Behavior Expectations Conduct Folders Conduct v. Work Habits “Fantastic 4” School Values Grade determined at the end of the 9 weeks Parents initial every time a teacher signs. Make any comments on a separate piece of paper rather than writing in the folder. Cougar Cash Reward for making good choices “Cashed in” for coupons corresponding to rewards on reward menu

Voice Levels 0 – Silent 1 – Whisper 2 – Partner (Table Talk) 3 – Classroom (Presentation) 4 - Outside

Grading Policy A variety of grades will be taken over the course of the nine week grading period. – Formative Assessments (50%) – spelling tests, weekly math tests, weekly reading/ELA quizzes, etc.) – Classwork (10%) – exit tickets, morning work, IXL, graphic organizers, etc. – Summative Assessments (40%) – end of unit tests, cumulative assessments *Students will be given the opportunity to retake a summative assessment when they receive a grade lower than 70%. In this instance, the two grades will be averaged.

Graded Work  Be sure to check folders each Tuesday.  Sign the signature page to indicate that you have seen the work. Graded work does not have to be returned.  Review work you see your child having trouble with.  Contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions.  There are many great resources available on the Internet. If you search for a specific concept or skill, you can find many practice pages, online games, background information, etc.

Homework *Assigned Monday-Thursday *No homework on Spirit Nights *Up to 40 minutes a night *Used to review skills *Students should be reading (or on Istation) minutes every day outside of school hours *It is important to set up a regular routine for doing homework and making sure it is returned to school the next day.

Conferences *Fourth grade teachers are available by appointment on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00-9:30. Please contact either one of your child’s teachers to schedule an appointment. In order to best meet the needs of your child, both teachers will meet with you.

Schedule Important times to know: First bell – 7:35 Tardy bell - 7:45 Instruction begins immediately Magnet – 8:50-9:35 P.E. and Art take place during magnet time. Science Lab – Friday Library - Thursday Recess – 11:10-11:40 Lunch – 11:45-12:15 Dismissal – 3:05

Global Learning At Kolter, each grade level focuses on a region of the world. Fourth grade focuses on South America. – Mrs. Carville – Ecuador – Mrs. Curry – Peru – Mrs. Groce – Brazil – Mrs. Lidsky – Venezuela Each nine weeks students will participate in a globally- based lesson or project while they acquire attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed for global competence.

Testing Dates for 4 th Grade  STAAR Writing – March 28  STAAR Math – May 8  STAAR Reading – May 9

VIPS Clearance We will be taking a field trip to Camp for All (near Burton, TX) in the spring. We love to have volunteers! Remember that VIPS clearance is an annual process. You must show your driver’s license at the front office every year. Please take care of this early. The clearance process can take 2-3 weeks.

Birthday Treats Served at 2:45 Store bought Individually wrapped Finger foods (No utensils needed to eat.) No products containing nuts! No drinks *These restrictions are for the safety of our students and to maximize instructional time.

IStation Letters will be sent home soon with installation and login information. Istation is a program to help with a variety of reading skills. It is individualized and assesses the student’s progress monthly. I would like each student to be on Istation at least 30 minutes per week at home.

C A F E Comprehension Accuracy Fluency Expand Vocabulary

Words Their Way Differentiated spelling program Students are responsible for bringing words home Monday Spelling homework is given Monday – Thursday Don’t wait until Thursday to begin studying Words from previous weeks’ lists will be on test as a review (15 current + 5 review) Test on Friday

Social Studies We use Texas Studies Weekly. Students will be given tests approximately every three weeks. Students will complete study guides which will help them prepare for these tests. Check the wiki and your child’s agenda to know when these tests will be given, and remind them to review their study guides.

STAAR Writing Test 1 day test (March 28) 4 hours 1 composition + multiple choice revision and editing questions 1 style of writing– Expository 1 page/26 lines Parent Information Writing Night

STAAR Math Test 1 day Test (Monday, May 08, 2016) 4 hours Multiple Choice and Griddables TEA Website has Released Practice Tests

Math Websites k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.dohttp://www- k6.thinkcentral.com/ePC/start.do

Math Instruction GO Math Interactive Notebook Whole Group Small Group Exit Tickets/Unit Tests Assigned IXL skills Intervention Differentiation (Math Menus)

Math Instruction

Partial Quotient Example

Science Science Fusion Book Science Lab every Friday We will take at least 1 Science grade a week

Questions