Welcome to Ms. Ziadie’s Class

Welcome!

Welcome to Somerset Academy’s Open House! I am Ms. Ziadie and I

am very delighted to be your child’s 4th grade teacher. This is my

tenth year teaching at Somerset Academy. I currently hold a

Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida

International University. I have two amazing sons, who attend

Somerset. Our Teacher Assistant is Ms. Berrios and together, we are pleased to be part of your child’s

learning journey this year.

Curriculum

• The 4th grade curriculum consists of Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Our curriculum follows the Florida Standards, providing your child with a well-rounded and complete education.

• We utilize Journeys, Go Math, and Science Fusion textbooks and workbooks. Along with the textbooks, I will also incorporate Scholastic News, educational websites, digital resources, and 4th grade novels into their learning and enrichment. – Novels include: 1. James and the Giant Peach by Roald

Dahl 2. No Talking by Andrew Clements 3. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen 4. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine

L’Engle

Measures performance standards in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics

Emphasizes critical thinking and assess students’ higher-order thinking skills Multiple choice Multi-select Two part question

Testing Schedule: February 29-March 11: FSA Writing (Computer based) March 28-April 8: FSA Mathematics (Paper based) April 11- May 6: FSA English/Language Arts (Computer based)

***Next year, the Math portion will be computer based.

Somerset FSA tutoring More information will be provided in October

***BAFS will now be replaced with BSA. 1 installment in January.

Florida Standards Assessment (F.S.A.)

Grades and Pinnacle

• 100% – 90% A• 89% - 80% B• 79% - 70% C• 69% - 60% D• 59% and below F

• Pinnacle is our student database system. Parents will be able to access their child’s grades through this system. You may also set the parameters to become notified on you child’s progress if your child falls below your desired percentage. Login information will be distributed in the upcoming weeks.

Classwork = 25%Homework = 10%

Tests = 35%Quizzes = 20%Projects = 10%

Schedule

• 8:00 - 8:05 Morning Business• 8:05 - 8:35 Science/S.S. • 8:35 – 8:55 Reading/LA• 8:55 – 9:30 Specials• 9:30 – 11:00 Reading/LA• 11:00 - 11:30 Lunch• 11:30 - 12:15 Writing• 12:15 - 1:30 Math• 1:30 – 2:00 Structured Physical Activity• 2:00 - 2:15 Dismissal

Specials

Monday TuesdayWednesda

yThursday Friday

Code

Academ

y1:20-1:55pm

P.E.8:55-9:30am

Spanish8:55-9:30am

Music8:55-9:30am

Panther

Principl

es8:55-9:30am

Classroom Management• Rules• Rewards

– Groups– Individuals

• Consequences• Compliment System- “Catching Compliments”

Planner

• Planners are used daily and provide important information such as the year long calendar of school activities, homework, spelling/vocabulary words, and notes from school to home.

• Reviewing the planner nightly will give you an opportunity to check and discuss your child’s homework and progress. It will also give me the opportunity to communicate with you if needed.

• Please check your child’s planner every night.

Homework

• Homework is assigned daily and turned in the following day.

• Students should expect approximately an hour of homework daily in order to reinforce material covered in class and maintain their grades.

• Your child will have homework Monday through Friday. Every FRIDAY, I will update my web page with the following weeks work, spelling and vocabulary words, homework, important dates, upcoming events, reminders, etc. on www.somersetacademy.com.

• On Fridays, the students must copy down the following week’s spelling and vocabulary words from my webpage into their planner to show on Monday.

Tests

• Tests count for 35% of your child’s final average.

• Each Friday, our tests will include: Spelling, Vocabulary Definitions, Grammar, and Reading Comprehension.

• Math, Social Studies, and Science Tests will vary based on the length of the chapter.

• Please keep in mind, Reading tests are Open Book. (Due to yearly reproductions, these assessments will not be sent home).

• If a student receives lower than a 70% on a test, I will send it home to be signed and returned in their binder.

Communication and Friday Folder

• Communication is an important part of success for your child. I will provide weekly updates via an e-mail distribution list and online through my Web-Page on Somerset Academy.com

• The fastest way to reach me is by e-mail. Please feel free to e-mail me at tziadie@somersetacademy.com with any questions or concerns anytime.

• Friday folders are sent home every Friday. Please review and keep all papers at home. If any papers need to be signed, please do so and return on Monday.

• It is my commitment to help your child succeed by establishing a strong school-home connection created through parent-teacher communication. Please be advised that I will begin conducting conferences in October.

• Remind is a free, safe, and simple messaging tool that helps teachers share important updates and reminders with students and parents. Subscribe by text, email or using the Remind app. All personal information is kept private. Teachers will never see your phone number, nor will you see theirs.

