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!!
- Behavior chart to be signed
- Return all necessary paperwork for school
- Please bring in $5.00 for planner
- Complete "Student Inventory"
- 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 13th, 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 4th
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.
4th
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.
