Meet the Teacher Night

For those of you who were unable to make it to Wednesday's Meet the Teacher night, here is a summary of what we went over:

Parent 3-2-1:
This form came home with your child today. I would appreciate it if you could take the time to complete it, then send it back to school. This information is so informative for me. Thanks!

Schedule:
This year is a big shift for grade four students from larger, flexible blocks of time to more structured subject blocks. The subjects are: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Health and Career Education, Fine Arts, Physical Education, and French. Please note that grade 4 students will be learning French with the grade 5 students but will NOT be receiving letter grades in this subject.

Letter Grades:
Another shift in intermediate is letter grades. I use a variety of assessment strategies in the classroom. Oral conferences, written feedback, self-assessment, and many others. Larger projects and quizzes/tests will be given letter grades but most of our day to day work will not. I try to emphasize work habits and criteria rather than the mark itself, to avoid students becoming ultra focused on letter grades. One question I do ask students a lot is: What can you do to go beyond the expectations?

A    excellent or outstanding performance
B    very good performance
C+  good performance
C    satisfactory performance
C-   minimally acceptable performance

Field Trips:
I would like to take the class on a few learning related field trips. I would prefer to have parent drivers rather than take a large group on transit. Also, bus rentals are expensive, making the overall cost of a field trip prohibitive. Please ask for a Volunteer Driver form to complete if you are able to drive. Thanks in advance!

Homework:
The Ministry of Education mandate is for no more than 30 minutes of homework a night. Grade 4 and 5 students will have regular homework in two areas:

1) Reach for the Stars: I expect students to be reading and participating in the school-wide program, reading for 20 minutes each night. They will be asked to keep track and report when they have read for 20 nights. They can do this by using the tracking sheets provided by Ms. Cameron (which I will send home with students) or by putting a note in the planners when they have read for 20 nights.

2) Reflex Math: I expect students to log on to Reflex a minimum of three times a week at home. Their goal is to get to a green light. This usually takes 15-20 minutes of focused effort. They need access to a computer (or an iPad, which requires a free app). They also need to be free of other distractions, such as a person standing behind them watching, as this may impact their focus and the accuracy of the program. I will send home more information about this program soon!

Supplies:
I have asked the school to order binders for all the students in Division 7, as I wish to help students learn organizational skills. Because we do a bulk order, we are able to get a great deal on a sturdy binder with pockets and clear front cover (approximately $5). I would prefer all students to have the same kind of binder but if this is a problem for you, please let me know and we will figure something out.

If all students could also contribute a box of tissue, we will keep a stock pile in storage and roll them out as cold and flu season hits!

Finally, if you have any newspapers or magazines you could contribute to the classroom for art, please let me know. We can always use an ongoing supply, but we don't have a ton of storage so check with me first! Thank you!

Communication:
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I will respond to questions by email or to arrange a meeting. Otherwise, the best way to contact me is to phone the school or send a note in the pocket of the planner. Catching me at the bell in the morning is not a good time for me as I like to be ready to greet students at the door!