Dear Family,
Welcome to Fourth Grade! We areso excited to have your child in our class. Fourth grade is such a rewarding year for students. This year your child gets to learn from two experienced teachers. Mrs. Frost will be teaching on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Mrs. Westergard will be teaching on Thursdays and Fridays. We will alternate teaching every other Wednesday. Although we will be teaching on separate days we will be communicating regularly, working closely together planning lessons, and have the same classroom routine and expectations. We are committed to making this year a successful one for your child.
*We will be encouraging TEAMWORK this year*
Together Everyone AchievesMore
Homework Folder: Your child will be given a Homework Folder. This folder will be used to keep all homework papers organized. It will include the homework packet, nightly reading log, and handouts. Every evening the handouts and corrected assignments should be cleaned out, and the folder should be returned to school the following day.
Daily Planners: Your child will receive a planner to help them learn how to be organized and responsible. On this planner they will record homework assignments and announcements. This will also help inform you about what’s going on. Feel free to write us messages in the planner. Your child will be expected to show you the planner and get it initialed daily.
Homework:On Wednesdays a homework packet will be put in the homework folder. The homework packet includes all the work for that week and will need to be completed and returned the following Wednesday. Please do not wait to do all the homework the night before it’s due. It’s meant to be spread out throughout the week. Occasionally, there will be other special projects assigned for homework that will not be included in this packet. Also, work not completed during class becomes homework and needs to be returned the following day.Late work is strongly discouraged and will only be accepted for one week with a reduction in points.
Nightly Reading:Your child needs to read at least 20 minutes every night, five days a week, for a total of 100 minutes per week. They will be given a form to fill out weekly that will be attached to the homework packet. It will be part of their homework grade. Students who read during the weekend can earn extra incentives.
20 Book Challenge: The fourth grade will be challenging the students to read 20 books on their reading level by the end of the school year. If they accomplish this goal they will get to participate in our book challenge party.
Spelling:Each week your child will be given a spelling word list. This will be sent home to study during the week. Part of the homework packet will be to complete a word sort with these words. Tests will be given on Wednesdays when the homework packet is due.
Math Fluency: We will be pushing hard to get our students to memorize their math facts. It is our goal to get students more fluent in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This will help them tremendously in mathematics throughout their life. We will send home flash cards and hope that you will help your child memorize them at home.
M.V.P. of the Week: Every student sometime during the year will be honored in our class for a week. Your child will be given a poster board that they can decorate featuring him/herself. More information about this will be sent home prior to their week.
Behavior Plan: We will be playing “Behavior Baseball” each day in class as part of our classroom management plan. Students will get “Strikes” when they choose not to follow the classroom rules. These “Strikes” will be recorded on the Class Dojo app for you to see. We will also encourage good behavior by giving out “Beaver Pelts” which students can use to buy things at our Rendezvous (student store).
Recesses: All students will be expected to be outdoors during recess unless they have a written note from a parent indicating the reason why they aren’t to be outside. Please see that your child has adequate clothing for the weather.
Birthdays: Birthdays are a joyous occasion and we will celebrate them in our class. You may send a treat if you wish. However, we are not allowed to have any homemade food items. Summer birthdays will also be assigned their own special day. *We are a nut-free classroom this year*
Blog: Visit our class blog to see what we’ve been up to. We also have some great educational links in the sidebar of the blog for students to use.
Anytime during the year you need to meet with us, please call the school to schedule and appointment. Remember, you can also communicate with us by sending a note, writing in the planner, or sending an email. We look forward to helping your child grow and develop into a wonderful fourth grader.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Westergard
Mrs. Frost