Class Handbook
2015-2016
Dear Parents,
This handbook serves as a guide to our 2015-2016 school year and gives you an overview
of the fourth grade curriculum. I have worked hard to develop a program to meet the needs of
every individual student. If you have any comments or questions for me, please contact me and I
will get back to you as soon as possible. I am available most mornings before school as well as
after school. An email is usually the easiest and quickest way for me to respond. The year is off
to a great start and I am looking forward to sharing a wonderful and exciting year of learning
with your child.
Sincerely,
Kendra Hurt
847-540-5380 (vm)
847-540-3459 (classroom)
kendra.hurt@lz95.org.
As the school year begins, I look forward with pleasure to teaching your child this year. So
that you can have a full appreciation of what we will accomplish in the classroom this year, I
would like you to know my philosophy of education.
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I believe children deserve respect.
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I believe children should not be humiliated, hurt, or embarrassed intentionally.
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I believe a child’s self-esteem should be nurtured tenderly.
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I believe my job is to teach until a child learns, rather than punish until learning takes
place.
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I believe that if I am willing to say, “I am sorry,” when I make a mistake, I do not have to
be afraid of making a mistake, and the students will learn the same.
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I want all children to enjoy the learning process, and I want to help them to develop their
own motivation for learning. I hope to do my best to encourage your child to succeed in
their attempts to learn.
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I believe modeling is the most powerful way to affect a child’s learning. Please model the
love of learning at home by reading to and in front of your child. In addition, set aside a
quiet, well-lit area with adequate space and supplies for your child to study. The study
area should be in a place not far from the rest of the family.
Class Schedule
This Schedule is a flexible time line of our day at school
8:25-8:45
8:40-9:40
9:45-10:45
10:45-11:30
11:30-2:00
Morning Work & Homework check
Math
*Specials
Lunch/Recess
Literacy Block *Social Studies/Science will be
integrated during this time
2:00-2:15
2:15 – 2:45
2:45/2:50
*SPECIALS
Pack Up & Wrap Up
Target Accelerated Growth T.A.G
Dismissal
SCHEDULE
Monday: Music @ 10:15-10:45
Tuesday: P.E. @ 9:45-10:15 & Music @ 10:15-10:45
Wednesday: LMC @ 9:45-10:45
Thursday: PE @9:45-10:15
Friday: Art @ 9:45-10:45
The students are encouraged to bring an extra pair of gym shoes for P.E. Their shoes
may be stored in their locker. We will also be going to the LMC for computer work and research
during each trimester. The students are also encouraged to bring an extra, older shirt for Art
Class.
If your child chooses to participate in Orchestra, the students will have assigned time to
leave for their lessons through out the day on Thursday. The students will be held accountable
and be responsible for any missed work due to their absence from the classroom
COMMUNICATION
Our main avenues of communication will be through the Classroom daily homework email,
Friday Folder, Monthly Newsletter & Progress Reports and class website. I will provide
continuous communication of what we are doing in the curriculum, as well as what important
events are coming up in fourth grade. Any newsletters, office mail, or student work will be
taken to and from school, in your child’s “Friday Folder”. This folder will be sent home every
Friday and should be brought back by Monday. I am hoping with just one folder, this will cut
down on the confusion of paper locations.
I will also send home a daily email to explain what we have done in class and what your
child’s homework is. I will send home a paper version if you do not have access to email, just to
make sure everyone is receiving the same information. Our class has a home on the Internet!
Parents can visit the web page to see up-to-date on classroom events. Our web site is located at
http://www.lz95.org/classes/mshurtsfabulousfourthgraders_khurt/
I do not identify students by name in photos. If you do not want your child’s picture, stories, or
other work on our class web page, please write me a note or send me an email. Be sure to visit
our web page before you make this decision! I hope that all students will be able to be included
on our class website.
Homework
Homework is a chance for children to practice learning at home. It provides drill and
practice and responsibility.
Remember that Homework is due the Next Day, unless otherwise stated. I post the
daily assignments on the board along with sending an email to the parent address. I intend to
grade all papers from the week and return them to your child by Friday. All of your child’s
papers will be found in their binder. There are different sections according to the subject.
