Class Schedule 2020-2021
Classroom Policies
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Ms. Foster’s fourth grade at Longfellow Elementary! I hope everyone’s summer was fun and relaxing. I am looking forward to having your child in fourth grade. We have an exciting year to look forward to! Please take the time to read through this information letter to help you better understand the things happening in our classroom.
School begins each day at 8:15 a.m. and ends each day at 2:25 p.m. Late start Mondays begin at 9:15 a.m. Brain Break for Fourth Grade is at 10:15 to 10:30. Lunch for fourth grade is 11:50 to 12:25 p.m. If your child will be ill and miss school, please call the school or send me an email. Children are responsible for most work that is missed due to absences. If your child becomes ill at school, we will phone home.
I communicate each Monday with a class newsletter by email. PLEASE check your email regularly so you don’t miss any important events. I also like to send notes home, important updates, etc. through email. It is really an efficient way for me to get information to you quickly. I can also answer your questions quickly using email. I may not have time during the day but can get back to you during lunch or after school. If it is an emergency, please call the office—525-7648. It is very important that I have an email address for each family. Please let me know if you do not have access to an email account. You can also get classroom information from my class website. I update it regularly with homework assignments, pictures, news, and other important information.
http://msfostersfourthgrade.weebly.com/
DISCIPLINE
We believe teachers have the right to teach and students have the right to learn. We hope to make a long journey this year and have a little fun along the way. While learning is our main goal, growing into responsible, well-mannered, creative young people is not at all secondary. Please discuss proper conduct at school with your child. We will also be using class money this year as part of our responsibility/discipline program. I will send more information about that soon. Students will help brainstorm ideas for fines for poor behavior choices and rewards for great behavior choices. Please see the paper “Classroom and School Expectations”.
HOMEWORK
Homework will be handed out Monday. The student takes the packet home each Monday. For each night each week there will be a spelling practice suggestion and 30 minutes of home self-selected reading each night. Occasionally there will also be a math “Extra Practice” paper. Please keep all these assignments and please make sure they are neatly written and complete and return them all to school the following Monday morning. We have found year after year that students who read and study regularly are more successful in school. The homework I have chosen to send home is designed to review concepts introduced in class. Completing all the week’s homework in one night defeats the purpose of regular daily practice and building good study habits. Students who return homework that is done well will be rewarded appropriately with good grades and better skills. Parents will be required to sign off home reading each week.
MATH
In math this year we will be using the math program called “Math in Focus”. It is a different method with many new ways to teach for understanding of math concepts. You can also check out a link on my web site that will send you to the Math in Focus web site for lots of information for you.
Students will continue study math facts daily to improve their facts toward total recall. We feel your child will be more successful in the fourth grade math program if s/he has mastered the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. If a student is struggling with mastering multiplication and division, I may require extra practice at home (with flashcards or activities). Students should complete multiplication and division facts by the end of the year.
READING
In reading this year, we will use several approaches to help your child become a better reader. We will use whole group reading along with numerous supplemental novels. Children will be working in flexible reading groups according to their personal reading level. This will ensure a higher amount of success in reading, while allowing them to concentrate on reading that is appropriate for their ability level. We also plan to do lots of working with words and lots of oral reading for fluency. We’ll include lots of poetry and stories to read aloud. And we will doing independent reading with some book reports throughout the year.
SCIENCE
In science, we will be exploring many different areas. The fourth grade curriculum allows us to study such interesting things as life structures (including plants and animals), water, and magnetism and electricity. We will be doing many hands-on science experiments and from time to time I will be asking you to send different items to school to help us put together many interesting projects
SOCIAL STUDIES
This is an exciting year in fourth grade! We will study the history and geography of our state! We will also learn a lot about Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, Native Americans of Idaho, Homesteaders and Pioneers, Mining, and much more. This is an amazing bit of American History. I’m so excited to share this with our students.
