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Procedures Growing in Mind, Heart, and Spirit
Our classroom environment should be one where Jesus is present and made known through our words and actions. Students should make choices by asking themselves if their choice is respectful, responsible, and safe to themselves and those around them. Classroom expectations include: 1. Treat others the way you want to be treated. 2. Make choices that allow you and others around you to learn. 3. Always do your personal best As a class, we will discuss what it looks like to be respectful, responsible, and safe in our classroom. When rules are broken, the consequence will be a “check” on the student’s weekly conduct report. Each week a conduct grade will be given as follows: 1 “check” = Warning (A). 2 “checks” = Conduct grade lowered (A-). 3 “checks” = Conduct grade lowered again (B). 4 “checks” = Conduct grade lowered (B-) and loss of 1 recess. 5 “checks” = Conduct grade lowered again (C). 6 “checks” = Conference with the teacher (C-). This conference will be conducted by the homeroom teacher unless all the infractions occur with another teacher. Action plan worksheet on how the behavior will be changed will be completed by the student. Action plan will be signed by parent. 6 = Parent contacted by phone, note, or in person to relate problem (D). 7 = Detention after school from 2:45-3:15 (F) 8 = In school suspension The reward for good behavior and following our classroom rules is a good conduct grade on your report card at the end of each 9 weeks, and the opportunity to dress down each month. Students will be rewarded by earning “personal best points.” Students will put their initials on the papers and names will be drawn for prizes on Fridays. Parent Communication Please feel free to email or call me with any questions or concerns throughout the school year. Please keep in mind that the school day is very busy, and I often do not get to check voice mail or email until the end of the school day. One of your best sources of information will be our class webpage. Each Monday, on the homepage, I will write some information about the upcoming week and what we will be doing in each subject. This will include the subject matter that we will be studying and upcoming tests in each subject. This gives you the best idea view of the week as a whole. Additionally, I will update our homework page each night so you can view the homework each night. Study guides and spelling and vocabulary words will also be on the website. Each week your child will bring home a conduct report that shows any difficulties they had during the week with their behavior. In addition, missing assignments from the previous week will be attached so that you are aware of them. Please sign and return the form in the week’s Friday folder. Homework Policy Fourth grade students should expect 30-40 minutes on homework each night. Homework reinforces academic standards and improves classroom success. On the occasion that children have more than 30-40 minutes, it may be because they are not using classroom time wisely. I try to give students time in class to complete much of their work so that they can ask questions and receive help if needed. If your child is repeatedly coming home with lots of work that should have been completed in class, then he or she may not be using his or time wisely or there may be a problem of which I am unaware. Please contact me so that we can work through this together. Homework due dates will be published in the classroom, on our newsletter, and on our website. A conduct mark will be given for each missing assignment. Students will receive a conduct mark each day until the assignment has been turned in to me. Homework that is given is important for a child’s academic growth and my expectation is that it is finished. Students will take a clip board to recess with them to work on incomplete papers. If assignments are still missing at mid-term and at quarter’s end, a zero will be given. Homework will typically consist of math problems and a reading log on Monday- Wednesday nights (see below). Students will also be given vocabulary homework and spelling homework on Monday. Vocabulary homework will be due on Thursdays, and Spelling homework on Fridays. Math Homework I give math homework as a way for students to practice the skills that we have been learning in math. I do not expect students to have completely mastered the skills yet but I do expect the homework to be completed. We go over the homework together in class so that students can ask questions and clarify their understanding. Each math assignment is worth 3 points. I use the following scale to grade homework: 3/3: Homework is complete and most problems are correct 2/3 Homework is complete, but there are several mistakes. OR Homework is mostly complete, and those done are mostly correct. 1/3 Homework is complete with many mistakes. OR Homework is almost all incomplete. 0/3 Homework is not complete.
