4th Grade Information
2011-2012
This is your child’s fourth grade year and it is very important in many ways. As a fourth grader your child will assume more responsibility as they make the transition from the primary grades to the intermediate ones. This will involve using good study habits and accepting responsibility for daily assignments and long- range projects. The goal is that each child will accept these responsibilities with a minimum of teacher/parent prodding and a maximum of student self-discipline. Because this is a difficult task for many children, it is important to keep the lines of communication between school and home open and cooperative.
Homework Folders: Everyday your child will bring home a take home folder. It is a purple folder and it will have notes for you and homework that your child may have at night. If you need to send a note to school this is a great way to communicate. I will check these every morning for notes and homework, etc.
Book Reports:
-12 fiction and 6 non-fiction books are required in the 4th grade for the Missouri Reading Circle Certificate
-1800 pages total (I will keep track of these at school)
-It is expected that your child completes two book reports each month. 1 is a written book report completed at school during Readers Workshop time. The other is a Book Report Project done outside of school.
-Book Report Project examples: Bookmark, Poster Advertisement, Story Elements Cube, etc. Information, instructions, and rubrics on these projects will be coming home soon.
-Of course, doing more book reports each month is never discouraged.J If you know your child has read a book at home this school year, please record the title, author, and number of pages along with your signature to count towards the total number of books. I have included a “Home Book Report” sheet in this packet. Home book reports do not take the place of the 2 required book reports each month.
-Remember you can receive the Principals Reading Award if you read and report on 35 books throughout the year. If you only complete the 2 required book reports each month then you will not reach that goal of 35 books.
Grading:
Grades are taken on almost all daily assignments, projects and on all tests, which are given at the end of the unit or chapter of study. Your child will always know exactly when these tests will be given and what information will be on the test.
Assignments are made daily in some subjects. Occasionally these will be graded in class so that students can ask questions, clarify information and get immediate feedback. Most will be graded that night at home so that I can see where we are and prepare for the next day. Not all daily papers will be given a percentage grade. Some papers will just have the amount correct over the total questions. Letter grades are assigned on the following scale:
100%-90% = “A” range 89%-80% = “B” range
79%-79% = “C” range 69%-60% = “D” range
59% and below is failing
· +, , - (plus, check, or minus) 95%, 80%, 65% (Some papers will be graded this way)
Assignment notebooks:
o Student’s responsibility to complete it each day
o Expect it each evening and go over it with your child. Please use Parent Message section to communicate
Homework:
Assignments made one day are usually due the following day. In most cases ample time is given to complete assignments during class that day. Those not completed must be taken home and completed that night as homework. All homework is expected to be completed and turned in by the next morning. If not, your child will receive a yellow OOPS form attached to a copy of the late assignment.
Late work will be taken only in case of illness and/or a written explanation from a parent. Of course there will be an occasional time where the child forgets work at home. If the completed work is on my desk the next morning, I will accept it and grade it. If late work becomes a routine, I will have to make a different plan for that child. In the case of excused absences your child will have the number of days he/she missed plus one day to make up the work. This is in accordance with board policy. All work is done in pencil unless otherwise indicated.
Book Orders: I will try to send book orders home every month. Although I will send home more than one order form, please write only one check payable to Scholastic.
Birthday Celebrations: Please email me or call if you wish to bring in treats for your child’s birthday. I don’t have a problem with celebrating at school, but I need to know ahead of time. Also when a child is having a birthday party they must bring invitations for everyone in the class if they are passing them out at school.
Field Trips: Field trips for this year have not been scheduled yet. More information will be sent home when it is available.
Communication: I want this to be a successful year for your child and for you. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at erica.hankins@sjsd.k12.mo.us.