All About Room 12

Welcome to Curriculum Night!

Mrs. Mindt This is my 24th year at Sherwood! Most of that time has been at

4th grade and ¾ multi age classrooms. I am married to a high school drama teacher and have two teens,

Jackson age 19 and Anna age 15. My son is an amazing jazz bass player and Anna is a wonderful dancer and cheerleader. Jackson will be a sophomore in the Foster School of Business at the UW this fall and Anna will be a sophomore at Edmonds Woodway High School. Both my kids went to Sherwood and loved being part of the community.

When I am not at school teaching kids (which I love), I love to cook, knit, travel, garden, go to concerts, attend plays, and read.

I love working with children and want them to become life-long learners. I love what I do and strive to create the best learning environment possible for children.

My Family

Literacy The teaching of literacy forms the

foundation for learning as it encompasses reading, writing, and communication skills and processes.

Literacy is about making meaning and is a thinking process.

Literacy is about the way we learn, express, and create ideas.

Balanced Literacy Program Using Common Core Standards and Benchmark Literacy

Materials, students will follow a workshop model. Each day students will have whole group instruction,

independent reading and writing, partner reading, word study, and guided reading groups.

Students will have comprehension tests and fluency checks throughout the year to determine reading levels. Students will practice SBA released items in reading and also use the writing prompts to prepare for the written portion of the SBA.

Students will read and write in a variety of genres throughout the year.

Mathematics We need to understand the changing role of

mathematics in our society. Mathematics is now the common language of the world and a core tool of the information age. A student must leave high school with a solid understanding and facility with geometry, advanced algebra, functions, and some statistics in order to be ready for post high school and training which will allow them to move into a career path of their choice.

In order to succeed in grade 4, students must enter grade 4 with a deep and rich understanding and facility with whole number operations, place value and a solid understanding of division and multiplication.

Daily Math Program Math Expressions is a comprehensive curriculum that

combines standards – based instruction with traditional approaches to learning math.

Math Expressions uses objects, drawings, mathematical language and real – world situations that help students build mathematical ideas that make sense to them.

Students will participate in whole group instruction, independent practice time and small group guided practice.

Students will take a variety of assessments which will include fluency checks, unit quick quizzes and tests. Students will also practice SBA released items.

Science and Social Studies Major science units this year will include

Electrical Circuits and Land and Water. Our social studies curriculum has a large

focus on Washington state. We will learn about our state’s history, people, economics, communities, and geography.

Both of these subjects will be integrated into our literacy block, reading literature connected to the various units.

Art Throughout the year, students will learn

the 7 art elements – line, shape, color, value, texture, form, and space.

Students will also learn about famous artists and complete masterpieces done in the style of that artist.

We will use a variety of supplies including; crayon, oil pastel, watercolors, acrylic, clay, and more!

Grading On larger projects and assessments, students will

receive a 4 if their work is exemplary, a 3 for proficient work, a 2 for work in progress, and a 1 for beginning work. Students who receive 3’s and 4’s have met the academic standard and are competent in that area.

Daily work is often considered practice work so you will not see a number grade. You may just see a comment or a plus, check, or minus. I encourage students who receive a minus to correct their mistakes and turn their paper back in again.

Report cards will go home twice a year and we will have conferences in October to discuss progress.

Homework Students need to complete daily math homework

and review math facts. There may also be times in which they need to finish work from school that they did not complete.

Students will read 30 minutes nightly and log in books read (over 100 pages) on their form.

Students will have two oral presentations a month as part of their oral communication grade.

Word Work will start in October and students will need to practice their words for a weekly quiz.

Other Important Stuff! Snacks! Students can bring a snack to eat as long as it

isn’t candy. We also welcome any donations! Birthdays! We have new district guidelines that ban any

food to be passed out on birthdays. We have also decided as a staff to encourage families to donate a book to our classroom in honor of the special day.

Field Trips! There will be at least 1 or 2 trips this year. We usually like to find a play or a museum that correlates to our units of study. We will let you know in advance when that will be.

Volunteers! Let me know if you are interested in helping and we will find a time that works.

Computers! We will use computers daily. Students will take on-line assessments and check reading comprehension. They will also learn word processing, key-boarding, power point presentations, and more.

Contact Information 425 – 431-3549 mindtk@edmonds.wednet.edu We also have a classroom website that will

hopefully be updated frequently. I also like to send out emails to tell about classroom news.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns at any time. Communication is vital! My goal is to work with you to create the best learning environment possible for your child.