Dear Fourth Grade Families,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I am Mrs. Pessenda. I am excited to be your child’s fourth grade teacher! I look forward to getting to know each child better in the days ahead. This is a year of great learning and growth. As parents/guardians of fourth graders, I hope you enjoy watching and helping foster that growth in your child. I wanted to give you some information that will help you stay involved and knowledgeable about what your child will be doing this year.
Snack: Each day our class will have a mid-morning snack. Your child is encouraged to bring healthy snacks, as well as a water bottle for the classroom, if so desired. Donations are welcome!
Lunch: Recess and lunch are scheduled for 12:10pm -12:45pm each day. Students may bring a cold lunch, or receive a hot lunch each day. The lunch menus are sent home monthly.
Specialists: We will have Phy-Ed, Music, Art, and Library each week.
Phy-Ed will be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Music will be on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Art will be on Wednesday and Thursday. .
Birthdays: Your child may bring a special treat to share with the class. We have 23 students along with a paraprofessional. It must be store bought and individually wrapped. Your child will be celebrated throughout the day with a VIP Birthday Basket! I will also be celebrating those with Summer birthdays by recognizing their half birthdays this year!
Ipads: This is a super exciting opportunity for 4th graders! Internet safety will be taught. A program called GoGuardian has been downloaded to monitor what your child is doing. An alert message will be sent to administration for non-Bluestreak Pride behavior on the chromebooks.
Please sign the Internet Agreement paper and return ASAP.
Charge nightly
A list of log-in information will be sent home.
Daily Planners: Each student will have a daily planner to organize the specific subjects we learn throughout the day. The planner will be where the students write down what they worked on for the day, if it is completed, late, or need to finish it at home. The student will be responsible for filling it out during the designated time, before leaving school each day. I encourage you to look it over each day and sign your initials. This is also a great way for teachers and parents to communicate. I’ll keep you up to date on work due, late assignments, ask a question, or simply write a positive note about your child.
I have attached a daily schedule for your viewing.
Daily Folders: Students will bring a folder home each day with “Return to School” on one side and “Keep At Home” on the other. Please check your child’s folder for daily mail and corrected work.
Homework: Homework in 4th grade is very important and is reflective of what we do in the classroom. However, homework will only consist of work that your child did not finish in class. I would rather have you spend family time together!
Grades in PowerSchool will stay updated. Check frequently.
Planners should be signed nightly by a parent or guardian.
Homework/Correct and Returns should be done neatly and to the best of your child’s ability.
Correct and Return: Occasionally, work will be marked with a C&R or correct and return stamp. If a student has one of these in their folder, it just means he/she needs a little extra practice with a skill they are learning in class. Each corrected problem will earn an extra ½ of a point towards their original points earned. Encourage your child to complete it. I will give reminders to the students, but won’t search/beg for corrected work.
Class Dojo: This year, I’ll be using ClassDojo as one form of communication and to also share fun moments from the classroom and keep you up to date with information and events. See you on the ClassDojo app!
I have attached a paper with the code to sign up in the Class Dojo App.
Together we can make this year great! Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
E-mail: mpessenda@chisholm.k12.mn.us
Phone: 218-254-5726 ext. 1214
Sincerely,
Mrs. Pessenda