Curriculum Night 2011

Curriculum Night 2011-2012

We are your 2011-20124th grade team…

Mrs. Cizdziel Mrs. Gillen Mr. Malcolm

Mrs. Rowell Mrs. Rutherford Mrs. Whitehouse

The Robertson Family will build a lasting foundation

for the whole child by developing strong

relationships, recognizing community diversity, and

challenging all young minds of today with finding tomorrow’s solutions.

“LOL”

“Learning Opens Lives”

We will serve as positive role models for all.

We will encourage students to be problem solvers and life long learners.

We will value students and set high expectations.

We will create a positive campus climate.

We will provide leadership and promote leadership for all.

Respect yourself.

Respect others.

Respect Robertson.

School Rules

Positive Consequences:•Positive note/call home

•Positive in behavior calendar / log

•Friday Privileges

•Recognition at Robertson Roundup

•Positive referral to Principal for a reward

Negative Consequences:•Warning

•Redirect Form / self reflection time

•Behavior noted in calendar / log

•Phone / email call to parents

•Loss of Friday privileges

•Office Referral

Behavior Log

• A behavior log will be used for each of the four nine weeks grading periods.

• This behavior log will be carried with students to all of the teachers in the rotation, as well as to Specials. Teachers will note both positive and negative behavior by using the letter and number codes.

• This log will be signed by parents on Thursdays, or more frequently, if necessary.

School Bus Information • Busing:  The district has very strict guidelines about bus transportation. 

When a student needs to ride a different bus than usual, the parent must send an email or write a note.  The AP must approve the change in bus transportation, but will only give approval in emergency situations.  If the change is not an emergency, the parents will be called to make other transportation arrangements that day.  Students who are not eligible for bus transportation will not be allowed to ride the bus at any time.  

 • Bus behavior:  When students are seriously disruptive on the bus, or in the

bus line at dismissal, they are at risk for losing bus transportation privileges. (For examples of serious disruptions on the bus, parents may refer to pages 37 and 38 in the Elementary Student Handbook accessible online)   After three infractions, a student  will be referred to the Robertson Discipline Committee.  A possible consequence for such behavior may be suspension from riding the bus for a semester.  After a total of 4 infractions, the student may lose bus privileges for the rest of the year.   

12:00-12:30 Fourth Grade Recess

Recess will be indoors if the air temperature is above 94° or the heat index is at/or above 100°. 12:30-1:00 Fourth Grade LunchStudents are sent through the lunch line with their class. Please sit at a Visitor Table. Students are not allowed to invite a friend to the visitor table. Parents may bring food for their own child, but they cannot bring or share food with another child. This is a federal law.

PE and Recess… Happily Ever After!

When Fourth graders come in from recess and PE, they are very sweaty, which is how we know they had fun! We don’t want any students to be teased for having body odor. Please remind your child to shower daily, with soap, and to wear deodorant.

Homework•The homework sheet will be coming home on Mondays. It is due on Friday, with parent signature indicating that the student has completed the assigned tasks. If the homework sheet is not signed and / or returned, it is a folder signing.

The following will be on the homework sheet:1. Spelling Word List with activities in their planner. 2. A list of important events for the week. 3. Suggested Math fact practice.4. Suggested nightly reading.

Special Note: There will be occasional quizzes and tests that might not be on the homework sheet, but those will be noted in the planner. When your child starts Guided Reading, their assignments will be on a Reading Log in their baggie. Homework will increase after the Fall Parent Teacher conference in October.

Study Hall

• We expect students to give us a good effort every day on work in class.

• If their work is not finished and turned in by the due date, students will be finishing their work during study hall instead of going to recess.

Cell Phones

Students may bring cell phones to school, provided they follow these guidelines:•Cell phones are turned off and kept in their backpack during the school day. •Cell phones are NEVER allowed in the classroom. •Cell phones that are found ringing, being taken out of the backpack to be used for texting, or making a phone call will be taken by the teacher and given to Mr. Iorio or Mrs. Davis.•The first offense is a written warning.•Other offenses after that will be an office referral, a monetary fine, and the phone will be held in the office and must be signed for and picked up by the parents.

Three classroom parties:Winter, Valentine’s Day, and Celebration of Learning.

If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday with their classmates, you may send store bought cupcakes or cookies. Please do not send cookie cakes or anything else that has to be cut. It would be greatly appreciated if you would send in napkins with the treat.

Treats will be distributed after 2:00p.m. Students may only distribute party invitations during the school day if all students in class receive them.

The school’s doors open at 7:15. Breakfast is served from 7:15 – 7:45 daily. Children are monitored in the gym until the first bell at 7:40. Students are tardy

at 7:50. Students must be in the classroom at 7:50 as morning

announcements begin promptly. Instruction begins immediately after

announcements. Students who arrive late often feel that they are already behind

and have a tough day.

Get the day off to a good start!

FISD Attendance Policy• Attendance:  Parents should call the office if their child is going to be absent.  If they

don’t,  the school will call them.  We must have the reason for the absence in writing no matter what.  The parent can email the data clerk, Michelle Charles, that day, or send a note when the child returns to school.  Either way written notice must be provided upon student’s return or within three school days. The phone call is just to let us know that the child is absent and is not sufficient to excuse the absence. 

