Janice SullivanGrade 4 • Room 22

Beck Centennial Elementary

September 8, 2015

Team

Sullivan

Grade 4 • Room 22Beck Centennial Elementary

Dear Fourth Grade Students,

Welcome to Fourth Grade! I am looking forward to getting to know all of you and beginning an exciting year of learning and discovery.

I know you have many questions about the year ahead. Hopefully the following items will answer some of those questions and provide you with some information you’ll need right away.

Sincerely,Ms. Janice Sullivan

• Suggested Supplies• erasers • 10 glue sticks• 24 No. 2 pencils • colored pencils• red checking pencils • small round-tip• 6 non-permanent black scissors fine line markers • highlighters (ex: Papermate Flair) • 3”X3” Post-It • 2 boxes of tissues notes • 2 bottles hand sanitizer • small ear buds• 2 containers • 3 dry erase markers anti-bacterial wipes (blue, black)• 3 composition books • pencil pouch or small pencil box • 2 packages wide-ruled 5-hole lined paper• 1 package white printer/copier paper

• Classroom Behavior and Expectations

• Instead of a list of “Don’ts & Nevers”, we will be following the three Beck Behavior Plan goals:

• RESPECT • RESPONSIBILITY • SAFETY

• These go along with the five Success Skills that are used

throughout our Beck Community:

• RESPECT • RESPONSIBILITY

• POSITIVE COMMUNICATION

• PERSONAL BEST • INTEGRITY• We will use a “Clip Up” chart to recognize ready learners

and students who set a good example

for others.

• Procedures: We will be developing many procedures to

help our school day run smoothly.

Here are a few procedures to get us

started this year:

• Morning:

• You may enter the classroom at 8:20. Our day officially begins when the bell rings at 8:25.

• Greet the teacher!• Hang up your backpack and jacket in the coat room.• Bring all supplies to your seat, including your Daily

Folder, books, notes, school supplies, and morning snack.

• Begin working silently on morning work or read silently while we take care of morning business like attendance and lunch count.

• Lunch/Recess:

• You will be called by groups or rows to get your things for lunch and recess. Our lunch period is scheduled from 11:30 to 12:15.

• We will be going to recess first.• We will be sharing this lunch period with the 2nd and 5th

grade students. Please model appropriate behavior and good manners for them.

• Please show courtesy and respect to our Lunch Supervisors. They will let you know what their procedures are for the lunchroom.

• After lunch, please put your things away in the coat room, go directly to your seat, and wait quietly and patiently for afternoon attendance to be completed.

• Classroom Care:

• It is important that ALL of us work together to keep our classroom neat, clean, and safe. Sharing this responsibility saves time and everybody benefits! We will assign jobs for specific tasks.

• Treat classroom books and materials with care. Many of these are provided by the district, However many of them were purchased by me. Use these items with the same care that you would want used with your own personal belongings.

• Hallways:

• Think of our hallways as streets and apply the rules of the road:

• KEEP TO THE RIGHT

• NO PASSING

• NO SPEEDING

• Students’ work is often displayed in our halls. Keep your hands to your sides and do not touch.

• Keep talking to a minimum so as not to disturb or distract others.

• Silent Reading Books:

• Please be sure to have several silent reading books available in your desk at all times. We will be having a period of silent, independent reading every day. You may also read independently when you are finished with your work.

• We will discuss how the book boxes will be used, as well as the procedure for checking out books from the classroom library.

• Folders:• Your orange “Daily Folder” must be brought to school

every day. One side is marked “Bring Back”, the other is labeled “Leave Home”.

• In this folder you will keep work that needs to be completed at home and returned to school, graded work that goes home for review, and any important notes or permission slips, etc.

• Please remember that this folder is your responsibility, not mom’s or dad’s. It is very important that you spend a few minutes every day going over the contents of this folder with a parent.

• “Work in Progress” and “Reading/Writing” folders always remain at school.

• We will be adding other folders or notebooks, such as a Math Journal, as the year progresses.

• Daily Assignment Book/Agenda:

• Each day you will record the activities and assignments we have covered as well as any other important information such as work that needs to be completed (homework), upcoming events, and scheduled quizzes and tests.

• You will have time each day to record this information.• I will check your book from time to time to be sure you

stay up to date.

• Snacks:• We will have a “nutrition break” every morning to refuel our

brains and bodies for optimal learning.• If you would like to bring a morning snack, please choose

from the following list:

• fresh fruits or vegetables • popcorn (Skinny Pop®)

• applesauce (Gogo Squeez®) • pretzels

• yogurt (Gogurt®) • string cheese

• It is also important to keep our bodies well hydrated. If you choose to bring in a water bottle, please bring only plain water – no juices, sports drinks, etc.

• Store your water bottle under your chair to prevent an accidental spill from ruining your or someone else’s work.

• Don’t forget to take your water bottle home at the end of the day.

• Birthdays:• We would love to celebrate your birthday! If you would

like, you may bring in a birthday gift to give o the class in your honor. In the past, students have given the class a gift of an indoor recess game, a book for the classroom library, outdoor recess equipment, or a plant. You can bring your gift wrapped, and unwrap it in front of the class after we sing “Happy Birthday”.

• We ask that you not bring in an edible birthday treat.

• When you are absent . . . … make arrangements to have a classmate be your

“Study Buddy”.• Your study buddy will:

• make a copy of the day’s agenda

• gather your assignments, books,

and materials

• collect any special notes or information

• and have it ready for a classmate,

sibling, or neighbor to bring home to you.• If a classmate is not bringing your work to you, we will

try to have your work available by 3:05 for a sibling or other student to pick up in or classroom, or 3:15 for a parent to pick up in the front office. Just let us know which location works better.

• Late/Missing Work and Redos:

• Missing work will be counted as a zero until it is turned in. Points will be deducted from work that is turned in late. In the 1st quarter 5 points will be deducted from the percentage grade, after that it goes up to 10 points.

• Papers that are less than 70% (C-) can be redone. They must be signed by a parent and turned in the next day. (Sometimes I may ask you to redo something that has a score greater than 70% because I think it is important.)

• Tests and quizzes can not be redone. (I do not always prepare a study guide for every test or quiz; but I promise you that I will not try to trick you on a test!)

• There is a bathroom sign-out sheet that you need to fill in with the time you leave and your name. Record the time when you return.

• There are bathroom passes on the wall near the door. Simply turn it around when you leave, turn it back when you return.

• Bathroom Pass:

• Heading Your Paper:

• This is the way your papers should look:

Name #Date

SubjectAssignment

• Curriculum:• Math:

• If you do not know your multiplication facts

through the 12s, please start working on

them!

• Science and Social Studies:• Ms. Badalamente will teach Science.

• I will teach Social Studies.

• Specials:• Media Center • Vocal Music

• Art • ISM

• Physical Education

• Reading, Language Arts, and Spelling:• We will be using the Sitton Spelling and Word Skills

method for spelling.

• In the area of written communication we will focus

on three different types of writing: opinion,

informative/explanatory, and narrative, as well

as writing as a response to reading.

• We will work to improve our writing skills using the

6+1 Traits of Writing.

• Also, we will be doing “the daily 5” this year. Many

of you will remember this from 3rd grade.

Do you remember the daily 5 choices?

• the daily 5:

• UCS Grading Scale:• 100 – 90% A• 89 – 80% B• 79 - 70% C• 69 – 60% D• ≤ 59% F

Welcome to the team!

It’s going to be a great year!