Mrs. Stephens’s Class

4th Grade

Welcome and Thank you for coming to Curriculum Night

Take a look at their interactive notebooks. They have gotten off to a

good start on their organizational skills.

Buses start to arrive and the front door is opened at 7:00.

School does officially start at 7:30 a.m.

Students are tardy after 7:45 a.m.

Students are dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Please go to the office to sign out and pick up your child before 1:45. Please try to avoid checking out your child early too often, because they are missing critical learning time.

You must put your child’s transportation in their agenda daily. I check the agendas each morning and sign them in the afternoon.

PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL to bascomb.office@cherokee.k12.ga.us or CALL THE OFFICE IF THERE IS A LAST MINUTE CHANGE IN THE DISMISSAL PLAN IN PLACE FOR YOUR CHILD.

There is no guarantee that I will be able to read your email during the school day, and I want to ensure your child is sent home the correct way.

Our specials time is 8:00-8:45. Our specials remain the same each day. If we are off on a Monday, we miss that special.

We are o a 6 day rotationDay -1 P.E., Day-2 Counselor, Day-3 P.E.,

Day-4 Art, Day 5- P.E., Day-6 MusicLunch/Recess: 11:48-12:18 12:30-12:45

Snack: 9:30Please send your child in with a water bottle.Drinking water throughout the day hydrates

your child and her/his brain.

7:30-8:00 Morning Work 8:00-8:45 Specials 8:45-9:30 Reading w/Mrs. Reed 9:30-10:15 Science w/Dr. Wilkins 10:15-11:00 Social Studies 11:00- 11:45 ELA(Grammar/Writing) 11:48-12:18 Lunch/ 12:18-12:30 Wrap up Writing 12:30-12:45 Recess 12:45-2:00 Math 2:00- 2:10 Agendas/Pack-up

There is always a need for a celebration, but not a party. If you’d like to send in a treat for the class, that is fine. Just email or send a note to tell me the special day. You can also send stickers, pencils, or other treats.

Remember: If party invitations are handed out at school,

every child in the class needs to be invited. Otherwise, please send to the home address on the roster.

We will have 3 field trips this year.◦Cobb County Youth Museum- October 7 th

◦Colonial Times/in school-January or February

◦Atlanta Botanical Gardens-April or May

Homework will consist of 20 minutes of reading every night. Dr. Wilkins, Mrs. Reed and I may send home other assignments such as math, spelling, reading, science, or social studies. Since I do not assign homework every day, it is your child’s responsibility to fill in his/her agenda.

Students should practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts regularly to build their math fact fluency. You can use Timez Attack or Study Island.

Weekly Newsletter is sent via email on Friday. If you need a hard copy, just let me know.

Agendas will be filled out for homework, as assigned. Please sign nightly.

Conferences are currently being held. I prefer to do conferences from 8:05-8:40 or 2:30-, but can accommodate other times.

Please feel free to contact me byemail or notes.

Please visit my website. It is updated weekly.You will find the newsletter, spelling list, and class

announcements. You will also find many useful links to help with studying or just for fun practice. The site address is:

http://mysite.cherokee.k12.ga.us/personal/barbara_stephens/site/default.aspx

Every Friday a folder will come home with your child’s graded work inside, as well as other information. At some point over the weekend, please review your child’s work with them. There may be important notes from me or corrections that need to be made. I personally place all graded work into their “mail cubbies.” Please make sure to return the folders on Monday.

Georgia Standards of Excellence is what we follow for your child’s instruction.

You can review the standards at: https://georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/default.aspx

All testing will be online this year. CoGat window for testing will be the week

of August 31-September 4th. Georgia Milestones will be given in the

spring. http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-

Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Documents/Introducing%20Georgia%20Milestones%206914.pdf

 

Place Value, Numeration, and Rounding• read and write numbers through millions• round to nearest 10, 100, 1,000Multiplication & Division• solve 2-3 digit numbers by 1-2 digit

numbersFractions & Decimals-Major focus for CCGPS add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions and mixed

numerals add, subtract, multiply and divide decimalsGeometric Figures and Measurements • customary and metric units• measure, identify, and classify angles• identify Geometric Figures

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Frameworks/4th-Math-Grade-Level-Overview.pdf

GSE focus is on comprehension of nonfiction reading texts.

