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Northside Christian School Fourth Grade |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSPlease browse this site to become familiar with the policies and procedures
WHAT WILL MY CHILD DO THIS YEAR? WHAT WILL WE BE DOING IN FOURTH GRADE? We will have a very busy year in fourth grade this year. We will be learning 2-3 Bible verses each week that teach Godly character (see the Bible page of this site). We will also be learning about Creation, the Exodus and Moses, Joseph, Esther, and the miracles of Jesus! We will learn Bible principles that will help us get along with our fellow classmates, too! In math we will be reinforcing our addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, learning long division with 2- 3 numbers, geometry, and much more! In language we will be learning the parts of speech and how to identify them in sentences. We will be using our grammar skills to write and write and WRITE! We will be working with words: how to spell them, their definitions and how to use them correctly in sentences. In history we will be learning about our great nation from the beginning to the present. We will learn to recite some important documents, the names of the presidents and we will learn the location of all fifty states. We will learn about other states besides South Carolina by doing a state project. In science we will learn about insects, plants, animals, our human bodies, oceanography, astronomy, and other scientific concepts. We will do a leaf project and a marine life project. In reading we will be reading and reading and READING! We will be working at developing our fluency skills, comprehension skills, listening skills and our study skills. We will do six book report projects. SEE THE SUPPLIES PAGE FOR THE LIST
WHY DO WE HAVE HOMEWORK ANYWAY? Homework is vitally important to any child's school success. It is a time for your child to review and practice important skills learned in the classroom. Studying at home helps develop self-discipline and good work/study habits. Not only does it reflect the concepts that students are learning, but it also gives additional practice to difficult skills. It encourages responsibility and independence. Remember that it is "the practice" that helps each of us become better at whatever we try to do. Unfortunately, our school time is not long enough for students to practice everything they learned each and every day. Homework is not a punishment and should be viewed as a way to improve academics. Homework in our classroom may be assigned for the following reasons: **Extension: to provide students with opportunities to transfer specific skills or concepts to new situations. **Practice: to help students master specific skills which have been presented in class. **Preparation: to help students prepare for the next step in a unit or study for a quiz or test. **Absence: to make up work missed during an excused absence. **Completion: to finish work not completed at school for which time has been given to do so in class. HOW MUCH SHOULD I HELP WITH HOMEWORK?
Homework passes are awarded throughout the year for various reasons. The homework pass may be used for exemption from one written homework assignment for the course in which the pass was received. Quizzes and tests must always be studied for. Homework passes must clearly list the assignment it is being used for and include the name of the student. Lunch tickets can be purchased before 8:00 A.M. in the gym. Students must write their name on their ticket and give them to me when they arrive in the classroom. They may give me as many tickets as they like AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THEIR NAME ON THEM! I will keep the tickets in my desk. They are to retrieve their ticket in the morning and put in the daily stack of tickets on my desk. This is how I know who and what is being ordered for that day! DO NOT TURN IN A TICKET WITHOUT A NAME!! Book Report Forms with instructions will be handed out in hard copy after we have gone over them in class. In 4th grade we will have 6-7 book report projects. The students will be required to read a book on an assigned genre and complete the appropriate project and/or write the assigned book report. A reading log and rubric will be handed out at the beginning of each project. I must approve each book at the beginning of the project. It is very important that every student complete their own work. Late book reports will be deducted 7 points per day. These projects will be worth two grades; one in Reading and one in English. All book report books should be fourth grade level and no less than 120 pages unless approved by the teacher. See the Yearly project schedule page for the dates that all book reports are due! HOW MANY PROJECTS WILL I HAVE AND WHEN ARE THEY DUE? Other than the book report projects, we will do a state project. Every Wednesday I will send home a folder with important graded papers. Some tests and quizzes will have an evaluation form attached explaining what was missed on the test or quiz if the grade is LESS than an 80%. The missed items should be reviewed according to the evaluation sheet and the test or quiz must be SIGNED by the parent and returned in the folder BY FRIDAY. ALL other papers will be sent home daily and need not be returned unless stamped to do so. The folder will also contain a behavior report and a "Parent Corner" letter from me keeping you informed of their behavior and upcoming classroom events. The folder will often contain important school communication from the office as well as from me. