4th Grade Handbook 2016 - 17

Students + Parents + Teachers ALL WORKING TOGETHER =

A SUCCESSFUL 4TH GRADE YEAR!

“Teamwork, simply stated, is less me and more we.” -Anonymous

•  Mrs. Tami Gonzalez Writing & ELA •  Ms. Robin Hollis Reading •  Mrs. Kimi O’Malley Math •  Ms. Jamie Brown ESE Teacher •  Ms. Hika Anani Instructional Assistant •  Mrs. Nicole Fletcher Instructional Assistant

What is team teaching? •  Students begin and end the day with their homeroom

teacher. •  Students receive Unit (social studies & science)

instruction from their homeroom teacher. •  4th Grade team collaborates on planning for unit, and

cross-curricular synergies. •  Instruction is differentiated to meet individual needs

within each homeroom class.

Student Benefits: ü  teacher expertise of content standards, and more in-

depth planning ü  builds independence, organizational skills, and

confidence ü  streamlines instruction for more differentiation - small

group and 1-1 learning ü  opportunity to “reset” when changing to a new class

Daily Schedule 8:00 – 8:20 am Announcements & Morning Circle 8:25 – 9:05 am Unit 9:10 – 11:45 am Rotation #1 & 2 + bathroom break

11:50 – 12:35 pm Exploratory   12:50 – 1:20 pm Lunch 12:35 – 12:45 |1:15 – 2:20 pm Rotation #3 2:20 – 2:50 pm Recess

Media Center: Tuesday | Explorers2: Friday

Transitions Math Reading ELA

9:10 – 10:30 am Hollis HR Gonzalez HR O’Malley HR

10:35 – 11:45 am Gonzalez HR O’Malley HR Hollis HR

12:35 – 12:45 pm 1:15 – 2:20 pm

O’Malley HR Hollis HR Gonzalez HR

TMS Grading •  Quarterly Reports are distributed in portfolios every

nine weeks. •  Grades are based on how your child is currently

performing in relation to the 4th Grade Georgia Standards of Excellence.

4 Exceeds 4th Grade Standard Expectations

3 Meeting 4th Grade Standards

2 Approaching 4th Grade Standards

1 Below 4th Grade Standards

•  Math Friday 5 assessments (weekly) •  Reading level benchmarks (2x/year) •  Reading and Writing pre- and post unit

assessments (4x/year) •  Writing Rubrics •  Words their Way Assessments

•  Portfolios (5 times per year) •  Informal, daily assessment/small group, 1-1

conferences (ongoing) •  Quarterly Reports (standards-based, 4x/

year) •  MAP (3x/year) •  Georgia Milestones - April

Assessing Student Progress

Holding Students Accountable •  4th Grade Behavior Plan:

q Based on Core Values q Parents received a copy 1st

week of school (Additional copies can be found in student portfolios.)

•  Daily clipboard for tracking (teachers)

•  Number of checks written in agenda for tracking (parents)

•  Please initial agendas nightly if your child has a number written in their agenda

•  Rewards: q Tickets, Treasure Chests & Fun

Friday

Homework Policy Generally, there will be homework every night except Friday. Each day before you leave school, you will write your assignments in your planner. With the exception of Unit, homework will be due each Friday. When completing a large project, you may have a week or more to complete the project. Plan ahead! Do not leave a project until the last minute. Managing your time is your responsibility. We are happy to help you plan!

■  Reading- Read for 25 minutes/night (25+ Book Challenge)

■ Math- Weekly Spiral Sheet

■  ELA- Word Study beginning after Fall Break - Weekly Language Review (Coming soon! After we have more grammar standards under our belt!)

■ Unit - Travel Journal Catch Up (As necessary – See homeroom teacher’s website for notes)

Unit Focus [Georgia Standards of Excellence]

■ Social Studies (1st Nine Weeks) ■  Native Americans ■  Explorers ■  Colonial America

■ Science (2nd Nine Weeks) ■  Ecosystems, Weather, Light & Sound, Space

■ Social Studies (3rd & 4th Nine Weeks) ■  American Revolution ■  Westward Expansion ■  Government and Economics

Language Arts Focus [Georgia Standards of Excellence]

■  Reading to learn vs. learning to read

■  Writing Realistic Fiction & Embarking on Independent Fiction Projects

■ Writing with Greater Independence (expository)

■ Spelling accuracy

■ Transferring knowledge of grammatical concepts to written language

Grammar\Writing Workshop Components

Mini-Lesson

Independent Writing

Centers Conferencing

The mini-lesson for writing workshop teaches concepts and strategies that connect the learning target(s) for writing and/or grammar. The 10-15 minute mini-lessons give direct instruction and models of the genre being studied (using authentic literature or my own writing). ML concepts taught can include:

• Procedures for Writing Workshop

• Writing strategies and skills • Grammar and vocabulary

instruction • Literary Techniques and

Elements • Genre Studies using Mentor

Texts To emphasize an instruction model that focuses on the strengths and needs of each individual writer, students are given time and choice of what to write and opportunities to share with audiences. Mini-lessons may include creating various charts in student journals or posters to display in the classroom. These charts are visual reminders that reinforce writing strategies; they may help with dialogue, structure, elaboration, or conventions.

