You will receive an update of what is going on in class on a weekly basis on the class web site. The final posting of the class newsletter will be listed on the class web page by 6:30 every Monday afternoon. If there are changes throughout the week, I will make them in an alternate color and date them so you know when they happen. The majority of information, for both you and your children, will be done via the web site rather than in a paper form. Your children are responsible for looking on the site to know what they are to do for homework and other at home issues. I rarely send home paper reminder notes. 

One of the key things I stress is developing how work as a team. This is what this year is all about. For both the students and for me. There are several ways this comes about. The first one is making a great use of cooperative and collaborative groups. Throughout the year, collaborative skills are constantly modeled, practiced, and self-evaluated by the children and by me. The groupings are generated in many form: literature groups, idea circles, or research teams. Students learn how to be accountable to a group and also for their own learning. A second way is by holding community meetings. In these meetings, the whole class talks about what going right or voices any concerns they may have. We use this forum to make major decisions in a safe and pro-active situation. Too, Mrs. Kikuchi, our guidance councilor, comes in on a bi-monthly basis to talk about social issues particular to fourth grade. Finally, I model myself all the things I ask of the students. They see me work cooperatively with other teachers and groups. When I err, which happens more than enough times, they see me own my mistake and and try to figure out how to do things more advantageously the next time. Community outside the classroom is important as well. We have fourth grade and all school gatherings. All the fourth grade is involved in a year long study of Japanese culture, called Bunka, and does a school exchange with a Japanese school- Fuchu Dai Ichi. 4-F is involved in a variety of multi-aged projects with other classes. This year, we will do the third year of a math and logic exchange with Derrel Fincher's sixth grade class.

Student Feedback

What does feedback look like in 4-F? Probably different from what some students have encountered. I believe that each and every child in my class is valuable and worthy. Always. My feedback, however, addresses their actions or work at hand. As expectations are clearly delineated in class, the feedback refers back to those known expectations. Judgment praises like    "Good job. Well done!'  or "You need to try harder." are hardly ever used. Comments like,  "I noticed that you used a different way to get to the answer. Tell me more about that. or You know, the fact that you are not doing your job is not allowing your group to get done and they are getting frustrated." are. The students in class are not expected to be proficient at everything from get go--they are expected to go through a series of approximations towards a known goal. There is a great deal of practice on a skill before grading happens with feedback serving to help the students reach the next level along the continuum. In the beginning, this is a little disconcerting for some students as they are used to the former feedback rather than the latter. Yet, by the end of the year, they own their own learning. Quite a powerful thing for a ten year old to be able to own.  

Evaluation comes in many forms in this class. Your children will learn how to critically evaluate their own work and that of others. As a matter of fact, learning how to do so is a major thrust of the year. They will understand how to use, apply and make their own rubrics. They will document their own progress and keep it in both their showcase and electronic portfolio. Not a lot of weekly work comes home. I know that some of you have gotten used to weekly homework folders with your child's work in it. What happens in this class is that all work is saved until a particular unit is finished. (See Year Schedule) Then, the students sort the folders out and take them home. Along with the folder comes a curriculum outline from me. They, and you, then are able to see their progress over time. The selection of signature pieces that are brought back to school comes from this broad base of work.

Rest assured. If there is any sort of difficulty that your child is encountering, you will know quickly if it is something that can't be handled normally within the context of the class. I will not wait until the folder comes home. Too, if something wonderful happened, I also communicate that quickly. Additional academic support is provided by Ms. Hooper if needed. 

On my side, I keep an academic portfolio on your children. Starting with the first month, baseline data is collected on your children so that I know their strengths and weaknesses. This lets me know how I can support and structure the learning environment throughout the year. I add monthly to this stockpile of information in the form of teacher generated pre- and post-tests, anecdotal records, rough drafts of text and performance rubrics. I use this, and the outcomes of their marks on signature pieces of work, to determine their scores on their report cards. 

