Mrs. Smith

Dear Parents of Room 7 Students:

Welcome to the new 2012/13 school year!  I hope everyone had a great summer, well-rested, and is ready to get to work.  I am excited to get this school year under way, so to get us started I thought I would inform you of some important details that would help the school year run smoothly.

Attendance:

Students are encouraged to come to school, every day, on time, and all day.  Class starts promptly at 8:00 am.  If your child eats breakfast here at school, please bring your child at 7:30 am so he/she can have ample time to eat.  Frequent absences and/or tardiness not only affect that student alone, but it is also an interruption to the whole class, and therefore strongly discouraged.  Excessive absences and truancies don’t allow the student to receive full and valuable instruction.  If possible, please schedule appointments and vacations after school, or during vacation, so that your child can fully benefit from the classroom lessons and discussions.

 

Daily Schedule:

From the moment students are picked up from the yard at 8:00 am and enter the classroom, our day of rigorous work begins.  Generally, we follow a Daily Schedule that looks something like this:

 

8:00-8:10         Morning Business- Attendance/Lunch Count, check homework, etc.

8:15-9:50         Envision Math

9:50-10:10         Recess

10:10-12:30        California Treasures Reading Program

12:20-1:15          Lunch

1:15-2:15          Science, Social Studies, PE, Health

2:15-2:24          Assign Homework, Clean up, Dismissal

 

**Tuesdays are Bank Days- Dismissal is at 1:24 pm starting on August 21, 2012.

 

Classroom Rules/Expectations and Discipline Plan:

Basically there are just two general expectations I have for each of my students.

1. BE RESPECTFUL- I expect all of my students to be respectful of each other in class

and out in the playground.  I also require them to treat the rest of

our school community with the same regard.  In the work that

they do, and using the materials provided to them, I insist that the

students treat them respectfully.

1. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST- Whether class work or homework, I want my students

to take pride in they work that they do.  Written work needs to be

done neatly and reviewed for accuracy.  In class, I expect students

to take part in class discussions by sharing ideas or asking

questions.

My classroom discipline plan is simple and direct.  Failure to abide by the classroom rules will result in loss of privileges and/or getting sent to the office for disciplinary actions.  (Loss of privileges means being benched for recess and/or lunch, after the students have eaten.)

 

Homework Policy & Instructional Programs:

Homework is assigned every day, including weekends.  It is your child’s responsibility to do the assignments and turn in the completed work by the next school day.  Students who come to school with incomplete or no homework will be benched.  Only under the most urgent of circumstances will your child be considered for not doing his/her homework.  It is imperative to your child’s learning that they practice applying the skills taught in class through homework.

Students each possess a journal where they write down their daily homework.  Parents are strongly advised to look over their child’s work on a daily basis, signing the homework book only when all assignments are checked for completion.  By signing the homework book, you as the parent are communicating to the teacher that you have reviewed and are in agreement with the quality of your child’s work.

 

CST Results:

If you have not received your child’s California Standardized Test (CST) results by now, they should be coming soon.  Essentially what you should be looking for is how well your child performed, and if whether or not they ranked at the desired level.

 

A= Advanced

P= Proficient

___________________________

 

B= Basic

BB= Below Basic

FBB= Far Below Basic

 

Safety Procedures:

We have a “closed” campus.  Should you need to visit your child’s classroom during school hours, we ask that you check-in at the main office where you will receive a sticker that will allow you to enter the classroom.  If you must visit the classroom for any particular reason, please clear it with the teacher and/or office first.  Classroom observations are limited to 20 minutes only.

Should you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday in school, again please clear that first with the teacher to make sure that it does not impede with the class schedule.

Please take the time to review the Parent Handbook, and other district paperwork, for your information.  Should you need to speak with me further, please call (310) 326-1576.  I will return your call at my earliest convenience.  Thank you and I look forward to working with you all.

 

Respectfully,

Mrs. Smith- 4^th Grade Teacher