4th Grade
Greetings Fourth Grade!
Welcome to our new school year! It is sure to be an exciting and fun-filled adventure. I am looking forward to teaching your child and getting to know your family. My goal is to work with you to help your child reach their full potential spiritually, academically, and socially. I have listed our class schedule and some standard procedures below to try and answer any questions you may have.
Daily Schedule
8:00 – 8:15 Students arrive
8:15 – 8:30 Opening activities-Morning prayer, Pledge, Daily Geography
8:30 – 10:15 Language Arts- Reading, Spelling, Phonics, Handwriting
10:15 – 10:30 Recess
10:30 – 12:00 Language Arts continued
12:00 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 12:45 Novel Reading
12:45 – 1:25 Math
1:25 – 2:05 Science
2:05 – 2:35 Social Studies
2:35 – 2:45 Afternoon prayer, pack up for dismissal
This is only a general outline of our day due to the special classes that are added each week. Friday morning Masses will be followed by Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium time. We will have P.E. on Monday and Wednesdays from 8:30 to 9:15 and P.E. uniforms are to be worn on those days. Technology will be on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 9:30 with Coding class Wednesday from 10:30-11:00. Music instruction will be on Thursdays from 9:15 to 10:15. Art class will be on Friday afternoons from 2:00-2:45PM.
Procedures
Arrival- The classroom will be open at 8:00 AM each morning. Please be sure to get
your child to school on time to avoid disrupting the morning activities which begin promptly at 8:15 AM
Absences- A parent/guardian is required to call the school office to report a child’s absence. The student must bring in a note from a doctor that includes the date(s) and reason for the absence on the day they return to school. Any missed work will be saved and your child will be given two days to complete and return the work for each day absent.
Early Dismissal- If a situation arises that requires your child to leave campus during the
school day, a written note must be sent in the day prior to the early dismissal.
Discipline- By following simple rules of courtesy and active participation in classroom
activities, students will have many opportunities to earn rewards and merits
individually, as a member of a team, and as a whole class. Inappropriate behavior will earn a missed recess and a parent notification form that must be signed by a parent and returned. Examples of behaviors that will result in these actions are excessive talking, horseplay, or missing homework assignments. Students will understand why they have been given a notification and will be able to discuss the situation with you at home. I can assure you that we focus on positive behaviors and learning experiences.
Homework- Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday. An assignment
notebook will be filled out each day with the assignments and any notes or
reminders for the week. This information will also be posted on the school website each day. Homework is always used to reinforce a skill taught in class that day and will have been fully explained when assigned. Some homework assignments will be graded individually, but all homework is used in the homework participation grade. Fifteen minutes of nightly reading is also required. I hope it will promote discussion about what your child is reading. This reading should be fun, so they may read absolutely anything that interests them, and you are welcome to partner read with them if you choose. Homework, which includes daily reading, is not optional and any missing assignments will earn a missed recess and a parent notification form.
Math Fact Fluency- This year students are required to practice a minimum of three times a week at home on Freckle Math Facts. We will also have additional time in class to practice these necessary skills.
Extra Credit- Throughout the year there will be opportunities for extra credit. There are several activities including the annual Science Fair, a Nevada History Project, and periodic Family Religion activities. These are all optional activities offered to enhance and personalize the subjects being taught in class. Additionally, students may earn ½ credit for corrected test items in Math and corrected essays on tests if they earned a failing grade.
Friday Folder- A folder containing graded work and other papers completed by your
child will be sent home on Friday each week to keep you informed of weekly
progress. Any grades below 70 must be signed by a parent and returned.
Partial credit will be given on corrected items from tests with failing grades if
they are returned the following Monday. All other work is for you to keep.
Student of the Week- Each week we will honor a student by having them complete the
Star Student bulletin board. Your child will be notified a week in advance and
given an information sheet to be filled out and returned. Pictures of your child
may be used to enhance the display as well as photos of family, pets, and favorite
activities. All photos will be returned to your child the following week.
Birthdays- If you wish to send in a special treat for your child’s birthday, please feel free
to do so, however all treats or trinkets must be individually wrapped. The birthday child may also wear free dress except on Friday, in which case they may select Thursday or Monday. Students with summer birthdays will choose a day in May for their celebration. If you would like to distribute birthday party invitations in the classroom, please remember that invitations must be given to the entire class, or to all the girls or all the boys. Thank you for helping make all our children feel included.
Book Clubs- As a method of encouraging students to read more, I will make several
book club order forms available each month. These are offered only as a convenience, so there is never an obligation to purchase anything. If you choose to order books, checks should be written directly to the book club or you can order online with our classroom code GT7VY. There is an excellent selection to choose from and most of the books are modestly priced which allows you and your child to select a few each month to build up their personal library. Reading and rereading favorite stories with your child is one of the most beneficial activities you can enjoy with them. It helps increase their abilities and performance in all other areas.
Conferences- If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office or
email me at [email protected] to set up an appointment.
I will be happy to meet with you any time.
We will continue working on organizational skills this year to help all our students stay on track with scheduled projects, homework, and tests. The homework assignment book must be filled out each day to help your child check that all their school work is completed. These skills will serve them well throughout their lives if we work to teach them good organizational techniques now.
Finally, our main class service project is to support the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. Our monthly Mission Money donations will be collected for this deserving organization throughout the year, but we like to start the year off with a drive to help these young people who have no one else to turn to. This year they are asking for fast food gift cards. NPHY has volunteers go out into the community and hand out these items to homeless children in need. We will collect all donations until Friday, September 8, when a representative of the NPHY will visit our class and pick up the donations. Any donation you can make will be greatly appreciated. Our secondary and yearlong service project is collecting ring tabs for Ronald McDonald House. This is an easy project that costs nothing and helps the children realize that all of us working together can make a big difference.
I am anticipating a spectacular year and look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy Tully