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW THE CONTENTS OF WEDNESDAY FOLDERS WITH YOUR CHILD! HOW DOES MY CHILD MAKE UP WORK WHEN HE/SHE IS ABSENT? Please contact the school when your child is absent. When your child is able to return to school, he/she will have a special folder with important work they have missed(excluding tests and quizzes). They may take this folder home and work on the assignments for the same number of days that they were out. As they are ready for missed tests and quizzes, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM ME THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE A TEST OR QUIZ! We will then adjust our daily schedule to get this assignment made up. It may be necessary at times to hold the child after school to make up work. We can make these arrangements as necessary. PLEASE REMEMBER, IT IS YOUR CHILD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM ME WHEN THEY HAVE WORK TO MAKE UP AND TO GET IT DONE!! WHAT ARE THE CLASS RULES AND EXPECTATIONS? OBEY ALL SCHOOL RULES SPEAK AND LEAVE SEAT WITH PERMISSION ONLY FOLLOW ALL TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS (OBEDIENCE) RESPECT OTHERS' FEELINGS AND PROPERTY BE A STEWARD OF YOUR TIME AND BELONGINGS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS WHAT IS THE DISCIPLINE POLICY ? EXPECTATIONS: Our classroom discipline policy begins with a short list of teacher expectations. Then we plan a contract that is the classroom behavior policy in written form for all of us to sign. As a class we decide if we need to change the rules or add to them! Then we sign our contract committing to work hard at following the expectations of the classroom! CONSEQUENCES: Just as in our cities and states, we understand that there may be times when wrong choices are made. In these situations the student is cited by a warning. After that, a behavior check is given. Accumulation of 3 behavior checks in one day warrant a visit to the principal's office and a "behavior reflection form" filled out by the student and sent home for a signature. REWARDS: Behavior checks are monitored on a chart in the classroom by our classrooms daily scribe. This chart reminds us at the end of the week who has done a GREAT job in contributing to classroom order and those individuals are rewarded before they leave on Friday. REFLECTION FORMS: If a student is struggling with behavior issues and breaches contract more than 3 times in one day, he/she must fill out a behavior reflection form and have it signed by Mr. Washburn and the parents. This form is to be returned the very next day SIGNED! If the form is not returned, the parent will receive an email from me or a phone call OR BOTH! I DO NOT INFORM THE PARENT OF BEHAVIOR ISSUES UNTIL A BEHAVIOR REFLECTION FORM IS ISSUED OR A MAJOR ISSUE HAS COME UP SUCH AS LYING, CHEATING, STEALING OR FIGHTING. THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR ISSUES RECEIVE NO WARNINGS AND ARE SENT TO THE PRINCIPAL FOR REVIEW. ORGANIZATION: The class is always organized into different teams that stay together for 3-4 weeks. These teams work together to promote unity and order in the classroom as well as participation. At the end of the competition period, the winning team members receive a frosty to eat during class! Discovery Quest is designed to give your child experience reporting current events by way of a public speaking format! Discovery Quest is explained on the history page of this site. WHAT DOES MY CHILD WEAR FOR PE? There are no PE uniforms for elementary school. Your child must wear appropriate shoes, though. NON-MARKING SOLE tennis shoes must be worn or your child will not be allowed to participate. Thank you for your cooperation as we preserve the gym floor the Lord has graciously given to our students. WHAT IF I DO NOT ALLOW MY CHILD TO USE THE INTERNET? This is a highly respectable standard due to the dangers associated with the internet. Please review the suggestions for parents regarding internet research that is posted on the "FOR PARENTS ONLY" page of this website. Every research assignment that requires internet can also be done at a public library using encyclopedias and other research books. Some of these projects may require research tools not available in our school library which will necessitate the parent taking the child to the library and helping them find the information they need. This is a family decision and is totally respected. The "Continent Webquest" Assignment is the only assignment that requires internet interaction with National Geographic, and arrangements for an alternative assignment can be made. Please inform me ahead of time. PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS RESEARCH INFORMATION WITH THE CHILD TO TEACH THE CHILD HOW TO RESEARCH CORRECTLY WITHOUT BLINDLY "SURFING" THE INTERNET. NEVER LEAVE A CHILD ALONE WITH A COMPUTER THAT HAS INTERNET ACCESS!!! All classroom research assignments can be researched from the safe links on my website. |
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