From the desk of Ms. Legault
September 4, 2007
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to the fourth grade! We are going to have an incredible year. I take education very seriously, but I also love to have a good time! We will be doing quite a bit of writing this year. We will publish some of our work in our classroom blog located at www.mslegaultsclassroom.blogspot.com. We are going to learn about rocks and minerals, animal habitats, pulleys and gears, light and sound, medieval times and Canada. We will be doing many Math activities including learning to play the game of Chess. A monthly schedule will go home to keep you informed of the up and coming events. We will be doing a lot of fund raising, as we hope to attend Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament like we did last year. This is an extremely educational and one-of a kind learning opportunity for the students, but it is very expensive. We will fundraise as much as possible but if students begin saving $5.00/month right now they will have more than enough to cover the cost in June. A web site I recommend to all parents to access is www.raisingsmallsouls.com. It has a wealth of information on parenting which I use with my own family. I know we will have a wonderful year at Braeburn. I look forward to meeting parents at "Curriculum Night" in September. Please watch for coming announcements.
Room 11 Policies and Procedures
Please have students bring in a bottle for water to drink in the classroom throughout the day. Water can be refilled during the day but should go home in the evening for washing. It's a vital nutrient for the body that kids don't get enough of AND it doesn't make the desks sticky during math... Students should also have an extra pair of running shoes at school. We will be involved in daily physical activities regardless of whether we have a scheduled gym period.
Homework
Homework is given to reinforce the lesson and help prepare students for the next lesson. Students will be expected to read every night for a minimum of 20 minutes and practice their spelling words. Students will also have some other homework in another subject area. Homework assignments and spelling words will be recorded in the planner, as well as on the classroom blog. Parents, it is very important that you review your child's homework every night. If you see errors, ask them to find them and correct them. If the student is unable to complete homework due to lack of time please record a note in the planner.
While your children are reading very well on their own, they will still get an ENORMOUS benefit from your reading to them. Many parents stop reading to their children when they can read independently. Research shows students of all ages benefit from being read to. When children are read to, they hear inflection and animation in the reader. They are exposed to vocabulary that they might not otherwise consider. And they see you reading- which is benefit enough. If your child is reading a chapter book, read a chapter to him or her occasionally. Or select a book together that is "above" fourth grade reading level, and read it to them for 15 minutes each night. When you get to a new word, ask if they can figure out what it means, or what other word would fit there... Talk with them about what they are reading; cast the characters with people you know and relate the story's events to similar situations you've encountered in your own lives. And enjoy the story together!
Parents, homework is one of your greatest responsibilities. Set a special time and place aside for homework nightly. Please remind your children to place their completed homework in their backpack the night before, with all necessary forms and supplies for the following day... especially during the first few months.
Homework Projects
Please remember, "it is the process, not the product" that is most important. I have seen parents create beautiful projects that were very impressive, but they deprive children of the benefits of creating them on their own. While your help is encouraged, and often required, please allow your child to come up with their own ideas. Ask questions like:
Where would you like to start? Could we sketch this out on scrap paper?
What do you think this will look like when it's done?
How do you think we could...?
What is your favorite... How could we incorporate that?
Fourth Grade Policy Students are required and expected to do all assigned homework. Planner is expected to be signed very evening. All reading needs to be recorded in planner with the title of the book and the author. If a student misses 3 homework deadlines, parents will receive a phone call.
Miscellaneous
As the budget is very tight at school I would like to ask all students to donate the following items to the classroom. If everyone contributes it should be enough to cover our needs throughout the year. It also lets the students take responsibility for the supplies therefore they tend not to waste.
Kleenex boxes
Paper towels
Soap (bar)
Ziploc bags
Parent Volunteers
Teaching time is very valuable therefore its hard to find enough time to do all the preparation. It would be helpful to have volunteers in the classroom to complete the following activities:
Photocopying
Small group reading
Small group math
Marking
Also if anyone has any skills/ talents/ knowledge they wish to share we always love to have people in the classroom do demonstrations. E.G. Dancing, Art, Storytelling, Henna, Paper folding/Paper cutting/ Knowledge related specific culture or subject areas
FINALLY, please remember... Knowledge is power. Grades are just letters.
Do your best and be proud of what you've accomplished!
Thank you for your partnership in your child's education!
Mrs. Legault
