Transcript The ABC’s of Fourth Grade

The ABC’s of Fourth
Grade
Mrs. Manuel
A
ATTENDANCE is very important in fourth grade. Please
try to have your child here everyday. If your child
happens to miss some days due to illness, please make
sure you provide a note explaining their absence. We are
required by law to report 5 unexcused absences to the
office during one month.
ARRIVAL is at 8:45 and Departure is at 3:00. Please sign
your child in at the office if your child will be late to
school. Please also send in a note if you are picking up your
child earlier than 3:00. Students must also be picked up
and signed out at the office before leaving the school.
B
Book Orders: This year, I will be sending home from time
to time book club forms from Scholastic. If you order
from these clubs, please make all checks payable to
Scholastic Book Clubs.
Bussing : Any special bussing requests need to be
forwarded to the office for approval.
Birthday Invitations are not permitted
to be distributed in school as per
our school’s policy. (even if you have
one for the entire class)
C
Communication : There are several ways to communicate with me
this year. You may e-mail me, call the school at 282-3251 or send in
a note with your child. An excellent way to keep in contact would be
through your child’s agenda.
Canteen: There will be canteen services for grade 4 students on
Mondays.
D
Differentiation: It is my philosophy that every child is
unique and learns in different ways. Each child needs
to be challenged at their own level. I differentiate my
lessons to fit the needs of all students. Groupings
change frequently, as students' levels increase. It is
important to know that your child may have different
work than another child, but rest assured that
everyone is learning the same concept, just in a way
that is best for them.
E
E-MAIL If you would prefer to be contacted by e-mail, please be sure to
let me know at anytime throughout the year. Feel free to contact me at my
e-mail address as well: [email protected]
EATING : Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast each morning!
This gets them energized for school to help them do their best! Please be
aware of the many food allergies we have in our school.
ELECTRONICS: All forms of electronics are not permitted in school (i.e.
cell phone, I-Pod, DS, etc)
EXPLORATORIES: This year, we will be having three exploratory blocks
of three sessions each. Students will explore different sports, activities,
crafts, baking, etc. There may or may not be a fee depending on the
activity.
F
FOLLOW PBS (POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
SUPPORTS) MATRIX
FIELD TRIPS Fourth Graders usually go to the
Fire Station during Fire Prevention Week. If
anything else comes up, information will be
provided.
G
Grade 4 is a huge adjustment for many reasons.
Not only has your child entered a new school but
the length of their school day has also increased as
they now must stay in for lunch. Expectations with
regards to their work are higher, more studying is
required as well as more challenging concepts
covered. With Grade 4 comes more freedom and
therefore more responsibility. We encourage you
to remind your child often about making good
choices.
H
HOMEWORK is necessary for practicing skills
that have been learned for enriching the classroom
experience. Typical grade four homework includes
studying the multiplication facts, completing
weekly word activities, studying for unit tests or
simply reading. Please note that anytime you see
items starting with "Finish“ in your child’s agenda,
this indicates that sufficient class time was
provided for the completion of the task.
HOURS OF OPERATION – school doors open at
8:45 am and busses leave the school at 3:10.
I
INDEPENDENT READING - Students will have the
opportunity to silent read every day. Reading at home is
also encouraged on a regular basis.
INTRAMURALS – Our school has an intramurals
program that usually runs at lunchtime. Remind your
child to listen carefully to the announcements for their
turn. Each student must remember their house shirt on
these days as they cannot call home if it is forgotten.
There are late busses that are available on these days.
J
JOURNALS - We have a writer's journal
and a math journal in our class that we will
work on regularly. Our writer's journal is
where we work on the writing process, this
mostly consists of Demand Writing. The
math journal is mainly for problem solving
strategies.
K
KINDNESS - Being kind to one another is
very important in our classroom. We need to
treat each other the way we want to be
treated. When someone is found not being
kind, their behaviour will be corrected.
L
LIBRARY - Our school has a library where
students will visit once in every 7 day cycle.
Students will be allowed to check out a book
that is meant for independent reading at
home. Books are to be returned the following
Library class in order to check out another
book. Our librarian this year is Ms. Peddle.
