Mrs bunse's handbook '16

Curriculum Night 2016-2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome! We’re off and running to a great start this year in Fourth Grade. I’m sure it will be a successful and enjoyable year for your child. If you have any concerns or special needs you feel I should be aware of, please let me know as soon as possible. I will be arranging parent conferences throughout the year. I am sure that by pooling our efforts, we can make this the most productive year possible for your child.

Just to outline some basics of what to expect in Fourth Grade: 

In order to make the transition from 3rd to 4th Grade, your child will be asked to take on more responsibility as the year progresses. Giving your child more responsibilities at home will help to make this transition easier. This includes developing good study habits, organizational skills and trying their personal best consistently.

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Please make sure your child comes to school prepared daily, i.e. homework, lunch money, instrument etc. Your child should prepare his/her backpack the night before school. Scrambling to get everything together in the morning can be time consuming and stressful for students.

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Your child should read every day. Children learn to read more fluently if they have a sense of selfconfidence gained in the relaxed atmosphere of the home.

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Talk to your child and ask about daily events. If something is troubling them, talk it out. Let me know of any family events that could have a negative effect on your child’s school performance.

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I will monitor your child’s progress through daily observations, assessment of daily class work, homework and tests. If I detect an area of weakness, I will let you know immediately. Together, we will discuss the options and resources at our disposal and decide the best way to proceed in handling the situation.

I look forward to working with your child, with your support and cooperation!

Sincerely, Mrs. Bunse bbunse@sachem.edu 631.471.1880

Location Our classroom is located in room 38, which can be found in B wing. Our class number is 4-1.

Dismissal Procedure If you need to take your child out of school for any reason you must sign them out at the front desk. Children who are ill will be signed out in the Nurse’s office. For safety reasons, your child must have a note if they are not taking the bus home.

Absence Notes If your child will be absent from school, please be sure to call the school nurse. Each time your child is absent or late he/she must bring a note explaining the absence. The note should mention your child by name; give a specific cause for the absence; and be signed by the legal guardian. This is required under New York State Law. All absences not accompanied by a note will be considered illegal absences.

Please complete and return the Homework Buddy form, so I can send home missed assignments.

Schoolbags Please check your child’s take home folder each day for important notices. Please have your child remove all papers from their folder each day so that their homework papers are the only items that return to school.

Lunch Each day your child has the option of bringing his/her lunch from home or buying lunch from school. A menu and price list can be found on the Wenonah homepage. If your child chooses to purchase lunch from school, you may pre-pay for lunches. If you choose not to pre -pay, please send in the money in a sealed envelope or change purse with his/her name clearly printed on it.

All students will be assigned a number that they must punch into a keypad when purchasing any items at lunchtime.

Snack We will have a time in the morning set aside for a small, quick snack. You may send in a small, healthy snack for your child if he/she would like to have a snack in the morning.

We are a NUT FREE classroom. Please take this into consideration when your child is packing their snack for school.

Birthdays As your child’s birthday approaches, please send a note if you wish to have a celebration in school. Cupcakes, cookies, brownies, donuts, etc. are all acceptable. Please do not send in cakes or juice. Please drop the snack off at the front desk at your convenience. We have 26 students in the class. Prepackaged items that clearly state NUT FREE are preferred.

If there are any food/snacks that your child is not allowed to have due to allergy or dietary restrictions please let me know as soon as possible.

Cards and Invitations So feelings won’t be hurt, please remember to include everyone, or all boys or all girls. If your child is only inviting a few students please mail the invitations to the child’s home. Friendship lists will be distributed to all.

Toys Please do not allow your child to bring toys and games from home.

Conferences All parents will be contacted for conferences during the school year. Your child is welcome to attend the conference with you if you choose . I will send home a note stating the days and times I have available for conferences. Please write me a note or send me an email if you wish to meet with me at any time.

Scheduled conference dates for this school year are: December 19th & 20th and April 4th.

Book Clubs Approximately once a month I will send home an order form from Scholastic Books. It is an opportunity for you to purchase books for your child at a relatively inexpensive price.

Please do not feel obligated to purchase anything.

Visitors When visiting the school for special programs or demonstrations it is required that you wear a visitor badge that can be obtained from the front desk. All visitors must be signed in as well.

Homework Homework will be given Monday through Thursday, and occasionally on Friday. All homework assignments, along with important information and reminders, will be written in your child’s agenda book, Please check to make sure your child does their homework but do not correct it.

