Fourth Grade Handbook
Melanie
Cadima
Courtney
Curran
LT Hoagland
Amanda Howard
Amanda Howard
Harmony Elementary Fourth Grade
Grading Rubric
Class work and homework go hand in hand and therefore both are important
responsibilities for all learners! It is
important to follow up at home with the learning we do here at school. It is also worthwhile when a learner does
his/her best work and turns homework and class work in on time. Please read the rubric below to better
understand the homework and class work expectations.
E =
Excellent: To receive
an excellent:
·
All assignments must be completed as the directions
explained.
·
Work shows attention to detail.
·
Work demonstrates a clear understanding of the
concepts taught (few errors).
·
Work is neat and organized with attention to
spelling, punctuation, and quality handwriting.
·
Homework is turned in on time.
G = Good
Progress: To receive good progress:
·
All assignments must be completed.
·
Most of the directions are followed as explained.
·
Work demonstrates an understanding of the concepts
taught (some errors).
·
Work is easy to read and somewhat organized.
P =
Progressing with Assistance: To receive
progressing with assistance, your assignments are completed correctly, but
teacher assistance is needed.
·
All assignments are completed with assistance.
·
Most of the directions are followed with
assistance.
·
Work demonstrates some understanding.
M =
Minimal Progress: An
assignment that receives a minimal progress score contains any or all of the
following:
·
Incomplete work (some or all of the assignment
isn’t complete).
·
Sloppy work that is too difficult to read.
·
Lack of effort (the work is below your “Best
Work”).
An assignment that receives a Minimal Progress score is considered
incomplete. In this case, the homework
will be returned for the student to continue working on until it meets one of
the above expectations.
Assignments need to be neat, turned in on time, and completed with 110%
effort.
Literacy Workshop
Dear
Parents,
Each school day your child will
engage in living the life of a writer and reader through their participation in
a Literacy Workshop. The Literacy
Workshop gives students an environment to nurture their thinking and develop
their ideas in a variety of genres and forms.
As writers they will begin to learn the strategies and skills necessary
to capture their life experiences, memories, observations, opinions, family
stories, etc. as authentic pieces of writing for publication.
We believe helping students live as
writers each day will support their literacy development and assist them in
becoming effective communicators.
Children grow as writers by having daily time to write, selecting their own
topics to write about, writing for authentic purposes, receiving responses to
their writing, and writing for real audiences.
Included in living daily as a writer, we encourage writers to use
developmentally appropriate spelling. This means writing the letters and sounds
they know at first, and then as spelling instruction and knowledge of the
English language increases, so does our expectation for their spelling
accuracy.
Students will be engaged in the
writing process by developing their thinking from the initial “seed idea” to
publication. Through this process
students will learn how writers use strategies to develop their ideas, draft,
revise, and edit to satisfy the expectations we have as readers. Instruction will take place focusing on all
aspects of effective writing, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and
mechanics.
In the classroom, students will
compile a Writing Portfolio consisting of four types of writing; On-Demand
Writing, Genre Writing, Writing to Demonstrate Learning, and Reflective
Writing. These pieces will be published
and scored throughout the school year by your child’s classroom teacher. Their Writing Portfolio will contain pieces
that showcase your child’s best work.
We value the partnership between
home and school to support and facilitate our child’s literacy
development. Below you will find a brief
list of ideas to help your child live the life of a writer at home.
Thank
you,
The
Fourth Grade Teachers
- Share stories with your child
- Ask your child to tell you
stories about their life
- Use descriptive language when
you have family conversations
- Read with and to your child
each and every day
- Allow your child to write in a
writers notebook home
- Model using a writer’s notebook
at home yourself
Metacognitive Strategies
The Seven Keys to
Comprehension
(listening to the voice in your mind that speaks while
you think)
Your
child will be learning about and utilizing the following thinking strategies
across content areas throughout the school year. Proficient readers use their thinking to
assist them in developing a deeper understanding of what they read.
·
Monitoring for
Meaning—Knowing
when you know, knowing when you don’t know…Proficient readers monitor their
comprehension when they read. This means
that they recognize when something is unclear or doesn’t make sense and they
use strategies to help clear up their confusion.