• Tardies are never excused.  •  We will send two letters when there are attendance issues:  one goes home with the

student, the other is mailed to the home.• Parents will be called by the homeroom teacher when their child has accumulated 5

tardies, unexcused absences, or combination of both.  After 8 and 10, Mrs. Davis will call the parent and send them letters.  After 10 we will also put their child on an attendance contract.  The contract will require that all future absences be accompanied by a verified doctor’s note or the student must be evaluated by our school nurse and sent home by her. Parental notes will no longer be accepted by the campus.  This is the last intervention prior to filing truancy charges.

• Senate Bill 25.092 states that in order for a child to be promoted to the next grade, the student must attend at least 90% of the days that school is in session. School is in session 176 days so that equals 18 days (both excused and unexcused) that they must be in school for promotion.

• If your child misses more than 10% of the school year (18 days), Robertson Elementary will convene an Attendance Committee, comprised of the principal or his/her designee, the counselor, and your child’s teacher to review your child’s progress this year and determine grade placement for him/her next year. The principal will inform you in writing of the Committee’s determination within five working days of the meeting.

• Car line students – Older siblings will walk to the location of youngest sibling’s car line.Please exercise extreme care when driving around the school building.

• Walkers/Bike Riders – All students will exit school building out main/office doors. Students meeting siblings/friends should meet outside school building, such as by the flagpole.

• Send a note, email, or call by 2:00, if your child will be going home a different way. If you email and don’t get a quick reply from us, then we haven’t received your email and you need to call the front office to make sure we get the message about the change. This helps our dismissal to go smoothly and safely.

In order to volunteer in the school building, all parents/guardians must complete a Volunteer Application Form each school year. These forms are only available on the Frisco Independent School District

Web Site www.friscoisd.org . If you do not have access to the Internet please contact

the school office at 469-633-3675 and they will get the volunteer forms sent

home.

Place Value

Multiplication

Division

Fractions

Decimals

Probability and Statistics

Measurement

Geometry

Math

Math

Reading Strategies are taught both in whole group, guided reading groups, and during Reader’s Workshop.

Reading Fluency- reading smoothly when reading orally. This is the words per minute count.

Literary Elements and genres are taught throughout the year and are integrated into Social Studies.

Reading for a variety of purposes.

Guided Reading will be starting after we’ve completed beginning of the year assessments.

Reading

Soil Properties

Weathering, Erosion, & Deposition

Natural Resources

Weather

Water Cycle

Seasons, Moon Phases

Matter & Energy

Food Chain

Animals Adaptations & Traits

Science

Map Skills

Regions

Native Americans

Tribe Location

Tribal Life

Texas History

Social Studies

Writing conventions: Capitalization and Punctuation

Grammar: parts of speech

VBH: Very Best Handwriting

Word Walls: spelling words / patterns

Writing process: Brainstorming, Drafting, Editing, Revising, and Final Draft.

All of these are taught during Writer’s Workshop.

Language Arts and Writing

Pre-test on MondaysIf a student scores 100% or misses one word on the pre-test, they will have challenge words for Friday’s test. Challenge Words will be given from the FISD Fourth Grade List.

Spelling activities will be found in the back of your child’s planner. They will change each nine weeks.

Tests on Friday

Spelling

Document camera

Three classroom computers for student use

CLASSROOM/LAB RESOURCES:

WebQuests

www.UnitedStreaming.com

www.brainpop.com

www.studyisland.com

Power Point lessons and activities

Excel for graphing, tables, and charts

Technology

Phone NumberRobertson Main Office: 469-633-3675

E-mail Mrs. Whitehouse: [email protected] Mr. Malcolm: [email protected] Mrs. Rowell: [email protected] Mrs. Cizdziel: [email protected]

Mrs. Gillen: [email protected]

Mrs. Rutherford: [email protected]

  Thursday Folders- Please sign the stapled sheet inside and return the folder on Friday.

Fourth Grade Websitehttp://www.friscoisd.org/schools/elementary/robertson/

Fourth Grade Teacher Blogs

Parent Teacher Conferences October 10th 10:00am-6:00pm- sign up info will go home in mid September.

•We will provide updates for 4th grade on the website and our teacher blogs. •If you would like to plan a conference please allow us a 48 hour grace period, so that we can handle scheduling conflicts. •If there are concerns, of any kind, please email us first. We will respond to emails as soon as we can.

March 27 March 27 andand 28th – 28th – WritingWriting

April 24 – MathApril 24 – Math

April 25 – ReadingApril 25 – Reading

1.Stop and get calm

2.Think about how I feel

3.Talk, work it out, or drop it

1.Think about the problem

2.Brainstorm solutions

3.Choose the best solution

1.Stop and think

2.Talk with respect

3.Act with respect

1.Know what needs to be done

2.Make a plan

3.Put the plan into action

1.Think positively

2.Be myself

3.Do my best

Safety First Please!

• Please drive slowly through the school zone around Robertson and be extremely cautious as you drive through the front and back parking lots.

• Before school, students may only be dropped off behind the school at the gym doors or in the front drop off.

• Please do not drop off your child behind the school in the cul-de-sac and have them cross the road behind the school.

• Thank you for your patience with traffic after school, we are dismissing around 850 students all at once.

• Your child’s safety is our top concern always.

Robertson ElementaryFourth Grade Curriculum Night

2011-2012

Thank you for coming! We look forward to working with each of you this year!