Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Welcome to 4th Grade Curriculum Night

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Mrs. Duggan - Graduated from Rochester High School! - Attended Michigan State and earned a degree in Elementary Education - Worked for several years in Chicago before moving back to Michigan - Married for 8 years to Dan, an editor for Crain’s Detroit Business News - Daughter, Madeline, is three years old

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Mrs. Ingraham Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from University of Central Florida Pursuing Master’s Degree at Oakland University Married 19 years to Rick Daughter Elizabeth is 13 years old

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Mr. Schaffner -Graduated from Olivet College with a degree in Business Administration -Worked ten years for the Pepsi Bottling Group -Received teaching certificate and Master’s Degree from Wayne State University -Married for 8 years to Tina. She is a Physical Therapist in Rochester Hills and Novi. - Jackson is 5 1/2 and Drew is 3 1/2.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Planners One of the primary goals of the fourth grade year is to build responsibility and learn the important skill of time management. Your student’s planner is very important in meeting this goal. In the planner you will find nightly, weekly and long term assignments, along with notes and important information about upcoming events. It is very important that you check your student’s planner every night and sign in the provided space. This is our primary means of communicating with you on a daily basis, and by signing the planner each night, we know you are aware of classroom happenings and home work assignments.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Homework If your child is absent, they will have extra time to complete the work that was assigned on that day. However, other than for absences, all work is expected to be completed and returned the day it is due. Homework is checked in daily, and it is noted if it is late or missing. If your child has late homework four times within a marking period, you will be notified with a “Schoolwork Behavior” form. Your student can generally expect about 45 minutes of homework each night, including their Reading & Writing at Home Logs and Math Study Links. Book reports will be assigned each quarter throughout the year.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Curriculum/Resources Please refer to the RCS 4th Grade Curriculum Expectations for a complete explanation of each area of your student’s day. The guide is available in the office and online at the district website.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Math Our primary resource is Everyday Mathematics. In fourth grade there will be frequent math homework to reinforce the concepts taught that day. Study guides will be given as a review the day before chapter tests. Students will be able to keep a copy of their Student Reference Book at home as a resource for homework and studying. To be successful, your student needs speed, accuracy and automaticity in multiplication (and eventually division) facts. One way to work on this, as well as reinforce other skills, is to have your child log on to and play the games there.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Social Studies Basic foundations in the areas of history, geography, government and economics are covered. Social Studies will be done during the first semester of the year. There will be unit tests as well as assigned projects. All important information will be noted in the students’ social studies “scrapbooks.” Students will have the opportunity to change classes during various social studies units.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Science Our science curriculum involves prediction, observation and reflection. Instead of a student book, each student will have an observation and recording journal. Science will be covered in the second semester of the school year. Students will have the opportunity to change classes during various science units.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Readers and Writers Workshop Reading Workshop will consist of skill or strategy mini-lessons, independent reading, book clubs and guided reading. We will be using a wide variety resources including novels, short stories, informational texts such as Time for Kids, Making Meaning, and Macmillian Treasures. During Writer’s Workshop, the writing process is used to expose students to various genres. The Oakland Schools Writing Program has been adopted this year. Being a Writer, Lucy Calkins’ Teaching Writing, Daily Paragraph Editing, and the Journey’s spelling/vocabulary program will also be used to help your child develop their writing.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears This and That In order to assure that all our students have a solid foundation on which to build new skills for the year, we are now spending time reviewing standards and benchmarks from last year. This will fill in any summer learning loss gaps, and prepare your student for MEAP testing that will begin October 9th. More information on MEAP will follow.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Birthday Celebrations We love to celebrate birthdays, but we need a day or two notice to be sure and allow the extra time in our schedule. Children may choose to bring in a snack or have an extra recess in their honor. Please remember to send in any forks, spoons, napkins, plates that may be needed to serve your child's birthday snack.

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Parental Involvement Thank you for your support and commitment to your student's success in fourth grade. We look forward to working closely with you as your child works, learns, and grows this year!

Brooklands Elementary School – Home of the Bears Communicating The best way to reach us is through our school s. We will get back to you as soon as possible.