Embedded Files
In alphabetical order, all the stuff you need to know. If I've missed anything, let me know!
Attendance
It’s extremely important for your student to be On Time and Ready to Learn. We start our day at 8:00am each morning. Students begin school with an outline of the day and math. In the event that your student needs to miss school for any reason, please contact the Peninsula office at (503) 916-6275 to let us know.
Classroom Visits
You are always welcome for a classroom visit, to see where you child spends 6 hours and 30 minutes a day for three-fourths of the year! You are invited to stay for a few minutes or all day, whatever works for your schedule. You are welcome to volunteer or just observe. You can call ahead or just pop by. I've alerted office staff that all parents and guardians have an open invite and can come straight to the room after checking in at the office.
Digital Devices
Phones, tablets, mp3 players and other digital devices from home are strictly turned off and stored in a locked closet in the classroom or in the office on the Peninsula campus, including at recess and lunch times. The classroom and office phones are always available if needed. See "The Latest" tab linked at the top of each page for more information.
Field Trips
Ned and Trever are the field trip pros (Thank goodness, because I am not)! As soon as the field trip calendar is solidified, I'll send out an all call for chaperones. Be sure to fill out the PPS volunteer background check, linked on the Home Page, if you think you may attend.
Grading
This is the way we self-evaluate and mark our work in class:
4 = Exceeds: Shows solid understanding of grade level concept(s) and has at least one aspect that shows above grade level understanding
3 = Meets: Shows solid grade level understanding of concept(s)
2 = Close: Shows some development of concept understanding but some misconceptions as well. Not there yet.
1 = Not Yet: Shows little effort and/or many mistakes or misconceptions
If something is circled, that means that it needs to be rechecked. Students may always check their work and turn it in again for an updated grade. Asking for help is what we're here for!
If you notice a mistake in my feedback, please let me know.
Holiday Celebrations Please note: This policy may be different than in past years.
In the interest of inclusiveness, we will celebrate only classroom based successes such as meeting goals and completing projects in Room 118. While students will always have the opportunity to share about their own holiday experiences and beliefs, we will leave the celebration of particular holidays to each family and instead celebrate only those events that are relevant to everyone in our classroom community. And while there won't be a classroom party or special birthday treats, we will definitely acknowledge birthdays, and ask about how they might be celebrated, including those that fall on the weekends and during the summer. All of this information is shared with students. If invitations need to be passed out for an event, please instruct your child to bring them to me in the morning. I will post them inside locker doors and see that they are delivered that same day. T
Homework
There will be no assigned homework in 4th Grade. We have a long and rigorous academic day and the most supportive homework is some down time, time with family and friends, plenty of sleep and daily on time school attendance. I cannot overstate the impact of these elements on attitude, stamina and engagement. Other than that, 20 minutes of reading from a just right book is the one piece of post school day work that research supports at this age.
Spotlight Student
To learn to know each other better, as well as build classroom community, each week we will have a different randomly chosen Spotlight Student. This student will fill out a Spotlight Student information form to share out at our afternoon Community Meeting on the last day of the week. They may bring one favorite item from home on that day, to share with the class (avoid costly items such as digital devices or family heirlooms). We will clap them out at dismissal time as well!
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)
OBOB is a go this year! The details are still in the works, but I will add updates here on the site. For now, here is the link to the official OBOB site. We have most books in our classroom. The rest can be borrowed from our school library or from Jesse Stowell (Clara's dad) who will facilitate the Peninsula battles.
Snacks
> Families may send a healthy snack to school this his year. Some possible snack choices include fruits, veggies, cheese and/or crackers, nuts, trail mix, etc. Please remind your child that snacks may not be shared for health and safety reasons. However, anyone who does not have a snack will be provided with one. Snack time will be during first recess from 9:45-10:00am each day.
> Donations of healthy snacks for the whole class would be greatly appreciated! We currently have 23 students.
Substitute Teachers
I will alert students and families about any planned absence. I will go over the routine with students to prepare them in case of any unforeseen absences.
Temperature
We don’t have control over the thermostat in our classroom so there are times when it may be too warm or too chilly for some of us. Dressing in layers can help on warm days with chilly starts, but at the first sign of dropping temperatures, I would highly recommend sending a sweater or jacket that can just live in their locker at school so that your child can pop it on when the classroom is uncomfortably chilly for them.
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