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Caught You Being Good Program

Grover Gazette

Mastery Club Challenges

Tales of a Fourth Grade Me Binders

Students have the opportunity to order books through the Scholastic book company each month.  This is a great opportunity to get quality literature for your child's personal library at a lower cost. If you are ordering from both forms, you may combine the totals and use one check.  Checks should be made payable to Scholastic Books Clubs.

Classroom Celebrations

As we travel through our learning adventure we will have many accomplishments to celebrate.  Students will be allowed to put together Halloween, Christmas, and Valentines celebrations.  We will also need help putting things together to celebrate our successes during ITBS week.  Sign up sheets will be posted during our Back to School Night.  If you are able to help out by providing snacks, etc, please let me know at that time.

Communitcation is a key proriety in my classroom.  You will find our classroom web site loaded with valuable information to keep you up-to-date on the goings on of our room.  I update the site every weekend (sometimes more frequently if we are working on an online project), so you know what you are seeing is current information.  As this is a communication tool, I value any input you have that might help make our site as user friendly and informative as possible. 
On our site you will find newsletters, homework assignments, schedule of events, curriuculm, classroom photos, projects, student writing, our supply list, goals and accomplishments and so much more!  Be sure to bookmark our page and add it to your favorites so you can visit easily and often. (Don't forget to share our address with Grandma and Grandpa so they too can see how the grandkids are doing).

Good communication between home and school is incredibly important to student success.  To make open communication as easy as possible, I have tried to put in place as many tools as I can.  
1)Your child's M.U.S.T.A.N.G binder is the perfect place for those quick notes about changes in routine, for example "John is being picked up at 2:15 for a doctor's appointment." 
I will also jot an occasional note here to alert you to minor issues or upcoming reminders.
2.) Email:  I check my e-mail all throughout the day.  It is a great way to get quick feedback to questions or comments.  Please feel free to use this method to contact me:  my e-mail address is kgrover@independence.k12.ia.us.  I also check my school mail from home.
3.) Phone calls:  I can be reached by phone at 334-7430.  It is difficult for me to take calls during the day.  The best times to call would be between 7:50 - 8:15 a.m and after 3:15 until 4 p.m.  Messages can be left with Mrs. Anderson in the office.

This year we will be taking field trips to Fontana Park and the Black Hawk Children's Theater.  We will also be taking several trips to the West Village Care Center where we will be getting to know the residents and joining them in their monthly BINGO event.  More information about all the fourth grade trips will be sent home closer to each trip.

Pen Pals

Students will be corresponding with another 4th grade classroom in Florida.  Students will be practicing letter writing skill while they learn about another area of our country.  All correspondence will be done via the U.S. mail.  To learn more about this fun opportunity check out our Pen Pals page to see what projects we have been up to.

Each trimester students will set an A.R. goal to work towards with their independent reading.  Goal sheets will be kept in your child's M.U.S.T.A.N.G binder showing the goal and progress being made.  Students will receive recognition at our classroom awards ceremony at the end of each trimester.  You may also view progress on the Reading Honors page of our website.

Accelerated Math

Students will be using the Accelerated Math program again this year.  This math program allows students to work at their own pace, mastering goals and objectives that are based on the individual's math needs.  Our Math Honors page of our website shows each students progress with the number of objectives mastered.

Please feel free to come have lunch with your child. You are also welcome to stop to visit us in the room, but I ask that you send a note prior to the visit. If you do come to see us please remember to sign in at the office and pick up a visitor tag.

Birthdays

Students are welcome to bring a snack to share with the class to celebrate their birthdays. Students with summer birthdays may chose to celebrate their half birthday (6 months after their actual day) or they may wait until May and choose a day before school gets out.  As per the district's health and wellness policy, healthy snack choices would be apprecitated.  I do ask that you try to send either precut or individually packaged treats. Snacks will be shared during our silent reading period to avoid disrupting any instructional time.

When a child is absent, they are responsible for making up the work missed.  Students will find a "While You Were Gone" folder on their desk upon their return to school, which will contain all assignments that were handed out during their absence.  Students will have one day for each day they were gone to make up the work.  For example, Sally missed 3 days of school, she will have 3 days after the day she returned to make up the assignments. 
Much of our classroom work cannot be done at home (experiments, class discussions, buddy work, etc) so it is important for students to have regular attendance.

The Independence School District has adopted the following grading scale for grades 4-12.

 100 - 93% = A
92 - 90% = A-
89 - 87% = B+
86 - 83% = B
82 - 80% = B-
79 - 77% = C+
76 - 73% = C
72 - 70% = C-
69 - 67% = D+
66 - 63% = D
62 - 60% = D-
59 - 0% = F

In addition to the A, B, C scale you will also see the following code on the report card.

M = Met (Student met all requirements to pass the assessment)

NM = Not Met (Student has not mastered all or part of a particular skill and is still working to pass this assessment)

IP = In Progress (Student is working on this skill, but has not been given a formal assessment)

- = This indicates that this particular skill has not been taught during the given term.

Conferences are held twice a year.  Our conference times for this year will be November 19- 20 and March 3 -4.  Confernce times provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to share in the growth students are making.  Students are not required to attend, but I encourage them to come if they are able as it a great time for them to share their insights into their education. 
Due to the tight schedules, I am only able to offer one conference per student.  I will post the lastest schedules on the website.

Report cards are sent out three times each year.  You will receive your child's report card at your confernce in Novemeber and March.  The final report card for the year will be sent home with your student on the last day of school.
Midterm progress reports will be sent home around the middle of each trimester.  These reports will need to be signed and returned to school.

The  link below is from the Family Education website.  This site has a lot to offer parents no matter what age children you may have.  Check out the article below and browse for other helpful articles.
 
Ten Ways You Can Help Your Child Tackle His Homework.  This article found at Familyeducation.com gives some advice on how you can help your child with homework.

Students will be assigned homework.  They are responsible for writing each assignment in their MUSTANG notebook.  Please check the notebook nightly to be certain that all assignments have been taken care of.
Classroom assignments are a student’s responsibility. If a child is unable to complete an assignment in class, it automatically becomes homework that must be completed at home and returned to school the following day. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in assignments WITHOUT reminders. All due dates will be posted. Students are expected to adhere to the dates. Please talk with your son or daughter about the importance of completing assignments on time.

General Homework Guidelines:

1) Students will be expected to read 15 minutes every night. They are to log in the minutes and pages read on their reading logs found in the M.U.S.T.A.N.G notebook.  Parents should inital the calendar each Friday.

2) Students will be given a daily mini math and problem solver to complete each evening with the exception of Thursday night as we will do a mini math quiz in class on Friday.

3) Each Monday students will receive a weekly Daily Geography assignment which will require them to answer two questions each night. (Students may answer more than two each night if they choose.) The assignment is due Friday morning.

4) Students will have a daily language exercise to complete each night.

5) If a student would not complete an assignment during the school day (reading or math assignments, etc.) they will need to be completed as well as the regular assigned homework.

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kgrover@independence.k12.ia

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