Ms. Hewitt’s Fourth Grade Class
Student/Parent Handbook
My Website: http://miss-hewitt.blogspot.com/
My Email: khewitt@westlakecharter.com
Fourth Grade Behavior Management Policy
Westlake Charter School Rules
o Be
respectful
o Be
responsible
o Be safe
Classroom
Norms will be created by students, and may vary slightly by classroom.
Logical Consequences
Discipline
is a learning tool, rather than a punitive measure. The idea is to move children to intrinsically
internalize responsibility. (Dr. Marvin Marshall) Therefore, when students choose not to follow
classroom norms, students receive a logical consequence for their actions. All consequences are realistic, related to
the infraction and respectful of those involved. Repeated infractions may result in parent
contact, referral to another classroom or office, and/or detention when school
policy indicates.
4th Grade
Homework Policy
Why We Assign Homework:
We believe that homework is
essential because it reinforces what has be learned in class, prepares students
for upcoming lessons/activities, helps students to develop positive study
habits, allows students to work with and engage their families, and teaches
students responsibility.
When We Assign Homework:
Homework will be assigned
Monday – Friday. Friday homework
would typically only consist of completing unfinished classwork, completion of
long-term projects at family’s discretion or reviewing for a test. All of the assignments should not take any more
than 45 minutes to 1 hour in addition to 30 minutes of reading at home. If this is taking longer, notify the teacher
right away. When there are tests to
study for, or projects to complete, the estimated length of time for homework
will increase. Students will have notice
to study for upcoming tests. For all major projects, timelines will be given
for students so nothing is left to the last minute.
Students’ Homework Responsibilities:
Homework is to be completed with
each student’s best effort. Neatness is
required on all assignments, which includes not only handwriting, but also
paper that is not wrinkled or ripped.
Students are to do their work on their own and only ask for help
after they have given their best effort. All assignments are to be handed in on time.
It is the student’s responsibility to pick up, complete, and turn in missed
assignments. Students are required to write down assignments in their agendas
on a daily basis.
Teacher’s Homework Responsibilities:
Homework will be checked every
day in a variety of ways. We may choose
to check homework as a class, check work in partners or small groups, or
collected for teachers to correct. Homework completion will frequently be
recorded in Engrade.
Parents’ Homework Responsibilities:
Parents play an important role
in making homework a positive experience for their children. The ways that you can help support this
positive experience are by making homework a priority, providing necessary
supplies and a quiet work place, setting a daily homework time, giving praise
and support, and not letting children avoid homework. In addition to this, it is important that parents frequently monitor
Engrade for students’ progress in homework and classwork. Please contact the teacher right away if you
notice any issues or problems. If there
has been difficulty in completing homework, please send a note in with your
child that morning.
If Students Do Not Complete Classwork or Homework:
If students choose not to do an
assignment, they will be given a “pink slip” which communicates the details of
the missing assignment and/or classroom materials for parents to sign and
students to return. If the “pink slip”
is not returned the following day, the student will phone parents the next day
to communicate about the missing assignment/materials. In addition to this communication, students
may miss recess time while finishing the assignment. If the student has trouble
with an assignment, contact the teacher as soon as possible or send a note in
with your child. It is expected that
homework will be turned in on the assigned due date. Points will be deducted for each day the
assignment is missing. It will be up to the student to remember to hand in the
late assignment the next day. Assignments will not be accepted after three days
late. In addition, detention will be assigned for 2 missing homework assignments
within a week, per school policy. If a student
consistently fails to do their homework it may affect future Field Lessons or
events we may attend.
Weekly Homework will include: 1. Reading 30 minutes per night
2. Studying weekly spelling/vocabulary words on Spellingcity.com
3. Completing math homework assignments and assigned IXL strands
4. Occasionally, long-term assignments will be given
5. Any incomplete classroom assignments
Student Agendas
&
Homework/Parent
Correspondence Folder
Keeping all papers in an organized folder ensures
that students are ready for each day’s work and that no papers get lost. It also teaches students the organizational
skills that will help them in your future.
Parent Tip! Please DO NOT remove
student work from the homework folder without consulting your child. Allowing your child to own this
responsibility ensures that “in progress” work is not accidentally thrown away
and teaches students to discern which assignments are to be kept, filed, or
discarded.
1. Every
student will receive a binder with their student agenda and a blue
homework/parent correspondence folder.
2. Agendas
will be filled out at the end of each day with homework/project assignments and
due dates.
3. All
homework pages and parent correspondence will be placed in the blue folder for
parents to check on a nightly basis.
Communication &
Class Newsletters
I check
my email before and after school but it may be 24 hours before I can
respond. I like to send home an email
Newsletter every other week so that families can keep up with what is going on
in our classroom. If you have a particular circumstance that you need convey to
me (child may not be feeling well, next day dr. appointment, have child go to
BASE, etc., please do drop me an email).
