Fourth Grade Syllabus—2016-2017
Ms. Mathes
Email address:
I. Welcome—I am looking forward to a great year with your child!
A. E-mail – I check my e-mail once each day at the beginning of my planning hour.
B. Conference Times—I will be happy to visit with you during my plan time, which is from 12:35 – 1:15, and before or after school.(Please give me at least one day’s notice for meetings before or after school).
C. I want to help your child be the best that he or she can be when it comes to doing daily work, test-taking, interacting with others, learning to use time wisely, and learning organizational skills. My goal is to help your child succeed this year in fourth grade.
D. Miscellaneous—Please label all coats and loose items brought to school. Also, the phone is to be used by students for emergencies only. Beforehand, please try to work out what the child is to do at the end of the day: for example, ride the bus, wait to be picked up, or go home with a friend. Cell phones are to be turned off and put away during school hours.
II. Daily Work and Tests
A. Since our reading classes require oral and silent reading as homework, our daily work is given plenty of time to be finished in class if your student uses the time allowed. Most of the time, the only homework will be the oral/silent reading. The little book should be brought home in a blue folder with an assignment sheet inside listing that day’s reading assignment which your student copies from the board.
Other daily work in social studies and science will usually be given plenty of time to be done in class but may have occasional homework. Many times our assignments may continue for more than one day with the work to be accomplished in class.
B. Late Grade Policy: Papers not turned in on the due date will be given a “zero” and a Zero Note will be filled out by the student. Your student will bring it home to get your signature. If it is turned in at a later time, twenty (20) points will be deducted from the grade.
C. Redo Work Policy: Any daily assignment can be redone during Encore (Recess time M,T,Th,F is 11:35 – 11:55 and Wednesday is 11:25-11:45) for a possible 80%. It is your child’s responsibility to ask for a copy of the assignment. If a child or a parent wants a low grade paper redone, it is the student’s responsibility to ask for a second paper which will be similar in content material. This paper must also be done during Encore. Both grades will be averaged together for the final grade. Redo work cannot be turned in later than two weeks before the end of a 9-week period. These dates are as follows:
1st 9 weeks – October 4, 2016
2nd 9 weeks – December 2, 2016
3rd 9 weeks – February 24, 2017
4th 9 weeks – May 4, 2017
D. Computer Lab: Every week your student will be asked to complete computer lessons with an accompanying test for daily grades. These grades will be in Reading, Science, and Social Studies.
III. Reading
A. Accelerated Reader Points: Your student will be required to read additional books and take an Accelerated Reader (A.R.) Test for each book read during the nine weeks. At least one book must be nonfiction. The student must fill out a book report form on any nonfiction book he/she reads and get the form edited and approved by me before taking the computer test. Only three nonfiction books are permitted during any nine week period until all the required A.R. points are earned. After these required points are earned, your student may read any book on any level desired.
Since the first nine weeks is short, we have reduced the point amount required for this period to twelve (12) points. The second and third nine weeks require fifteen (15) points each. The last 9-week period requires twelve (12) points. Additional help to achieve these points are described under Reading Homework. These points are due by the following schedule:
First nine weeks October 13, 2016
Second nine weeks December 15, 2016
Third nine weeks March 3, 2017
Fourth nine weeks May 10, 2017
If your student would like to earn an afternoon end-of-the-year skating party, sixteen (16) extra points for a total of seventy (70) points may be earned at anytime throughout the year as long as all points are earned by May 3, 2017.
Each A.R. test point earned approximately equals 6-7 points on a 100 point grading scale, and these grades will count for four (4) TEST grades each nine week period. Even if seventy points are earned the first nine weeks, the student is still required to get the number of A.R. points for each nine weeks because the four test scores are a result of these reading points.
The STAR reading test will be given three (3) times to determine the reading level of the student. I will give each student a bookmark with their current reading level on it. In order for your student to earn A.R. points toward the nine week requirement, no book with a reading level lower than the lowest reading level circled in red on the bookmark, may be read and tested over. If the bookmark is lost, it is the student’s responsibility to make a replacement. You may find out about a book’s reading level and points by going to www.arbookfind.com.