Time Tests Learning multiplication and division facts is one large part of our math curriculum. This knowledge will serve students well throughout their academic careers. I will be using a time test program that I found to be effective last year. Each day students will practice facts and then take a one minute quiz. The quizzes are of varying difficulty, and as students pass a level, they move on to the next. Each Thursday they will take a two minute quiz over the operation that we are working on (multiplication or division). I will take one grade for the quarter on the two minute test. Each time a student improves, I will make a change in my gradebook. A student’s highest score for the quarter will be the one that is included in his or her final math grade. Practice at home is also essential. Flashcards work well, and many students enjoy seeing how many they can get correct in a minute or two at home. There are also many computer games for extra practice. I will include links on my webpage for you to use. Please set aside five to ten minutes once or twice a week to practice facts at home. Math Standards Groups Beginning in September, we will break students into groups for additional math instruction on a daily basis. We will do this in the following way: - Each Thursday students will take a pretest in their classroom on a selected standard (this will be one that has already been taught in the homeroom). - On Friday, the 4th grade team will meet and look at the test results. We will be looking to see which students need to review the standard that was taught, which students need some review, but are ready to apply the standard, and which students are ready to work with the standard in a more advanced way. - Those students will then be placed into groups and work with Mrs. Bauman, Mrs. Lecher, or Mrs. Maddox for the week on the standard. The groups are very fluid because they look at a student’s knowledge of each standard and change each week. For example, one week a student may need to review the standard of adding fractions with unlike denominators, and the next week be working with the standard of converting fractions to decimals in an advanced way. Accelerated Reader Accelerated Reader is an excellent tool for improving comprehension and to monitor students’ self-selected reading. This year students will have access to all quizzes available through Accelerated Reader so they will have many choices in books to read. I will work with students to set monthly Accelerated Reader goals. The goals will be based on their reading level as determined on a STAR Reader quiz given at the beginning of the year. As soon as this test is given at school, I will send home a copy of your students’ scores for your information. The form will include a range to help you chose books at your child’s level. The website, arbookfind.com is an excellent resource for determining the level of a book. Information will be sent home regularly through conduct slips about the number of points your child needs to reach their reading goal. On my website there is a link for “Renaissance Home Connect”. This resource lets you see all of the books that your child has read and sign up to be emailed each time that they take a quiz. I ask that all quizzes be taken at school. However, it is recommended that all quizzes be taken within 24 hours of finishing a book. So, in the case that a student finishes a book over a long weekend or a break, he or she may take a quiz by clicking on the link on my webpage. Reading Log Monday- Wednesday, students will be asked to read 15 minutes at home and then write a short summary of what they read (3-4 sentences). This paper should be signed by an adult at home. Students can work toward their Accelerated Reader goal at this time, or read a magazine or newspaper. If independent reading is a struggle for your student, audiobooks that can be checked out from the library are a good option. Even strong readers can benefit from hearing the fluency of a professional reader. The reading can be done each night, or if your family has commitments that make homework difficult on one night, reading can be done all on one night or the weekend before, as long as by Thursday they have finished 45 minutes of reading, and written three short summaries. There is no reading log assignment on Thursday to allow students time to study for their spelling test. Absences and Make-Up Work It is very important that students do their best to be in attendance each day. When they miss class, they are missing important teaching / activities/ assignments and fun. While students are away, someone will keep track of their assignments. We will do our best to send work home with a sibling or other individual in the school building. However, it is the student’s responsibility to get the assignment sheet and complete missed work. For each day of absence, the student may have 1 day of to make up work. You can also check our webpage for the assignments. When returning make up work to school please attach the list of assignments that need to be completed and sign that you are aware that your child has completed them. Changes in Going Home For your child’s safety, I need to know when after school plans are different than normal. This includes staying after for an activity, riding with another student or family member, etc. I must have a note in order to accommodate this change in schedule each time it will be different. If for example, every Monday a grandmother will be picking you up, a note stating such would work for the year. Or, if you have kickball after school for 6 weeks, a note that states that will be fine. Recess Weather permitting we will go outside for recess – hot or cold! Please dress appropriately. Playground Code of Conduct: · No bullying. · No climbing up slides or standing on top bars of equipment. · No playing behind the row of parked cars. · Listen for whistles and directions to be given. · Do not enter the yards of school neighbors. · Swing in a forward / backward motion only. Water Bottle and Snack Daily students may bring a small (less than 20 ozs.) water bottle to class with. It must only contain plain water and ice. During morning procedures, you may place it on the corner of your desk. It is not to be played with or bothered. You may drink it throughout the day while you are in home room. This is a privilege and may be taken away. In addition, students may bring a healthy, non-messy morning snack. Suggested snacks: grapes, banana, granola bar, peanut butter crackers, or string cheese. Church We will go to church every Wednesday morning at Books All text books including the religion book must be covered. Please bring these by the end of the first full week of school. Saint Barnabas does charge for all damaged or lost books, so please be careful! The religion book will need to be covered with a brown paper bag instead of a stretchy cover. Birthdays For their birthdays, students may bring in a healthy (see above for suggestions) snack to share with their classmates during our normal snack time. Accordion Binder All students will have an accordion binder to keep track of their school papers. Please make sure all papers are in the appropriate section. (For example, all Science papers are in the Science section.) Please remember to put all homework assignments in the appropriate section of the binder. (Do not leave your homework in books.) Make it a routine to go through your binder on Sundays. Throw away anything that is no longer needed and keep yourself organized! If you aren’t sure whether or not a paper may still be used in class, keep it! Often we refer back to a model paper in writing for several days, or use a math chart throughout a chapter. Planner Students should be writing all assignments in their planner on the correct day and in the correct subject. If students are not using their planner, a homework buddy may be assigned to assist. Papers Below 70% Any test/quiz that receives a grade of 70% or below will need to be signed by a parent and returned to school in the Friday folder.
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Mrs. Lecher's 4th Grade Class St. Barnabas |
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