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Welcome Parents!

Tonight, we would like to share with you our procedures, how our academic departmentalized rotation is managed, and expectations (including homework and behavior expectations) for your child this year.

First, we believe that all children are capable of learning. Although there are differences in learning styles and rates of learning for each individual child, we know that the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of all students is continuous and sequential. Thus, one of our goals for the year is for every child to have a successful, productive, and exciting school experience.

In order to truly feel successful, a positive self-image is essential. Each child enters the classroom with individual and special talents. A positive self-image will enhance those talents and help your child to be the best that she / he can be. We will do everything that we can to foster positive self-esteem, through praise and encouragement. Your child will be encouraged to work as a team and to support the group. When we help others to feel okay about themselves, everyone benefits. When others support us, we know they care. We all need to work together for a successful and enjoyable year.

If at anytime during the school year you have any questions or concerns regarding your child, please feel free to call any of us at school, (619) 588-3678. If you prefer to contact us via e-mail, our addresses are:

4th grade rotation teachers
humphreyj@cajonvalley.net
winterj@cajonvalley.net

4/5 combo teacher
shieldsc@cajonvalley.net

If you have e-mail capabilities, that is the quickest, most efficient way to get information to us. If you send an e-mail between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Monday - Friday, it will not be read until the school day is over. We are instructing during those hours. Be sure to type your child's name or Blossom Valley Elementary on the subject (re:) line so we know the mail pertains to school.

1. Classroom Goals and Expectations:
Every student is expected to adhere to the following rules:
*Follow directions
*Listen carefully during lessons
*During reading time...read
*Be kind to others all the time
*Use the restroom at recess and “seat work”
* Use tools appropriately
*Work slowly, thoughtfully, carefully, and neatly on each assignment
*Have self control

2. Departmentalized Academic Rotation - Shared during presentation at Curriculum Night.

3. Parent / Teacher Communication - “Student Planners”

Recording Homework - Each student was provided with a “Student Planner”. During each teacher’s session with a class, students are directed to record the night’s homework in his/her planner as the teacher records it under the docucam. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the teacher’s directions and record assignments accurately. In order to ensure school success, a student needs to check his/her “Student Planner” EVERY night and check off the homework assignments as they are completed.

Parent Communication - We need to be a team in your child’s education, showing your child that we are steering him / her toward academic success. There are many ways our “Parent / Teacher Team” can communicate. One way is the “Student Planner” If your child is missing a homework assignment in any of the classrooms, the teacher will circle the assignment in pen and draw a line nearby for you to sign. Your child needs to show you the marking the night it occurs. He / she needs to show the teacher your signature the next school day. Inappropriate behavior in any rotation room will also be recorded in the “Student Planner” in pen and require a signature saying you are aware of the behavior. If a behavior problem is severe, we will contact you over the phone.

You may contact us by calling Blossom Valley at anytime and leave a message with the school secretaries. They will leave us a message and we can get back to you. (619) 588-3678.

E-mail - Make sure you have a record of all three rotation teachers’ e-mail addresses so you can contact us with questions or concerns. Please make sure we have your e-mail address, so we can send you information about classroom, grade level, and school happenings.

Classroom Websites - Classroom and school happenings can be found on teacher websites. Please bookmark at least your Homeroom teacher’s site. The Homeroom site will have a link to the two other teachers’ sites.

Remind 101 - Text Reminders (NEW FEATURE) Remind 101 is a communication tool that allows us to send a message to all of the fourth grade families.

Highlights of Remind 101 include:

You can join by simply sending a text message to a given number and entering a code in the text field.
No one on the list can see anyone else's phone numbers
This is a one way communication only. We cannot receive texts from you on Remind 101.
You do not need to download an app or register with personal information.

Remind 101 is a way for us to send reminders about upcoming school events, tests, etc. To subscribe to Remind 101 contact me, and I will send you our class's number and code.

4. Supplies Needed for Success - As students rotate from one room to
another, they need to ensure they are prepared. The following items need to be with your student at all times:
*“Student Planner”
*3 ring organized binder (Please help your child if you find his/her binder is *getting unorganized.)
*Labeled dividers (Lang. Arts, Math, Science, S.S., Spelling/Writing)
*Sturdy pencil pouch containing: 2 Expo broad tip pens, 4 pencils (sharpened before each school day), a highlighter pen, a small sock (used as a white board eraser)
*Chapter Book

5. Attendance - It is crucial that your child is at school everyday. Please ensure that your child arrives prior to 8:00 a.m. and is not picked up before 2:00 p.m. Exceptions are made for illnesses and emergencies. PLEASE try to schedule appointments outside of school hours. Our curriculum is quite rigorous and missing a rotation class can really set your child behind. Leaving early on Fridays for trips is a disruption to the learning process.

CURRICULUM

State Standards
The curriculum at all grade levels is designed to align with the California State Standards. These standards, along with the ÒõAPPµ¼º½ Valley Framework, determine the curriculum guidelines at each grade level.

Language Arts
Reading - Our focus this year will be on novels. Vocabulary, comprehension, context clues, decoding, grammar, and structural analysis skills will all be taught through novel studies. Students will work individually and collaboratively to accomplish their daily reading goals and discuss their reading. Students will have an opportunity to increase their critical thinking skills through these discussions and various end-of-novel culminating projects.

Writing -To further enhance students writing and language skills, students will construct three to five paragraph essays. Students will work through all the stages of the writing process which include: rough draft, self edit, teacher conference, and final draft (publishing).

Writing Genres - 4th grade -
Narrative, Opinion, and Expository

Spelling - Students will use the Houghton Mifflin spelling program to promote more accurate spelling when writing. The words in the program are words commonly used in fourth grade writing. Please ensure your child is following directions carefully in the spelling program, and not just guessing what the directions mean. There are many other skills embedded in the spelling program that your child will benefit from if the program is used accurately.

Students will continue practicing penmanship in cursive with an emphasis on correct letter formation, spacing, alignment, margins, and neatness.

Math
Our new enVision math program covers 20 math topics aligned to the California State Standards in mathematics. Please access the math topics on www.pearsonsuccess.net. Use your child’s user name and password provided on the attached parent letter to view our text book. Lessons can include a Daily Spiral Review, Quick Check, Reteaching, Practice, and Enrichment activities. There are also Visual Learning Animations which cover vocabulary and the main ideas for the lesson.

Science
The MacMillan / McGraw-Hill’s science program is our presently approved program. It was chosen for its in-depthcoverage of California grade level science standards. Forms of life, earth, and physical science are taught at every grade level.

In fourth grade we will cover:
*Living Things Need Energy
*Living Things and Their Environments
*Rocks and Minerals
*Slow and Fast Changes on Earth
*Electricity
*Magnetism

Social Studies
Scott Foresman is ÒõAPPµ¼º½ Valley’s social studies program.

The fourth grade program is Our California. We will cover:
*The Land of California
*Early People in California
*Early History to Statehood
*Growth and Development Since 1850
*California Government