Specials
Our special classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons. This is when we will do PE, Music, and Library. Students will need to come prepared with PE clothes/shoes and library books on Tuesdays. We will also have art every other Wednesday as a special activity every two weeks.
FRIDAY FOLDER
Each Friday, you will receive a packet containing your child’s work for the week. You will see your child’s work from the week and be able to review their progress. From time to time, I will request that a student do an assignment over to increase their understanding and also to better a grade. That assignment is to be returned as soon as possible with a parent’s signature on it. Also, you can keep updated on your student’s progress through Power School. I will be sending a letter home with usernames and passwords the first week of school. The papers inside are yours to keep unless it is indicated that they need to be returned. With this system, you will know exactly how your child is progressing and together we can eliminate any problems that may arise. Please sign your child’s Friday Folder weekly and return on each Monday.
Water Bottles and Snacks
Water bottles are allowed in the classroom as long as they don’t cause any distractions. Water bottles should only contain WATER. No flavorings or other drinks will be allowed. The water bottle should also be leak-proof. Please encourage your child to bring the water bottle home often to clean it. (Germs grow quickly in water bottles!!)
We will be having a morning “Brain Break” in Fourth Grade. It is scheduled for 10:15 to 10:30. During this time, students may eat a healthy snack. The snack should be simple, healthy, and small enough to be eaten during this break time. Please see my note about “Power Snacks”. (Please do not send cakes, candy, or anything that is messy).
CONFERENCES
Our first official conference is scheduled November 29-30. This is a long time to wait to hear about your child’s progress. If you feel at any time that you would like to discuss progress or problems, please feel free to contact me after school and I would be happy to schedule an appointment for you. Power School will help to keep you up to date as well.
ISAT Testing
Fourth graders are also required to take the Idaho State Achievement Tests. These tests are given statewide. They will be given in the spring. The scores from these tests do not reflect in the students’ grades and are given mainly to gather general information about schools and curriculum around our district. Tests will be given once this year.
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays are special days and I enjoy celebrating along with the children. If you like to send treats to school, be sure they are store-bought. At this time we have 26 children in the class but things are always changing. PLEASE do not send toys or noise makers. For children having birthdays during the summer months, we will celebrate their “half-birthday” which will be six months from their “real” birthday. They are welcome to celebrate as normal.
GRADES
Fourth grade is a more independent grade. A couple of our focuses this year will be responsibility and organization. We will work with daily meeting for goals and work requirements and charting our progress. We will also be responsible for looking at our grades weekly together to check our progress. Power School is an excellent tool for this. Students will learn to do this at school and can also do this from home.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are always welcome in our classroom and an important part of our learning. I need help with many things throughout our year and appreciate help in any way. I also will ask for donations of material for art or math or science or social studies from time to time. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help in or out of the classroom, please contact me. I have the sign-up sheet at Back to School Night and also here in my room. I hope to differentiate my instruction in reading and math and need volunteers to help this work. I am also very interested in a person to do some clerical work and a library helper.
DRESS CODE
Appropriate dress for school is very important. Research has shown that appropriate dress increases self-esteem and lessens disruptive behavior.
No hats are allowed inside the school building. This rule will be in effect for boys and girls. Also, the length of shorts is an issue. It is recommended that shorts be finger-tip length on the leg. This is also effective for every student.
I appreciate all you do for your child and hope that we can have a happy, productive year. I look forward to teaching this year and look forward to meeting and getting to know your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at school and let’s talk about it. Please call to make an appointment. I am eager to meet with you and discuss the one main thing we have in common, your child. Please contact me at any time with your questions or concerns. I’m available after school until 4:00 p.m. and by e-mail almost any [email protected].
Dates to Remember:
September 3-- No School-Labor Day Holiday
September 17 --- First Homework assignment due (always on Monday)
September 28- Tree Study Field Trip—Tautphaus Park
October 12--- Leaf Project due
November 29-30-- First Trimester Parent Conferences
Ms. Kristine Foster email: [email protected]
Longfellow Elementary
School 525-7648
Web site: http://msfostersfourthgrade.weebly.com/
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Ms. Foster’s fourth grade at Longfellow Elementary! I hope everyone’s summer was fun and relaxing. I am looking forward to having your child in fourth grade. We have an exciting year to look forward to! Please take the time to read through this information letter to help you better understand the things happening in our classroom.
