Welcome to Back to School Night

2015-2016Our Lady of Guadalupe School

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Margie Chu

mchu@csdo.org

Philosophy of Education• Learning is a life-long process. As the teacher, my goal is to

encourage, inspire, challenge and facilitate the students curiosity, learning and critical/creative thinking. Students learn when the environment is safe and honest. The classroom environment allows the students to share ideas without fear of humiliation or embarrassment. Each student is a unique individual with various learning styles. Different techniques must be used to address these learning styles. Although standard assessment is important, it is not the only way to evaluate a student’s knowledge. Multiple methods of assessments will be used (e.g. observation, oral, participation etc.) I believe a student has mastered the content when it is taken outside the initial presentation and connections are made to themselves, the world around them and other concepts.

“LISTEN THINK TRY = SUCCESS”

Classroom Management

• Fourth grade is a community. We will treat everyone with respect, dignity and honor.

• Students are held accountable for their own behavior.

• Consequences are applicable to the misbehavior. Possibilities – conference, infraction,” self evaluation of behavior” etc.

• Students will not learn if discipline is lacking.

Classroom Rules

• Simple:– Walk with Honor– Respect yourself then you will easily respect

others.

“A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can’t go anywhere until you change it.”

Author Unknown

Schedule• Monday: Wednesday:

– 08:20 – 09:00 Math– 09:00 – 09:45 Religion 08:20 - 09:00 Math– 9:50 – 10:30 Language Arts(English) 09:00 - 09:40 Language Arts– 10:30 – 10:50 Recess 09:40 -10:30 Literature– 10:55 – 11:40 Music 10:35 – 10:50 Recess – 11:45 – 12:30 Language Arts(Reading/Lit) 1100 – 11:40 Religion– 12:30 – 1:10 Lunch 11:40 -12:25 Social Studies– 1:15 - 2:10 Science 12:30 – 1:10 Lunch – 2:15 - 2:55 Social Studies 1:15 – 1:55 Science– 3:00 ------------Dismissal 2:00 --------Dismissal

• Tuesday and Thursday: • 08:20 – 10:30 Rotations Friday:

– 08:15 – 9:00 Math 08:15 – 8:50 PE– 09:00 – 10:30/ 9:45 Language Arts 09:20 – 10:30 Math– 9:50 – 10:30 Music 10:30 – 10:55 Recess– 10:30 – 10:50 Recess 11:00 – 11:40 Language Arts– 11:00 – 11:50 Social Studies/Math 11:45 – 12:30 Religion– 11:55 – 12:30 Religion 12:30 – 1:10 Lunch– 12:30 – 1:10 Lunch 1:15 – 2:00 Science

– 1:15 - 2:00 Science 2:15 - 2:55 Social Studies– 2:15 – 2:55 PE 3:00 ----------Dismissal– 3:00 ------------Dismissal *Library (TBA) Subject to Change

Homework Policy45-90 minutes

• Purpose: The purpose of homework is to practice and reinforce material that your child has learned or will learn in the classroom.

• Format: Normally, students will have Math and Language Arts nightly. This may be integrated with other subjects.

• Due Date: Unless otherwise notified, homework is due the NEXT DAY. If not turned in first thing in the morning, it is considered late.

• Late Homework: Late homework will always be accepted and a grade will be given, however points will be deducted if homework is late. If not turned in, the grade is a ‘0’. After 5 days students will receive ‘1/2’ point for the homework grade.

• Absent: If a student is absent, they will have 2 days to turn in the homework that was missed. After this timeframe, homework will be considered late and the above will apply.

• Website: All efforts will be made to post homework on our OLG website under “Fourth Grade” by 6:00p.m. Mobile device issues.

• Daily Planner: Students are required to copy the homework in their Daily Planner. Promotes organization. This is the primary source.

