4 th Grade Curriculum Night

1. 4th Grade Curriculum Night Presented by: Miss Berg Cerritos, A Leadership Academy You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes, You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss

2. Before I forget…. • We are still in need of a: • Fall Party volunteer • End of the Year Party volunteer, • A classroom photographer • PTO classroom representative • Yellowpapers are for questions. • There is a piece of paper on your child’s desk that you can write a note to them for tomorrow morning.

3. Meet Miss Berg • Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Northern Arizona University • I was a Kyrene Kid. I attended Cerritos and Altadena. • When I am not at school, I love read, play with my dog, bake, and spend time with my family and friends.

4. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… • Birthdays: No birthday treats please, or invitations at school. • Dress Code: District Handbook • Snacks: Limit to one snack please. Students can bring water into the classroom, but please stick with water (even for snack). • Transportation Changes: Please call the office, if the change needs to be made during the school day. • Lunch Money: Pay online or send money in an envelope to school. Lunches are $2.50.

5. Classroom Schedule • Lunch will be daily from 10:20-11:00. We have recess from 10:20-10:40, and eat from 10:40-11:00. • Uninterrupted Times are: Math: 8:00-9:30 (M,T,TH,F) 8:00-9:00 (W) Language Arts: 12:30-2:20 (M, T, TH, F) 11:30-12:30 (W) • Our Class Schedule is as follows: Monday: Computer Lab Tuesday: Music with Mrs. McLeve Wednesday: Library with Mrs. Nordahl Thursday: PE with Mrs. Martin Friday: Art with Ms. Rogers

6. Classroom Management • Positive Reinforcement will be used on a daily basis. • Working towards goals • Proactive Points (table points) • 7 Habits language and leadership will be used • Everyone is a leader in something! • Guiding the children to feel and be successful!

7. Contacting Miss Berg • By phone: (480) 541-2364 • Email: kberg@kyrene.org • Weekly Newsletter/Note through email and webpage on Friday • Class Website

8. Reflecting and Communicating • Check your child’s planner and binder every night. Please sign their planner, because they can earn table points each day their whole table has it signed. • In their binder will be a daily/weekly reflection paper that students will fill out. • They will reflect on their day, whether it be good or bad, and they may choose to discuss this with you at home.

9. Book Orders • Book Orders will go home at least once a month, but the books can be looked at online at any time. • All orders will be placed online, and please use M9NNF as a passcode, so that our class can get bonus points for free books. • Any books that you order will be delivered to school, and I will pass them out • Any books ordered online, and purchased through our class code, gives our class points, and I can purchase books for our class.

10. Reading • We will be working to create a balanced literacy environment. • We will use Harcourt Trophies as our main focus in curriculum, this includes books for all learners. • We will also be focusing on all genres of literature, and comprehension of the different genres. • Independent work will include: literature response journals, publishing writing, grammar activities, S.Q.U.I.R.T., spelling, and vocabulary activities. • Group work will include: Paired reading, reading groups, cooperative learning. • Points for Pages: Students will read books of a specific genre each month and respond to literature questions. This directly ties in with the new Common Core Standards

11. Writing • Grammar – Students will have daily practice in applying their knowledge of language skills. • Writer’s Notebooks –This is a place for students to do some personal writing, write poetry, create lists, etc.. This is a place for seed ideas, connections, and crafting techniques. • Writing Everywhere: Writing will not just be done during writing time, but all of the time. We will work on different writing concepts and genres, and we will focus on writing skills through the common core standards. • Conventions Tests- Students will take a weekly conventions test on Wednesdays using their spelling words, and different grammar skills.

12. Conventions/Spelling • Dictation sentences will be given for spelling. • Spelling words will be taken from the Harcourt series and our weekly stories. • Basic sight words will also be used in the sentences, and students will be expected to use them properly. • Old spelling words will be used the future weeks to help promote learning and not memorizing. • This practice will be used because it relates to the 4th grade writing standards.

13. The Power of Math • Scott Foresman is lesson based, and encourages critical thinking. • Investigations will be used to reinforce and guide math concepts. • Math facts are critical!!! (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) Please encourage practice! • We will be discussing all areas of the fourth grade common core standards place value, number theory, number connections, long division, problem solving, multi-step multiplication, geometry, algebraic concepts, fractions, etc.

14. Science, Social Studies, and Technology • Science concepts: Scientific Method, Water and Weather Cycle, Electricity, Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources, and Animal Classification and Adaptation. • Social Studies concepts: ARIZONA! • Technology: PowerPoint, Frames, SHARE, Pixie, Google, Microsoft Word, PBL (Project Based Learning) units, SMART Board, applied for iPads for the classroom and should know in September if we will get them 

15. Homework • Homework will be assigned nightly, or there will be something for the students to work on nightly. • Read nightly for 20-30 minutes (some nights may be more). • The homework must be turned in the next morning, and I will check for completion, and then we will go over it as a class. • Homework will not count as a part of a “grade,” but will be reflected on the behavior section of their report card. • The students will write the homework in their agendas each night, and the agendas need to be checked/signed each night. • Studentsare responsible for completing their homework. It is not intended to be homework for you.

16. What Does the Data Say? • Each student in the class will have a data passport, and reflect in their passport on a daily/weekly basis. • SMART Goals will be created by the students to achieve • We will be making weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals. • There will be academic goals, as well as personal goals. • Fall and Spring Conferences will be student led, and this is a time where you will get to see your child’s progress and data.

17. The Year of Letter Grades • Letter grades will be assigned this year for each subject, and each subject will also include a behavior grade (P, D, AC) • Grades will be updated on the Parent Portal on the Kyrene Website. The students will also have access to their grades, so that they can be responsible to look. When you go on the website, you can get a code from our technology department. I do not have those for you, nor does Cerritos. • Grades will be updated on a regular basis, and I would recommend checking your child’s grades on Monday, but I do update throughout the week, especially after an assessment.

18. A Little Classroom Housekeeping • Don’t forget to sign up for Listserv • Please email me with any emails that you would like to receive classroom information with (if you haven’t done so yet). • A copy of this presentation will be sent out via email, so that you can read it, or share it with someone that may not have been able to make it, and shared on our class website. • Add the nurse’s phone number and the front office to your phones, so you have them all of the time. Office-541-2200 Nurse- 541-2220

19. Thank you for Attending! Always stay positive!