|
- What should I do if I am going to be absent?
- How is AR used in enrichment reading?
- Am I allowed to borrow books from the classroom library?
- Do we have weekly folders in this class?
- How can I contact the teacher?
- What is the discipline policy for our class?
- Is it possible to get Extra Credit in the class?
- How will my grades be determined?
- How do journals work?
- What are the procedures for nightly reading?
- How do I manage my planner?
- What is Renzulli?
- What are the Sunshine State Young Reader books this year?
- What do I need to know about weekly vocabulary tests?
- What is Word Masters?
--------------------------------------
What should I do if I am going to be absent?
Please try to attend class every day. If you are sick or absent for any
other reason, I will prepare a packet of work for you. A parent can pick
this up after school, or I will send it home the following day. Make-up work
should be completed by the following school day except in unusual
circumstances. When we are reading a class novel, it is very important that
you keep up with the reading, even when you are absent.
--------------------------------------
How is AR used in enrichment reading?
You will have the opportunity to take AR tests during quiet reading time at
the beginning of class and during DEAR time. If it is one of these times,
and the computer is free, you do not need to ask to take a test; just do it.
Sometimes I will require everyone to take an AR test on a book that we have
read in class, and this score will be put in the grade book as an assessment
grade.
--------------------------------------
Am I allowed to borrow books from the classroom library?
You are welcome to borrow books from the classroom library as long as you
promise to treat them with respect and return them in a timely manner. You
will need to sign books out on the notepad designated for this purpose. When
you return a book, please put it back in the proper place and mark your name
off the sign-out sheet. You will be held responsible for any lost or damaged
books.
--------------------------------------
Do we have weekly folders in this class?
You will have a blue folder that will go home each Friday. Sometimes it may
be sent home on other days as well. On the night that the folder is sent
home, you should have a parent go through the folder. Stuff on the KEEP side
can be kept at home. Stuff on the RETURN side is due back the next day.
Folders MUST be returned on the next class day after they are sent home,
usually Monday.
--------------------------------------
How can I contact the teacher?
There are several ways of contacting me. The easiest way to reach me is via
e-mail at geigercl@sbac.edu. You can also call and leave a message with the
office staff at Talbot (955-6716). I do not mind if students e-mail me
regarding classroom issues or needs. Please do NOT forward me a bunch of
cutesy jokes, etc. I don't have time to read them.
--------------------------------------
What is the discipline policy for our class?
While I know it will be unnecessary :), I have the following procedures in
place for discipline. If you are disruptive and/or off-task, you will be
given a private verbal warning. If your behavior does not improve, you will
be given a five-minute in-class time-out. Upon returning to the group, if
your behavior does not improve, you will be sent to another classroom for
time-out, and your parents will be notified either by note, e-mail, or
phone. If this occurs, your parents and I will decide together what the next
step in the discipline process should be. It is imperative that every
student's learning time is respected and protected. Therefore disruptive
behavior will be dealt with speedily and consistently. Successful students
are RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTFUL, and ENGAGED.
--------------------------------------
Is it possible to get Extra Credit in the class?
From time to time there will be opportunities for extra credit. Often I will
send home notices about events or exhibits that are taking place in the
community that I think would complement the classroom curriculum or simply
provide an enriching experience for students. If you choose to participate
in one of these events, you may receive extra credit by writing a two-
paragraph response to the activity. The first paragraph should briefly
summarize the event; the second paragraph should provide a reaction to the
event (i.e. how it made you feel, what caught your attention, what it
brought to mind/connections). Reflection papers should be neatly handwritten
or typed with the elements of excellent writing in mind, and they should
demonstrate deep thinking about the event experienced. In addition,
the "Writing to Learn" section on the weekly vocabulary page is an
optional assignment for extra credit. You may complete this assignment on
notebook paper and turn it in with your take-home folder on the following
class day. Extra credit points are added to the lowest assessment grade at
the end of the grading term.
--------------------------------------
How will my grades be determined?
There are three areas that I consider when calculating grades. The first
component is the nightly reading completion and other assigned homework.
Because this nightly practice is critical to build fluency and practice
independent comprehension skills, 20% of your grade will be based on this
factor. The second 20% of the grade is determined by vocabulary tests, Word
of the Day work, and other class work. The last portion (60%) consists of
assessment measures. These are given at the end of a series of lessons to
see if you have mastered the objectives. These assessments may be in the
form of a test, an FCAT-like passage with questions, or some other type of
summative evaluation (i.e. presentation, project, etc.) Remember, the work
we do in enrichment reading is designed to challenge you. It will not be
easy, and if you have always gotten "A"s while working on grade-level
reading tasks, it may be a little disconcerting for you to suddenly have to
put forth more effort in reading. Just keep trying your best. You will grow
as a reader and thinker, but only if we stretch out of that "comfort zone"
a bit. The grading scale for our class is:
A 90-100 C 70-76
B+ 87-89 D+ 67-69
B 80-86 D 60-66
C+ 77-79 F 0-59
--------------------------------------
How do journals work?
