1. Welcome to Fourth Grade!
Please find your child’s seat.
Feel free to respond to the letter and look through their books.
If you are interested in classroom volunteering, please fill out the volunteer form and return to me at your convenience.

2. On Your Child’s Desk: Enjoy the letter to YOU!
Be sure to write back in the journal
Volunteer Sign-Up (purple)
Directions for building eco-column (yellow)
Question Form (blue)
Feel free to look in your child’s desk
Conference sign ups will be on Family Access- I will send out directions soon
Art Docent and Room Parent permission form will be passed around

3. About Me 4th year at Cougar Ridge, 11 year teaching
Love teaching 4th grade
Masters In Education from UW
Philosophy:
Every child can learn.
Learning occurs best when students feel safe and a sense of belonging – learning is social emotional as well as academic.
Teaching should promote curiosity and the love of learning.
I’d rather be a guide on the side than
a sage on the stage!

4. To reach me:
Phone:
This is the best way to reach me!
Staying Informed
Monthly News Letter ed (additional s for reminders and important updates)
Friday Letters Home from students (every other Friday)
Classroom website
Let’s take a quick tour!

5. Schedules Daily Schedule: Specialist Schedule
AM: Specialists, Math, Reading
PM: Science/Social Studies, Writing
Specialist Schedule
Every Week Monday: PE Tuesday: Music Thursday: PE
Friday: Music
Every Other Week Friday: Library

6. Be Safe, Be Kind, Do Your Job
The Bobcat Code
Be Safe, Be Kind, Do Your Job
Matrix that identified expected behavior for common areas such as lunchroom, playground, hallway, restroom
Explicitly taught expectations for each area, visual cues all around school
Students rewarded with Bobcat Coin when “caught” following the Bobcat Code
First school wide goal = 1000 coins… School wide reward

7. Classroom Routines Classroom Jobs – Economy System
Every child has a job.
Students deposit paychecks and either save money in the bank or get cash.
Money will be used to buy coupons, spent at an end of year auction, and used at market day where students create, buy, and sell goods.
Benefits of classroom jobs:
Positive reinforcement / promotes ownership and sense of belonging
Instills responsibility and provides “real world” skills and applies mathematical concepts.

8. Writing Lucy Caulkins Units of Study
Incorporated across multiple subjects. Giving students an opportunity to write for “real” whenever possible
Reading Writing Connections - teaching students how to Read Like a Writer.
Writer’s Workshop: longer pieces, focus on writing process from prewriting to publishing – mini lessons with conferring
Additional writing activities: Friday Letters Home, Caught’ya, One-day prompts, word wall

9. Writing Focus – Units of Study
The Arc of the Story (narrative):
-students write realistic fiction stories
Boxes and Bullets (opinion):
-students write persuasive essays
Writing Through the Lens of History (informational):
-students write research based essays
The Literary Essay (opinion):
-students write about fiction

10. Reading Balanced Literacy Program Making Meaning
Individual conference and goal setting
Focused comprehension strategy mini-lessons using independent, guided, and shared Reading
Novels – Read Alouds from different genres
Strategies for fluency, accuracy, and expanding vocabulary
Genre Wheel – Independent Book Projects
Let’s look at my sample binder

11. Genre Wheel Goals To experience a wide variety of genres.
To practice project management.
To practice public speaking and communication skills.
To practice responding to literature in writing – summarizing and supporting ideas with evidence from the text are two huge 4th grade reading goals

12. Literacy Goals to Keep In Mind
Reading Writing Connection
Various Genres
Practice writing process, but that looks different for each writer
Rereading
Richness of vocabulary
What do readers and writers need?
Time Choice Response
Environment where kids can take risks
“Our children need real readers, not just correctors” –Lucy Caulkins

13. Eureka Math – A Story of Units
A comprehensive curriculum written by a team of teachers and mathematicians who took great care to present mathematics in a logical progression, preparing students to understand advanced math
Developed specifically to meet the math standards adopted by our state
Connects math to the real world in ways that take the fear out of math and build student confidence
Teaches math as a “story” to build students’ mathematical knowledge logically and help them achieve deep understanding
This approach can be unfamiliar to those of us who grew up memorizing mathematical facts and formulas

14. Math Lesson Overview Approximately 60 minutes
Begin with Morning Application problem (single problem/task related to the day’s lesson and/or builds off previous lessons)
Fluency Practice (sprints, skip counting, etc…)
Concept Development (main lesson)
Problem Sets and XtraMath
Help at Home? Practice multiplication and division facts!

