Classroom Rules
Our classroom rules are very simple and straight-forward--mainly dealing with respect. Here is the list of our classroom rules:
1.) Please raise your hand when you want to ask or answer a question.
2.) Please respect your classmates by keeping your hands, feet, and all other objects to yourself.
3.) Please respect our classroom environment by keeping it neat and clean.
4.) Please respect all classroom materials.
5.) Please respect all of the adults and students in this building by using your manners and being nice to everyone.
1.) Please raise your hand when you want to ask or answer a question.
2.) Please respect your classmates by keeping your hands, feet, and all other objects to yourself.
3.) Please respect our classroom environment by keeping it neat and clean.
4.) Please respect all classroom materials.
5.) Please respect all of the adults and students in this building by using your manners and being nice to everyone.
Classroom Management
One of my main goals for my fourth grade students is that they become more accountable, responsible, and respectful in their daily lives. These three character traits are held at the highest standard in our classroom. Here are a few of the ways our classroom will manage these three traits:
**School wide use of the Nurtured Heart approach to discipline (focusing on the positives--"resets" when needed)
**Hanover Horton Elementary School Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Behavior Rubrics
**Accountability, Responsibility, and Respect Incentive Chart ("respect X's")
**School wide use of the Nurtured Heart approach to discipline (focusing on the positives--"resets" when needed)
**Hanover Horton Elementary School Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Behavior Rubrics
**Accountability, Responsibility, and Respect Incentive Chart ("respect X's")
Classroom Communications
An open line of communication between the teacher, student, and parent is a pathway to success in fourth grade. Here are a couple of ways we will be communicating this year:
**Student Planners
*Your fourth grader will bring home a daily planner each day after school telling what he/she did in school that day. This
planner will be checked by me every morning when the children come in for school. The planner is a great tool in helping to
build those accountability and responsibility pieces discussed earlier. It is also an easy way for me to communicate with you
at home and vice-versa. What you need to do at home is simple--ask your fourth grader what he/she did in school that day,
and if your satisfied with his/her answer, sign/initial the planner for them! A "respect X" is given to each student who gets
his/her planner signed every day for an entire week. Respect X's are very important to the students, so ask them what happens
every time they receive 20 respect X's in our classroom!
**Bi-Weekly Email Communication
*I will get your email address from the emergency contact form. If you DO NOT have email access, please let me know.
**Student Planners
*Your fourth grader will bring home a daily planner each day after school telling what he/she did in school that day. This
planner will be checked by me every morning when the children come in for school. The planner is a great tool in helping to
build those accountability and responsibility pieces discussed earlier. It is also an easy way for me to communicate with you
at home and vice-versa. What you need to do at home is simple--ask your fourth grader what he/she did in school that day,
and if your satisfied with his/her answer, sign/initial the planner for them! A "respect X" is given to each student who gets
his/her planner signed every day for an entire week. Respect X's are very important to the students, so ask them what happens
every time they receive 20 respect X's in our classroom!
**Bi-Weekly Email Communication
*I will get your email address from the emergency contact form. If you DO NOT have email access, please let me know.
Fourth Grade Curriculum
This year, your fourth grader will be seeing all three fourth grade teachers. The majority of the day will be spent in my homeroom class. The students will see Mrs. Balfour for science, and Mrs. Beach for grammar. I will be teaching my homeroom students math, reading, writing, spelling, and social studies--as well as the other homeroom social studies classes. To aide in your understanding of our curriculum, please be sure to keep a copy of the Common Core Parent Guides for Math and ELA handy. If you need one, or both, of these documents, please ask and I'll make sure you receive them!
Report Cards
Our elementary school report card is a "standards based" report card where the students will be evaluated on how well they meet the fourth grade state standards put forth by the State of Michigan. Here is a quick guide to what the "scores" will represent on the report cards:
**4--Consistently and Independently Meets and Exceeds the Standards
**3--Meets the Standards
**2--Approaches the Standards: Needs Additional Practice and Assistance
**AC--Below the Standards: Area of Concern
**4--Consistently and Independently Meets and Exceeds the Standards
**3--Meets the Standards
**2--Approaches the Standards: Needs Additional Practice and Assistance
**AC--Below the Standards: Area of Concern
Field Trips
We will be having a few field trips this year. It's always nice for the students to be able to see what's going on outside of our little bubble here in Hanover Horton! We try to cover some of the cost for these trips by running/operating the fourth grade school supply store--Supplies R Us. However, there will still be a cost per student to attend these trips. Our field trips this year include:
**The Lansing State Capital Building and Michigan History Museum
**Jackson College Potter Center Play
**The Lansing State Capital Building and Michigan History Museum
**Jackson College Potter Center Play
Brain Break and Snacks
We eat lunch and have recess very late in the day, and students will produce more efficiently if they've eaten a healthy snack and burned off some energy between the time they eat breakfast in the morning and the time they eat lunch at 1:05. So the fourth grade provides a "Brain Break" each day from 10:00-10:15. Here is what is expected from our students for the brain break/snack period:
**Snacks should be healthy, brain food. Crackers, raisins, fruits, vegetables, and pretzels are snacks that are acceptable for brain
break. Snacks should NOT be sugar based (unless it's a birthday snack--it only happens once a year!).
**Water bottles are allowed at ALL times in our classroom. Water is the only drink the students may bring in, and it must be in a
container that can completely close.
**Students have the opportunity to go outside each day for their brain break. Students will stay in from brain break (still may eat
his/her snack) for detention if:
*they have missing or late assignments, or
*they receive three or more class resets in one day.
**Snacks should be healthy, brain food. Crackers, raisins, fruits, vegetables, and pretzels are snacks that are acceptable for brain
break. Snacks should NOT be sugar based (unless it's a birthday snack--it only happens once a year!).
**Water bottles are allowed at ALL times in our classroom. Water is the only drink the students may bring in, and it must be in a
container that can completely close.
**Students have the opportunity to go outside each day for their brain break. Students will stay in from brain break (still may eat
his/her snack) for detention if:
*they have missing or late assignments, or
*they receive three or more class resets in one day.