Homework Rubric• 5.  *Exceptional Work• Neat and easy to read

* Must have name and student number on all sheets* Must be on time

• All answers are accurate or has supportive facts for the answers• 4.  * Must be complete• Neat and easy to read

* Must have name and student number on all sheets* Must be on time

• At least 80% of the work is accurate• 3.  * Incomplete (directions not followed)• Difficult to read

* Has name, missing student number* May be on time

• At least 70% of the work is accurate• 2.  * Incomplete• Unorganized and/or difficult to read

* Missing name and student number* Late

• At least 60% of the work is inaccurate• 1-1/2   * Not Done or did not turn in.

Literature Novels

• By the Great Horned Spoon by Sid Fleischman

• Abby Takes a Stand by Patricia McKissack

• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

• Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan

• Wonder* by R.J. Palacio

• Please submit $30.00

(Wonder is not included in this fee.)

Activities/Projects:• Missions:

– Research an assigned mission. – 22nd Mission: Create, build, label, describe, report on

a 22nd mission either in the 2016. (teams) Retreat: 5th grade

• YAF: Young Authors Fair• Coloma – Gold Rush• Novels:

– Murals that describe a scene(s) from the novel.– Have a Dump Party (BWD)

Coloma• May 18-20, 2016• Parent Meeting – February(ish)• Staff Members• Chaperones: 5-6

– Stay all 3 days.– one parent willing to drive– Put names in hat and pull – 14 boys and 17 girls

• Coloma T-shirt (Said-With-Threads minimal cost)• Fundraisers: • - Mountain Mike’s (Teacher Arranged)

– Parent driven

More about Coloma

• Requirements for Coloma:– Student must be current on all assignments.– Student behavior must be in order.

• Coloma is very adamant about proper behavior.• Safety cannot be compromised.

Reading

• Accelerated Reader– Required 10, 12, 16 points each Trimester.– Students are to take AR test only in the 4th

grade classroom.

Common Core

• Math:

-common core-process is critical.

-common sense-way we always did it.

-homework with answers.

• Language Arts: WIP

• Science: coming down the pipe.

Need to Knows…• BIG transition year for the students.

– Students will be receiving “real” grades.– New report card system: Power School– Log into Power School for updates to students current grade– Longer school day=> 3:00 p.m.

• Contact:– email mchu@csdo.org FYI: emails are read after school.– Meetings – Schedule

• Before and after school. Please do not approach me at morning assembly or while I am on Yard Duty. Contact

• Birthdays: MUST be pre-arranged. We celebrate at 2:30 except Tuesdays (12:15?) and Wednesday (1:30).

• Only cookies and water. No frosting, juice, ice cream or goody bags. Be sensitive to students with allergies. Due to our intense curriculum, please clear all birthday celebrations with me. I need to plan for them in my lesson plan.

• Vacations: Early vacation may impact grades. Please check the school calendar prior to scheduling vacations.

Need to Knows. Bathroom: May go at anytime except when I am teaching or right after recess. Must sign out/in. Water:

• No water bottles on desk.• I will provide cups and they may drink from the water jug or faucet. Room Parent(s): Please submit names.Wish List: water jugsAttendance: • Notify the office, include mchu@csdo.org in email.• submit a note for absences. • Tardy-important to be punctual.

•Absent Folder:

•All missed work is put in an absent folder. Please remove all work from the folder and return it to school the next day so as we may use it for another child. Please do not ask for work ahead of time. Assignments and notices are put into the folder as we do them in class.

More need to Knows:

• Normally, turn around time for assessments or assignments is less than one week.

Absences/Tardies• Imperative your child to be in school by 8:00.

• When a child is late, (s)he will miss critical pieces of instruction. Imbalanced. Behind the rest of the class. They need to pick up the lesson or Rotation as we go along.

• When tardy or absent, the student misses out on interactive instruction, oral, observation and assessments.

Does not prepare the student for future.

Absences

• Responsible for all missed work and assessments.

• Missed Assessments:– Test log, assessment is put in the test folder

and student will be given the assessment upon their return.

Think About It….

• When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur…. Not tomorrow, not the next day, but eventually a big gain is made. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens — and when it happens, it lasts. — John Wooden