Welcome to Open House

4th Grade!Ms.

Malandro’s Class

Varner Elementary 4761 Gaydon Road Powder Springs, GA 30127770-222-3775

Meet the TeacherMs. Malandro

Education Master’s Degree in Elementary Education

from UGA Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood

Education from Georgia Southern Graduate of McEachern and Tapp

Teaching Experience Subbed and supplied in Cobb County

during graduate work I’ve been at Varner for a year and a half Always in fourth!

Daily Schedule7:15 – 7:50 Morning Work/Announcements7:50 – 9:05 Integrated Math Instruction9:05-9:55 Specials 9:55-10:10 Math Instruction wrap-up/closing10:10-11:00 Integrated Social Studies/Science/Health11:00-11:30 Lunch11:30-11:45 Social Interaction11:45-12:10 Spelling/Word Work12:10-1:10 Reading Workshop1:10-2:10 Writing Workshop2:10 – 2:30 Announcements/Dismissal

TransportationHow your child goes home from school is just as important as getting them to school on time!!! All transportation changes must be in writing. A note in the Agenda is fine as along as it is not a change in the bus #. To ride a different bus home it must be approved by administration that day.

Car Riders MUST have a car number/tag from the office or ID will need to be shown upon pick-up in the office.

School Time

School begins at 7:50 a.m.Breakfast ends at 7:45 a.m.

students must be in the cafeteria before 7:45 a.m. to receive breakfast

Absences and TardiesPlease send a note from home if there is an absence or change in dismissal.

Prompt arrival and regular attendance is vital to your child’s success in third grade.

Work missed while out of school will be sent home the following day.

Clinic Information ALL medications must be

sent to the clinic in the original container.

Please send a note with all medications.

Cafeteria Notes Encourage your child to make healthy choices

at lunch. Please utilize Meal Pay online or send lunch

money in an envelope for your child to take to the cafeteria. Children $2.15 Adults $3.25

Please come eat with your child if you wish. Lunch time is 11:00-11:30. Please check-in at the office and wait for us at

the cafeteria doors. No outside fast-food is allowed in the cafeteria. If you wish to offer a birthday snack or treat,

this must be store bought and brought at lunch

Class Blog: http://

varner.typepad.com/malandro/

Email: Kathryn.Malandro@cobbk12.org

Phone: 770-222-3775 (NOTE: Please do not leave a voicemail.) Email is faster!

COMMUNICATION

Rules to Follow for Good Citizenship

Follow Directions Active Listening Respect Others and Yourself Walk Everywhere Do Your Best Always W.A.V.E.

The Character in Me

Riding the Character WaveThe Morning News will feature character words and leaders in our community each week to promote the Character in Me! We want to extend to our students all positive role models of behavior as examples of promoting good character! The Morning Greeters program will also be on hand to welcome our students to school each day! We encourage you to volunteer to be a Morning Greeter! Contact Maria Gordon if interested!

Life-Long Guidelines & Life Skills

The Life-Long Guidelines and Life Skills provide a common language that helps to guide us in determining appropriate expectations for behavior that supports learning, and they set the stage for a safe and learner friendly environment. •Trustworthiness

•Truthfulness•Active Listening •No Put-Downs•Personal Best

When we do our personal best, we must use the following lifeskills:

•Caring•Common Sense•Cooperation•Courage •Curiosity•Effort

•Flexibility •Friendship•Initiative•Integrity•Organization•Patience

•Perseverance •Pride•Problem Solving•Resourcefulness•Responsibility•Sense of Humor

Dinner Time Dilemmas

Dinner Time Dilemmas will come home once or twice a

month. These will be “scenarios” that could happen and follow with “what would you do” type questions. Your student will fill out the open

ended questions at school and then bring them home for you to discuss as a family. It is our hope that you will also write a response to the dilemmas. We will discuss the dilemmas at school the following week. The first one will arrive at

home on August 19th!

Behavior Management Plan Individualized

Our class clipboard follows the students at all times

Moving up for positive choices Moving down if a better choice was an option Outstanding= treasure box We love donations!

Whole Class marble jar (scoops in or out)

Important Information Home to School

Binder Friday Folders Weekly success chart All graded papers Anything 70 or below

may be resubmitted Monday morning for an average of the 2 grades

Homework will be written in agendas each day. Homework this year is the responsibility of the student to remember! Any important info will be placed in the folder pocket

Volunteer Informational Meeting

If you plan to volunteer at Varner, please attend the Volunteer Informational

Meeting on Friday at 8 a.m. in the Media Center!

ConferencesConference Week will be during the week of October 21, 2013. (Conferences will only be held once this year).

Report cards will be sent home at the end of each nine week grading period. Progress reports will be sent in the middle of the grading period.

Fourth Grade will have letter grade Report Cards this year as well as online access to grades through Synergy. More information about the new grading system will be coming.

Report CardsReport Cards starting in fourth grade are based upon a numerical system for Reading, English (Composition/Writing), Spelling, Math, Social Studies, Science and Health. The grading scale is: 90-100 = A80-89 = B74-79 = C70-73 = D0-69 = F

This year we are using the Synergy online grading system. You may access the grades and keep track of your child’s progress as their grades are earned.

Fourth grade is a HUGE transition to letter grades! Please encourage your student to complete and turn in all assignments! Zeros are AWFUL on an average!!!

Local Benchmarks or Quarterly testing are expected.

CRCT:Criterion Reference Competency Test

April 23 – May 2

TESTING

PTSAJoin the Varner PTSA today! Only $6. The PTSA does so many wonderful things for the school, students and teachers! The goal is 100% membership!

http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/VarnerPTA/

Thank you for all you do! Thank you for coming tonight!

You are your child’s first teacher! You’ve done a

great job! Great kids!! Awesome Class!!! We are going to

have a great year!!!

Take a moment to write a note to your child and leave it at their desk for them!

If you have any questions, let me know.