Welcome to Back to School Night 2011-2012 4th Grade Mrs. Gorges

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Welcome to Back to School Night2011-20124th
GradeMrs. Gorges
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Dear Fourth Grade Parents,

• We welcome you and your child to the fourth grade
  at Countryside School. This presentation will
  provide an overview of the upcoming year and
  answer questions you may have. Although it is
  just one grade higher, fourth grade is a giant
  step from third grade in terms of curriculum,
  academic requirements, and expectations. As the
  fourth grade curriculum is broad, there is more
  content for teachers to present and for students
  to learn.
• In order to maximize the potential of every
  fourth grade student, we feel that there are
  specific goals all of us can work to achieve.

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Teacher Goals

1. Establish an atmosphere of trust
2. Focus on developing self-esteem in each child
3. Focus on the positive
4. Develop lesson plans that creatively facilitate
   district curriculum, emphasizing critical
   thinking whenever possible
5. Encourage a sense of student responsibility and
   pride in his/her work
6. Be a positive role model

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Student Goals

1. Believe in oneself
2. Be committed and determined to learn
3. Be responsible for your work and behavior
4. Take pride in the quality of your work
5. Be positive to other students and adults
6. Become actively involved in helping Countryside
   run as a true community

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Wildcat Rules

• BE RESPONSIBLE
• Be READY to LEARN
• BE RESPECTFUL
• BE SAFE

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PBIS

• Positive Behavior Intervention System
• By following school and classroom rules and going
  above and beyond what is expected, students can
  earn PAWS.
• PAWS can be given by any member of the school
  staff.
• Each month students can cash in their PAWS to
  participate in a PAWS celebration booster.
• Students can use their PAWS in the classroom to
  cash in for different rewards.

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4th Grade Testing

• Reading Levels (Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark
  Reading Assessment)
• CogAts (Fall-end of September)
• MAPS (math and reading- Fall, Winter, and Spring)
• ISATs (Spring)

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RtIResponse to Intervention

• Students who do not meet grade level benchmarks
  in reading or math for fall, winter, and spring
  will be receiving additional support through
  means of reading/math interventions.
• Parents will be notified.
• Interventions will be given by our classroom
  assistants, classroom teachers, speech
  pathologists, reading resource, diagnostician,
  extended resource teacher, etc.
• Interventions will take place during your childs
  science and social studies block.

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Progress Monitoring

• Students receiving interventions will be progress
  monitored weekly if not bi-weekly to ensure they
  are making progress and that the intervention is
  working.

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Individual Goal Setting

• The goal setting process will take place 3 times
  per year in both reading and math.
• Goals will be based on reading and math MAP
  scores reading benchmark assessments- focusing
  on areas of weakness or below grade level.
• Each student will participate in the goal setting
  process and as a team (teacher, parents and
  student) we will work together to help the
  student achieve his or her goals.

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Organization

• Homework and Note trays
• Subject Trays for completed work
• Labeled Folders Friday Folder, Daily Take-Home
  Folder Unfinished Work Folder Portfolio
• Reading and Writing Binder
• Box for misc. supplies
• Predictable Routine
• Schedules and routines are posted around the room
  and located in student folders
• Assignment notebooks will be filled out daily

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Homework

• All homework is due the following day unless
  specified.
• 40-60 minutes per night including self-selected
  reading and studying math facts.
• Reading minutes will need to be signed weekly
• Math facts will need to be signed nightly
• Late/No homework tickets issued for late or
  missing homework.
• All homework assignments will be recorded in
  daily assignment notebook.

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How can I help my child with homework/school
organization?

• Encourage and support Independence
• Routine, routine, routine
• Provide minimal assistance with homework
• Encourage your child to reread assignments or
  directions before beginning homework
• Have your child read directions aloud
• Encourage your child to ask specific questions
• Use textbooks and given resources when needed
• Use notes when provided
• Encourage your child to ask teacher for help
• Encourage your child to check over their work
  when completed

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Communication

• Daily Take-Home Folders (notes and daily homework
  assignments)
• Friday Folders (parent signature needed-graded
  work and notes)
• Email/Phone
• Weekly Newsletter (Fridays)
• Assignment notebooks (teacher and parent initial
  each night)
• Teacher webpage (updated daily or weekly)

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Reading

• Our core reading program- Making Meaning
• Delivered in a Readers Workshop model- 120
  minutes per day
• Genre Studies
• Poetry Mythology Fables and Tall Tales
  Mysteries