If you have to notify me of
something on short notice, please call the office as I may not see your email
in time. I may or may not be able to chat before or
after school depending on my responsibilities to the students but I do want to
be sure to connect with you. If you’d
like to meet, please email me so we may set up a time.
Progress Reports
Parents should sign
and return the progress reports so I know you’ve seen them.
But more
important than these mid-trimester progress updates, parents should frequently
check Engrade to gain “real-time” understanding of student progress.
Meetings/Conferences:
We will conduct parent teacher conferences together twice this
year.
4th Grade
Explorers on the Web
Our classes have a
home on the Internet and we have a class website. Students will also spend time
using our mobile computer lab and ipads where they will work on in-class
projects, activities, and assignments.
My website will have a
variety of pages to check out and have projects and directions.
Materials
Binders: Students will be
assigned a “Super Magnetic Binder” that contains their homework folder, math
notes and agenda. Please see the agenda
every day. Students will be responsible for bringing their binder home and to
school each day. This is very
important!
Attendance &
Illnesses
Regular
school attendance is critical to the learning process. Our school day
officially starts at 8:15 a.m. Please have students arrive no later than 8:15 am for morning line-up.
When
your child is absent or tardy, he or she misses valuable instructional
time. Please notify the office whenever
your child is absent. State law requires
us to code each absence as lawful or unlawful. Lawful absences include illness and doctor’s appointments. Unlawful absences include out-of-town
trips, missing their ride, and family vacations. Students will be responsible
for completing work missed while absent.
Even
though the district has strict attendance policies, it’s important to keep your
child home if he or she is sick. The policy states that a child must be free of
fever and/or vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school. Thank you for
understanding.
Our
school motto is “Every student, every day.” J
Independent Study Packets: Please see the Westlake Charter School
Handbook for information on how and when they can be requested. All requests must be made through the office
and with five days notice.
Parent Volunteers
In
an effort to make our students as independent as possible, parent volunteers
assisting in the academic process will vary.
I hope to have 1-2 regular parents that might help with Guided Reading
or Guided Math. I will send email
notices out as the needs arise throughout the year. There is always a need for
parents to help out with fundraising, copy room work, at home projects such as
typing and printing student work, help with book orders and these are the most
helpful ways to earn parent hours.
Field Lessons
In
4th grade we do not take field trips, we take field lessons. We want
to ensure that any time we leave the Westlake Charter School campus we are
always learning and challenging our students.
Specialty Classes include Art once every other
week on Wednesday, Spanish on Mondays and Thursdays, and P.E. on Mondays and
Fridays. Please be sure to wear tennis
shoes on P.E. days.
Mid-morning Snacks
& Water Consumption
We
have found it beneficial for the class to have a mid-morning healthy snack.
This year our lunch is at 11:40 am. to 12:30 p.m. so everyone really needs to
bring a snack. Our snack time will usually be 10 a.m. each day. Only send enough for one day, and please
don’t send snacks that need to be refrigerated or heated up. Please do not send in sweet or sticky items
like cake, brownies, frosted cookies, or cupcakes. We also permit our students to bring a water bottle to school every
day. Plain water is the only beverage
permitted, and the bottle must have a secure lid. Water bottles should be taken
home regularly to be cleaned.
Birthdays: We love to celebrate birthdays. Please feel free to bring in donuts,
cupcakes or your child’s treat of choice for 30. If your student does not celebrate birthdays,
please let us know. We have a student in our classroom with a
peanut allergy. Please make certain that
all treats for our classroom have no exposure to tree nuts of any kind. Thank you!
Grading
While students will receive three
Report Cards this year based on the 1-2-3 grading system, grades this year will
be kept as A, B, C, D Grades in grade books and will be seen on progress
reports based on:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
61-69% = D
50% and lower = F
Bottom Line…Tips for Success in 4th Grade!
·
Practice math facts routinely until proficient
·
Check Engrade often for grades and progress
monitoring
·
Read.
Read. Read. Read.
Read. NOTHING is more predictive of a child’s success than the amount
they read.
·
Be at school and on time EVERY DAY
·
Check agenda NIGHTLY- deadlines are closer than
they appear
Ms. Hewitt’s Fourth
Grade Student Handbook
Please return this
page to Ms. Hewitt and keep the handbook in your Super Magnetic Binder
I have read and understand the
information in this Student Information Packet and I will take responsibility
for my actions, behavior, and work.
Student Signature:
_______________________________ Date: ______________
I have reviewed and discussed the
Student Information Packet with my child.
Parent Signature:
________________________________ Date: ______________