B. Homework: Your child will be asked to read a little book three different nights for every story which is read in the Storytown textbook. The next day a computer test will be taken over this book. I will average the three little book test grades for a grade in my grade book each week. If your student makes a “60,” “80,” or “100” on these little book tests, A.R. points of “.3,” “.4,” or “.5” may be earned. These A.R. Points accumulate towards the A.R. Points required each nine weeks upon which the four test scores are based.
These little books contain all the new vocabulary word and concepts taught in the textbook story and should be read three times each evening in order to score well on the next day’s A.R. test. The first time should always be read orally to an adult in order to ensure that all words are read correctly and understood. The other two times can be read silently by the student or once by the student and then once again orally.
C. Bonus Points: Each week your student will be memorizing a quote that corresponds to some content area in reading. The quote will be written in cursive one time each day at the beginning of reading class. During that time these cursive handwriting skills are being honed. Your child should begin memorizing the quote to be reproduced on a blank half page manuscript paper at the beginning of each story’s test. Your student can earn up to five Bonus Points if the quote is reproduced accurately. These Bonus Points will be added to the final score for the completed test grade. Each quote will be saved and compiled making a book your student will receive at the end of the year.
IV. Social Studies: We are very excited to have new manipulatives and projects to teach regions, states and capitals, explorers, Native American tribes, landforms, and national monuments. They will be tested over this material. Study guides will be sent home before the tests are given. Students are expected to learn each of the fifty states and their corresponding capitals with appropriate capitalization and spelling. We will be making memory cards that can be played with the family just like the Memory games. This will be an invaluable fun and school reinforceable home activity.
V. Science: Our new textbooks are also our workbooks. We will use it as a reference source and for our hands on activities. Any work that is assigned during class and not turned in that day will be due the next day unless otherwise stated. If a student loses this textbook/workbook during the year, the cost to replace it is $61.60.
VI. Wednesday Folders-Red
We send home the red weekly folder with the graded papers. This is an effort to keep you informed about your child’s progress. Please sign on the appropriate space and help your child remember to return the folder on Thursday to receive a coupon to put into the hopper for the bicycle drawing.
VII. Encore
If your child’s average in any subject is 64 or below, they will be assigned MANDATORY ENCORE. You will receive a letter informing you of their grade in that particular subject. Mandatory encore is during recess time and they will be required to report on time and be prepared to work. Mandatory encore is assigned a week at a time and created to give each student additional help to raise their grade point average.****If your child needs extra help, they are welcome to come in at recess and get it!****
VIII. RULES of Behavior:
1. Listen when others are talking.
2. Raise your hand when wishing to talk.
3. Listen and ask any question that will help you to understand and follow all directions.
4. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
5. Show respect for school and other student’s personal property.
6. Work and play in a safe manner.
7. Treat other people the way you want them to treat you.
IX. DAILY CLASS SCHEDULE
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
8:05-9:05 Opening exercises and Reading/Mathes
9:10-10:05 Math/Everett
10:10-11:10 English/Coffey
11:10-11:35 Lunch
11:35-11:55 Recess
12:00-12:30 Social Studies
12:30-1:00 Music
1:00-1:30 P.E.
1:30-2:00 Social Studies
2:00-3:10 Science
3:10 Dismiss
Wednesday
8:05-9:00 Opening Exercises and Reading/Mathes
9:05-10:10 Math/Everett
10:05-11:00 English/Coffey
11:00-11:25 Lunch
11:25-11:45 Recess
11:50-12:20 Social Studies
12:20-12:50 Music
12:50-1:20 P.E.
1:20-1:45 Social Studies
1:45-2:45 Science
2:45-3:10 D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read)
3:10 Dismiss
TUTTLE INTERMEDIATE CREED
I am a bright and unique member of the Tuttle Intermediate Family.
I am here to be the best that I can be.
I am responsible for my own destiny by the choices I make.
I do not have the right to interfere with the learning and well being of others.
I have wisely learned from the mistakes of yesterday and will concentrate on creating the successes of my future.
Today I will work diligently to achieve my goals through perseverance.
I AM A CAN DO KID! ! !