Independent writing time is a large component of Writing Workshop. During this time, students are implementing their learning of the writing process. Writing components developed through the Lucy Calkins Curriculum Learning Progression include:

• Generating Ideas • Drafting

(fluency/volume/stamina) • Revision • Editing (Language usage based

on CCSS.) • Publishing

Students may do other activities during their writing time to help with brainstorming, such as:

• Writing exercises to experiment with language and style

• Responding to a prompt or photo

• Conducting peer-conferences

• Creating stories through comic-strips or skits

• Revising their writing by applying new grammar skills

On days that a grammar concept is taught, students will disperse into 4 groups to participate in a center activity with their teammates. Centers allow students to maximize their learning time, practice the learning target for the week or reinforce skills they have learned this year. Having centers allow me to differentiate the task for each student in order to meet your child on their individual level. Students are put into 4 teams with 5-6 students in each team. Stations are balanced, so that students will experience challenging work, but also activities that engage their interests. The 4 centers consist of:

a) Word Study (investigating & understanding the patterns in words using the Words Their Way curriculum)

b) Vocabulary (strengthening strategies to unlock meaning of words using the Wordly Wise Program)

c) Grammar (GSE standards) d) Teacher Time

Teacher time can look 2 ways: 1) Conferencing with students

individually 2) Practicing concepts with all

team members in a small group

Throughout writing workshop time, I will conference with students individually. It is important to me that I understand students as their own author. During the student/teacher conference, I will take notes on my observations, our discussions and teaching points. The student and I will set goals together, so that we can both monitor progress. Some questions that I ask during conferences are:

• Where are you at in the writing process?

• What main ideas are in this piece?

• What strategy are you working on as an author? (Hooking readers, conveying ideas with figurative language, etc.)

• What do you want me to notice/help you with today?

• What will you do next?

10-15 minute Mini-Lessons 30-45 minute

Independent Writing or Centers

5-10 minute Group Share or Read Aloud

Writing & Grammar Workshop•  Writing Workshop – 3 Days a Week à Lucy Calkins Writing Curriculum •  Grammar Workshop – 2 Days a Week à direct instruction of 4th grade Language GSE +

Spelling + Vocabulary

Spelling & Word Study Words Their Way Instructional Approach

-What is it? This criterion-referenced assessment determines students’ developmental level in the area of phonics. Based on the spelling features they use, students are given a score on each word.

-Purpose: The assessment is administered to determine the phonics and decoding skills students have mastered, as well as those that the student needs to further develop. This allows teachers to differentiate lists specifically for students and provide them with word study instruction at an appropriate level.

-Administration: Students are prompted to spell 18 words that require knowledge of various phonics skills. It is recommended that the administrator use the word in a sentence to avoid errors due to homophones.

WordsTheirWayStructure:•  WTWAc3vi3esareorganizedina5-dayrou3ne

withtheteacherintroducingthesortinsmallgrouponDay1&administeringatestinsmallgrouponDay5.ThiswillbeginfollowingFallBreak.(AHerassessmentshavebeenadministeredandassessed.)

Day 1 Introduce Sort in Group

Day 2 Re-Sort & define meanings

Day 3 Word Hunt

Day 4 Speed Sort with Partner

Day 5 Assessment in Group

Reading Workshop Do you have time to read every day?

Your child does!

■  Mini-Lesson ( Columbia

University Teachers College of Reading and Writing + GA Standards of Excellence-based curriculum)

■  Students enjoy “Read to Self” time while teachers conduct individual conferences and teach in small groups

■  Share time + Interactive read aloud (ties to future mini-lessons)

We are building a community of readers in our classroom each and every day.

Time spent reading in school positively affects comprehension, vocabulary, writing ability, spelling, and overall academic achievement. Ask your child: What are you reading today? How do you know it’s a “good fit” book? What is your “book challenge” (number of books) goal this year?

Math Focus [Georgia Standards of Excellence]

■  Place Value

■  Multiplication and Division

■  Fractions

■  Geometry and Measurement

■  Algebraic Thinking

Math Workshop

■  Mini-Lesson (5-10 minutes) Students begin math on the carpet as a whole group. This is when we take notes about the week’s 4th grade skills & learning targets. It consists of a quick activating engagement activity and introduces important new vocabulary.

■  Daily Stations (45 minutes) Math stations are differentiated based on students’ needs. During this time they could have one of the following: technology, guided learning with me, guided practice with an assistant, word problem practice, Mountain Math spiral center (3rd, 4th or 5th grade version), fractions of the week, or W.A.M. (writing about math).

■  Closing (5-10 minutes) Students and I wrap up our math block with a check in using student reflections, exit tickets, or a sharing activity.

Communication & Information■  Class of 2021 Facebook group page (Email Mrs. Gonzalez if you need access to the private

group.)

■  Teacher websites:

■  Please submit dismissal changes via email by noon each day. Please notify Chantel Nelson (at the front desk) for any last minute dismissal changes.

■  Email: We encourage you to contact us via with concerns or questions at any time. Email will be our primary means of communication beyond the website and newsletter information. **Please give 24-48 school day hours to reply** (as per TMS school policy)

■  Sign Up to Receive Text Message Alerts: to receive whole grade reminders, we’d love to reach you quickly through the Remind app. Please follow the directions below to opt in to these text alerts. To sign up for 4th Grade All notifications, please visit https://www.remind.com/join/383eg OR...Text this message: @383eg to the number 81010

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