Ms. Zanada Maleki's Grade 4 teammaleki!

1. When is the best time to call for a quick conference?
2. Will you email the me daily about my child's progress?
3. Is there homework every night?
4. Shouldn't you sign my child's Homework Notebook daily? That way I will know my child wrote what you wanted him or her to write.
5. Why do you expect my child to write in cursive? The rest of the world prints, and don't you use computers?
6. What about homework when the student is absent?

When is the best time to call for a quick conference?

Call during the school day and leave a message. Plan B: send an
email. I am not available to answr the phone or discuss concerns
during the school day because I am teaching ! However, I can
give best answers via email. If possible I will also return
calls at the end of the school days after the students have left.
Please note that teachers also get tied up in staff meetings on
a regular basis and sometimes on an unannounced basis. Do call
and leave a message with your concerns, or write me an email!
My best face to face confeence times are on Friday afternoons
after school.

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Will you email the me daily about my child's progress?

As much as I would like to, that is not the best use of your
time or my time. Learning and behavior are ongoing journeys
of progress. We will have bumps in the road, flat tires, fits,
and such. If there is a very pressing problem, I will be in
immediate touch with you to let you know about it, and how it
is progressing towards a good outcome. I also call homes at
different times to have students read to me. Now that your
child is in Grade 4, we have to try to create an atmosphere of
trust with time, while balancing that with sticking right with
the child. Grade 4 children just as their younger peers, still
need daily hugs from home, so be sure they get their hugs from
home as part of the preparing for the school day.

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Is there homework every night?

Yes, we have homework Monday-Thursday. When there is no
homework listed, the expectation and standing order for
homework is always to read for at least 30 minutes. Students
may also play Math games and practice their multiplication facts.

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Shouldn't you sign my child's Homework Notebook daily? That way I will know my child wrote what you wanted him or her to write.

Again, we need to be able to trust the student and encourage
follow through with being responsible.
I also want all students to be able to leave on time and catch
the school bus on time. There are times when the student's
homework list is the passport to leave on time. I announce this
ahead of time, and all students are given ample time to write
down homework lists.
My goal is to post the homework on this website
usually by 6 PM or sooner. Whenever I am absent or there is
a substitute teacher for the day, the homework reverts to
reading for 30 minutes unless there is a pressing item that
the students need to be aware of.
To re-answer the question, when in doubt, check the homework
page, or bring your child back to school before 3:30 to copy
the homework from the board if you need to. It is not always
possible to for me to sign your child's notebook daily, so I
cannot make a promise on that request at this time.

When you read the homework website page, you will know if your
child copied the homework list in the right way or not. Keep in mind that
there are more details at the homework page on this website just for you
to know what's going on.

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Why do you expect my child to write in cursive? The rest of the world prints, and don't you use computers?

Cursive writing is the Grade 4 standard. The advantage of
cursive writing at this stage of learing reinforces the left
to right motion, small motor movement, fine motor movement,
and eye-hand coordination. This also happens with the
appropriate had position in holding the writing instrument.
Cursive writing also reinforces the use of capital letters
appropriately, for which students are tested with the annual
tests. In printing, one can stick a capital letter anywhere.

In cursive writing, you have to make a conscious effort to
interrupt a word for sticking in a capital letter. Cursive
writing also uses a different brain function than printing.
Your child needs to work with the teacher's instructions and
learn the appropriate grip, moving and practicing from there.
That way cursive writing is not such a struggle.

In terms of computer use: we do not have always a guaranteed access to
computers for writing our works. Meanwhle, we still need to
get the work done. I still need the written evidence that
the child is learning what is being taught, and beyond. Without
the practice and applicaitons of practice, we don't have much
evidence of the learning trail. We also need to see the learning
on a continued basis, moving that basic knowledge into other
avenues of problem solving, something we teachers call knowledge
and skills transfer.

And we have to be able to read what the child has written as they express their knowledge on paper.
Additioally, cursive writing is a school district curriculum item.
When the school district discontinues that item, then in the
classroom I am free to discontinue requiring cursive handwriting.

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What about homework when the student is absent?

This teacher does not gather together worksheets because we
don't do a lot of worksheets in our classroom. We do hands
on work and use researching skills with the OWL skills that
we learn to read and notice things strategically.
When a parent calls the school during the day with the message
to put together some work for the child by the end of the day,
please remember the teacher teaches most of the day,and has
recess duty. The important thing to remember is to keep
in touch with us by looking at the homework page. Parents are
free to add extra related activities to that, because
those are called: extra credit projects!
-When abent due to illness: get well.
-When traveling: enjoy and notice the surroundings and science of
the area. Tell us about is when you return to us.
-Missed the bus: come to school anyway. It's worth the effort.

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