Agenda – August 13, 2013

1. Agenda – August 13, 2013 Welcome to 4th Grade!!! Please come in and sharpen a pencil. You have a puzzle to work on your desk to work on until the bell rings!!

2. Welcome to Fourth Grade Curriculum Night!

3. Information from Administration • Car Rider Procedures at http://www.cobbk12.org/MtView/ • Morning drop off/car pool line begins at 7:20. • Late afternoon check out needs to occur prior to 2:00. From 2:00-2:30, our front office is very busy with dismissal. • Attendance Policy • Bus Lot/Fire Lane • Transportation Changes • Mandated Reporter Law • Buzz In System

4. Morning Routine 7:20-8:10 • Students take care of their morning responsibilities • Communication folders and Agendas are checked. Please be sure to check both of these each night at home • The agenda must be initialed each night • Morning Work • Announcements • Attendance

5. Daily Schedule • 7:20-8:00 Morning Responsibilities • 8:15-9:45 Math • 9:30 Snack • 9:45-10:25 Specials • 10:30-11:18 Writing/LA • 11:18-11:48 Lunch • 11:48-12:03 Recess • 12:03-1:00 Reading • 1:00-1:30 Social Studies • 1:30-2:10 Science • 2:10-2:15 Prepare for dismissal • 2:15 Dismissal

6. Behavior Management • We are striving for your child to become an independent learner and to take responsibility for their actions. • We have a behavior log that we will use. • We will continue to use the school wide behavior system of “Give Me Five.”

7. Behavior Management

8. Math • Areas of Study: Place Value, Multiplication, Division, Fractions, and Decimals • Type of Instruction: Whole Group, Small Group, Learning Stations, Individualized Instruction, Partners, and Differentiation • IXL will still be in use this year. • Daily homework will be assigned, please practice math with your child. • Interactive Math Journals will be used in class. • Common Core Math Standards

9. Reading and Language Arts • Focus lessons, mini-lessons and wrap ups using teacher modeling texts that model strategies and promote understanding. • Novel Studies – Independent and Guided • Small groups with independent learning contracts. Acceleration options. • Core Books to incorporate Science and Social Studies: Fiction, Non-fiction, Historical Fiction • Reading: 20 minutes each night. Weekly Responses. • Book Reports • Spelling: Words Their Way/High Priority and Core Words • Grammar – Daily with weekly quizzes

10. Reading Response Journal • “Hooked on Books”- Journals and Bookmarks • The following must be done weekly for homework and will be checked each Monday: • Your child must read nightly and choose two nights a week to complete a journal entry in their “Hooked on Books” journal. They need to choose a variety of entries (they cannot choose the same entry each time)! • Please review their entry with them and initial the entry. • Students are required to read between 5-6 books on their reading level each nine week period. 1 book= 40,000 words • Each book must have a minimum of two complete entries in your child’s “Hooked on Books” journal to qualify for a bookmark, which are completed at home and initialed by a parent.

11. Writing • Good Habits, Great Readers Writing: Celebration Press and GA DOE standards/resources. • Thinking Maps to organize ideas • Types of writing: Narrative, Descriptive, Informational and Opinion based writing. • Steps of the Writing Process: Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing and Publishing • Book Reports and Journals • Write across curriculum • EOY mock 4th grade writing assessment.

12. Social Studies • Text: Houghton Mifflin http://www.eduplace.com/eservices Login: cobbstudent4 Password: password • Instruction delivered through reading of text, workbook, independent projects, quizzes, technology, tests, etc. • Areas of Instruction: Map and Globe Skills, Economics, The First Americans, Explorers, Colonization, The American Revolution, Westward Expansion, The New Nation, The Civil War and Reconstruction. • Spring - American Revolution Play

13. Science • Text: Harcourt • Online text information: • www.thinkcentral.com Login: sciencestudent4 Password: education • Instruction delivered through reading of text, workbook, investigations, classroom projects, field trips, technology, quizzes, tests, etc. • Areas of Instruction: Water and Weather, Sound and Light, Force and Motion, Simple Machines, Ecosystems and Adaptations, Space and Planets • Interactive Science Journals will be used in class.

14. Assessments • Class Participation • Projects, including classroom Writing, S.S., Science, Research, Group Projects, Independent Projects and home assignments. Rubrics provided • Performance-based Assessments • Tests and quizzes: Study guides will be given in advance tests only. • DRA: Development Reading Assessment • SRI: Scholastic Reading Inventory: Matches reading material to the comprehension level and interest level of a child. • STAR: helps determine reading proximity level

15. Field Trips • Fire Safety Village • Cobb County Youth Museum (February –Rev. War) • In-house: Force and Motion/Sound and Light-(Dec.) • Looking in to a big field trip • Others: TBD

16. Homework and Daily Preparedness • Given nightly, except on weekends • Spelling tests on Friday with dictation • Projects will be announced with ample time to complete and will be accompanied by a rubric • **If assignments are not turned in on time they will be completed in study hall during recess and their behavior chart will be marked. • Be sure your child is prepared each day by having all of their materials and appropriate paperwork signed. • Any money or important office information must be placed in a closed envelope.

17. Communication • Communication between us is KEY in the success of your child! • Lines of communication in order of preference: • Notes: Please send me a note in your child’s agenda or communication folder. I will respond promptly • Email: alan.aumann@cobbk12.org I will do my best to email you back that same day. • Phone: Call me at school to leave a message. • Remind 101 • I accept constructive criticism as well as praise 

18. Report Card New Report Card Coming! We are implementing an online report card. More information to come. Grading Scale: NOT 1, 2, 3! A = 90%-100% B = 80%- 89% C = 74%- 79% D = 70%- 73% F = 0% - 69%

19. So, what do you have to sign? • Agenda - Nightly Monday through Friday • Agenda is checked daily. • Behavior contract - over the weekend • Behavior Contract will be checked every Monday. Please wait to sign on the weekend. • Reading Journal – Sign nightly, Monday through Friday. • I am asking the children to be responsible and show you all communication and papers that will go home in the Blue Communication folder. Please help them to remember this. All graded work will be in the folder. • If you find any mistakes in the grading or have questions about any grade, please email me and I will get back with you promptly.

20. Questions As I tell your children, “All questions are excellent questions.” Ask away………………………………… ***Please check the wish list on our classroom door. I appreciate any contributions!!!

21. Thank You! Thank you for all you’ve already done and for all that you will continue to do for your child to be successful throughout their fourth grade school year! I appreciate all that you do to support Mountain View! Welcome to 4th Grade!!