Mrs. Wedel’s Fourth- Grade Class Welcome!!

Welcome to Fourth Grade!  I will introduce you to fourth grade and to our classroom.  If you have any questions during my presentation, please don’t hesitate to ask.

All About Me  My background:  I grew up in Esbon, Kansas.  I attended Esbon High School. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Fort Hays State University in 1987, and I finished my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Kansas State University in  My experience:  I’ve been teaching for 22 years.  I have also taught second grade, but fourth grade is my favorite.

My Family  My husband  Duane  My children  Son, Logan - age 17  Daughter, Sydney – age 13  Our pets  Dog---Baxter  Cat--- Pouch Duane and Me LoganSydney Baxter (dog) Pouch (cat)

My Goals  To give my students the academic and social skills they need to progress to fifth grade.  To provide a supportive and fun classroom environment.  To help my students make new friends and discover new interests.

Class Subjects  The subjects we cover during fourth grade are:  Reading  Math  Science  Social studies  Spelling  English and Writing

Reading  Reading Street Series ( 6 Units / 5-6 stories per unit) Novels We will read several novels in addition to the basal stories. State Assessment testing in reading and math will be in the spring!!

Reading Accelerated Reading Your child will set a goal each quarter to achieve a certain number of points. This goal is based on ability level and desire to read. You, your child, and I will sign a contract as to the number of points needed each 9-weeks. I will use the points earned in the 1 st quarter as a guide in setting subsequent AR goals.

Reading BOOK – IT! Program We will participate in Book-It! beginning in October and ending in March. I require 300 minutes of at-home reading each month--- this equals approximately 10 minutes each night. Make it a nightly routine!!!

Language Arts McGraw Hill Series Unit 1 – Sentences / Personal Narratives Unit 2 – Nouns / Compare & Contrast Writing Unit 3 – Verbs / Persuasive Writing Unit 4 – Adjectives / Explanatory Writing Unit 5 – Pronouns / Story Writing Unit 6 – Adverbs and Prepositions / Expository Writing

Math Pearson En-Vision Series A lot will be expected of your child in math this year. The things we learn this year are the foundation of math instruction for future grades and a key to their success in math beyond 4 th grade. place value rounding / estimating charts & graphs geometry fractions time and measurement money double-digit multiplication long division decimals State Assessment testing in math in the spring!!! A few of the areas we will cover include the following:

Math Importance of learning basic facts: I expect basic addition and subtraction facts to be in place. We will review these briefly at the start of the year, but you can expect nightly homework if I find that these facts are not in place. Multiplication and division will be a BIG focus this year. Be faithful in practicing at home, and you should see growth in these skills. Every year from now on requires a working knowledge of these facts! Like Nike says: Just Do It!!!

Science Scott Foresman Series Unit 1 – Life Science Unit 2 – Physical Science Unit 3 – Earth Science Unit 4 – Human Body I skip around a lot in science. There will be frequent lesson quizzes and a chapter test at the end of each chapter. Each chapter consists of 3-5 lessons. Look for study guides to come home prior to each chapter test. These will prove very beneficial in helping your child study and prepare for the chapter test. Student assignment calendar will have dates of upcoming tests as they approach.

Social Studies Nystrom Map Series 30 map lessons / Every 5 th lesson a quiz Houghton Mifflin Series “States and Regions” Look for study guides after each chapter to help prepare for tests. Assignment calendars will have dates of tests as they approach.

Classroom Community  Our classroom is a community. In our community, we have rules to help us get along with each other.  Our class rules are:  Listen during teaching.  Raise your hand to talk out loud.  Treat others as you want to be treated.  ALWAYS be ready to learn and do your BEST work.  Behave yourself in the halls and restrooms.  Be RESPECTFUL and RESPONSIBLE.

Homework  I will assign homework as needed. I give ample classroom time to complete most assignments.  At-home reading should be done nightly for no less than minutes each night.  Math fact practice will be assigned if basic facts are not memorized.  Homework is due next school day after it is assigned unless otherwise stated.  If you need extra time to work on your homework, you can go to “homework club” during recess to work on it.

Tardiness  Students are dismissed from gym at 8:10 A.M. They are allowed 10 minutes to get to class before bell rings to begin school day.  School starts at 8:20 A.M.  If students aren’t in the classroom by the time the bell rings at 8:20, they will be required to check in at the school office before coming to class.

Field Trips  We have several fun field trips planned for this year!  We will attend Ottawa County Conservation Field Day in September at Minneapolis City Park.  We will take a field trip to the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson during May to conclude the year.  StarBase is set for the spring  Other field trips my arise throughout the year.

Classroom Parties  We will have a Christmas and a Valentines classroom party. I will enlist the help of room parents who signed up to help with the details of these parties. Be sure to sign up if you want to be included in this.  Birthday parties can be scheduled as you wish. I usually like to do birthday parties at the end of the day from 3:00 – 3:20.

Contact Information Please feel free to contact me any time you have a problem or a concern. I will be glad to help you in any way possible. Call me at school anytime (392) If I can’t come to the phone, leave a message and I’ll call you back as soon as possible. Home phone number is Call anytime and leave a message if we’re not home. at school is I try to check my every day, but sometimes it gets so busy I forget until after 3:30. If it is time sensitive information --- like instructions for going home --- please do not use .

Looking Forward to a Great Year!