M
Midday Munchies – Our school’s lunch program has
started this week. A menu is sent home at the end
of each month for the next month’s selection. If
your child needs an extra menu, they are able to get
one at the office. It is very important that your
child return their menu at least one day in advance
of when they would like to eat.
N
Note that our 5 Core Subjects include:
Math : Number
Patterns and Relations
Shape and Space
Statistics and Probability
ELA : Book Club / Read Aloud
Science : Rocks and Minerals
Sound
Light
Habitats
Guided Reading
Social Studies : 4 units on Exploring
Poetry
What Does it Mean to Explore?
Demand Writing
How Does Exploration Shape Our World?
Writing & Grammar Exercises
What Does Exploring Teach Us?
Fiction and Non-Fiction
What Makes Canada Special?
Informational and Visual Texts
Reading Comprehension
Français : Similar to the ELA program with the
exception of emphasis on the
appreciation for the French
Language and culture.
O
OFFICE- Please check in at the office every time
you enter the building.
ORGANIZATION – It is very important that your
child be ready with everything they need when
they arrive in the morning.
OUTDOORS – Please be sure that your child is
dressed appropriately to go outdoors during the
second half of lunch. The cut-off for going outside
is -20 .
P
PARKING
Please use the parking lot behind the school on the RC Church side.
Kindly note that the front of the school is reserved for a fire lane
and busses.
PHONE MESSAGES
Please have your child’s lunch and after school arrangements made
prior to them coming to school. These requests cannot be made
over the phone. If your child’s regular schedule will be different on
a particular day, please send a note from home in advance.
PICKING UP YOUR CHILD
Please wait near the main office area when picking up your child,
unless they are signing out in which case you must come to the main
office to get them.
PAY IT FORWARD
Every Friday we ask students to bring in a loonie that goes to
families in need families in our communities.
Q
QUESTIONS
If at any time you have any questions
about your child or his/her progress,
feel free to contact me.
R
REPORT CARDS
Your child will receive three report cards this year. First Term report
cards will be distributed November 18th. Please take note that our reports
are graded using a 1-4 Rating Scale, not to be confused with a Rubric
which would be used for marking a CRT. A Rubric is used for one piece of
work as a holistic assessment whereas a rating scale is used for a whole
subject area.
There are three reporting periods, and two parent teacher interview
sessions for the year.
As we are part of a new school board, the report card has changed.
S
SUPPLIES
All extra supplies that you sent in with your child in
September have been placed in individual plastic baggies
with their name on it. When they need a new pencil, for
example, I get one from their bag. Whatever has not
been used will be sent home in June.
T
TESTS – Our 5 Core subjects will be assessed with more
formal evaluations. Sufficient notice is always given prior to a
test being given. Be sure to always check your child’s agenda
and the teacher’s website to see for upcoming tests. Be sure
to encourage nightly review!
TIME – Please remind your child of making good use of class
time as this can significantly reduce the amount of work that
needs to be finished at home.
TEACHERS – Gym : Mr. Barry
Library : Ms. Peddle
French : Ms. Baker
Music : Ms. McCarthy
Guidance : Mr. Loder
U
UNIQUE - It is important to
remember that all children are unique.
Something that works for one child in our
classroom might not work for another.
V
VISITOR’S PASS
All parents and caregivers are required to obtain a
visitor’s pass to enter the hallways of our school. This
pass will be issued when you check in at the office.
VOLUNTEERS
If you are interested in volunteering in our classroom,
please let me know after the meeting.
W
WEBSITE
Our class website can be found at our school‘s website
at www.jrsc.ca From there, go to Teacher Pages and
find Mrs. Manuel’s website. The website will have
homework assignments and upcoming events for our
class.
WRITING
We will be writing many different pieces throughout this
year. We will become experts at the writing process this
year!
X
XXII: We have 20 students in our class.
Please keep this in mind when sending in
snacks/treats and other items throughout
the year.
Y
YOUR SUPPORT
Your support helps the children realize that they
are special. Your involvement shows the child that
you support their education. Your understanding
brings children to the realization that everyone
has strengths and weaknesses, but we strive to be
better people by learning from our mistakes.
Z
Zzzzzz!
Make sure that your child gets plenty of
rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a
sure way to help your child be alert and
ready to learn each day.