Dear 4S Families, 

I am looking forward to this 4th grade school year with your child.  Attached to this letter you will find several different things to help make 4th grade a little easier.  Please read through the policies, procedures and expectations with your son or daughter, especially the “Survival Guide” to 4th Grade.   This packet has a lot of information in it, please do not get overwhelmed.  I feel it is better to send it home right away so you know what my expectations are and it also opens the lines of communication from day one.  

4th grade is more challenging than 3rd and can be a big adjustment for many students. By making you and your child aware of the expectations in advance I hope to eliminate any “surprises”. I have very high standards and expectations, but I know that each and every student is capable of reaching them. 

After reviewing all of the information with your child, please sign the sheet at the end of this packet and return by September 5th.   

The beginning of the year can be very overwhelming but we will get through it together.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions.  You can send me a note, call me or email me at saucier.d@sau54.org .  

Thank you for your support in advance!

Daniel Saucier

Classroom Expectations

Our goal each day is to grow our brains and learn something new. We will work hard as a team to explore and experience new information throughout the year.  Students will work to build skills around teamwork, communication, and problem solving. We do this in a manner that is respectful to each other’s needs for learning. We will focus on positive behavior that does not interfere with others' learning or safety. If a student’s actions do interfere with others learning they will be given a reminder, then asked to take a break until they can rejoin the group or activity. It is very important to me that students feel safe and comfortable in our classroom in order for them to be successful and want to take risks with their learning. If at any point we need to discuss our class expectations, I will be in touch with you. If you would like to discuss anything with me, please contact me at any time.

Homework Policies 

Homework serves as an impor­tant link between home and school, keeping parents/guardians informed by reinforc­ing and extending school learning.  Homework is also a way to help your child develop work and study habits that will assist him/her throughout their schooling. Students in the fourth grade should expect to have approximately 40 minutes of homework each night which includes 20 minutes of daily reading.  Students will be provided with an agenda book which they are responsible for and expected to write their homework assignments down each day.

Homework assignments will be given Monday through Thursday nights.  Each night students can expect approximately 15 minutes of math practice and fact fluency, that will be due each Friday.  Students are expected to read 20 minutes every day and keep a monthly Reading Log with the minutes and book title recorded. Reading & Math Logs with a parent signature will be collected at the end of each month

Student’s Responsibilities:

1.     Write down all assignments for each subject in the agenda book.

2. Check the homework folder before leaving class to make sure you have all homework assignments for that night.

3.     Make sure all assignments are fully completed including name, date, and time; in the homework folder; and passed in on time.

4.     Take care of agenda books and bring to school on a daily basis with parent initials. 

Parent’s Responsibilities:

1.     Make sure your child’s assignments are completed and then initial your child’s agenda book after checking each assignment.

2.     If there are any concerns about your child’s progress in class, contact me by writing your concern in their agenda book or emailing me at saucier.d@sau54.org

 Teacher’s Responsibilities:

1.    Clearly state and write assignments so students can write them down correctly.

2.   Check agenda books to ensure they are being used correctly and are initialed.

3.   Respond to parent’s written concerns in the agenda book or via email.

If homework is not completed daily, a plan will be put into place on an individual basis.  Homework will be graded under the competencies in Work Skills. 

Thank you for all of your help and please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.  I can be reached by email at saucier.d@sau54.org. 

4S Specials and School Schedule 

Outlined below are some basic schedules for our class that you should be aware of. 

Weekly Specials 9:30-10:30 

MONDAY – Technology

TUESDAY –  Art  

WEDNESDAY –Music  

THURSDAY –  Library- Don’t forget your book. 

FRIDAY – Physical Education- Don’t forget your sneakers. 

Recess and Lunch times:

Recess 11:55-12:25

Lunch 12:12512:50

 Important things to remember each day: 

MONDAY – Return your Friday Folder (emptied) and any

  signed/completed paperwork               

 FRIDAY -  Friday Folders come home     

GRADE FOUR SURVIVAL GUIDE 

We realize that the expectations for fourth grade are far greater than in third grade.  In an effort to make everyone’s lives easier, we have created this “survival guide” to help ease the transition and make everyone more successful. 

1.  All papers must have full name (first and last), date, and number.  

2.  All answers, all the time unless noted MUST be in complete sentences. This means that there is a capital letter and ending punctuation. 

3.  If there is a “Try This” or other activity at the bottom of a page, students are expected to do it. 

4.  If you know that you have a hectic week, math homework assignments are given for the entire week on Mondays, so you can always get a head start on these. 

5.  It is expected that students will follow directions completely.  Failure to follow directions will result in no or partial credit given.  

6. Students need to make sure they have COMPLETED an assignment before turning it in.  This means that they have checked to see if there are two sides to the paper and/or that they have answered all problems.  If problems/pages are skipped they are incorrect and will be given Insufficient Work Shown (IWS). 

7. If homework is not turned in, students will be reminded and have 1 week to get the assignment in. 

8.  If a student is absent, the work they missed is left on their desk and they need to come to me for clarification.  They should not shove it in their desk but are responsible for bringing it home and completing it within 1 week.  Extenuating circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

 9.  Unless your child is working on a project or studying for a test, regular homework typically should not take more than 30-40 minutes per night plus reading.  

10. The Rochester School District uses a competency-based grading system. Students are graded based on competency standards and if they are advanced (A), beyond (B), competent (C), not yet competent (NYC), or insufficient work shown (IWS). Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. 

Finally, if you have questions, need clarification, or need help understanding anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  We are here to work with you, and we want your child to be successful.  Thank you for your support!

Dan Saucier