ALL ABOUT FOURTH GRADE! Mrs. Blakley Room 105

To Do’s for Tonight Please be sure to sign up for a parent-teacher conference on Monday, November 12th . If you plan to volunteer please sign the confidentiality papers. Please take one of each of the handouts!

Attendance Policy If a student is to take an educational trip, please speak to me about obtaining an approval form from the office. At this time, emailed excuses are not acceptable. Avoid April trips due to PSSA testing in 2019-Mrs. White will not approve them. The building does not open to students until 8:40am. If there will be any changes in how your child is transported to and from school please send a written note (not email) or call the office by 3pm.

Positive Behavior Management As a class, we will earn cotton balls to fill a jar. When the jar is full we will have a reward that is voted on by the whole class. Once we have earned a cotton ball we cannot lose it! As part of our school-wide program, students can earn stars to receive prizes and recognition from the principal. Individually- each student earns Class Dojo Points- given for helping others, being prepared, participating, good listening, being persistent, teamwork, etc… Dojo points earn rewards that can be redeemed whenever the student earns enough for their desired reward.

Individual Classroom Consequences 1. Warning 2. Logical Consequence 3. Teacher’s Choice (Parent Contact) 4. Contact the office Some behaviors will result in skipping warnings and other consequences. Example: physical violence or threats

Olweus Anti-Bullying Program Olweus School-wide Rules: We will not bully others. We will help others who are being bullied. We will include those who are being left out. If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home. A video is available to watch on our school website.

A Brief Look at Content Reading: Students will consistently learn to use the metacognitive reading strategies to analyze and understand texts. In doing so, the focus will be on developing a love of reading, building comprehension, helping students to think about text and ask questions as they read, experiencing various genres, working in small reading groups and literature circles with specific skill and strategy focus. In fourth grade we READ to LEARN. Language Arts: We have adopted the “Units of Study” by Lucy Calkins. Students will focus on four writing genres beginning with arc of story/narrative, persuasive/opinion, literary essays, and ending with informative writing.

A Brief Look at Content Math: We will be beginning with place value and operations then move into fractions and decimals; nightly multiplication practice as well as challenging math tasks that teach children how to think and problem solve! CHILDREN MUST KNOW THEIR MULTIPLICATION FACTS. Science/Health: Life Cycles of various organisms, Migration, Motion and Design, Land and Water, Skin, Teeth/Digestion. All units include hands-on Inquiry learning and cooperative group work! Social Studies: Pennsylvania History and map skills. Spelling/Vocabulary: Students will be focusing on greek and latin root words, prefixes and suffixes for one week, and synonym sets during the next week. They will be tested on Fridays.

CIRC Creativity Innovation Research Center (CIRC): All students in kindergarten through fourth grade will participate in CIRC. The purpose of CIRC is to support a blended learning program of computer technology and library. In this blended program, students will have time to explore the ever-changing world of technology with use of computers, devices, and printers, all the while utilizing and sharpening their research skills with investigative opportunities in the library.  With this blended program, students will have real world learning projects that tap into their creative and inventive side.  CIRC is accepting donations of these items: brown lunch bags, string, hot glue guns, weather stripping, nuts, bolts, nails, and screws of various sizes, scissors

PSSA TESTING WINDOW English-Language Arts: April 15th - 26th Mathematics/Science: April 29th - May 3rd Make-Ups: Also April 29th – May 3rd It is important that all students are in school during PSSA testing dates and times. Please avoid appointments and vacations during these state selected dates. Educational trips and vacations will be considered unexcused absences.

Homework Homework will be light. They will have no more than 40 minutes of homework each night. Reading 20 minutes per night is a fourth grade requirement. Homework should be completed independently and on time. Late work will be finished during recess. This is a lesson in responsibility. If your child is having difficulty with the homework; just write a note at the top of the page or in their planner.

BYOT NO CELL PHONE USE! A child may only use registered technology in school (when instructed by the teacher). It is the students’ responsibility to keep their device safe! To register a device see the instructions on the district website. Seneca Valley Homepage Bring Your Own Technology Getting Started with BYOT Registering Mobile Devices

PTO Involvement Haine has an active and involved PTO! Join as a family for a minimal cost Flyers were sent home this week- Sign up for A-Z Connect

Home/School Connection Success begins at home! Proper rest, homework support, encouraging reading, etc. The line of communication with me is WIDE OPEN. It’s essential! Encourage your kids when they succeed and when they struggle. They need to hear positive words every day. Keep them in a GROWTH MINDSET!

Ways to Talk to Me Email is the best way to reach me. I can sometimes read them, but not respond until lunch or after school. Give me 24 hours. We have been instructed to have dialogue only through email and phone calls blakleyka@svsd.net

Any Questions?