Mrs. Surface's 4th Grade News
Well, the first week has come and gone already. I can clearly see how fast time is going to fly this year. I feel the first week has gone very well. We have spent time getting to know procedures, each other, and my expectations, and have been working diligently in math, reading, spelling, writing, science, and social studies. Successmaker (our computerized math and reading program) is up and running, and we have been able to use that program on our new laptops.
There are a couple of housekeeping items I want to go over with you. The first is that we have daily planners. I am hoping that not only organizes the students, but also lets you know what our day consisted of. I expect them to go home everyday and be signed by you, the parents. That is my way of knowing you and your student went over the day's events. Next: homework folders. As far as homework goes, you can expect a math page almost every night. Spelling lists will also be sent home on Monday or Tuesday of each week. The pre-test is given on Wednesday and the final test is given on Friday. Those students earning a 100% on Wednesday do not have to retake the test on Friday. Other homework may consist of daily work that did not get completed. It is not my intent to load the students down with lots of homework, but I do expect work to be completed in a timely manner, and if that means work needs to be taken home to be completed, then that’s what we will do for now. I do greatly appreciate your support and assistance in seeing that your child gets homework finished and returned to school the next day. Lastly - - snacks. I have explained to the kids that we do not bring snacks in 4th grade. Our milk break is after specials in the morning at 9:30. I am hoping since our lunchtime is earlier for them than it was in 3rd grade, that not having a snack won’t bother them too much. This is also the time we share birthday treats, and I will sometimes have a small snack for them.
Your child may have talked to you about our “Right Choice” tickets. These are small rewards for making good choices in our classroom. Tickets are earned by being respectful, doing well on assignments, and showing manners. Once a certain number of tickets have been earned, your child may choose a fun activity as a bigger reward. I have explained that not every good deed will be rewarded, even though it is expected. I try to catch them off-guard making a good choice in order to encourage that behavior all the time. Respect has been our key word this week and will continue to be. We have talked about what respectful behavior looks and sounds like, and they know I have high expectations for them and their actions and choices.
It is my goal to send a letter home several times throughout the nine weeks, so you know and are up-to-date on what is going on in our classroom. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I am enjoying my time in fourth grade! Thank you for sharing your child with me.
***Also, don’t forget that Thursday the 28th at 6:30 is our Back to School Night at PES. I hope to see all of you there. We will talk more about our 4th grade classroom – curriculum, expectations, classroom procedures, and so on. It will also be a great time for you to ask me questions. See you then!
