Class Syllabus

Dear Parents/Guardians & Students,

Hello and welcome to fourth grade at North Bay Haven Charter Academy. As a fourth grade team, we have a lot of exciting, fun, engaging, and innovative things planned for the 2019-2020 school year. As your teacher, I am overwhelmed with excitement to have the privilege to be your teacher!

Please take a moment to read over the class syllabus as it outlines our classroom policies and expectations. Once you have read and understand its contents, please sign and return it as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,


Jennifer Shoults

4th Grade Teacher, NBHCA

Class Website

It is very important that both parents and students check our class website often as it will be updated frequently and will be used extensively throughout the year for a plethora of things including accessing numerous resources for some of our textbooks.

To access our class website, please follow the directions below.

  1. Go to the NBHCA K-5 website (http://nk5.bayhaven.org/).
  2. Click on “Teacher Websites” on the left hand side.
  3. Type in “Shoults” in the search bar.
  4. Click on “Ms. Jennifer Shoults - 4th Grade.”
  5. Bookmark the page in your browser for easier access.

If you have any problems accessing our class website or if you would like specific information listed on the class website that is not currently available, please contact Mrs. Shoults via email.


Our Daily Schedule

Time Content Area

7:20 – 7:35 Unpack/Planner Check

7:40-8:30 Special Area Mon/Thur/Fri- PE Tues-Music Wed-Art

8:30-9:00 Morning Work/Announcements

9:00-10:30 ELA Block

10:30-10:45 Snack/Brain Break

10:45-12:25 Math Block

12:30-1:00 Lunch/Recess

1:05-1:35 Read Aloud/Enrichment

1:35-2:35 Unit (Alternate Science & Social Studies)

2:35-2:45 Pack-Up/Dismiss

**STEAM Lab every other Friday 11:10 - 12:25 pm

**Library is on Wednesdays 12:00-12:25

Curriculum & Homework

The curriculum and activities presented at NBHCA are aligned with the Florida Common Core Standards. They are designed to be challenging and engaging for all students and follow the motto of NBHCA of High Expectations = High Achievement.

Homework is assigned nightly and should not take longer than one hour to complete. Students are expected to write down their assigned homework in their planners at the beginning of every day. Homework assignments can also be found on our class website. Homework is designed to enrich that day’s lesson as well as to provide further practice.

Reading: Students are provided with 90-minutes of reading instruction as mandated by Florida law. Instruction will include a mixture of whole-group instruction and small-group instruction/centers that are aligned with the five components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency) through direct instruction, cooperative learning groups, hands-on activities, and mixed media.

Language Arts/Writing: A major part of fourth grade focuses on language arts and writing. For that reason, students will complete a number of writing activities and assignments. Students will also spend a great deal of time focusing on grammar, spelling, and word choice.

Math: Math will consist of a mixture of whole-group instruction and small-group instruction when needed that incorporates hands-on activities, cooperative learning groups, and mixed media. It is imperative that students are fluent in basic multiplication facts 0-12 in order to be successful in math.

Science/Social Studies: Science and Social Studies will be on a rotation schedule and will include numerous teaching strategies including Project Based Learning (PBL) as well as hands-on activities and labs. In fourth grade, social studies focus is primarily on Florida history.


Spelling: Students will be administered a spelling inventory assessment at the beginning of the year that will then provide them with an individualized spelling list each week that focuses on the skills that each student needs. Students will work with their spelling words throughout the week in class as well as complete nightly spelling homework. Spelling words will be issued each Monday and tests will be given on Friday.

**SNACK: Students need to bring a nutritious snack each day. Please no junk food or candy!

Grading

Language Arts

Formative ELA-25%

Summative ELA-75%

Math

Formative- 25%

Summative- 75%

Social Studies

Formative- 25%

Summative- 75%

Science

Formative- 25%

Summative- 75%

***All graded assignments will be sent home each Thursday in a graded work folder. All D’s and F’s must be signed and returned on Friday!




Progress Reports & Report Cards

Progress reports and report cards are available through the District's PARENT PORTAL

End of Grading Period

October 11

December 20

March 12

May 21


Attendance

It is imperative that all students make every effort to attend class due to the rigorous curriculum and assignments. In the case that a student must be absent, a note from home must be sent with the student when he or she returns. If the absence is excused, students will have five days to complete all missed assignments. If a student missed a test while he or she was absent and the student had prior knowledge, he or she must make up the test the day they return. If the absence is unexcused, students will receive 60% of their earned grade on all missed assignments. For more information regarding the attendance policy, please consult the NBHCA Student Handbook.


