WAIKOLOAELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GRADE 4

Mr. Matsunaga,I-203

July 31, 2013

Homework Policy

Each child will record homework responsibilities everyday in his/her personal daily planner, which should be brought to school and home daily. We are asking that parents sign it daily in the appropriate column to ensure that your child is meeting homework requirements.

***Unfinished work for the week will be highlighted. Highlighted work is to be completed over the weekend and due on the following Monday. **

** Reading- I strongly encourage children to read something of their choice daily. For homework requirement purposes, reading is assigned daily for 20 minutes. Selected reading materials should be at his/her reading level. A parent signature and title of the reading materialin your child’s planner indicates that the reading was completed.

** Spelling- The word list will be taped in planners on Mondays for your child to study during the week for Friday Spelling Tests. Studying can be done in written form, recitation, and chunking and/or innovative stories/tricks, depending on what is most effective for your child. On Mondays I will assign a spelling practice as homework that is due the next day.

** Science- Homework for science will be once a week and is a follow up or extension of the science concept being studied in class.

** Current Events- Once a week your child will need to look through an assigner article for the week. WRITE a short summary in complete sentences and be prepared to come on Thursdays to discuss it. Include the: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY information about the event.

** Math- Math homework will depend on the delivery of instruction in the classroom for that week. This homework will be review, reinforcement and practice of the lesson/topic that was practiced in class.

A sample weekly homework schedule might look like this:

Monday night: Spelling words, spelling worksheet, reading, spelling practice

Tuesday night: math worksheets, journal, reading, study spelling

Wednesday night: current event, science worksheet, reading, study spelling

Thursday night: planner fun, reading, study spelling

Friday /Saturday/Sunday nights: reading all 3 days

There may be occasional changes or additions.

Sloppy work will be returned to be re-done.

No late work.

WAIKOLOAELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GRADE 4

Mr. Matsunaga, I-203

Basic Information

July 31, 2013

Tutoring:

Starting Monday 8/19 I offer free tutoring to my students every Monday and Thursday unless something comes up. This typically goes until 3:00 pm. This is for EXTRA HOMEWORK SUPPORT only and is not an intervention based tutoring. Please remember I am offering this out of my own time for my students only.

Absences:

Please send a note in the event of your child’s absence. Missed work will be set aside upon request.

Tardiness:

Please check in with the office first and then report to class with a pink tardy slip. Help your child be in the classroom by 8:00 A.M. SHARP!! Teachers are required to report 10 or more tardies/unexcused absences.

School Lunch:

Your child has a lunch account. Deposits can be made at the school office in the MORNINGS only.

Snacks:

We will set aside about 5-10 minutes for students to have a healthy snack in the morning. Please bring healthy, simple and easy to eat food. Because we usually have warm weather, please make sure your child always has a fresh water bottle in school.

School Supplies:

If your child has not brought in all of his/her supplies, please do so as soon as possible. The students have a school supply checklist in class to track what they have already brought to class and what they will need to bring.

Textbooks:

Your child has 4 hard cover books and 2 soft cover books. The Trophies, Your Health, Hawaiians of Old and Harcourt Science need to be covered. These books may be taken home, if needed, but will be needed in class daily. Please be sure that all of the HARD COVER books get covered with brown paper bags, book covers, and fabric or wrapping paper. Label each one with the TITLE of the book, your CHILD’S NAME, GRADE 4 and I-203. This protects the book and eliminates the problem of lost books or books taken accidently by someone else. PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN PERMANENT MARKER ON THE FABRIC BOOK COVERS, they bleed through and it stains the book.

Resource classes and other Special Teachers:

Resource classes are led by special teachers who focus on a specific area of learning. Our class resource schedule is as follows:

  • Computer class with Mr. Dennis
  • PE with Ms. Cabutaje
  • Hawaiian Studies: with Lani (Makua) Opunui
  • Library: with Ms. Henneke

Book Buddies: with Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Raebold & Mr. Blackburn’s 1st graders (15-20 min)

Please note that PE clothing and shoes need to be worn on PE DAYS.

About Me:

Here is a little something about me. I was born and raised on Oahu and attended college in Manoa & Hilo. I taught Health Education for 5 years with KalihiPalamaHealthCenter and in 2008 taught English in Budapest, Hungary for one year. This is my second year of teaching 4th grade at Waikoloa Elementary I am looking forward to getting to know your child and you this school year. I hope your child is just as enthusiastic as me about learning all there is to know in 4th grade and more.

