2. Your child answered some silly questions. Guess the answers and leave a note. GUESS YOUR CHILD’S ANSWERS

3. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Room Number: 46 Phone Number: 480 – 541 – 2746 Email: mhsmith@kyrene.org School Address: 13612 South 36 th Street, Phoenix, 85044 School Office Hours: 7:15 – 3:45

4. Enrichment Class Schedule Monday: Music Tuesday: Art Wednesday: Library Thursday: Thinking Lab Friday: PE

5. Colina was selected as one of the schools to host the Thinking Lab pilot program this year. All students will attend a technology class weekly in the Thinking Lab. The curriculum will focus on reading digital text, responding to informational text, viewing and responding to media, improving technology practices, and practicing typing. All of this will be under the content focus area of science. Classroom teachers will continue to use technology in their classrooms and in the computer labs as they have in the past. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to support their learning integrating reading, writing, and science using technology. We are excited to have this pilot program at our school this year.

6. RECESS/SNACK We have snack at approximately 9:30 am. Your child is encouraged to bring a healthy snack to eat at this time. Healthy snacks include: fruit, vegetables, yogurt, crackers, cheese sticks, applesauce, etc. Recess is in the afternoon, except Wednesday.

7. BIRTHDAYS! We like birthdays, too! However, district policy prohibits balloons, cakes, candy, flowers, etc. If they are delivered they will be kept in the office. Students may bring in pencils, stickers, or other non-edible items to distribute if they’d like. Also prohibited is the distribution of invitations or gifts at school. Please make certain your family is included in the school directory.

8. COOL COYOTE CODE Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Safe Love and Logic “One Rule”: “Feel free to do anything that does not cause a problem for yourself or others.”

9. Parent Vue for Grades! ParentVue is available to monitor your child’s grade and progress in class. You must sign up to get a password.

10. CURRICULUM Arizona Career and College Readiness Standards

11. Homework Policy Kyrene’s Fourth Grade policy is that students are to complete an hour of homework, three days a week. Fourth grade students are expected to read for 20 minutes a day. They receive 20 minute additional math, reading, science, social studies, and health assignments that will be recorded in their Student Planners three days each week.

12. Engage NY Kyrene is in the process of adopting Engage NY programs for both mathematics and English Language Arts. Colina is amongst the first schools to receive these materials and training.

13. KEYBOARDING SKILLS Keyboarding skills are in important part of our new common core standards. Students will be expected to type answers in text boxes and take tests and quizzes online this year. Please help your student practice correct keyboarding skills at home, and I will help them at school. We will be using the program Typing Agent to practice these skills at school.

14. SCHOLASTIC MAGAZINE Please consider donating to help us order Scholastic Magazine and Science Spin to support our social studies and science standards. If you have not returned the form, another copy is beneath your child’s questions and answers.

15. Awesome Websites for Kids! http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/ http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.c om/ http://www.woodlands- junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/ Reading: http://www.harcourtschool.com/menu s/trophies/menu.html

16. Parent Volunteers Cool Coyotes – This can be done at home. It would involve writing each student’s name, “Smith,” and a number for a month on a “Cool Coyote” slip. Notebook Tabs – We are keeping several academic journals this year. We will be making our own “tabs” from “tagboard.” This volunteering opportunity would involve using the dye-cut/Ellison machine to cut out a million-billion little circles. Mad Minutes – These are color coded timed tests to help with basic fact memorization. We need someone who can make copies at their home or business. DiscoveRoom! – Students LOVE visiting our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) inspired DiscoverRoom!! There are so many cool and intriguing materials housed here. We must have TWO volunteers each day this is open.

17. Parent Volunteers Watch DOGS and PTO – The PTO is always seeking volunteers for our many community events. A goal of the Watch DOGS program is to increase the presence of dads on campus. If you are interested in this, please let me know what TYPES of things you would like to DO at school. Money Monthly/Mondays – I’d REALLY like someone much smarter than me to come do a money presentation once a week or once a month during math. My thought was to use $100 of my own money for the class to “invest.” We would talk about the advantages of savings accounts, CDs, shopping interest rates, etc. Fit Fridays – This could also be monthly. I like the idea of a parent discussing fun ways s/he enjoys staying active and maybe have the kids do a stretch, resistance activity, or cardio move to support that activity.

18. DISCOVEROOM! Please visit the DisoveRoom! after our presentation! The students love this opportunity to interact with science during their lunch recess.

19. REMIND.COM If you haven’t already, please text @kfaag to 81010 to receive text updates from our class!

20. THANK YOU! Please let me know if you have any more questions! If it’s something specific about your child, please write it down and we can schedule a meeting. Thanks!