Parent Volunteer Hours

Parents must complete a total of 30 volunteer hours • These hours may be completed by helping out in the classroom or

school, purchasing supplies for the class, volunteering for special events or projects, donating snacks, or chaperoning on field trips.

• ($4 = 1 volunteer hour with receipt)

• Please visit my WISH LIST (http://www.wishlistr.com/tziadie/) for classroom items. Please remember to keep the receipt and attach it to the Volunteer Record Form. I will sign the form and turn it in to the office.

• We are happy to announce that we have created a link on our website to facilitate the tracking of your volunteer hours. Please follow the steps below to view your account:

  1) Go onto: www.somersetacademy.com

2) Click “Stop (Obligations)” 3) Log on: ########## (student ID number)

4) Password: mm/dd/yyyy (student’s birthday) (*** slashes are required***)

• Room Parent: If you are interested in becoming a room parent for our class, please send me an email or indicate it on the sign in sheet.

Uniforms

• Follow Somerset School Uniform Policy.

• Fridays: (please check calendar in planner for exact days)

– P.E. Days – Students wear their P.E. uniform.

– Spirit Days - Students can wear their Orange Spirit shirt and jeans.

– Dress Down Days – Students can dress down for $2 (Please check the school uniform policy on which attire is appropriate for dress down days).

Attendance

Somerset Academy follows Broward County Schools Attendance Policy 5.5!

This means every minute counts, from absences, tardiness, and early sign outs.

• School begins at 8:00 am. Students that arrive late to school must have parents sign them in the office and pick-up a late pass before walking to the classroom.

• For absences: Please provide a note explaining the reason for your child’s absence the day he or she returns to school. You may also call the hotline or email Ms. Manso at dmanso@somersetacademy.com.

• If you are planning for a trip or special occasion, you must submit a letter and get prior approval. Failure to get pre-approval may result in unexcused absences on your child’s attendance record.

Dismissal

• Carpool pick-up is from 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. After 2:30, they will be sent to the Elementary Office and incur a late fee.

• Early Release Days – Dismissal is at 12:00 p.m.

• If your picking up your child from carpool: Please hang the colored decal from your rearview mirror and make sure to include your child’s name using a dark marker. This will allow our carpool to run smoothly.

• Early Pick-up is not allowed after 1:30 P.M.

Reminders

• Lunch is $3.25; accounts are up and running.

• Rose Price Park is not allowing parents to park in their facilities in the morning or afternoon.

• At times, it is quite cold in the classrooms. Please send your child with a sweater to school if needed.

• Students are required to bring a chapter book daily if they complete their work and for SSR.

• As of July 1st 2013, we will not be accepting anymore CHECKS.  Only online payments will be accepted.  Checks will be allowed for Lunch accounts only.

• Free and Reduced Lunch Applications are now available on-line. Please visit our Somerset Academy Website, select the Parent Tab on the top to locate the document.

Forms to be Returned• Copy of Insurance Card (Front and back)

• Student Data Card

• Student/Parent handbook acknowledgement form

• Family/Volunteer Application

• Broward County- Code of Conduct- 5 pages

• Payment Agreement

• Parent/Guardian contract

• Spirit Shirt

• $10 Specials Fee

What’s New for 2015-2016

myON Reader– https://www.myon.com/– provides anytime, anywhere access to a library of more than 9,000 enhanced digital

books with multimedia supports, real-time reporting and assessments and embedded close reading tools.

– innovative digital literacy platform allows students not only to read, but to read closely, to engage with digital texts in new ways that will transform the entire learning experience.  (Literacy Toolkit)

Code Academy- (Mr. Lee)– replaces Science special – will focus on computer literacy skills including keyboarding, Microsoft Word &

PowerPoint, coding (how computer software works), etc. – www.code.org

Panther Principles- (Coach Gonzalez) – replacing Respect Curriculum – will focus on positive character traits, anti-bullying and character education

Backpack Tag– Included in the purchase of a planner ($7)– Must include: Name, Grade, and Mode of Transportation (example: Car, Bus (write name

of bus & route), Walker, etc.)

What’s New for 2015-2016

St. Augustine

St. Augustine is our “big” fourth grade overnight field trip.

• It runs APPROXIMATELY $280 students/ $310 adults– Price includes St. Augustine t-shirt, hotel stay, and meals.

• Prices may be reduced based on the number of students attending.

* Please sign the St. Augustine sheet if you are interested so we may get our prices to you as soon as possible.

Final Note

• I am truly excited to be teaching your child! I know that all children can learn and that it is a collaborative effort between the parents, teacher, and student. I am committed to the success of your child and I hope to inspire and educate them. I know we will have a successful year!