Phone Calls:

Please be sure to arrange with your child the night before or in the morning where they are to go after school. If there are any last minute changes please wait to call during non-instructional times (10:05-10:20 a.m.; 11:30-12:00 p.m. or 1:50-2:05 p.m.). This minimizes interruptions and allows your child to benefit from a full education. The phone is for emergencies only.

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please:

  1. Come to I-203 to see me (during non instructional hours)
  2. Call 883-6808, ext 266
  3. Email me at:
  4. Send a note with your child or write to me in your child’s daily planner.

Additional Procedures

1.BATHROOM/WATER BREAKS

Students should try to refrain from bathroom/water breaks during discussions, openings, or closings. Work time is when all students should try to arrange their breaks. To avoid playing in the bathroom area, only one boy and one girl per bathroom pass. Students need to ask permission (during work time) however they must:

a. Sign out with name and time in “Bathroom Log”

b. Quietly exit class

c. Upon students return to class they should

d. Sign back in

  1. PENCILS/PENCIL SHARPENING
  • No mechanical pencils in my class. They are a constant distraction and will be sent home with the student.
  • Students should start the day with at least 2 sharpened pencils hand-held sharpeners are allowed to be used in this class.
  • Students need permission to use the pencil sharpener (located on the counter by the sink). However, they may only use it before school, after school, any break time, or during work time.
  • NO sharpening during any talk time (discussions, openings, closing, etc.)

3.ATTENDANCE

Attendance (electronically or on a hard copy) will be completed by 8:05-8:10 at the latest. Send in attendance to office. Any student entering after attendance has been sent must get a tardy pass from the office.

4.STORAGE/PERSONAL ARTICLES

Upon entering the class, the student should empty their bag or all school items needed for the day. Bags will not be hung from the back of chairs (safety issue). Instead all bags will be stored on the shelf located in the back left corner of the room.

Daily: pencils, scissors, rulers, etc. should be kept in respective tool kits (pencil boxes or plastic baggie)

Binder paper, glue, tape is collected for class community usage and stored in cabinet by the sink.

5.THURSDAY ENVELOPE

Every Thursday, students will receive school wide papers, notices, forms to fill out, etc. These will be put into large envelopes and taken home for parents/guardians to read, fill out, discard, etc. Parents/guardians will need to initial the envelope (on the line next to the appropriate date on the label) and have their child return the envelope the next day or as soon as possible.

Students upon retuning envelops to class, will check to see if there are any forms that need to be turned in.

Classroom Consequences

1. Verbal Warning/Name on Board

  1. Check Mark Next To Name/ Recess Detention
  2. 2 Check Marks Next To Name/Teacher Conference & Behavior Plan
  3. Note/Phone call Home to Parents

5.Removal from Class/Activity; Administrative Intervention

SEVERE DISRUPTION: May result in skipping steps and/or immediate removal from the classroom/student sent immediately to the office.

Classroom Rewards

  • Students, who comply by the rules, show improvement, consistently are a good model to others and demonstrate other various positive behaviors receive:
  • Praise
  • Positive notes home
  • Points for their team
  • VIP time with teacher
  • Other privileges
  • Please see classroom website for other various reward programs

Student Signature______

Parent Signature ______

OTHER PROCEEDURES

Morning Routine

  • Empty bag of all school items needed for the day
  • Remove and put jacket on community table
  • Store back pack
  • Make sure you have two sharpened pencils
  • Put your name in the “In Class Pocket” to show that your present
  • Put your name in the “Home lunch or School lunch” pockets
    (be sure to tell the lunch monitor if your having salad)

Give Me Five

1)Eyes on the speaker

2) Quite

3) Be still

4) Hands free (put things down)

5) Listen

3 H Line Up

Always walk in single file.

3H’s – Heads, Hands, Hush

Head forward.

Hands by your side

Hush! No talking or make noise.

  • Walk carefully.
  • Be aware of personal space, leave at least one empty floor tile between you and the others around you.
  • Touch every step when going up or down the stairs, walk on the right side, no jumping or running.

What to do if you finish early

  • Always double check your work
  • Silently complete other assignments that are not done yet
  • Be a community contributor
  • Help (not give answers) a struggling classmate
  • Work on homework
  • Read your classroom book
  • Organize your folder
  • Study your multiplication facts
  • Practice your spelling
  • Create a work of art
  • Suggest a project to Mr. M
  • Put things away