Welcome to Parent Night! Mrs. Oswalt’s Fourth Grade Class

Mrs. Oswalt graduated from the University of Mississippi with a BA in Elementary Education, K-8. is certified to teach English Language Arts in grades K – 12. spent one week at the Harvard Graduate School of Education with Project Zero Classroom in a study of teaching for understanding.

I taught… 4 th grade at Oxford University School in Oxford, MS. 5 th and 6 th grades at Quad County Alternative School in Starkville, MS. 6 th grade at Horn Lake Middle School in Horn Lake, MS. My most unusual job was

Writing script for a television program entitled Project Leap that aired from the University of Mississippi. I also served as Director of Children’s Ministries at Maples Memorial United Methodist Church for several years.

I want your child to receive the best education! We are a team. I look forward to partnering with you this year. Your child will bring home a Weekly Folder. Please sign the grade and conduct form and send the form to school in the folder. Please feel free to send notes, , or call. Please check my website to learn about everything we are doing in class. Go to oes/desotocountyschools.org and look for my name in the staff directory.

Tests Every test will contain new skills as well as review skills All test papers will usually be sent home on Tuesdays Keep old tests and review regularly

Surviving Fourth Grade! Review previous tests. Complete homework nightly. Your child will receive a 100% for a homework grade each nine weeks. I will deduct 5 points from the grade anytime an assignment is not returned completed. Read at least 4 times each week for 20 minutes each time and sign your child’s reading log.

Fourth Grade is a challenging year! Encourage your child to read, study, and work!

Awards Ceremonies We will hold award ceremonies at the end of each nine week period for students making Principal’s List and Honor Roll and those receiving a Citizenship Award. Our Award Ceremony at the end of the year will be held in the classroom. All students will receive an award.

Classroom Rules Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself

Classroom Rules Respect yourself, others, and your environment

Classroom Rules Be prepared with books, supplies, and assignments

Classroom Rules Follow directions promptly

Classroom Rules Stay seated and working quietly until called upon

Consequences

Yellow – Warning Green – Lose 5 Minutes of Recess Blue – Lose Half of Recess Red – Lose All Recess/Silent Lunch/Parent Contact White – Office Referral Severe Disruption – Sent immediately to administration

Rewards

Fish and Drops in Our Buckets When students demonstrate good behavior they receive paper fish. The fish are combined in our class bucket, and we draw one name each week to send to the office. The office selects one winner per grade. I read the book How Full is Your Bucket for Kids on the first day of school. I give students drops in their buckets for good behavior. When students earn 15 drops, they are permitted to choose a treat from my treasure box.

Breakfast and Snacks Breakfast is served daily from 7:55 – 8:15. The cost is $1.25. Snacks are available from 7:55 – 8:25. Snacks cost $.75. Students are permitted to eat snack in the room until 8:30, and students may take snacks to the playground at recess.

Daily Schedule 8:05 – 8:25 Daily Review, Attendance, Lunch Count, Morning Announcements, Pledge of Allegiance

Daily Schedule 8:30 – 11:00 English Language Arts (Reading, English, Science, and Social Studies)

11:00 – 11:25 Lunch Student lunch $2.50 Extra Milk or Juice $0.50 Adult Lunch $3.00 It is District policy that there are no charges for lunch.

11:30 – 11:50 Recess

Math 12:00 - 1:15 We have new math books that lend themselves to our Common Core standards. The online tools and resources are a great added benefit. If you have online access, please take a copy our class code. Register your child for an ebook.

1:15 – 2:00 Activity Monday – Music (need library book) Tuesday – Library Wednesday – P.E. (need recorder) Thursday – Computer (wear sneakers) Friday - Art

Writing, Sharing, and Independent Reading 2:00 – 3:05 Scholastic I will place my first scholastic order on September 12 th. Please consider ordering books for your child through the Scholastic program. Our class receives free books when you order. You can order online at My online code is L9BP4.

New Attendance Policy Students must be present for 63% of the day to be counted present. Students at OES will be considered absent if they miss more than 2 hours and 17 minutes of school.

Tardies School starts at 8:25. Students are considered tardy after 8:31 A one day suspension will occur after 15 tardies. Another one day suspension will occur every 3 rd tardy thereafter.

School Dismissal Car riders and bus riders are dismissed at 3:20

Field Trips Students must ride the bus to and from field trips. Parents may return to school and check students out after the bus returns from a field trip. Please consider the new attendance policy when checking students out for field trips.

School Safety

The office confirms the driver’s license of parents checking out students.

All visitors must check in through the office and receive a visitor’s pass before going any further in the building. School personnel has been instructed to send all unauthorized individuals back to the office for a pass as a safety measure.

All doors will be locked throughout the day except the main front entrance. All visitors must enter and exit there.

Bus Passes A student must have a bus pass to give the driver any time there is a change in drop off address or to ride another bus for the first time. (Example: going to a friend’s, grandparent’s, new sitter, etc.)

Birthday Celebrations Parents may send a treat to be passed out in the classroom. No food may be passed out in the cafeteria. No pizza parties/treats for the entire class in the cafeteria. Birthday invitations may be sent to school IF every child in the class receives an invitation.

Birthdays Parents may also honor their child’s birthday by purchasing a book to be placed in the library in his/her honor.

Classroom Parties We have one party during the school year: Christmas.

Conferences Conferences can be held during activity time (1:15 – 2:00) Conferences may also be held before school (7:30) or immediately after school (3:30). No after school conferences are scheduled for Fridays.

Newsletter Our class newsletter is sent home every Monday with your child. Please check the newsletter weekly for important information.

Contact Information The best way to contact me is through at If you do not have internet access you can call the school ( ) and leave a message for me. I will return your call as soon as possible. Please sign-up for Remind 101 to receive important updates and news.

With all of us working together, this will be a very successful year for your child.