Welcome to Ms. McCombs’ 4th Grade Class!
Contact Information
Leah McCombs
4th Grade Teacher
Kyrene del Milenio
(480.541.4104
8http://www.kyrene.org/mil
Learn. Laugh. Grow.
(Turn Over)
Welcome to Ms. McCombs’ 4th Grade Class!
Welcome to the 2016 – 2017 school year! I am excited to meet my new families and look forward to a fun year of learning, laughing, and growing together! I will share a lot of information with you in a few weeks at Curriculum night (August 11th at 5:30 p.m., but here are some things you and your child need to know for the first day of school.
Where to line up in the morning:
· We line up on letter Red Letter “L”
· Put your backpacks in a line.
· Go play! J
· When the bell rings, line up where you placed your backpack.
· Remember, 7:39…BE ON TIME
Supply List
*If you must bring something of sentimental value, PLEASE label the item with your child’s name.
Attendance
It is imperative that your child attends school each day and arrives on time since our learning begins when the first bell rings (7:39…BE ON TIME). Much of the learning in our classroom will be done by doing, therefore making it even more vital that students are here to experience and participate in activities and discussions. We will also use many manipulatives. This type of learning will help to increase retention of new information. This type of authentic, hands-on learning can’t be sent home.
Special Area Classes
Monday: Library 7:55 – 8:40
Tuesday: Music 7:55 – 8:40
Wednesday: P.E. 7:55 – 8:40 (Please wear appropriate clothes & shoes)
Thursday: Computer Lab 7:55 – 8:40
Friday: Art 7:55 – 8:40
Snacks and Water Bottles
Each day, time will be set-aside for the students to have a snack. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THEIR OWN SNACK; however, I would greatly appreciate any classroom snack donations to have on hand. Please make good snack choices such as crackers, pretzels, fruit, carrots, trail mix, dry cereal, and raisins. No Candy or Potato Chips will be accepted! Your child can also bring in a water bottle (no colored drinks). Please write your child’s name on the water bottle for safety precautions. Please put the water bottle in a separate pouch from any books or school papers.
Newsletters/Communication
I will be sending home a newsletter about every two weeks. The newsletter is to inform you of what we are working on in the classroom, as well as events going on in our school. I will often communicate via email. Please sign up to be on my email list so we can go paperless.
School mail will be sent home with your child in their red “Take-Home Folder”. You will be expected to empty this nightly and return any returnable papers in the same folder. I will check it each morning and collect any papers etc.
Establishing a strong, positive relationship with students and family is very important to me. I want you to feel comfortable contacting me with any concerns or questions you may have via email, phone, or scheduled meeting. I have listed my contact information at the end of this letter.
Homework
I believe that homework should be used to achieve the following goals:
1. To reinforce concepts taught at school.
2. To teach responsibility.
3. To inform parents about learning experiences at school.
Homework should have meaning and support learning. Homework should not dominate a child or parent’s entire evening, night after night. Students will be writing their homework daily in their agendas. Agendas are to be used to teach organization and planning. It is to remain in a clear pocket protector in their red take-home folder. Students are expected to complete all homework assignments and get a parent signature on their agenda sheet every night. Everything will be returned each day in their red take-home folder. Homework should always include reading at least 30 minutes each night.
Homework for our class will be assigned when it is relevant and needed. It is to be completed and turned in on time, or it will be done during recess. The only exception I will make to this policy is if a student brings a note from their parents stating why the homework was not completed. I understand that things come up and appreciate a quick note letting me know that there was not time to complete an assignment. It will be the responsibility of each child to see that it is completed and returned each day.
If you wish for your child to have more homework than is assigned, please talk to me privately. Homework policies may change based on the needs of the classroom.
Classroom Management Plan
Whole Brain Teaching:
As the year progresses, you may notice that our classroom doesn’t run like other classrooms. We will be learning through Whole Brain Teaching, a research based system that utilizes all areas of the brain, keeps children engaged throughout their lessons, and helps them retain much more information than the standard lecture-discussion model.
Whole Brain Teaching is a highly interactive form of instruction that delivers information to students in short “chunks.” Kids then teach what they have just learned to their partners, using hand-gestures to help remember specific vocabulary. While students teach each other, the teacher walks around the room to discover who understands the lesson and who needs more instruction. Research shows that children retain more information when they have an opportunity to put it into their own words and use gestures to emphasize key instructional units …plus, it’s super fun! We will discuss this in greater detail at Curriculum Night.
Milenio’s Good Character Traits:
The students and I will develop the classroom guidelines in the first few days of school. Each child will be in agreement with these guidelines and will therefore have a commitment to respecting them. The hope is that the guidelines the students come up with will adhere to our school Character of Traits:
Trustworthiness
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Respect
Citizenship
Love and Logic:
In addition to the school’s Character of Traits, my classroom operates under the Love and Logic program which allows students to constantly reflect and monitor their behavior and choices, thus producing logical consequences. The purpose of Love and Logic is to show students that they are responsible for their own choices and teach them how to make logical decisions that contribute to their success.
The Power of “Ubuntu”:
Ubuntu is my class mantra, and it is a word that roughly translates to "I am what I am because of who we all are." It is both a behavioral management and positive leadership model that encourages all students to make respectful, confident, and courageous choices in the classroom and their daily lives. Routinely, students will hear me say, "Ubuntu, your best is my best" while hand-signing "connection", and in return they will also say, "Ubuntu" (choral response), while signing "connection". This is a great reminder and invitation for every student to be a “courageous leader” in the classroom and make positive academic and behavioral choices that will not only support their classmates but also improve their own learning. I work very hard to create a safe learning environment in which all voices are valued. Students are taught to broaden their perspectives by listening, asking questions, and exploring. My students learn that in order to truly understand a person, you must "sit down at the table" with them first. Students are no longer passive recipients of textbook information but courageous leaders who exhibit strong effort, perseverance, and risk-taking abilities.
Communication with the parents is going to be the key in making this system work. A job well done deserves recognition! Your reinforcement for positive behavior is appreciated, as well as consequences for inappropriate choices made at school. Thank you for your support in this manner. I look forward to a fabulous year in 4th grade!
Onward,
Leah McCombs
(Turn Over)