One of the goals of my class is to help you learn to live "wide-awake
lives." I want you to begin to notice things going on around you in your
community as well as the world. I want you to become thoughtful observers of
natural phenomena as well as other people and their actions. I also want you
to learn to be introspective, thinking deeply about your own ideas,
feelings, and thoughts. Your journal will be a repository for these musings.
I will be further explaining the purpose and use of the journal in class.
We will be "Writing to Tell" in class at least once per week, and we will
share our writings. I will also be randomly selecting several journals to
read (not aloud) from time to time. If you write something personal that you
do not want me to read, simply fold the page over. I promise to respect your
privacy.
--------------------------------------
What are the procedures for nightly reading?
You are expected to read for 30 minutes each night on Monday through Friday.
This practice has been proven to increase reading achievement. It also helps
you develop responsibility, independence, self-discipline, and the life-long
habit of reading. I do not accept excuses for incomplete nightly reading
except in the case of emergencies. In the event of such an emergency, you
must bring a note from a parent. You can then read additional minutes on the
following nights to make up for the missed reading time. After reading, you
should complete the Reading Log which is stapled into your planner each
week. Old logs are removed and new logs stapled in each Friday. This Reading
Log will be checked by me each day, and in order to receive credit for the
reading homework, I expect each section of the Log to be completed
thoughtfully. Reading summaries and/or reflections should contain quality
writing. Completion of nightly reading comprises a weekly homework grade and
impacts overall report card averages. Any reading holidays will be
announced in advance. A Weekly Reading Percentage report will be sent home
each week in the communication folder. During the second semester, nightly
reading time may increase to 45 minutes per night. ˇ§Geiger Greenbacksˇ¨ may
be used to replace ONE reading assignment per week. To use a ˇ§Geiger
Greenbackˇ¨ for this purpose, it must be stapled to your reading log before
it is turned in on Friday. You may also substitute work on Renzulli (see
below) for ONE night's reading per week. If you use Renzulli work instead of
reading, you will complete the log by writing Renzulli where you would
place the title of the book you read. For your reflection/summary, simply
share something that you did, a favorite website that you found, etc.
--------------------------------------
How do I manage my planner?
Fourth graders will have planners which are to be checked nightly and signed
by parents. In the planner you will list class assignments and homework
responsibilities. Homework assignments should be highlighted. Unless
otherwise noted, homework is due on the following day.
--------------------------------------
What is Renzulli?
This is a web-based computer program with a personalized menu of web-based
activities based on your interests and learning style. You can log on to
renzullilearning.com from any computer with internet access. I will be
sending home a notice with your username and password, so that you may work
on activities from home.
--------------------------------------
What are the Sunshine State Young Reader books this year?
: Each year books are nominated and selected by librarians and teachers
throughout the State as wonderful literature selections for students to
read. During the spring, students have the opportunity to vote on their
favorite book, and the winning book becomes the Sunshine State children's
book of the year. Mrs. Monplaisir will explain how the program works, but I
you would like to get a head start on reading the books, I have purchased
all of them and they are available for check-out in the classroom library.
As an incentive for reading the books, I award an extra 100% assessment
grades to students who read and pass the AR test (80% or better) on all 15
books.
--------------------------------------
What do I need to know about weekly vocabulary tests?
We will emphasize improving written and spoken vocabulary skills throughout
the year. You will have weekly vocabulary tests covering a list of words
sent home on the previous Friday. I suggest that you make index cards over
the weekend to practice throughout the week. In addition to the list of
words, there will be four "Words of the Day" that are discussed in class.
Index cards of these words will be sent home on Thursdays so that you can
prepare for Fridayˇ¦s test. There will cumulative exams of the vocabulary,
so you should keep all lists and cards and review them frequently.
Cumulative quizzes will be announced and noted in the planner. Because
a "word bank" is provided on the tests, you are expected to spell words
correctly on all tests and quizzes; points will be deducted for misspelled
words. You should study your vocabulary words for a few minutes each night.
--------------------------------------
What is Word Masters?
WordMasters is a national vocabulary/analogy competition. We will have three
WordMasters meets throughout the year. I will explain the program more
thoroughly in class. However, I want to emphasize here that you should not
wait until the night before the meet to start studying your words. While
we will do some activities in class to help you learn the definitions of the
words, the majority of your learning of these words will take place on your
own. I do not give you a grade for your performance on WordMasters. However,
Mrs. Cochran does do so in fifth grade. It is a good idea to take it
seriously so that you are better prepared for next year.
|
|