·
Using and Building
Schema—Making
connections between the new and the known, building and activating background
knowledge…Proficient readers draw upon what they know or have experienced
before to help them understand what they are reading.
·
Asking Questions—Generating
questions before, during, and after reading that lead you deeper into the
text…Proficient readers ask questions to challenge their understanding of their
reading.
·
Determining
Importance—Deciding
what matters most, what is worth remembering…Proficient readers are able to
identify what is most important from the text and use it to deepen their
understanding.
·
Inferring—Combining background
knowledge with information from the text to predict, conclude, make judgments,
and interpret…Proficient readers “read between the lines” to create meaning
about what they are reading.
·
Using Sensory and
Emotional Images—Creating
mental images to deepen and stretch meaning…Proficient readers use the language
of the text to create images in their mind.
These images deepen their understanding of what they are reading.
·
Synthesizing—Creating an
evolution of meaning by combining understanding with knowledge from other
texts/sources…Proficient readers are aware of changes that occur in their
thinking as they read. They recognize
that the conclusions they draw from a text are based on their collection of
information throughout their reading
Science Curriculum
|
Science
Students
will investigate Earth, Life, and Physical Science through inquiry based units.
·
Process Skills
·
Geology
·
Objects in the Sky / Weather
·
Energy (heat, electricity, light, and
sound)
·
Animals (SHARKS!!!)
·
Plants
·
Rocks & Minerals
·
Force and Motion
·
Chemistry
·
The Human Body
Math Curriculum
|
Throughout
the year, students are pre-assessed before each math unit. This allows teachers to flexibly group
students for math instruction. Since the
groups are flexible, students will move from group to group in an attempt to
meet their ever changing academic needs.
·
Data Analysis/Probability
·
Number Sense/Place Value
·
Addition/Subtraction
·
Problem Solving
·
Multiplication/Division
·
Algebraic Thinking
·
Measurement
·
Geometry
·
Fractions/Decimals
Harmony Elementary’s Philosophy and Guidelines on Homework
Michele Horn, Principal
At
Harmony Elementary, we believe each child should be given every opportunity to
achieve academically at high levels, become a responsible citizen, and find
success both at school and in the community. In order to accomplish
this, we implement best practice instructional strategies and continuously
review current research in education. One area in education that has
historically been debated among educators, parents, and the community at large
is the issue of homework. Many parents have mixed feelings regarding homework,
seeing it as a way to assist in their child’s learning, but also as a time
constraint on family time and extracurricular activities. In fact, the impact
and value of homework has been researched for the last 70 years within the
educational field!
So what is our view on the homework debate?
We
believe that young learners have individual learning styles and intelligences
that contribute to their ability to solve problems and construct new knowledge,
and that understanding students’ thinking as they learn is vital to continuing
developmental progress. When work is completed at home, educators lose
this vital connection with the learning process. However, we understand
that students need to be challenged, and that they benefit from long-term and
independent projects. Students also need to practice and reinforce skills
and new content, and they need to apply problem-solving strategies in a variety
of situations. We believe, though, that the place for this type of work is
in the school setting where professional educators are able to interact with
students as they learn.
Furthermore,
research indicates that the largest misconception regarding homework is that homework
increases academic achievement. However, after many years of
controversial in-depth research, most researchers now agree the homework does
not improve academic achievement for elementary students. In
fact, Harris M. Cooper, a researcher on homework policies and practices, says,
“There is almost no relationship between time spent on homework and achievement
in the elementary grades.” This doesn’t mean that homework should be
abandoned; just that grades and standardized tests don’t measure the impact of
homework.
Cooper
recommends 10 minutes of homework per night for each grade level, starting with
the first grade. In order to avoid homework as an idle, ineffective
exercise, clear goals need to be established between teachers, students, and parents. Homework
is important because it promotes good study habits, positive attitudes toward
school, and demonstrates to students that learning can also take place outside
of the school setting, but it should be a review of material already addressed
in class and should be developmentally appropriate. Having at most 10-40
minutes of homework each night depending on grade level, still allows time for
students to relax, play, spend time with family, and enjoy physical activities,
all key elements in the physical, mental, and emotional development of young
children.
