Welcome to 4th Grade! Mrs. Henderson – ELA/Social Studies Mrs. Hopkins – Math/Science Mr. Lepping – Math/Science Ms. Smotherman – ELA/Social Studies

Welcome We want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to 4th grade. We are looking forward to another wonderful year. It is our hope that we can work together to provide the students an amazing educational experience. We are firm believers in the partnership between teachers and parents. With that said, the purpose of this letter is to inform you of some of the procedures/important items for our grade. Please take a moment to look it over so that you will be familiar with what we are doing.

All About MRS. Hopkins I am originally from Cochran, GA– a small town south of Atlanta I have been teaching for 11 years– PreK, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th. This is my first year in Rutherford County Schools– I spent the past 2 years in Metro. My husband and I are proud alumni of Georgia Southern University! We have 3 children– Emily (1st Grade), Ralph (3), & Amelia (1).

Agenda/Binder: Each student has an agenda in their binder, which should be taken home and brought back to school on a daily basis. This binder is an extremely important tool that will travel with your child all day. In it, you’ll find assignments your child has to complete, behavior reports, if any, we’ve encountered, important notes, etc. Please sign/initial at the bottom of the agenda every night, and make sure your child brings the binder to school every day.

Behavior Management: Students will receive a small reward each Friday for zero codes. They will also participate in a grade-level activity at the end of each nine-week period, if they receive nine or fewer codes during the quarter. Behavior codes are explained further in the agenda.

Student’s Progress: We believe it is very important for you to be informed of your student’s progress in class on a frequent basis. There are a number of ways we do this. If a student receives a failing grade on a test, project, or paper, please go over the work with your child, sign it, and put it back in their agenda. Graded work will be sent home with the agendas. Mid- nine-weeks progress reports are given as well as nine-week report cards.

Homework: Homework is an important part of the academic process and should be taken very seriously. Students will be provided a sufficient amount of time to finish much of their work in class. If they use their time wisely, they should not be overwhelmed with homework. Each student has an agenda in which they will copy their assignments daily. It is the student’s responsibility to write down their assignments on this log, and gather their books needed to complete the homework. It would benefit the student if the parent(s) would check their homework nightly.

Make-up work: If a student is absent, they are responsible for collecting assignments from the teacher. All make-up work should be completed within five days of the absence(s).

You may also email any of the team at Communication: We will use the students’ binder agenda for communication purposes. Feel free to send notes in your child’s agenda. If you would like to set up a conference, please send a note or email. We will also send weekly newsletters via email. These will contain important upcoming events, supplies wanted/needed, and other valuable information. Make sure you check out our classroom webpage for updates, photos, and more! You may also email any of the team at hendersona@rcschools.net hopkinse@rcschools.net leppingt@rcschools.net smothermanbr@rcschools.net

Reading: We believe that reading is one of the most important aspects of a child’s education. We encourage frequent reading in the classroom and at home. Your child will participate in a reading program. Please encourage your child to read at home.

Extra projects: Your child will be given “extra” projects/activities throughout the year to enhance their learning experience. These projects will be completed at home. Please help in any way you can as opportunities arise throughout the year.

Movies: We may occasionally watch a movie as a reward or to enhance classroom learning experiences. By signing the last page of this packet, you are giving your child permission to watch movies which are rated “G” or “PG”.

Questions?