Reading – Reading textbook and novels will be used to teach the following reading skills:cause- effect, fact/opinion, summarize, sequence, inference, analyze character, setting and plot, predicting outcome

Genres include: fiction and non-fiction poetry, folktales, Greek myths, fables

Reading levels will be set with each student based on their Star Reading scores. You will find the zones in their agendas every nine weeks.

Students are expected to read two nonfiction books every nine weeks. Beyond that, they should be reading nightly. They must write a friendly letter to me about what they have read during the week. The students have been given instructions on what is expected and they can be found in the reading section of your child’s binder.

Parts of Speech◦ nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,

conjunctions, prepositions. Types of Sentences

◦ declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative

WritingUnits of Study for Writing by Lucy Calkins- A

combination of mini-lessons and daily students writing. narrative, informational, expository, and persuasive

Science Light and Color Sound Weather Solar System Ecology Simple Machines

Social Studies Map Skills Land bridge Native AmericansExplorers ColoniesThe War for Independence,Important documents in U.S. History Westward Expansion Industrial Revolution

1. If your student has a percentage grade on her/his paper, that grade is recorded in my grade book.

2. If your student has a check mark on his/her paper, it has been recorded as a homework grade.

3. If your student has minus plus problems missed (-2), that grade will not be recorded.

During the first semester, any student who receives a 85% or below may correct the paper and turn it in for a grade adjustment.

I will average the two grades together to get the new grade.

Please return the corrected work within one week.

During the second semester, a grade adjustment will based on a case by case decision.

Report cards go out every nine weeks. Progress reports go out about mid-way

through the nine weeks. You can access your child’s grades through

the Family Portal site. You do have to set up an account.

https://sis.cherokee.k12.ga.us/aspen/logon Every effort will be made to update grades

weekly.

Bascomb Elementary School Wide Rules◦ Respect Yourself◦ Respect Others◦ Respect Your School

Teachers will communicate with parents any difficulty with behavior and/or work skills through the use of the student agendas, emails, and phone calls.

Students can earn pins to be given out at the end of the year. The pins that can be awarded are:

Reading: The student must complete the 4th grade reading goals mentioned above.

They must complete the 600 minutes for Six Flags tickets. Both of these are required in my class.

Math: The students must take a multiplication/division timed test weekly working toward a 90% goal.

Academic PinsHonor Roll-all A’s on end of year gradesMerit Roll-A’s and B’s on end of year grades

Platinum Award for Perfect Attendance: no absences, tardies, or early check-outs.

Gold Award for Perfect Attendance: no absences, fewer than five tardies/early check-outs.

Silver Award for Excellent Attendance: three or fewer absences and fewer than five tardies/early check-outs.

Award of Merit for Excellent Attendance: three or fewer absences.

Other pins available are through participation. They are: Music Makers, Spelling Bee (top 2 per class), Chess Club (not Kidz Chess), Reflections, Citizenship, Science Olympiad, and Friends Club.

Volunteers are needed for: Friday folders, copying, Parent reader,

parties (Winter holiday and end of year), special events, and art projects.

PTA also will need volunteers throughout the year. Some events include: Appreciation luncheons, Science Fun Day, Spring fund raising event, etc.

Cinde Grantham is our room mom this year. They will be coordinating volunteers, so look for the Sign-up Genius list.

Children change a great deal in 4th grade. Please be optimistic and open minded as we work together to accomplish our common goal of providing a nurturing, enriching, educational experience for your child. Some goals happen slowly.

Please help your child stay organized. Use the binder and agenda daily.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with me. I love teaching, and I am so excited to have your child all day. I feel it is a privilege to be an important part of your child’s life. With your support and commitment, I know we will have a fun and successful 4th grade year together.

Thank you for coming tonight.