Classroom Management

Our classroom will be organized around our school expectations, the "Four Bs": Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Courageous, and Be Safe. My personal expectations include: RESPECT (for self and others), EFFORT (growth mindset), SELF-CONTROL (safety), and EMPATHY (towards others). “Our Promises” in this class are:

Our Class Promises

We will be RESPECTFUL, KIND, and have EMPATHY for others.

We will be RESPONSIBLE and use SELF-CONTROL.

We will use TEAMWORK, be INCLUSIVE, and HAVE FUN!

We will be determined to never give up by having a GROWTH MINDSET.

We will be COURAGEOUS and keep our classroom SAFE.

We will work towards these goals on a daily basis. Our goal is to develop autonomy, competence, and a sense of belonging. Our school participates in Project Cornerstone. This program teaches life skills and promotes positive social and learning environments at school.

Parent Communication

The communication that occurs between parents and teachers is vital for a successful year for the students. The Room 17 weekly Email Newsletter consists of an overview of what has been done in class each week so that you are constantly aware of what your child is doing in school, and can ask them to tell you about what they have been learning. I will also email you if I ever have any concerns about your child. If you ever have any questions or concerns for me, you can email (Kirk_rebecca@cusdk8.org), call on the school line (408-245-0148 ext. 82217). Checking this website will also be useful because it will have up-to-date information about our classroom (calendar, schedule, newsletters, etc.) This year, school information will be sent to you via email rather than within the Thursday folder.

Grading

West Valley uses the district’s standards-based report card. Each academic area is assessed on a 4-point scale (rubric). The numbers in the rubric describe your child’s performance at that point in time and identify what your child has demonstrated he/she knows and is able to do. A score of 3 means the student is consistently meeting the standard. Each child will have a description of the general rubric in his/her binder, and a copy for your own reference is included in the Back-to-School Night packet, as well as on the documents page. The assignments students complete will have a rubric grade (4-point scale), may be marked with a dot or circle signaling to the student that an answer is incorrect and needs to be looked at again, or may be marked with a:

+ Above and beyond (No mistakes on their work – consistent.)

/ Assignment completed at appropriate level. (Few mistakes on their work.)

- Needs some work, please see me to fix, complete or revise.

Absences and Tardies

It is important that your child miss as little instruction and class socialization as possible. Class starts at 8:00am, and to respect everyone's time, please help your child be prompt, so that your child does not fall behind in our activities. It is not helpful to have to repeat instructions for those who are late. If students are late, they will need to check-in with a peer to find out what they missed. Set a daily alarm to help!

How Parents Can Help

1. Help get your child to school on time. Set an alarm!

2. Provide a quiet, organized, personalized space for your child to work at home.

3. Have work materials ready for your child to use at home.

4. Take an interest in your child's work. Discuss the day.

5. Have your child read every day.

6. Give your child household responsibilities.

7. Let your child make family decisions.

8. Be positive and encouraging about school. Your child will look to YOU to see how you feel, and their feelings will mirror your feelings.

9. Let your child be independent, don't step in too quickly.

10. Connect with your child each day. Do something together...cooking, drawing, playing outside, taking a walk, reading.

PARENT HELP IN THE CLASSROOM: I would love to have your support for our class if you are able to volunteer, and will let you know when parents can begin to volunteer for the year. If you would like to volunteer in some way, please let me know you are interested in helping. Please Note: Our district requires all parents who are helping students or around students in the classroom on a regular basis, to not only have a TB test completed, but also have fingerprinting done by LiveScan, and have a Covid-19 Vaccination.