Fourth Grade Survival Guide 2016-2017
Teacher Website I update the homework page of my website every day after school. Daily homework, project information, and test/quiz dates can be found on this page. The Home Page of my website includes information about upcoming activities and special announcements. If important information is posted during the week Check Web will be written in your child s planner. Email I check my email before leaving school each day. I will respond to all emails within 24 hours of receiving them except for emails sent or received after 4:00 on Friday. Weekend email will receive a response on Monday. Student Planners All homework is recorded daily in the student s planner. The student planner is the primary source of homework information. I will indicate missing work in the student s planner using red pen. I will remind the student at the end of that day to take home the necessary materials. Beyond the first day work is late remembering to take home the necessary materials is the student s responsibility. Assignments will be posted daily on my website. Each day s assignments will be posted prior to my leaving school; however, the student planner remains the primary source for homework. Assignments are posted on the website for emergencies and clarification.
Binder Nightly homework will be placed in the divider pocket labeled Homework located in the student s binder. Completed homework should be placed in this divider pocket at night to make finding it the next day easier. The Take It Home folder in the binder contains graded papers and notes. It should be emptied every night. The pocket dividers will hold work in progress and papers that will be needed in order to study for quizzes and tests. Papers should not be removed from the divider pockets. If you have a question about papers in your child s binder, please send them in with an attached note. Work Expectations Work completed on notebook paper should be headed with the student s name, number, date, subject, and assignment including the page and problems assigned. Worksheets only require a name and date. All work is to be completed in cursive unless otherwise directed. This excludes math work, charts and tables, graphic organizers, maps and posters. These assignments may be completed in manuscript. Work that was to be completed in cursive but was not will be returned to be redone and counted late. All answers should be written in complete sentences unless otherwise indicated. Work that was to be completed in sentences but was not will be returned to be redone and counted late. Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar matter on assignments. Deducted points (one for each category) will be marked next to GG at the top of the page. These points are deducted from the percentage grade earned on the assignment. For example, if a student earns a 96% on a science assignment, but there were spelling errors, missing punctuation, and incorrect use of verb tenses 3% will be deducted. The final grade is a 93%.
Late Policy All homework is due on the assigned date. 5% will be deducted from the grade earned on the assignment for work not complete on the day due. Work posted as missing on PowerSchool must be turned in by the end of the week it appeared as missing. After that, the grade for the week will remain a zero. Papers turned in without names will be posted on the No Name board. Papers claimed by the end of the day will receive full credit. Papers not claimed by the end of the day will be stored in a file. Students are welcome to ask me to look for missing work in that file. Work in the No Name file will follow the late policy. Power School Parents should check Power School every Sunday night to see if there are any missing assignments. In order to view missing assignments, you must click on each subject listed. Missing work will be recorded on Power School as a zero and indicated with an orange circle with an! inside in the lower corner of the score box. All missing work posted on Power School is due by the end of the week it was posted. Late work and work missing at the end of that week remains a zero and will be marked with a pink circle with clock hands inside. Example: Math p. 106 was due on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The grades for the week of Sept. 9-13 were posted on Sunday, Sept. 15 and math p. 106 was indicated as missing. The student has until Friday, Sept. 20 to make up the assignment before it remains a zero. Grades are posted on Power School every weekend. Grades for late work turned in after the previous week s assignments have been posted will not be entered into Power School until the following weekend.
Tests and Quizzes One week s notice will be given for all tests. Notice for quizzes will be several days before the quiz. An outline of information that will be covered on tests and quizzes will be provided to students prior to the test/quiz date. However, students are expected to consistently review and study the material being covered in all subjects. This ensures mastery of the material and allows students to clarify information before a test or quiz is announced; waiting to study and review material only when tests and quizzes are announced is not a recommended study technique. Tests and quizzes must be completed in the time allotted. Grading Some work will be graded using an effort scale. ++ 96% + 87% + 80% 72% - 65% Some work will be graded together in class. Work graded by students will contain two marks; a solid red dot indicates a correct answer and an X indicates an incorrect answer. This procedure helps students maintain their focus and promotes accurate checking. If you have a question regarding a grade please send in the paper with a note attached. I will be happy to double-check the paper. Quizzes and tests are weighted more heavily than daily homework. Some assignments and projects will be weighted more heavily than daily homework. Vacation and Absent Work Per St. Mary policy, absent work is not given ahead of time to students who are going on vacation. Absent work is due within the same amount of time as days absent. If you wish absent work to be picked up or sent home with another child, please let me know in the morning so I have ample time to write out the work and gather the materials.
Class Expectation and Procedures The class expectations and procedures should be followed at all times in and out of the classroom. Our Classroom Rules Do not speak while other people are speaking. Listen attentively. Work quietly. Control your body, voice, and actions. Implementation of consequences depends upon the severity and frequency of the action. Consequences include but are not limited to a change of the student s conduct card, completion of an OOPS sheet, a change of seat, removal from the group, writing a letter home, or the loss of a privilege. Conduct grades (A, B, C, D, F) will be marked daily in the student planner. These grades will be used to determine the conduct grade on the report card. Water Bottles Water bottles containing only unflavored water are acceptable. Students who forget their water bottle will not be allowed to call home. Birthday Treats Your child is welcome to bring in birthday treats for our class. Please let me know at least a day before you plan to send in a treat. Simple treats like cookies or cupcakes without drinks fit into our busy day well! Please do not send party invitations to school to be passed out unless there is an invitation for every child in the class.