Cooper
also encourages parent involvement with homework by providing structure and
support. Some suggestions include:
- Setting up a quiet place to work on
homework, away from distractions.
- Providing clear, consistent guidelines on
when homework is to be completed.
- Fostering autonomy in your child by
encouraging homework be completed independently as much as possible.
- Having reflective conversations following
the completion of homework by asking: What strategies did you use
when doing your homework? What did you notice? Did it remind you of
something you did in class?
Based
on what we know about the current research on homework and on what is
developmentally appropriate at each grade level, Harmony has adopted the
following Homework Policy:
- Homework should be assigned for the
following reasons:
- to practice a concept or skill
that has already been taught within the classroom
- to promote good study habits
- to develop positive attitudes
toward school
- to demonstrate to students
that learning can also take place outside of the school setting
- Assigned homework should be reasonable in
length and difficulty and developmentally appropriate, based on the age
and ability of the child (gradually increasing to approximately ten
minutes of homework per night for each grade level).
- The teacher, parent, and student are
partners in the student’s education and therefore all have important roles
regarding homework. There is a shared responsibility among the parent, student,
and teacher to communicate about homework in an open and ongoing process
as well. The following chart demonstrates the responsibility of the
teacher, parent, and student:
Teacher’s Responsibility
|
Parent’s Responsibility
|
Student’s Responsibility
|
1. Modify
homework based on the individual needs of the child.
|
1. Set
up a quiet place to complete homework.
|
1. Complete
own assignments to the best of his/her ability.
|
2. Assign
homework that is based on practice and adheres to the homework policy.
|
2. Provide
clear expectations on when homework is to be completed.
|
2.
Communicate a lack of under-standing pertaining to assignments to parent and
teacher.
|
3. Collaborate
with the Resource and Arts teachers so as not to overload students with
assignments on any particular night.
|
3. Encourage
and motivate children in order to promote independence and self-direction.
|
3. Return
assignments on time.
|
4. Have
reflective conversations with the child upon completion of assigned homework.
|
As
you can see, based on this policy, homework is not intended to be challenging,
extensive, or time-consuming. Through extensive research and discussion,
we believe this policy is developmentally appropriate and reflects what is best
for young learners. As always, we appreciate your support and partnership in
your child’s education. If you have any questions or concerns please feel
free to call me or email me at julie.horn@oldham.kyschools.us.
Sincerely,
J.
Michele Horn
Principal
School Wide “Food” Policy
For the health
& safety of all students
Harmony Elementary
School will continue with
the NO FOOD Policy
for 2012 – 2013
1.
No
food may be brought in for celebrations (birthdays, holiday parties writing
celebrations, end of year activities, etc.)
Only non-food items such as (pencils, erasers, stickers, etc.) may be
used for celebrations.
2.
No
food will be used for instruction, prizes, awards, or treats during school
hours.
3.
Each
teacher will compose an acceptable “healthy snack” list based on his or her
students’ needs to be sent home at the beginning of each year. Based on this list, students can bring in an
individual snack for their own consumption.
No sharing or community snacks will be available.
Acceptable Healthy Snacks:
·
Pretzels
·
Crackers
·
Yogurt
·
Muffins
·
Cereal
·
Granola
bars
·
Cereal
bars
·
Fruit
·
Vegetables
·
Cheese
sticks
Harmony Elementary School
Common Area Expectations
Bathrooms:
Ø
Use toilets,
sinks, and hand dryers appropriately
Ø
Wash Hands
Ø
Zero Talking
Ø
Leave Promptly
Playground:
Ø
Use equipment
appropriately
Ø
Use caring hands
and feet
Ø
Stay within zone
Ø
Running and
gaming playing is to be done on grassy areas
Cafeteria:
Ø
Stay seated and
raise hand
Ø
Only eat your
food
Ø
Clean up your own
mess
Ø
Use indoor voices
Hallway:
Ø
Walk in a single
file line
Ø
Keep hands and
feet to self
Ø
Zero Talking
Ø
Wait at stopping
point for teacher
Assemblies:
Ø
Walk on steps,
use rail
Ø
Quiet feet
Ø
Listen and
participate
Ø
Show appropriate
appreciation
Bus:
Ø Stay in seat
Ø Indoor voices
Ø Keep aisles clean