Report Cards

This year starts the second year of a new report card. The card itself is made up of two discreet parts, an academic section and a section based on the school's Student Learning Outcomes. The academic section contains an overall score for all the subject areas and an attendant effort score. Each subject area has academic strands which are marked. The SLO section is marked with an effort grade only. The academic scores range from one to four points and the effort score from a check plus to a check minus. Students who are meeting expectations, which are the large majority of students, will receive either a two or a three in academics and a check in effort. The remaining scores are few and far between. Further information about the report cards will be given closer to each grading period outlining the specific meanings of the numerical and check descriptions.  

My basic philosophy behind homework is that it is to reinforce a skill that has been taught in class, foster the development of a larger main concept or to support learning key organizational habits. Your child works very hard in school, and I believe that there must be time at home for play. The homework is not to exceed 60 minutes a day. If it does, or causes undue stress for your child, please sign the bottom of the homework and state what the problem was. That way I will know that he gave it his best effort on that night and I can give him credit for it. By indicating what the problem was, I will know how to help him when I see him next.

As I mentioned before, homework will be given out as a package on Monday along with a time table for when the assignments are to be turned in. The pack will usually consist of a spelling activity, a reading assignment, a math paper and a paper that connects with our current theme of study.

If homework is to be used as a tool to foster organization, it must be turned in. If your child loses his homework, forgets it or just did not do it – then they have the opportunity to stay in one recess to do the work. However, the recess rule does not apply if there is a signed note from you.

Reading, like any art form, has to be practiced. The more time a child spends practicing reading, the better she will become at it. Fourth grade is the time when reading skill expand in the interest areas as well as the expansion of vocabulary. Each month, the class will decide how many total minutes they would like to read that month and how many minutes each child has to read on their own to reach the goal. The monthly goal will be indicated on the homework time sheet. We will have a small celebration at the end of the reading challenge cycle when we reach our goal.

The spelling program is organized around key Latin roots. This list of ten words will go out on Monday. A variety of dictionary, structural word analysis and vocabulary skills will be assigned for each day as homework. On Friday, your child will be tested on the spelling of the words and vocabulary definition. They will also be required to bring in their weekly assignments so that I can check their progress.

Mathematics:

The mathematics instruction has three main levels. Your children will learn the main steps for doing the various problems. They will rote learn their facts until they become facile with them. The next level is for them to learn the mathematical reasoning behind the problems and be able to explain it in their own words. At this level, I often give them the "rules" that go with the reasoning to build the children’s working mathematical vocabulary. Finally, the children have to apply their knowledge using deductive and inductive reasoning. All along the way, I use manipulatives and examples from their daily life. The Everyday Math series is being used for the year as our school's mathematics program.

Both the science,social studies and mathematics is the content of the class while language arts and technology are the processes by which the content is learned. Like life, school learning is not divided up into discreet little subsets of knowledge.  Having it this way makes for good learning, in my view. Please look to the Year Schedule outline to see the sequence of study. II believe that children can be really active and inquisitive researchers. To help the students learn the skills to make them proficient and confident, Mr. Mikton (computers) and Mr.Laleman (librarian) have a collaborative relationship,  which will assure your child is learning the processes needed to make sense in this digital age by which You, as a family, will be involved in primary source research with your child. Here at school, we will be using various print and electronic data bases and various computer projects will be undertaken, Powerpoint and web construction for example.

Yes, your child’s classroom will seem as if a storm has hit it but there is method in the seeming madness. As I believe in a project based there will be a multitude of things in various stages of completion scattered around the room. However, there are set places for things and your child is able to locate, and find, the things she needs fairly quickly. The noise level in the class varies; at times it can be fairly loud as child converse over the books they have read or engage in cooperative groups. At other times, you can hear a pin drop.

Birthdays are a very important tradition in this class. On your child’s birthday, would you please send in a list that tells what your child was able to do on each year of his birth? I will read this list as your child, with a globe in hand, revolves around a designated student sun for each year of his being alive. Food treats are always appreciated!

Giving a party is exciting, as is passing out the invitations. However, not receiving an invitation and feeling excluded is not. Please do not send party invitations to school to be passed out. Social dynamics being what they are in fourth grade, I request that you send them by mail or some other venue. Thank you for your consideration on this issue.