Welcome Mrs. Eastin’s 4 th Grade Curriculum Night

Welcome Mrs. Eastin’s 4th Grade Curriculum Night

Communication • Email:meastin@kyrene.org • This is the best way to get in touch with me. • Voice Mail: 480-541-2535 • Eastin Webpage • http://kyrene.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=25812 • Sign up for ListServe. http://www.kyrene.org/Page/2790 • Sign up for Classroom Directory-http://www.kyrene.org/Page/24818

Communication Weekly Email with important information. Sent home Friday or Monday. Please read. Please let me know if you have not received my communications in the past two weeks. Students will complete weekly self-reflections, form or letter format, sent home on Friday. Behavior reflections will be included. My notes may also be included. Please sign and return the Weekly Report on Monday. Completed work and other information will go home on Friday in homework Folders.

Typical Schedule 7:40 Students picked up from courtyard 7:45 Tardy bell 7:45 Language Arts 8:40 Specials (Library, PE, Art, Music) 9:30 Morning break 9:45 Language Arts and IFG 10:45-11:40-Science and Social Studies 11:40 Lunch/Recess 12:20-1:55 Math Block and IFG 2:05 Writing/project block 2:30 First bell *Students will be dismissed on Tuesday and Friday at 2:30(Duty) 2:35 Dismissal (12:35 on Wednesday)

Goals • Students will assume responsibility for their own learning. • Students will become creative problem solvers and will preserve in problem solving. • Students will be engaged and excited about learning.

Report Cards • Report cards are given out quarterly. The grading scale is A, B, C, D, F. The returned work will help you stay informed about their progress. Also, you may view your child’s progress on Genesis. • Variety of assessment types: class work, homework, tests, writing, projects, and presentations • Tests directly reflect what we have been learning in class. Homework, Class work and/or notes can be kept to help review. Sometimes review sheets are sent home. See the agenda for upcoming tests. • Tests are percentage grades based on the number correct out of the number possible. • Rubrics specifying requirements for A, B, C…are used for projects and presentations. • Class work and homework may also be graded based on percent, but are not weighted as heavily as tests and projects. • Writing gets graded based on the 6 Traits of Good Writing. Most 4th graders score 3.0-5.0. • There is not a separate grade for spelling. It is incorporated into the writing grade.

Missing Work If homework is not completed, this may be noted in agenda. If work is not completed by Friday, student will miss Goal Club and complete missing work in study hall. This also applies to work that needs to be redone, due to quality issues. (incomplete or not personal best).

Behavior Chart • Used in conjunction with our district-wide PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program which promotes a positive climate for our school • Emphasizes the importance of making good choices • Promotes positive behavior and encourages students to self-monitor their choices • Allows students to be acknowledged for positive behavior, and provides a sense of accomplishment for students who are able to “clip up” • Allows students who have “clipped down” an opportunity to “clip back up” during the day-they continue to stay motivated.

Behavior Chart-Continued • Your child will write the behavior they ended on for the day in their daily agendas beginning next week. • This immediate feedback will show you where he/she ended up on for the day. • I will contact you if necessary regarding major incidents which required your child to clip down • I appreciate your understanding that it will not be possible for me to contact you for every clip down that occurs. • Clipping down from time to time is to be expected and can be an important learning opportunity for your child

Homework Expectations 4th Grade: 40 minutes nightly. Homework is assigned as follows: Spelling and project, given on Friday(students may work ahead if they would like. Due Friday. Math homework is assigned Monday-Thursday and is due the following day. Math -May include Dreambox, math practice work, or application project. Word study(Worldly Wise or spelling) practice. Spelling or vocab matrix. Students are be expected to read 20 minutes a day outside of class. Students should complete the Reading Record sheet to log their reading. 1 book project a quarter(Due dates will be announced.) Sometimes unfinished classwork becomes homework. Research and book Projects throughout the year.

Curriculum Overview Research Based and data driven Opportunities to examine topics in-depth with extended units of study focusing on the application of the concept. Inquiry Based Lots of Choices and student involvement. Goal of creating life long learners! The complete curriculum is found on the Kyrene District Webpage.

Math Concepts • Critical Area • Developing fluency with multi digit multiplications and quotients. Place value. • Fractional equivalence. Addition and subtraction, and multiplication of fractions. • Geometric properties • Problem Solving

Math Workshop Quizzes/progress checks most Fridays. Tests Integrated S.T.E.M Projects Daily Work including games, math stations and Dreambox. Problem Solving recorded in math journal(Graded on rubric) If a student scores less than 75% on a math test or quiz, a retake test will be required.

Writing Workshop Students are taught the 6 plus 1 Writing Traits and the writing process. All written components of projects and writing pieces are graded using the 6 Traits of writing. Types of writing: Narrative, Informative, Opinion, Poetry, and creative writing. Research writing will be emphasized. Greek and Latin roots(Word Smith) Grammar-parts of speech and sentence structure, and spelling patterns.

Reading Workshop • Focus on literary elements and analysis: Theme, plot, climax, rising action, characterization. • Emphasis on non-fiction, informational text, and historical fiction. • Resources Used: • Literature sets and JR Great Books to promote discourse. • Harcourt Trophies Anthology(skills) • Primary Documents and current events

Checking Progress(Reading Workshop) Book Clubs or literature conferences-dialoguing about books as a group. Literature Log-responding to literature in written format. Inquiry projects-in-depth investigation of a concept in book. Other assignments-book projects, book reports, reviews, skills work, or anthologies.

Social Studies Curriculum Geography-map skills Arizona Studies Explorers and Missionaries Economics(student businesses.) Prehistoric and modern day Native Americans. Project Based and integrated into language curriculum.

Science Curriculum Inquiry Based /Scientific Method Problem-Based Learning projects-creating solutions Concepts: Life Sciences-Plant and animal adaptations. Physical Sciences-Magnetism and Electricity. Earth Science-Weather and water. Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy. Design Squad Activities, Defined STEM, and Engineering is Elementary- with focus on the design processand creating solutions.

Online Grading http://sw.kyrene.org/Page/1411 Please include your child in the process of checking grades and ask them first about questions you have.

Other Won’t see lots of papers going home. We work in math journals everyday/problem solving and literature logs (kept in class) We take notes and complete daily math work in our math notebooks. Project-Based learning, which requires application of learning. Hands on. We practice math using whiteboards. Group projects/projects on the computer. Students will be expected to redo work, including tests, if their score is less than 70%. The Common Core is a Standards Based Curriculum. Therefore, Mastery of concept is the goal.

Odd and Ends Continued • Please send a healthy snack and a water bottle everyday. • Please no electronic devices. • Conference will be held twice a year. Dates will be posted on the calendar. • Per the Student Handbook, please remember to not send in treats or gifts for students birthdays. 

Video From PTO

Thank you for coming!

Welcome Mrs. Eastin’s 4 th Grade Curriculum Night