Discipline Policy

Students at NBHCA are expected to be responsible for their own behavior; nevertheless, each individual teacher has established a discipline policy within his or her classroom. For more information on the school-wide discipline policy, please visit the NBHCA website or the student handbook.

Our Class Rules

  1. Listen when your teacher is talking.
  2. Follow directions quickly.
  3. Respect others, respect yourself, respect our school.
  4. Raise your hand to speak or stand.
  5. Be safe, be kind, be honest.

The discipline policy established in the classroom is based on a Positive Behavior Support system that encourages positive student behavior and learning. Through this policy, students will learn responsibility, self-discipline, cooperation, and problem solving skills. Ultimately, the goal is for students to work toward being productive citizens at school and in their future lives by learning to make appropriate choices; learning to accept responsibility for their behavior; and by using conflict resolution skills to problem solve.

Positive Behavior Rewards

Besides the intrinsic rewards that students receive from demonstrating positive behavior, students will also receive extrinsic rewards in the form of a ticket/Dojo points that can be redeemed for different items in the classroom treasure chest/store.

We are also doing infractions this year!

Students can get infractions for not getting their planner signed, NO homework, No name on Papers, undesired behavior, and tardiness. These will be recorded in their planner. At the end of the 9 weeks the fourth grade will have a party for any students who have 10 or fewer infractions in their planner, as well as students who did not get sent to the SRC room for behavior.

Class Jobs

Beginning the second week of school, students will be assigned a specific job each week with specific responsibilities. At the end of the week, the students will receive a ticket for completing their assigned jobs. The classroom jobs will rotate every few weeks, so that every student has the opportunity to fulfill the duties of all positions throughout the school year.


Field Trips

Currently, we are scheduled to go to Tallahassee on November 14th, St. Augustine in March 5th-6th, and E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center on April 22nd - 23rd. Please keep watch for sign-up sheets and monetary due dates in the weekly newsletter and on our class website.

***Students are required to wear their Buccaneer Blue shirt on all field trips.


Dress Code

All students are required to follow the dress code as described in the NBHCA Student Handbook.

  • All students must wear NBHCA tops and bottoms purchased from one of our vendors.
  • All shirts must be tucked in and a belt must be worn.
  • Closed toe and closed heel shoes only.
  • No denim may be worn.
  • Outerwear must be NBHCA approved with the appropriate logo.
  • Hair must be neatly groomed (no hats or headwear) and only stud earrings.

For more information on the NBHCA dress code, please see the NBHCA Student Handbook.



School Supplies & Classroom Wish List

Students are required to come to class prepared each day with all of his or her supplies. For a complete listing of the required supplies, please visit the NBHCA website. Furthermore, all students are required to purchase a NBHCA planner for $5. Please bring your planner fee (cash or check) as soon as possible.

There are many things that we could use in our classroom. For a complete listing of our classroom wish list, please visit our class website and select “Classroom Wish List” in the left-hand navigation pane.


Classroom Volunteers

As outlined in the NBHCA Student Handbook, all parents are required to serve twenty volunteer hours. There are many opportunities to volunteer within our classroom. Some of those opportunities include:

  • Room Mom
  • Scholastic Mom (Monthly)
  • Copy Assistant (Weekly)
  • Fluency Helper (Weekly)
  • Classroom/Project Assistant (as needed)
  • Field Trip Chaperones (as needed)

If you are interested in volunteering in our classroom, please complete the volunteer form located on our class website or send Mrs. Shoults an email stating your interest.


Contacting Mrs. Shoults

Jennifer Shoults NBHCA: 850.248-0205

FSU, B.S. Elementary Education Mrs. Shoults’ Cell: 850.896.8728*

K-6 Email: shouljb@bayhaven.org

* Email is the most efficient way to contact me. I will reply as soon as possible. School related phone calls will be taken from 3:00-3:30pm Monday through Friday when available. If unavailable, please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible.

**If you need to schedule a conference, please send an email stating your desire to schedule a conference, when you would like to meet, and the reason for the conference. Conferences are held Monday through Thursday beginning at 3:00pm.


Please Read, Sign, and Return ASAP

Students:

I, _____________________________, the student, have read and understand the expectations and policies as outlined in the 2019-20 Class Syllabus for Mrs. Shoults’ class.

Student Signature: _______________________________________ Date: _______________

Parents:

I, _____________________________, the parent/guardian, have read and understand the expectations and policies outlined in the 2019-2020 Class Syllabus for Mrs. Shoults’ class.

Parent/Guardian Signature: ________________________________ Date: _______________