Back to School Night

2014-2015

Todd Pangman

todd.pangman@lcps.org

703-449-1853 (H)

Immoral character of modern society: (Book)

The seven major problems reported by schools in 1940 were: 

1. Talking out of turn2. Chewing gum3. Making noise4. Running in the halls5. Cutting in line6. Violating the dress code7. Littering

Forty years later, the seven major problems reported by schools were (and are):

 

1. Drug abuse2. Alcohol abuse3. Pregnancy4. Suicide5. Rape6. Robbery7. Assault

Parent / Student expectations

Philosophy: Have fun Enrich / extend Challenge Give choice / motivate Match student learning styles Support / accountable

…”The Benefits of Laughter in the Classroom”  1.) Maintains high attention level 2.) Relieves stress (physical and mental) 3.) Increases retention 4.) Builds rapport among students 5.) Promotes bonding 6.) Builds self-esteem 7.) Evokes creativity (ha, ha leads to aha!) 8.) Promotes divergent thinking 9.) Brings new insight 10.) Reduces depression 11.) Builds hope 12.) Learning is associated with pleasure. 

MY APPROACH:

Whole language: Whole person; ability to read, write, speak (we do not learn in isolation.) Integration:Variety of approaches to teach; (cooperative, video, manipulative, learning styles.)

• Reading Conferences…

• Spelling…

• Writing…

• What else?

MY CLASS RULES:

• HONOR YOURSELF!

• HONOR YOUR FAMILY!

• HONOR YOUR SCHOOL!(No news is good news!)

“If you woke up breathing, you have another chance!” Anonymous

Specials for 2013-2014

• PE (T, W, F.)Guidance (Mon., 2x monthly)Music (T, W.)Art (Thur.)Chorus- (Fri.)

Library (Mon.)Computer Lab (Wed.)Dream Box (Fri.)Running Club-ThursdaySearch (Mon., 2x monthly)

Procedures and Routines

Homework Procedures-– You will find your child’s homework

assignments in their agenda every day.– Homework is given Monday-Thursday,

occasionally on Fridays.– Reading is required for at least 20

minutes a night.– The students are responsible for having

a parent signature on their agenda every night.

Look to the Arcola Website for help:

http://www.lcps.org/arcola

• Nine week plans are on the fourth grade webpage• I update the nightly homework on my page each day• Look to my page for further explanations of rationale and

guidance with assignments• I also have some outstanding resources there

Procedures and Routines

(continued)• Assessment Procedures:– Assessments are given continually throughout

the year. (I love project based assessment)– Formative assessments are ones that are

informal and gauge your child’s comprehension.– Summative assessments are formal tests that

are usually given at the end of a unit or chapter.– We also use different programs to measure your

child’s growth throughout the year: Dream Box, DRA, Interactive Achievement, etc.

Procedures and Routines

(continued)• Grading Policy

• The Dulles cluster is adding a .5 to each of the following progress indicators.

• Progress Indicators» 4= Exceeds Standards» 3= Meets Standards» 2= Progressing Towards Standards» 1= Below Standard

• Grading Key» A= Outstanding» B= Very Good» C= Satisfactory» D= Needs Improvement» F= Not Performing

Grading Policy:One thing to remember about my grading policy, students can turn in any missing assignments and receive full credit as long as I receive them prior to the end of the quarter. When you go into clarity and look at your child’s grades, you may see an “X”, that means your child has not turned in the work yet; however, I have not either given a due date for the work or the due date has not yet passed. If you see a “Z”, that means that your child has not turned in the work and the work is passed due. An “X” will not reflect in the student’s average; however, a “Z” is averaged in Clarity as a “0”. I hope this better explains any confusion you may experience with Clarity.

Upcoming EventsSeptember Events

• Camp Flintlock will be coming to visit on September 29. (We will need parent volunteers for this event.)

Don’t Forget!

• Don’t forget to sign up for November conferences.

• There’s not a Wish List for our class on the front door

• Winning lottery tickets!

Visit Our Specialists!• Amy Stelly- TRT• Andrew Krepinevich - PE• Elizabeth Bowers and Megan Doherty-

FUTURA• Karen Espinoza - Librarian• Janet Spencer- Guidance Counselor• Jennifer Leslie- Music• Meg Thaler- Art / SEARCH – Meredith

Head

Lastly…………Be sure to support the PTA!