School begins each day at 8:15 a.m. and ends each day at 2:25 p.m. Late start Mondays begin at 9:15 a.m. Brain Break for Fourth Grade is at 10:15 to 10:30. Lunch for fourth grade is 11:50 to 12:25 p.m. If your child will be ill and miss school, please call the school or send me an email. Children are responsible for most work that is missed due to absences. If your child becomes ill at school, we will phone home.
I communicate each Monday with a class newsletter by email. PLEASE check your email regularly so you don’t miss any important events. I also like to send notes home, important updates, etc. through email. It is really an efficient way for me to get information to you quickly. I can also answer your questions quickly using email. I may not have time during the day but can get back to you during lunch or after school. If it is an emergency, please call the office—525-7648. It is very important that I have an email address for each family. Please let me know if you do not have access to an email account. You can also get classroom information from my class website. I update it regularly with homework assignments, pictures, news, and other important information.
http://msfostersfourthgrade.weebly.com/
DISCIPLINE
We believe teachers have the right to teach and students have the right to learn. We hope to make a long journey this year and have a little fun along the way. While learning is our main goal, growing into responsible, well-mannered, creative young people is not at all secondary. Please discuss proper conduct at school with your child. We will also be using class money this year as part of our responsibility/discipline program. I will send more information about that soon. Students will help brainstorm ideas for fines for poor behavior choices and rewards for great behavior choices. Please see the paper “Classroom and School Expectations”.
HOMEWORK
Homework will be handed out Monday. The student takes the packet home each Monday. For each night each week there will be a spelling practice suggestion and 30 minutes of home self-selected reading each night. Occasionally there will also be a math “Extra Practice” paper. Please keep all these assignments and please make sure they are neatly written and complete and return them all to school the following Monday morning. We have found year after year that students who read and study regularly are more successful in school. The homework I have chosen to send home is designed to review concepts introduced in class. Completing all the week’s homework in one night defeats the purpose of regular daily practice and building good study habits. Students who return homework that is done well will be rewarded appropriately with good grades and better skills. Parents will be required to sign off home reading each week.
MATH
In math this year we will be using the math program called “Math in Focus”. It is a different method with many new ways to teach for understanding of math concepts. You can also check out a link on my web site that will send you to the Math in Focus web site for lots of information for you.
Students will continue study math facts daily to improve their facts toward total recall. We feel your child will be more successful in the fourth grade math program if s/he has mastered the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. If a student is struggling with mastering multiplication and division, I may require extra practice at home (with flashcards or activities). Students should complete multiplication and division facts by the end of the year.
READING
In reading this year, we will use several approaches to help your child become a better reader. We will use whole group reading along with numerous supplemental novels. Children will be working in flexible reading groups according to their personal reading level. This will ensure a higher amount of success in reading, while allowing them to concentrate on reading that is appropriate for their ability level. We also plan to do lots of working with words and lots of oral reading for fluency. We’ll include lots of poetry and stories to read aloud. And we will doing independent reading with some book reports throughout the year.
SCIENCE
In science, we will be exploring many different areas. The fourth grade curriculum allows us to study such interesting things as life structures (including plants and animals), water, and magnetism and electricity. We will be doing many hands-on science experiments and from time to time I will be asking you to send different items to school to help us put together many interesting projects
SOCIAL STUDIES
This is an exciting year in fourth grade! We will study the history and geography of our state! We will also learn a lot about Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, Native Americans of Idaho, Homesteaders and Pioneers, Mining, and much more. This is an amazing bit of American History. I’m so excited to share this with our students.
Specials
Our special classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons. This is when we will do PE, Music, and Library. Students will need to come prepared with PE clothes/shoes and library books on Tuesdays. We will also have art every other Wednesday as a special activity every two weeks.