If you child has any missing assignments, they will have a sheet sent home on Friday with
the list of assignments to complete over the weekend. If a student does not turn in their
homework, the assignment will need to be completed the following day. If there is frequent
lateness in work, other consequences will be reviewed in a parent conference in order for
student success. This allows the student to accept responsibility for their work. Of course I
will waive this if there is any emergency, as I understand this sometimes happens. Please make
sure to send a note of explanation the next morning or email me.
If your child is spending more than an hour on homework a night, please have him/her
stop, and write me a note letting me know what happened and where I need to help. Do not
make homework into a power struggle. My goal, by the end of the year, is to have the fourth
graders able to start and finish their homework without any parental assistance. This will make
the upcoming curricular years a lot easier on all family members!
Assignment Notebook
Assignment notebooks are an important tool of fourth grade. They are used as both an
organizational tool and a communication log.
At the end of the each school day, the students are responsible for recording
assignments, due dates and important reminders. I remind them daily to write what is posted
on the board. The students need to take the notebooks home each night to share and bring
them back the next day. I ask that the notebook be signed/initialed on a daily basis, so I know
who has seen the notebook and homework. Please discuss the content of the notebook with your
child before signing. I will check the notebook daily and place a star beside your name. This
shows that I have checked your child’s homework and assignment notebook. Your child is then
able to sign up for “Homework Bingo” where he/she has a chance to earn an extra reward. If
you have any messages, you can write them in the notebook for me to see. I want to work on
good study habits all year. I feel in order to prepare our young friends for life, they need to
become responsible for themselves and learn to be prepared.
Grading Scale
Fourth grade students receive letter grades in Language Arts, Reading, Math, Science, and
Social Studies. The grading scale is as follows:
A+
100
C
72-77
A
92-99
C70-71
A90-91
D+
68-69
B+
88-89
D
62-67
B
82-87
D60-61
B80-81
U
59 or below
C+
78-79
Elementary Progress Reporting System
The elementary schools are on trimesters, so report cards will be sent home three times
during the school year. Just one of the advantages of trimesters is that it gives students an
opportunity to understand new concepts and practice them for longer periods of time. The
trimesters end on November 7, February 27, and June 5. Parent Teacher conferences are
on Thursday, November 20 from 4-7 p.m. and on Tuesday, November 25 from 1:30-7 p.m.
Please sign up on Curriculum night for your conference. If you need a different day and time,
please contact me and we will make other arrangements. I will send out reminder notes in
November.
Students will also receive midterm grades each trimester. Since this is the first year of
earning grade letters, so it is helpful to see the grade achievements half way through the
trimester. Students with a D or below will need to do extra credit and/or need extra help to
raise their grade; along with grades C and above have the responsibility to maintain their grades
throughout the remainder of the trimester.
Mail
When sending notes or money to school, please make sure that the money is in an
envelope with the following information on the front: Child’s full name, either our room #218 or
my name, and the contents of the envelope. This will ensure that your mail will always reach its
destination.
Birthdays
Students are no longer able to bring food items to share on their birthday. Due to this
rule, the students will have a birthday buddy assigned to them. The buddy will bring to school
something for their birthday friend, such as a note, card, picture, a pen, pencil; something
“made” from their heart that they know the Birthday friend will appreciate on their special day!
Behavior
There are set expectations for the students to follow in our classroom and throughout
the school. We have spent time going over these expectations and will continue to learn “life
lessons” throughout the year. I believe in positive reinforcement and taking responsibility for
themselves. I explain to the students that their “job” is to be a student and to learn. On
Monday, a student who completed their job may get picked to be the “Student of the Week”
and will get a choice of special chairs to use for the week and other special privileges. If a child
chooses to break any of the “code of conduct” rules, parents and principal will be contacted
immediately. Cooperative Learning
I wholeheartedly believe in cooperative learning in the classroom. I have placed my
students in mixed ability groups so that they may help each other during the learning process.
Research has shown that all students do better when they are allowed to discuss and defend
their ideas as they learn. Working in small groups also helps students learn valuable social skills
they will need throughout life. Parents are often concerned about grades in the cooperative
learning classroom. Don’t worry! All grades come from individual assignments and tests. No
student's grade will be raised or lowered based on the performance of others in the group.
