Parent Information

The ABC’s of Fourth Grade:

A –

Absences: If your child is absent, please call the office (847-512-6100) prior to the beginning of the school day. If the absence is planned, please send me an email in addition to calling the office. This way I can create make-up work for your child. 

Attendance:  is very important in fourth grade.  Please try to have your student present every day.  If your child has a fever or is experiencing flu-like symptoms, please keep him/her at home. 

Arrival: The school day starts promptly at 8:35 a.m. If your child is tardy, please send him/her to the office to check in prior to reporting to the classroom. We will begin at 8:40, so if your child is tardy he/she will miss important information.

B –

 Birthdays: We are no longer having treats for birthday celebrations.  We will celebrate birthdays between 2:45-3:00 on each student’s special day.  Each student gets a few birthday goodies from me as well. 

C –

Communication: Please communicate with me throughout the year. I can be reached at dietricb@wilmette39.org or 847-512-6100 x6124. 

Cell Phones: If you want your child to bring a cell phone or Apple Watch to school, it must be silent once he is inside the school building and should be placed in his/her backpack.

Curriculum: Check out the district website and click on “Curriculum.” This link will allow you to access all of the curriculum maps for fourth grade.

D –

Differentiation: Every child is unique and learns in different ways. Each child needs to be challenged at his/her own level. I differentiate my lessons to fit the needs of all students. Groupings change frequently, as students levels increase. It is important to know that your child may have different work than another child, but rest assured that everyone is learning the same concept, just in a way that is best for him/her.  

E –

Eating: Please make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast each morning. Students will be given the opportunity to eat a healthy snack.  Remember that the snacks must be a fruit or vegetable and should be TREE NUT free. 

E-mail:  You may reach me at: dietricb@wilmette39.org. I will check my email at least twice per day, and it is the most efficient means of communicating with me.

F –

Field Trips: We will be attending several field trips through out the school year. We may visit Northwestern University, The Botanic Gardens, the Youth Theater, and possibly other trips to further our science and social studies curriculum.  Please check for notes / emails regarding the dates of any scheduled trips. Our room parents will be contacting you regarding chaperoning the trips. Also, fourth graders attend “Outdoor Education,” which is held at Boundless Adventures in Bristol, WI. 

G -

Grades: I will send home graded papers throughout the week. If you are concerned about your child’s grades, please feel free to contact me.  I will utilize rubrics as a way of assessing students throughout the year. Whenever I send home a chapter or unit test, I will also attach the scoring rubric I used. Please review the test and rubric with your child.

Grading Scale:

M = Meets the Standard

P = Progressing Toward the Standard

E = Experiencing Difficulty

Gum: Chewing gum is not allowed in Central School. Please do not allow your child to bring gum to school, as it often ends up stuck to a desk or on the carpet.

H –

Homework: I will send home reading, spelling and math homework every Monday through Thursday afternoon. I typically do not assign homework over the weekend.  Students will also be required to read at least four Reading Rally books for Library.  If  your child chooses not to complete his/her homework or leaves it at home, he/she will complete a "Homework Responsibility" page.

Homework Folders:  Homework will be sent home in an expandable folder. Please check this folder on a nightly basis along with your child’s assignment notebook.

I –

Independent Reading: We will have independent reading time for 20-30 minutes per day, every day. During this time children will be able to select a book at his/her reading level and will have time to practice reading strategies taught during our daily mini-lessons.

J –

Jobs: I will assign classroom jobs every Monday. The jobs remain the same for the entire week. I will rotate the jobs between every student. Some examples of classroom jobs are: mail person, messenger, lights/door helper, calendar helper, lunch basket carrier and line leader. 

Journals: Students will have two journals, which we will use in class on a daily or weekly basis. They will have a math journal, which they will write in about their daily math work.  Students will also utilize a writing journal, where they will work on the writing process during writer’s workshop.

K –

Kindness: I expect that everyone in our class will be treated with kindness. No bullying, teasing or fighting will be allowed at any time. If I see someone doing something extremely thoughtful and kind for another person in our school, I will assign a “Fantastic Fox Ticket.”

L –

Library: Our classroom has a library with a variety of books for students to read. Students may check out two books at a time in their desks and must return them before checking out others.

 We will also be visiting the school library on a regular basis. The books students check out from the school library may be taken home. The books should be maintained in the condition in which they were checked out.

 M –

Math: Students will be working with the Math In Focus program this year. They will be assigned a math journal and a textbook.  It is their responsibility to take care of these materials. Prior to beginning a new math unit, students will be given a pre-test to assess for prior knowledge. The Differentiation Support Teacher will grade the fourth grade pre-tests and group students by like strengths and weaknesses for differentiated instruction. Students will switch classes during our math block, which is 9:55-10:55 a.m.  Please remember that the math groups are flexible, and students will be retested before every unit and will have the ability to move into other groups.

 Math Facts: Students will be required to know/memorize all of their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts in fourth grade. They will practice their facts both in school and should also practice them at home on a regular basis.

N –

Newsletter: I will NOT be sending home a formal newsletter.  I will send a weekly e-mail with class news and upcoming events and reminders.  I have also created a classroom website, which can be accessed through Central School’s main page.

 O –

Open Communication: Please make sure you communicate with me through out the year. Your input matters, so let me know what you think. 

 P –

Parent Involvement:  Please feel free to volunteer to chaperone field trips, help host our class parties, and/or be a guest reader.  If I need classroom volunteers for a particular project or lesson, I will send an email home.

 Q –

Questions: Please let me know if you have any questions regarding our classroom policies or your child’s progress throughout the year.

 R –

Report Cards: Report cards will be emailed home two times per year…once in February and then in June. Remember, Wilmette District 39 utilizes standards-based report cards and does not assign letter grades in the elementary schools.

 S –

Snacks: You may send a  fruit or vegetable  (tree nut free) snack every day if you wish with your child.    

 T –

Tardies: If your child arrives to school after 8:35, please have him/her stop into the office before walking up to the classroom to sign in with the school nurse.

 Tests: We will take several types of tests in fourth grade, including local  and state benchmarking (MAP and the IAR assessments. )  I will send home all of our classroom tests for you to review with your child.

U –

Understanding: My goal is for each student to grasp and fully understand all of the fourth grade standards taught.  If you feel your child is struggling with a particular skill, please let me know. We will work together to ensure his/her success. 

V –

Volunteers: Please feel free to volunteer to chaperone field trips and help host our class parties. If I need classroom volunteers for a particular project or lesson, I will send an email home.

W –

Writing: We will be writing LOTS of different types of stories in fourth grade.  Hopefully, your child will become an expert at writing.  I will teach writing through writer’s workshop. We will be focusing on the narrative and expository genres in fourth grade.

X –

XXIII: We have 21 students in our class, so please keep this in mind when sending in trinkets or valentines.

 Y –

Your Best: I expect nothing but the best from each one of my students this year. I want them to try their hardest and set their goals high. Continually remind them to not let anyone or anything hold them back!

Z –

ZZZ!!: Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep each night. You should aim for 8-9 hours of sleep each school night.