Welcome to Back-to-School

NightFourth Grade –

Room 3Mrs. Culleton

Shape your child for the path,

not the path for your child

A little about me:

● I grew up in Moraga on a family ranch behind St. Mary’s College

● I went to Rheem, CP, JM, Campolindo, UC Berkeley, and St. Mary’s

● I met my husband at Cal● Taught for 12 years● I have 2 boys – Ford is 3

years old and Ellis is in kindergarten at Rheem.

Important Information

• School begins: 8:25 a.m.• Recess: 10:05-10:25 a.m.• Lunch 12:00-12:40 p.m.• Dismissal: 3:05 p.m.

Attendance # - 376-2086

Roadrunner Club - 376-3012

Important School Personnel

925-376-4441• Principal - Ms. Elaine Frank• School Secretary - Mrs. Fitzinger• Assistant Secretary - Mrs. Wu• Room 3 Aide - Mrs. Arnswald• Room 3 Aide – Miss Laily • Parent Volunteers

Volunteers

Parent volunteers are a very important and integral part of the every school and classroom. This is an important job and it is very much appreciated.

There are many ways to volunteer, but first you must be cleared.

Volunteers

Video Link

Volunteers

Some known volunteer opportunities:• working with the students in the computer lab• helping in the library• assisting with hot lunch• being a mystery reader• lending us your expertise• preparing materials• organizing book orders• being a class photographer• attending field trips• helping with quilting• helping with landscape art• Bird watching!!!

Volunteer sheets should be coming around.

Pull-Out Classes

*Students must wear sneakers

on PE days.

Tuesday • Library

Wednesday • PE

Thursday • Computers• Music 1:40-2:20

Friday• Teacher Led PE• Art

• Thank you to MEF!!!

Student Expectations

• Come to class and be on time.• Complete class work on time. • Do all your homework and bring

it to school with you each day.• Bring all necessary materials to

class, including your binder.• Be an active learner-

participate!• Respect others.• Read 20+ minutes every night.

Procedures and Routines

Homework & Pack-up:• After lunch students write

their homework in their planner as I model on board

Morning Routine:• Come in, unpack, fill water

bottles, homework out, get settled & start warm-ups

• Announcements and schedule

• Attendance & finish warm-ups

• Correct warm-ups and go over homework

• Community Circle

Bathroom:• Go once a day, during

indep. work time

BEHAVIOR CLIP CHART

-Red: WOW! Outstanding

-Orange: Great

-Yellow: Good

-Green: Ready to Learn

-Blue: Think about it = warning

-Purple: Check Yourself- (fill out a “Think about it” sheet

plus loss of self government and Friday Free Choice)

-Violet: Parent Contact (Consequences from above &

Teacher conference, Loss of entire recess, Phone call

and/ or letter home)

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

At this age, most children have a desire to do the right thing and please the adults around them. Mistakes do happen (to all of us!), but I try to acknowledge and reinforce only the desired behaviors. The following are a list of some of the rewards I use:

1. Praise! Praise! Praise!2. Clipping up3. Gold Slips4. Class Warm Fuzzies5. Call or note home if something spectacular6. Friday Free Choice – if all work is done7. Self-Government – extraordinary week

Mindset

Studies consistently demonstrate that physical activity is associated with improved academic achievement, academic behaviors, and

cognitive skills

There’s often short brain break activities during the day to calm the classroom or energize your students depending on the time

of day.

• Brain breaks before tests

• goNoodlegonoodle website

Curriculum

Reading and Grammar Literature Based units

1. - Hatchet, Island of the Blue Dolphins, etc.

Grading based on comprehension, using evidence to support ideas

WritingNew! Writer’s Workshop

Reading!

Reading aloud is still allowed!

5 finger rule for reading is helpful

Let your kids see you read!

Talk about books you are reading!

Goal- Read 40 books this year

Curriculum- continued

• Math- enVision Math• Social Studies – Houghton

Mifflin• Science- HM• Life Skills - Soul Shoppe

Hands-On Science

Fourth grade will complete three hands-on science units this year:

Earth Science - rocks, minerals, changes to the Earth

Physical Science - magnets and electricity

Life Science - plants and animals, and how they depend on each other

Technology

21st Century Classroom: What?

Students need to learn beyond the core subjects of language arts, math, and history. They also need to master skills, like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and digital literacy—skills they need in order to be successful in the 21st century.

How? Project-based learning experiences that involve

creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and digital literacy. (Computers, ipads, ipods, etc)

My webpage

• There will be occasional projects such as book chats and current events

• A mission project choice board will give your child an opportunity to learn how to budget their time working on a project at home, applying what they have learned in class

• Walk through California – Dec. 17• Writing Workshop- Narratives,

Persuasive, and Research Reports• Possibly one additional class trip• Sacramento field trip - March 6th

Projects and Trips

Homework 1

• Homework is written after lunch everyday. Students are responsible for copying assignments into their hw logs.

• Notices are put into students’ mailboxes. Mail will go home on Friday in their yellow folders; to be returned on Monday.

• Homework packet is due Thursdays unless otherwise directed.

• Your Homework - look over planner to make sure work is done. Initial hw log daily after discussing with child.

Homework 2

It should take between 40-55 minutes a night, Monday through Thursday. However, there are times that more work or practice will be required. Occasionally, if classwork is not finished during class, it will be sent home to be finished. In addition, there will be some special projects assigned throughout the year.

The purpose of homework is to reinforce the skills being taught daily in the classroom. Your participation in your child’s education is a vital contributor to your child’s academic achievement.

However, if homework is taking over an hour regularly, let me know so we can discover if it is a study habit, or too much being assigned.

Conferences & Report Cards

Report Card Dates:• November 21st • March 27th• June 12th

Parent -Teacher Conference Dates:• Nov. 18th, 20th, & 21st

• Please sign up for one tonight

Standardized Testing

SBACSpring, dates still TBD

Take a look at the links on our website

4th Grade Website

Birthdays

Summer Birthdays may choose a day near the end of the year.

Cupcakes are delicious, but eating 30 in one school year can mean lots of extra sugar for our fourth graders. Below are some ideas for alternatives to birthday cupcakes. Please send in your birthday item

with your child in the morning. Donate a book to the class

Donate a game to play during Friday Free Choice (such as Pictionary, Life, Legos, Scrabble, etc.)

Fruit wedges such as apple or oranges

Prepackaged small bags of popcorn, veggie chips, or pretzels

Cheese and Crackers

Jamba Juice

Supplies Needed for the Classroom

• Please replenish your child’s supplies

as the year continues

• Binoculars

• Tissues! Tissues!

• Post-its!

Communication

Remember: Kids can’t be problem-solvers unless they have problems to solve.

Check your child’s hw log each night and initial

My email address is sculleton@moraga.k12.ca.us.