FRIDAY FOLDER
Each Friday, you will receive a packet containing your child’s work for the week. You will see your child’s work from the week and be able to review their progress. From time to time, I will request that a student do an assignment over to increase their understanding and also to better a grade. That assignment is to be returned as soon as possible with a parent’s signature on it. Also, you can keep updated on your student’s progress through Power School. I will be sending a letter home with usernames and passwords the first week of school. The papers inside are yours to keep unless it is indicated that they need to be returned. With this system, you will know exactly how your child is progressing and together we can eliminate any problems that may arise. Please sign your child’s Friday Folder weekly and return on each Monday.
Water Bottles and Snacks
Water bottles are allowed in the classroom as long as they don’t cause any distractions. Water bottles should only contain WATER. No flavorings or other drinks will be allowed. The water bottle should also be leak-proof. Please encourage your child to bring the water bottle home often to clean it. (Germs grow quickly in water bottles!!)
We will be having a morning “Brain Break” in Fourth Grade. It is scheduled for 10:15 to 10:30. During this time, students may eat a healthy snack. The snack should be simple, healthy, and small enough to be eaten during this break time. Please see my note about “Power Snacks”. (Please do not send cakes, candy, or anything that is messy).
CONFERENCES
Our first official conference is scheduled November 29-30. This is a long time to wait to hear about your child’s progress. If you feel at any time that you would like to discuss progress or problems, please feel free to contact me after school and I would be happy to schedule an appointment for you. Power School will help to keep you up to date as well.
ISAT Testing
Fourth graders are also required to take the Idaho State Achievement Tests. These tests are given statewide. They will be given in the spring. The scores from these tests do not reflect in the students’ grades and are given mainly to gather general information about schools and curriculum around our district. Tests will be given once this year.
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays are special days and I enjoy celebrating along with the children. If you like to send treats to school, be sure they are store-bought. At this time we have 26 children in the class but things are always changing. PLEASE do not send toys or noise makers. For children having birthdays during the summer months, we will celebrate their “half-birthday” which will be six months from their “real” birthday. They are welcome to celebrate as normal.
GRADES
Fourth grade is a more independent grade. A couple of our focuses this year will be responsibility and organization. We will work with daily meeting for goals and work requirements and charting our progress. We will also be responsible for looking at our grades weekly together to check our progress. Power School is an excellent tool for this. Students will learn to do this at school and can also do this from home.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are always welcome in our classroom and an important part of our learning. I need help with many things throughout our year and appreciate help in any way. I also will ask for donations of material for art or math or science or social studies from time to time. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help in or out of the classroom, please contact me. I have the sign-up sheet at Back to School Night and also here in my room. I hope to differentiate my instruction in reading and math and need volunteers to help this work. I am also very interested in a person to do some clerical work and a library helper.
DRESS CODE
Appropriate dress for school is very important. Research has shown that appropriate dress increases self-esteem and lessens disruptive behavior.
No hats are allowed inside the school building. This rule will be in effect for boys and girls. Also, the length of shorts is an issue. It is recommended that shorts be finger-tip length on the leg. This is also effective for every student.
I appreciate all you do for your child and hope that we can have a happy, productive year. I look forward to teaching this year and look forward to meeting and getting to know your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at school and let’s talk about it. Please call to make an appointment. I am eager to meet with you and discuss the one main thing we have in common, your child. Please contact me at any time with your questions or concerns. I’m available after school until 4:00 p.m. and by e-mail almost any [email protected].
Dates to Remember:
September 3-- No School-Labor Day Holiday
September 17 --- First Homework assignment due (always on Monday)
September 28- Tree Study Field Trip—Tautphaus Park
October 12--- Leaf Project due
November 29-30-- First Trimester Parent Conferences
Ms. Kristine Foster email: [email protected]
Longfellow Elementary
School 525-7648
Web site: http://msfostersfourthgrade.weebly.com/