Transcript Welcome to Room 52! - Goethe International Charter School

Welcome to Room 52!
Ms. Lopez & Frau Kwiat’s
4th Grade Class
A message from Ms. Lopez…
• I am honored and delighted to teach a
roomful of such talented and dynamic
students.
• We will work together to make this
year a rigorous, exciting and
successful experience for every child.
Parent/Teacher
Communication
• My door is always open. Please do not
hesitate to contact me with
questions/concerns.
• Write a note in your child’s agenda and
I will promptly respond or ask to meet
with you for any further clarification.
Parent/Teacher
Communication
via Email
• If you prefer to contact me through school
email, my address is:
[email protected]
**For emails received Monday-Thursday, I
will respond within 48 hours.
**For emails received over the weekend, I
will respond on Monday or Tuesday.
“Housekeeping”
• Instruction begins promptly at
8:15. Please ensure that your
child arrives to school on time.
• Please send handwritten and
signed notes in the morning
regarding any carpool pick-up or
after-school care changes.
Homework System
• The students must bring the following
to class on Tuesday-Friday mornings:
1. Daily Reading Log
(Time spent: approximately 30 minutes)
2. Math assignment
**provided in class daily
(Time spent: approximately 15 minutes)
Homework System (cont’d)
• The students must bring the following
to class on Friday morning only:
3. One
completed option from
homework menu.
(Time spent: students should spend about
10 minutes daily on their one chosen
option.)
Homework Policy
• Students will write assignments into
their agenda on a daily basis.
• Also, Please take time to look over
your child’s homework each night.
This will help ensure a successful
4th grade experience. It is required
that a parent/guardian signs the
agenda daily to confirm that
homework has been looked over.
Homework Policy
(cont’d)
• If homework is not submitted first-thing
in the morning, it will be considered
late work and accepted for partial credit
only. In order to keep you notified about
missing assignments, a notice will be
stapled inside your child’s agenda.
Please make sure to sign and return the
notice the next day.
Daily Schedule
• 8:15-8:35
Pledge/attendance, journaling and submit
homework
• 8:30-10:00
Instruction in German (The subject matter will
vary throughout the year, but will generally
consist of: vocabulary/grammar, science,
math facts practice, etc.)
• 10:00-10:10 Snack
Daily Schedule (cont’d.)
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10:10-11:10 Math
11:10-11:35 Vocabulary/Spelling
11:35-12:15 Lunch
12:15-12:30 Independent
Reading
• 12:30-1:00 Guided Reading
• 1:00-1:30 Social Studies/Science
Daily Schedule (cont’d.)
• 1:30-1:50 Recess
• 1:50-2:35 Writer’s Workshop
• 2:35-2:45 Clean-up/Dismissal
General Grading Scale
4 (100%-90%) Work is neat, organized, turned in on time and
meets all requirements of the assignment. Extra effort and depth
of thought are demonstrated. Errors are at a minimum.
3 (89%-80%) Work is complete, neatly done and on time.
Clearly presented, thoughtful ideas are supported by details. A
few errors are present.
2 (79%-70%) Work is complete and meets most requirements
of the assignment. Answers are general with few supporting
details. Adequate effort is demonstrated.
1 (69%-60%)
Work has been turned in, but many of the
assignment requirements have not been met. Ideas may be
incomplete or difficult to follow. Multiple errors are evident.
0 (59%-0%) Work shows little effort, is missing or plagiarized.
General Grading Scale (cont’d)
✔+ You got it!
✔ You’re almost there!
✔− Needs improvement
Academic Expectations
Reading
• 3 assessments (beginning,
middle & end of year)
• CST in May
• Fiction & non-fiction genres
• Fluency goal @ 152 wpm
Guided Reading
• Teach comprehension strategies
• Teach students how to read and
respond to all types of literature
including context texts.
• Develop background knowledge and
vocabulary
• Engage students in conversations
about their reading.
Independent Reading
• Introduce students to all types of literature.
• Model strategies in mini lessons that
effective readers use.
• Encourage students’ reading interests.
• Provide and encourage independent
reading level.
• Engage students in conversation about
their reading.
Spelling & Vocabulary
• Greek & Latin root word study
• Students will complete activities in class daily
(unfinished work will be homework).
• Word list on back of weekly Fridge Facts for
additional reinforcement at home.
