require students to complete projects at school and/or home as part of the GPS. As all students learn differently, when possible, videos, hands on experiments, and simulations/readers theater, etc. will be used.
2. Projects/Contracts – During the year, students will be assigned projects, reports, and unit contracts that require students to apply what they have learned. Some of these projects will be completed in class while others will be required to be completed at home. We encourage parent involvement but must stress the importance of students doing their own work. Parents may “guide” their child through the process of the project, make suggestions and check for accuracy but allow the student to express their thoughts, ideas and make final decisions on assignments. If there is a great concern as to how much the students completed by him/herself, grades will reflect that concern.
Homework
Homework should not take longer than 45minutes to 1 hour each night for all subjects. However, this does not include any incomplete assignments that may need to be finished on an individual basis. We will not regularly assign homework on the weekends (with the exception of studying for tests such as vocabulary) unless it is to work on a home project that was assigned in class.
1. Vocabulary(Spelling) should be studied daily.
A. The Vocabulary Test will assess correct spelling and word meanings.
B. When you do not have specific vocabulary/spelling homework assigned, please take 5-7 minutes to review the words and their meanings. Tests are on Tuesdays.
2. Daily Grammar Practice (DGP): Take a few moments (5 minutes) each night to review the skill that was completed that day.
3. Other Subjects: In addition to Vocabulary and Daily Grammar Practice, teachers will make every effort that no more than 2 other subjects will be given in one night.
**You know your child best, so if there is an “end of unit test” coming up, you may want to look over guides and other notes for a few moments as well. We will read our stories from our book more than once during the week before we take a test. However, if you feel your child still needs to review the story the night before the test, he/she is welcome to take the book home. Novels will be more difficult to study at home before a test but be assured that we will review the chapters and discuss them in detail in preparation for the tests. Please feel free to purchase a copy of the novels for your personal use at home.
We may not go over every homework assignment completely to check for accuracy but it
will be checked for completion daily. If your child is not turning in homework, you will be contacted.
Recess-Recess
will be provided daily for approximately 15 minutes. Students need this time to
“rest” their brain and socialize with peers. However, choosing to make poor choices in the classroom or not
returning required paperwork form home will result in sitting out of recess.
Assessments
In order to encourage Differentiated Instruction where students from all learning styles can be successful, a variety of assessments will be used to ensure Georgia Performance Standards achievement.
1. Standard paper and pencil tests with multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, short answer, and short essay answers.
2. Rubrics
– Rubrics encourage success in our students.
They know immediately what is expected of them to receive a 100 as their
grade. These will be used in all book
reports, Social Studies/Science projects, writing assessments and other
activities as needed. It is the
responsibility of the student to keep up with their rubric and turn it in with
the finished product. Failure to turn in their rubric will result
in points being deducted from the final grade.
3. Group
participation will be used when students work in small groups and grades will
be given accordingly.
Paper
Identification
All students are expected to include their name, class #, and date on all work. Notebook paper should have this information in the upper right hand corner of their paper. Failure to do so will result in points deducted from final grade.
Discipline
Procedures
Students are expected to act appropriately at all times. The following procedures will be followed by all of the 4th grade team.
1. 100 points will be given each week. The students will have 9 conduct grades at the end of the nine weeks and an average will be shown on the report card for those 9 grades.
2. Teachers will use a “Tally Mark” form that will record the reason a student received a mark against the 100 points for that week. The teacher will deduct 2 points from the 100 points for each tally mark received that week. If a student is repeatedly earning tally marks for a specific reason, parents will be contacted. At the discretion of the teacher, sitting out of recess may be utilized in an effort to encourage positive behavior.
The following rules will apply in a given day:
1 tally mark – considered as a warning (2points)
2 tally marks – sit out 5 minutes at recess (2 points)
3 tally marks – email/phone call/ note home to parent (2 points)
4 tally marks – referral to the office (5 points)
3. An office referral will result in a 5 point conduct deduction for that week. If an administrator determines the student needs to be placed in STOP it will be another 10 points off of their conduct grade. A suspension will result in a 15 point deduction from the conduct grade.
TCE 4th Conduct Standards
I will be reliable for what I say and do.
I will be respectful to myself and others around me.
I will be responsible for my actions.
Remember the “3R”s and you will go far.
Counselor
Occasionally, students need to see the school counselor. A form will be provided for the student to complete and hand to the classroom teacher. The teacher will make sure the counselor receives the form. The counselor will determine if and when a meeting will be arranged to discuss the concern. If it is an emergency, students will be sent to the counselor immediately. The student will be allowed to go to the counselor three times. A parent conference will be requested for a fourth visit.
Nurse
Students often need to see our school nurse. It is at the teacher’s discretion as to when to send a student to the nurse. Often they will be asked to try the restroom or give it some time to improve on its own. If a student requests again to see the nurse or the teacher can tell the situation has not improved, they will be sent to the nurse. Please remind students to use the nurse only when needed. It is not a service to be abused to get out of the classroom.
Restrooms
We will go as a class to the restroom before specials (around 9:50(during snack)) and after lunch (around 1:00). Students are encouraged to go before 8 am each morning. Georgia Performance Standards require every possible moment of teaching time so students are discouraged from leaving the classroom during class time except in emergencies. Your child will be allowed to use the restroom when needed.
Water
Bottles
Water is known to increase the ability for the brain to internalize knowledge and concentrate on learning. Students are allowed to bring a water bottle that does not leak or “sweat”. They need to be filled before 8am, after specials and after lunch only.
Parent
Volunteers
A successful classroom has a lot of parental support. We encourage parents to be actively involved in their child’s classroom. There are many ways you can participate: filing papers, making copies, cutting out items, listening to students read, working one on one with students, coordinating celebrations, etc. Please see your child’s homeroom teacher if you would like to help in any way. All help is appreciated.
Dismissal/Hallway
Transitions
1. Hallway Transitions – students will line up outside the doorway and wait quietly to enter the classroom. No use of restroom or water fountain will be allowed at this time.
2. Dismissal – Students need to make sure they have everything they need to complete homework. Rooms and desks need to be left in a neat and clean condition to be ready for the next school day.
Snacks
Students may bring a snack to school. It must be healthy and “feed” the brain. Please do not send items that are high in sugar. Snack options are limited to the following: fruit or veggies, cheese/peanut butter crackers, pre-popped pop corn, pretzels, healthy dry cereal, or cereal bar.
Child’s Name ________________________________ Date _________________
I have read over the 4th grade procedures with my child and my child understands the expectations for 4th grade.
Parent’s signature __________________________________________________
Child’s signature ___________________________________________________