In order for your child to become more independent and organized this year, your child should establish a routine and schedule for homework and studying. All assignments will be made up of skills that are familiar to your child, and I will explain the directions in school. This should allow your child to be completely independent with the homework. All homework assignments combined should take no more than 45 min—1 hour to complete. If your child is taking significantly longer than this or if he/she is struggling, please let me know so that we can work together in the best interest of your child.

Homework is given not only to reinforce class work, but also to build responsibility.

After completing the assignments, your child should put everything in his/her backpack and bring it to school the next day. I will remind children to take out homework each morning for the first month or so.

If your child forgets his/her homework at home or in school, they will be given time during recess to complete the assignments. If a pattern of no homework develops, I will be in touch with you. We can work together to remedy the situation.

Students who miss more than 4 homework assignments in a make Renaissance that trimester.

trimester will not

Extra Help I will be available for extra on an as needed basis. Please contact me if you feel your child needs extra assistance.

Reading Logs Every night your child should be reading for at least 30 minutes. When they are finished reading they should complete their Reading Log form. This form is due on Friday of each week. This form allows me to see what the children are reading at home and the amount of pages read in the allotted time period. Your child may read any books that they choose, but I would like to see several books/texts listed from their “Book Shelf” books.

Reading Response Notebook A major shift in reading occurs in Fourth Grade as we move towards higher level thinking skills and more complex comprehension of texts. Additionally, students will be expected to respond to texts in writing. Your child will learn several comprehension strategies for reading and understanding various texts this year, and he/she will be expected to utilize these strategies to help them respond to the text in writing. The Reading Response Notebook will serve as a resource to help support them with this task.

Accelerated Reader Accelerated Reader is highly encouraged in 4th Grade. Your child is expected to read many books on their independent level this year. When they complete a book they should take an Accelerated Reader quiz in school. Students will be keeping track of their quiz grades and points earned in their Data Notebooks. This will help them to monitor and achieve some of their reading goals.

Band, Chorus, and Orchestra: Music is both an inspiration and an outlet for young minds to express themselves both emotionally and creatively. I encourage all students to participate in our music program. Students will be responsible for completing any missed class work when they attend lessons, as well as getting the homework assignments . Your child is encouraged to find a “Study Buddy” who can explain the assignment and gather the necessary materials from class.

Grading Your child will have several tests, quizzes, projects and reports in all subject areas each marking period. The dates of reports due, tests and quizzes will be written in your child’s agenda book. Your child’s grades will be based on test and quiz scores. All other projects and assignments will be based on a rubric score of 1 to 4.

Tests/Quizzes All tests and quizzes are to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to class the following day. These tests and quizzes will then be placed in your child’s Data Notebook to help them self-monitor their learning progress.

Behavior Students are expected to participate in whole class and small group lessons throughout the day in a cooperative manner. Every Friday your child will take home their Behavior Folder to be signed and returned on Monday. This folder will document any missed assignments or misconduct. The folders are used to determine Renaissance and 5th Grade Safety Patrol eligibility.

Report Cards Report Cards are available on the Parent Portal on the following dates after 3 p.m.: December 21st, March 31st, June 22nd (after 1 p.m.)

State Assessments This year your child will take the New York State Assessments in ELA, Mathematics and Science. Please be advised of the testing dates below and try not to plan any vacations or doctor’s appointments during these dates.

ELA: Wednesday, March 28th - Friday, March 30th Math: Wednesday, May 2nd - Friday, May 4th Science Performance Test: Tuesday, May 22nd— Thursday, May 31st Science Written Test: Tuesday, June 5th Additional information on the New York State Assessments can be found at: http://www.nysed.gov/

Reading and Writing Reading and writing will be taught through a workshop model. Your child will learn essential reading and writing skills and strategies that align with the 4th Grade Common Core Learning Standards. Your child will also participate in small group instruction that will be tailored to meet your child’s specific reading and writing goals and needs. Some of the key skills your child will learn this year include:

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Determine the main idea of the text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

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Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

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Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

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Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

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Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

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Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and a clear sequence of events.

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Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing and speaking.

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Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

What is DASA? The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) began on July 1, 2012. The Dignity Act states that no student shall be subjected to harassment or discrimination by employees or students on school property or at a school function based on their actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice,

disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.

The Dignity Act amended NY State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity.

All children have the right to attend school in a safe, welcoming, and caring environment. DASA specifically ensures this for New York State public school students.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that takes place through communication using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Cyberbullying may be directed toward both students and staff members.

Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.