welcome to fourth grade! - hcps...
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to Fourth Grade!
Dear Parents,The 4th grade team is very excited about this upcoming year. We hope each of you had a restful and relaxing summer. We are looking forward to working with you and your child this year. The following information will be helpful to you as it contains specific information about the fourth grade. Let’s have a SUPER year!
Sincerely, Mrs. Dubs, Mrs. Hardymon, and Ms. Miller
Students are expected to complete all assignments they receive from the teacher. Incomplete or missing assignments will be reflected in students’ grades and noted in their weekly signed papers.
The fourth grade is a time where we strive to develop independent study habits and a strong sense of responsibility. Sudents will need encouragement and praise, both from parents and teachers, as well as our guidance and support. A daily 45 to 60-minute home study period is recommended. Homework should not exceed this amount of time. Written work, as well as reviewing for tests, reinforcing skills, working on projects, and learning through reading library books should be included in this time.
It is the students’ responsibility to complete all homework. Students will receive a homework chart on Mondays. This chart should remain in the front of the blue communication folder at all times. The homework chart will also be posted on each of our blogs. Each studentshould have the nameand telephone number of areliable student tocontact when questionsarise. If absent, missedassignments will besent home and shouldbe completed in atimely manner.
Email:Mrs. Dubs- [email protected]. Hardymon- [email protected]. Miller- [email protected]
Blogs:Mrs. Hardymon-http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/sjhardymonMs. Miller-http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/lwmiller1Mrs. Dubs-http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/afdubs
See attached
The fourth grade is a time where we strive to develop independent study habits and a strong sense of responsibility. Students will need encouragement and praise, both from parents and teachers, as well as our guidance and support. A daily 45 to 60-minute home study period is recommended. Homework should not exceed this amount of time. Written work, as well as reviewing for tests, reinforcing skills, working on projects, and learning through reading library books should be included in this time.
All three 4th grade teachers will be switching classes this year. This has been a great success over the past years as a stepping stone between elementary school and middle school. Mrs. Dubs will teach Reading, Mrs. Hardymon will teach Virginia Studies, Science, and Writing, and Ms. Miller will teach Math.
On Wednesdays your child will bring home graded papers in his/her blue folder, showing you examples of the week’s work. These papers are for your review. This is an excellent time for reinforcing your child’s learning at home. Your praise, interest, and help are very valuable. We encourage students to keep packets and graded assessments in a safe place at home to be used for end of the year review. In addition to graded papers, you will find a signature sheet in the back of the blue folder. Students will be assessed weekly on Work Habits and Conduct. An X in any area indicates an area where improvement is needed. Please sign the signature sheet and return the folder to school. This paper should remain in the blue folder at all times.
Students will receive numerical grades on the majority of their assignments. Students’ 9 week averages will be determined in a variety of ways, which may include classwork, participation, assessments, projects, and homework.
Reading, Math, Science, & Social Studies The Henrico County grading scale is as follows:Tests and writing prompts count twice. A = 90% - 100%Projects, quizzes, and classwork assignments B = 80%- 89%count once. C = 70%- 79%
D = 65%- 69%F = below 65%
As the year progresses, you may notice that our classroom doesn't run like other classrooms. We will be learning through Whole Brain Teaching, a research based system that utilizes all areas of the brain, keeps
children engaged throughout their lessons, and helps them retain much more information than the standard lecture-discussion model.
Whole Brain Teaching is a highly interactive form of instruction that delivers information to students in short "chunks." Kids then teach what they have just learned to their partners, using hand-gestures to help
remember specific vocabulary. While students teach each other, the teacher walks around the room to discover who understands the lesson and who needs more instruction.
Research shows that children retain more information when they have an opportunity to put it into their own words and use gestures to emphasize key instructional units... plus, it's amazingly fun!
Our goal is to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment. In order to do this, there is a reliable and consistent discipline system enforced in our classroom. We feel that a good discipline system reinforces
positive behaviors and discourages behaviors that are negative to your child and his/her classmates. In our classroom, we have the following rules:
Rule #1: Follow directions quickly.Rule #2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule #3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.Rule #4: Make smart choices.
Rule #5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
We are interested in educating the whole child, and look forward to working with you to help your child be a positive contributor in the classroom. In addition to practicing whole-class rules, students will work towards individual goals that are both academic and behavioral in nature. Each classroom has a Super Improver Wall display. Using the Super Improver Wall, students earn stars as indications of personal improvement. Since
stars are awarded on an individual level, each student is only competing against their last effort in a particular area. It’s perfectly individualized and differentiated for the needs of each learner!
