Well it certainly was a busy first day of school.  It was wonderful to see all the students again - they sure did grow over that very short break!

Homework - yes, there is homework today!!

1. Behavior chart to be signed
2. Return all necessary paperwork for school 
3. Please bring in $5.00 for planner
4. Complete "Student Inventory"
5. Classroom guidelines to be read with parent/guardian and questions answered at the end. Email Ms. Bennett (msbennettroom32@gmail.com) the answer or comment on this blog post.  A prize will be given (to the student) for all responses received via email or via this blog post.

Classroom Guidelines

Today I'm posting the Classroom Guidelines for you all to read.  Now, please be sure you read them carefully.  I have posted a question at the end of the guidelines.  Please email me the answer to the question (or post it here as a comment) and your child will receive a special prize tomorrow morning :) 

Tuesday, August 13^th, 2013

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Allow me to introduce myself and welcome you and your child to Van Gogh Street Elementary school 4th/5th Grade. My name is Lisa Bennett and I am looking forward to working with you and your child. With your participation in your child’s education, we are all looking forward to a very successful and productive school year.

As you know, your child will be participating in a collaborative teaching rotation that will allow fourth and fifth grade students to receive differentiated instruction and have smaller classes. I will be teaching 5th Grade Math and Language Arts.  Mrs. Haratian will be your 5th grade child’s teacher for all the other subject areas in the afternoon.

This year however, I will also be teaching 4^th Grade students who will be coming from Mrs. Haratian's class to me in the afternoon.  I will be teaching Social Studies, Art, Computer Lab, and will continue to teach 4th grade science twice a week collaborating with Ms. Gee and Mr. Carbajal (4th grade teachers).

I’d like to let you know some of the policies that are adopted in my classroom:

Classroom Management/Behavior Children, in general, respond much more readily to positive reinforcement (praising for good behavior) than they do to negative reinforcement (taking things away, sending them to the principal, etc.). Therefore, I will be using a number of incentive programs to instill a sense of self-esteem in the students when they show responsible and appropriate behaviors throughout the day. These incentives will include stickers, being responsible as a class leader, teacher’s helper, time on the computer (using educational related programs or web sites) and a points system allowing them to choose small gifts once they have attained a previously determined number of points. I will also be using a “color change” system of positive reinforcement some of you are familiar with from previous teachers. A student begins each morning with a green mark next to his/her name. If he/she breaks any of the class rules, (listed on the Behavior Chart and attached to this document), his/her color will change – first to yellow, then to orange then to red. Inside your son’s/daughter’s homework folder, you will see a Behavior Chart. At the end of each day with me, the students are responsible for marking his/her chart to indicate any color changes, as well as the reason for the change (indicated by the number of the rule). In this manner, you will be aware on a daily basis, of your child’s classroom behavior. Each Monday, if a student has received no more than one color change for the entire previous week, he/she will be rewarded with a choice of a small prize.

It is my experience that additional support from home, in the manner of positive reinforcement or logical consequences based on your child’s daily behavior, will also go a long way towards maintaining positive behavior in the classroom. Your signature on the Behavior Chart is part of your child’s daily homework requirement in my class. However, students who continue to demonstrate inappropriate behavior may have computer time removed, a note sent home or a phone call to the parent with the student present, so that you can speak to him/her immediately.

Attendance/Punctuality

Attendance and punctuality is extremely important for the educational successes of your child. I hope that your child will be one of the many to receive a perfect attendance award at the end of the school year.  However, if your child is absent, please make sure he or she brings a note to school the next day. The first bell rings at 7:56 a.m. and all students should be in line on the yard; the 2nd bell rings at 8:01. If your child arrives later than the 2nd bell, it will be marked down as “tardy” on their record. In order for your  child to receive maximum instructional benefits, being on time will be one of the keys to their success.

Curriculum

We will be using the District-mandated California Treasures program for Language Arts with a focus on comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and writing.

Math curriculum utilizes the Envision program (which incorporates an online component) and continues from third and fourth grade and includes all basic operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. We will also be emphasizing problem solving and mathematical reasoning.

4^th Grade Science

The curriculum is organized into three units of study:- Earth science will be taught by Ms Gee, and will focus on rocks, minerals and landforms;

I will be teaching Physical science, and we will be investigating electricity and magnetism; finally Life science, will be taught by Mr. Carbajal.  Students will be conducting investigations related to photosynthesis, food webs and food chains.

Grading

Daily assignments are graded based on neatness, organization, accuracy, and completion. A rubric system of 4, 3, 2, and 1 is used school wide to monitor the student’s progress in meeting grade level standards. Projects and reports are graded using the rubric system. Tests and quizzes are graded with percentages and averaged into the student’s final grade.

Homework

Students will receive “daily planners” in which they will be required to write down each night’s homework. They will be responsible for completing the homework each night and returning it the next day, unless otherwise indicated. For the most part, homework should be done with limited assistance from the parents. The homework assignments are generally review lessons (except for weekly spelling words) so very little help should be required. 5th grade students are expected to do approximately 50 minutes of homework each night. If your child is having difficulty or takes longer than expected, please let me know. If I feel that extra assistance is required on certain projects, I will make a note of it in the student’s planner.

In addition to my guidelines listed in this letter, please refer to the Van Gogh Discipline code and Family Handbook for school rules, attendance and punctuality policies.

Please review this classroom plan with you child and sign and return the form below.

Please remember I am always available to discuss any questions or comments you may have during the school year. I can usually be reached after school at (818) 360-2141. If you would prefer to email me, I can be reached at msbennettroom32@gmail.com

I look forward to working with you and your child this year.  See you at Back To School Night.

Regards,

Ms. Bennett

Tuesday's Question:

1. Where did Ms. Bennett go on vacation over the summer break?

2. Which teacher will be teaching 4th Grade EARTH science this year?

If you are unable to leave a "comment" at the end of this blog, PLEASE email me the answers.