Class Calendar

Welcome

August 13, 2009

Dear Fourth Grade Parents,

I am very excited about a new year at St. Ann. I am looking forward to working with you as your child grows, develops, and learns as we work through our curriculum. Our learning is not limited to what we do in the classroom We will utilize the community garden as well as novels, the internet, projects, and group work. Because we are so busy working hard during the school day, it is very important that the children get plenty of sleep so that they have the energy to perform well in their academic work.

I truly believe that parents are the most important teacher that a child has in life. I am very excited about working with you to help your child reach their full potential and become all that God created them to be. If you ever have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or voicemail. I will respond within 24 hours of receiving your message. I check email every afternoon, so if there is an urgent message that I need to get for the school day, please leave the message on my voicemail. The Google calendar will be used to help keep you informed about what we are doing during the school day. Please check it on a very regular basis.

Please read the attached pages carefully and go over them with your child. I think that it will help them have a very successful year if they are clear on what is expected of them. If you have anything that you need clarified, please let me know. I will be sending home my plans for each cycle in the first Tuesday folder of the cycle. Please know that if I do not get to all of the activities that are planned in a cycle, I am still thoroughly covering the curriculum your child needs to be successful.

Thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your child. I am looking forward to a wonderful year. May God bless and keep you always.

In Christ,

C.A. Sharbel

Classroom Schedule

Assessment

Quarter grades are an accumulation of assignments, tests, and projects. Class work and morning work make up 20% of the quarter grade; homework makes up 10 % of the quarter grades; projects make up 30 % of the quarter grade; and tests make up 40% of the quarter grade. I do not give individuals extra credit; however, on occasion, I may offer extra credit opportunities to the entire class. Extra credit opportunities will always be directly related to curriculum objectives. Each Friday, I try to give the students a test schedule for the upcoming week. It is the students’ responsibility to write the test schedule in their planner.

If a class work, morning work, or homework assignment does not have a number grade on it, it will have a check plus, a check, a check minus, or a “U”. A check plus equals 100%; a check equals 90%; a check minus equals 80%; a “U” equals 70.

All work that is turned in to me should be completed in cursive unless the directions state otherwise. The students may use print when they are writing in their composition books or taking notes.

Quality Work

All work turned in for a grade should be 100% completed using the following quality work criteria:

• Write in your best cursive.
• Write in complete sentences restating the question.
• Put your complete heading on your paper as illustrated in the classroom. (See example at the bottom of this page.)
• If you make a mistake, be sure to neatly and completely erase.
• Observe proper spacing, including margins, and do not write where there are no lines.
• Only use clean paper without wrinkles, tears, spiral binding edges (“fuzzies”), or creases.
• Always edit to make sure that you used correct spelling and grammar.
• Always use grade-appropriate vocabulary.

If student work does not meet this criteria, the work will be returned and must be revised and turned in by the next day. Ten percent (10%) of the assignment’s value will be deducted if revision is required. If work is not resubmitted the next day, the student will earn a 0%.

Morning Work

Fourth Grade begins each day with a morning work assignment that pertains to an academic objective that has been previously covered. The students are given about fifteen minutes to work on the assignment before we correct it. I go over the assignment with the students so that they can correct any mistakes and learn from them. I take up the morning work and re-check it before recording. Morning work is recorded and averaged into the grade.

Homework

I believe that homework is a very important part of education. Homework is an extension of the school day and is intended to reinforce what is learned in the classroom. I assign approximately forty minutes of homework every night, Monday through Thursday. Even if I do not give a written assignment, the students should read for fifteen minutes every night and study the notes they took in class. All homework should be completed on the night it is given.

Many of the objectives covered in the classroom can only be mastered with practice, and homework helps to provide this practice.  Homework should be neat, free from tears, wrinkles, and mistakes that are scribbled out. If a student does not complete their homework, they forfeit their right to visit and play games during break. We correct all homework during class as a review of what we covered the previous day. After correcting the homework, I take it up and check it again before recording it. Incomplete or missing homework can have a significant impact on a student’s grades, so I encourage parents to establish a time and place for homework to be completed.

Projects

Projects will be assigned throughout the year to help students illustrate their knowledge. A rubric will be given to the students to guide them through the process. A schedule of due dates will be given if the project extends over several weeks. 

Miscellaneous Items

• Please make sure your child gets to bed early on school nights.
• Please send a healthy snack to school with your child. (No candy)
• Please send me a note if your child could not finish their homework due to circumstances beyond their control so that I can allow them extra time during the day to make it up.
• Please sign and return all tests to me in the Tuesday Folder.
• Book reports are due each month by the last Thursday of the month. Note: they may be turned in anytime during the month, but they will be considered late if they are not turned in by the end of the day on the last Thursday.
• At least one AR Test should be taken each month by the last day of the month.

Class Rules

1. Follow directions the first time given.
2. Stay in your seat to do your work.
3. Raise your hand before speaking in class.
4. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
5. Be kind and respectful at all times.