• Quiz every Friday
Writing
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Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Descriptive
Poetry
Letters/emails
Math
• 3 assessments
(beginning, middle &
end of year)
• CST in May
• Numbers and place
value
• Addition/subtraction
• Multiplication/division
• Estimation
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Data & graphs
Measurement
Geometry
Fractions/decimals
Problem solving
Social Studies
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Geography
Native American Indians
Spanish explorers and early settlers
Missions
Gold Rush
Government
Science
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Scientific Process
The Solid Earth
Populations and Ecosystems
Magnetism and Electricity
Independent Study Projects
• 1 project every 5-6 weeks.
• Tied to social studies/science IB units and used as a
summative assessment.
• Students will be provided with clear guidelines and
rubrics. Research time will also be provided in class.
• Please communicate if a due date extension is
needed.
Field Trips
• As an anticipatory experience for our IB
units, we will provide many field trip
opportunities for our students!
• This is only possible with parent support.
The best way you can help is volunteering
to drive a carpool and chaperone.
Class Expectations
GICS CIRCLE Pledge
Curiosity opens my mind
Ideas lead to knowledge
Responsible choices show respect
Cooperation strengthens others
Learners often take risks
Empathy creates community
Essential Agreements for a
Peaceful Classroom
1. Respect each other.
2. Listen & wait your turn.
3. Treat others the way you want
to be treated.
4. Help others.
5. Have fun & be flexible!
Discipline Policy
1. Non-verbal warning
2. Reset
3. Reset & lose recess for 5 minutes
4. Thinking Seat Sheet
5. Letter/phone call home
6. Parent Conference
Rewards
• When students fill up the marble jar
collectively, they will receive the
“gift of time”!
1. Extra recess
2. Games in class
3-Way Pledge: Student,
Parent & Teacher
Partnership…
Student Responsibility:
1. Come to school ready to learn as a
scholar.
2. Be respectful to peers, teacher &
classroom.
3. Be responsible for self.
3-Way Pledge: Student,
Parent & Teacher
Partnership…
Teacher Responsibility:
1. Teach state standards.
2. Make learning engaging and relevant.
3. Small group & individual instruction.
4. Available for extra help.
5. Work with parents/guardians.
3-Way Pledge: Student,
Parent & Teacher
Partnership…
Parent/Guardian Responsibility:
1. Read at home & ask questions.
2. Check student’s homework daily.
3. Ask student what they learned in school
each day.
4. Communicate with teacher regarding
questions/concerns.
Questions?
School website
www.goethecharterschool.org
Willkommen
zur Klasse 4A
Academic Expectations
Reading
• Students are able to pronounce known words properly
• Students will continue to challenge themselves as they begin reading
and comprehending chapter books
• Throughout the year, students will be placed in book clubs, thus being
able to hold literary discussions with peers
Writing
• Students will continue to expand their vocabulary
• Students will be expected to write in various genres throughout the
year (i.e. journal entries, create stories, analyze literature)
• Students will be expected to apply learned grammar appropriately as
they compose their own texts
Academic Expectations
Grammar
• Students will become more familiar with proper use of grammar
• We will firstly focus on verb conjugations in present tense and then in
some of the past tenses
• By the end of the year we will furthermore be familiar with some of the
German “cases,” such as Nominativ, Genitiv, Dativ, Akkusativ
German in the Classroom
• As part of Goethe’s immersion philosophy I am minimizing the use of
English in the classroom
• I encourage my students to speak as much German as possible throughout
the class to actually use the language
• Through various media, such as music, poetry, and videos, students will
experience German as a language that is alive
Homework
Weekly Spelling/Grammar Tests
• Beginning this coming week, students will be given 10 German spelling
words with translation
• The spelling words will be given on Mondays, the test will be held on
Fridays
• On actual test, students need to be able to spell the German word correctly
and know the English translation
• Some grammar questions we are working on might also be included
Worksheets
• Worksheets will be distributed on a regular basis as well and should be
turned in the following day
• If no worksheets are given for homework, students should choose an
activity from the homework menu
Homework
Reading at Home
• Students can take out German books from the classroom library to
read at home
• Those books will be taken out in their “book baggies” and will be
returned daily to school
• Students may also read German books they have already at home
• I also recommend the Goethe Institute Library
http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/los/enindex.htm
• Students are expected to read German at home at least 2-3 times per
week for a minimum of 30 minutes
German-English Dictionary
• Please make sure your child owns a German-English dictionary!!
Questions
• For additional questions please do not
hesitate to e-mail me at
[email protected]
• Please allow 48 hours for me to respond