15. Social Studies Map and Globe skills Washington State Geography History
Government
Economy
Trade, Commerce, Entrepreneurship (JA Biztown)
Pacific Rim: WA & Pac Rim Countries

16. Science Fall - Ecosystems Winter – States of Matter
Spring – Earth’s Changing
Surfaces (landforms and erosion)
Scientific Process and How Systems Work

17. Making An Ecocolumn!
Thank you for your help with this great investigation!
Cut bottles are due on September 30th

18. GLAD G.L.A.D. Guided Language Acquisition Design
Cooperation, active learning, accountability, literacy, academic language
Visible
Desks in groups
Charts on walls
Used throughout the year and across all subjects,
but mostly in science and social studies

19. Mark Your Calendar: Oct 27 ELL Family Event What Every Parent Wants to Know About the American School System
At Issaquah Valley Elementary, 6:30-8:30 pm
Parents can choose to attend one of these sessions:
Elementary School
Middle school
High school
Interpreters provided
Childcare provided
Flyers will be sent out soon

20. Homework District K – 5 Homework Guidelines for Parents:
30 – 45 in grades 3 – 5
If your child regularly requires a great deal more time than this to complete assignments, you should contact me.
If your child does not have homework or finishes early, it is always a good idea to spend time reading or reviewing math facts.
Reading:
15-20 minutes silent reading
Reading Log
Math: 20 min max
Homework sheet
XtraMath

21. Bookkeeping 
Yellow Slips – Communication link for parent, student and teacher
Sent home on Fridays, please initial and return on Monday.
Front and Back pocket of binder– homework and community information
Friday Letters Home – Letter writing practice. Please respond to your child when possible
Portfolio– Usually after math tests, I’ll sent home student portfolios. Please initial each assessment.

22. Other Important Info… Water Bottles – help us reduce waste 
Individual and Class pictures on September 22nd
Smarter Balanced Assessment: Online
English Language Arts, Math
Online Report Cards: Dec 2nd, Mar. 17th, Jun. 16th
Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences: Dec 7th & 8th
Field Trips:
Washington State History Museum: Jan 27th
Olympia: Apr 7th (right before Spring Break)
Biz Town: May 30th (after Memorial Day)

23. We also appreciate that our volunteers…
Parent Volunteers
We appreciate our volunteers!
We also appreciate that our volunteers…
Sign in the office, grab a badge and place it visibly on their body
Stay within the classroom/area in which they are volunteering
Use a Level 1 voice when volunteering
Step out of the building when using cell phones
When using the staff workroom, enter through one of the direct workroom doors (in hallway), and not walk through the office
Refrain from entering the staff lounge
Keep siblings and all children out of the workroom

24. Thank You For Coming Thank you for being here!!!
Remember leave your child a note!
Leave Blue Question Forms on child’s desk, return volunteer form when complete.
Sign the Room Parent and Art Docent contact list.

26. WHAT is the Issaquah Schools Foundation?
29 year-old, community
powered nonprofit.
Helps students build academic foundations, explore opportunities and launch successfully into their future.
Has channeled more than $10 million dollars into our schools to benefit students.
Raises over $1.5 million annually with the help of 4,000 plus families.
Benefits all students … every school, every grade, every year.

27. How do we fuel success for your student?
Reading and Science Curriculum Adoptions
Writing Instruction Professional Development for teachers
Healthy Youth Initiative supporting  anti-bullying  and basic student needs like food, dental care and school supplies
Elementary Coding Pilots at three schools
VOICE Mentoring
Highly Capable (SAGE and MERLIN) funding
Pre-K Summer School
Science-Tech Magnet Support
Special Services Funding

28. How do we raise money?
All in for Kids Annual Fund Campaign August through November 17
Nourish Every Mind Luncheon April 28th, & Breakfast May 5th, 2016
Employee Giving Campaigns Microsoft, Boeing, United Way
Grants and Corporate Support

29. The Foundation relies on parents for over 80% of its revenue…

30. But only 1of 5 families donate with 26
But only 1of 5 families donate with 26.6% Cougar Ridge families donating last year

31. Every gift matters every year
For those who already donate …
Continue to donate (average family donates $373)
Tell your friends about the Foundation .
For the 80% who haven’t donated, please join us!
We Need Everyone to Go
All in for Kids!