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Readers WorkshopModel

• Focus Lesson (Making Meaning) Whole
  Group-strategies and skills are explicitly taught
  and are in a systematic order
• Interactive Read Aloud Teacher modeling Shared
  Reading Turn and Talk Think, Pair, Share with
  your partner
• Small Group Instruction focusing on a particular
  skill or strategy groups are flexible
• Independent Daily Reading and Daily 3 reading
  activities students are completing reading
  activities or reading self-selected books at
  their independent reading level (just right
  books) while practicing skill or strategy
• Individualized Reading Conferences one-on-one
  (reading strategy or skill check-in goal
  setting)
• Celebration students will share a what they
  learned, what they practiced, or about what they
  read.
• Word study/spelling Vocabulary (Making Meaning
  and Word Wisdom) Word Sorts

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Ideas to support Reading at Home

• Model a love for reading and share your thinking
  as you read
• Compliment your child on his or her reading
• Have conversations about the books and various
  texts your child is reading
• Books on CD
• Read together as a family
• Read to younger siblings
• Read aloud to your children
• Have your child read aloud to you
• Ask questions

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Spelling

• We believe in creating everyday spellers not
  Friday spellers.
• Lists will be individualized based on a spelling
  assessment.
• Lists will include but not limited to grade level
  words, words specific to each students
  individual spelling stage, content-area
  vocabulary words, grade level high frequency
  words, student chosen words, vocabulary
• words, and words from your childs
  
• writing.

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Writing

• Our core writing program- Being a Writer
• Focusing on the 6 1 Traits of Writing-
  Organization, Voice, Sentence Fluency,
  Conventions, Word Choice, Ideas
  1-Presentation
• Delivered in a Writers Workshop model- 60
  minutes per day

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Writers WorkshopModel

• Focus Lesson (Making Meaning) Whole
  Group-strategies and skills are explicitly taught
  and are in a systematic order
• Teacher modeling Shared Writing Turn and Talk
  Think, Pair, Share with your partner
• Small Group Instruction focusing on one of the 6
  traits of writing
• Independent Daily Writing Pre-Writing, Draft,
  Revise, Edit, and Publish)
• Individualized Writing Conferences one-on-one
  (quick check-in goal setting)
• Celebration students share aloud a
  piece of their writing something they
  learned

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Ideas to support Writing at Home

• Model a love for writing
• Compliment your childs work
• Encourage your child to journal or write stories
• Provide support or assistance only when needed or
  asked
• Show interest in your childs writings and
  provide positive feedback
• Celebrate good writing ?

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Math

• Emphasis will be on developing students ability
  to use math problem solving processes and on
  developing students math facts, skills, and
  concepts.
• We will be covering place value (thru trillions),
  rounding/estimation, number sense, multiplication
  (2 digit by 1 digit and 2 digit by 2 digit),
  division (long division), fractions (adding,
  subtracting, reduce/simplify, unlike/like
  denominators), measurement, hands-on algebra,
  decimals, geometry, patterns, and problem solving.

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Math Facts!!!!

• Please make sure your child is working towards
  mastering their MULTIPLICATION and DIVISION facts!

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Science

• Scientific Method/Science Process Skills
• Prairie
• Science Kits
• Land and Water (Fall)
• Electricity and Magnetism (Winter)
• Ecosystems (Spring)
• Review of Space, Rocks and Minerals
• National Geographic For Kids

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Social Studies

• Geography/Regions (Map Skills and Globes)
• Early Americans thru the Revolutionary War
• Current events

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Computers

• Ultrakey-keyboarding
• Additional computer times will vary depending on
  activities and projects
• Compass Odyssey (MAP goals)
• students can access Compass Learning at home.
• Compass Club
• Classroom Blog

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Grading

• A 90-100
• B 80-89
• C 70-79
• D 60-69
• F 50-59
• On some assignments students may receive an
  assignment grade as well as a spelling grade.
• Quarter averages are composed of test, quiz,
  homework, and participation grades. All tests and
  quiz grades are final.

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ISAT

• ISAT testing will take place during the month
  February.
• Students will be tested on the following
• Reading
• Math
• Science
• Parent power point presentation
• available on my webpage.

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T.E.A.M.

• Together Everyone Achieves More

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Thank you so much for coming!!!

• Please sign up for classroom parties and fall
  conferences!