Snacks & Water Bottles
I think it’s important for students to have a healthy snack at school. Since we have such an
early lunch, students will probably get hungry in the afternoon. Students may eat when they get
hungry. I do not have a “set” class time for this; it is whenever your child is hungry. However,
if I find that this privilege is being abused, other actions will be taken. Please only send enough
for one day, and don’t send snacks that need refrigeration. Please do not send in unhealthy
treats such as cake, chips, brownies, frosted cookies, or cupcakes. I also permit my students to
bring a water bottle to school to use during the day. Plain water is the only beverage permitted,
and the bottle must have a secure lid. Water bottles should be taken home regularly to be
cleaned. The following are examples of healthy snacks that we can enjoy while we continue to
work.
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apples
carrot sticks
peanuts
plain crackers
cheese crackers
small box of raisins
grapes
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pretzels
graham crackers
dried fruit
peanut butter crackers
protein or nutrition bar
peanut butter sandwich
Parent Volunteers
I love to have parent volunteers in the room! You can file papers, copy papers read with
students, help with math, or anything else that needs to be done. I can be a much more
effective teacher when I have volunteers to share the load. If you are interested in
volunteering, please send a note or email me. It would be great if you could come in regularly on
a certain day of the week or at a certain time. Doing so will help me plan activities that need a
helping hand! So if you would like to volunteer, please send a note with the best days and times
for you to work in our classroom. For example, you might tell me that you would like to work one
morning a week, and give me some possible days. A new guideline for classroom volunteers is
that they need to fill out a form and a background check will be conducted before they may
work in the schools. If you have not completed a form in the past, the office has them available
to fill out. Please go to the main office when you arrive to receive a photo ID to wear in the
building.
Delayed Start Procedures
The district has developed delayed start procedures in the event of an emergency that
prevents a school day from starting on time. An example might be a large snowfall overnight
which cannot be plowed in time for a normal start of school but does not require a full snow day.
Inclement weather, or other emergencies, will be communicated to district parents/guardians
via School Messenger, the District 95 and school websites, and reported to the Emergency
Closing Center which broadcasts the information to the following Chicago stations: WGN-AM
(720), WBBM-AM (780), CBS-TV, NBC-TV, WGN-TV, FOX-TV and CLTV cable. Families will only
receive notice if schools are closed, starting late or dismissing early. Keeping your contact
information up to date is essential for receiving automated emergency messages. On delayed
start schedule days, District buses will arrive at your student’s bus stop two hours later than
their regularly scheduled time. Students who walk or drive to school should not arrive before
10:15am; school will begin at 10:35am. Dismissal times will not change. Our food service
provider will continue to serve meals as usual.
Field Trips
Our field trips are tied to the curriculum as an extension of our learning. I will be sending home
communication on dates and necessary materials once places and dates are scheduled. All
parents are welcome to join us, but we will have limited space on the bus. The fourth grade will
also attend the Elgin Symphony in the spring.
Language Arts & Reading
Our Literacy Instruction is connected to the CCSS. Students will be engaged in regular
practice with complex texts and their academic language. Reading, writing, and speaking are
grounded in evidence from texts, both literary and informational text. Students will build
knowledge through content-rich nonfiction. We will use a reading workshop model such as:
• Read alouds
• Direct instruction mini-lessons
• Small group instruction
• Time for independent practice
• Writing about reading
• Conferring with the teacher
• Time for collaborative conversations
All of these skills and strategies will help when the students are assessed in the spring during
the PARCC testing along with the MAP testing. Students will be placed into small reading
groups and will have different center time that enriches our units of study.
Students are also required to read daily. Students will have a “Read for the Goal” packet
to keep track of their daily reading. Please make sure your child is reading a variety of genres.
They can read a picture book to a young sibling or have a family reading book to read together
along with a chapter book of their choosing. Reading at home reinforces the importance of
reading as well as reading for meaning. Their “Read for the Goal” will have all instructions along
with book suggestions. I will discuss this further at curriculum night.
Grammar, spelling, and writing are the focus for Language Arts. I will provide direct
instruction of word study as it is developmentally appropriate for students and in the context
of literacy instruction. Word Study is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing
words. I will be using the Words Their Way program this year. Students are responsible for
learning their weekly word list throughout the week.
The students will learn the different parts of speech along with learning how to write a good
paragraph and essays. The students will have opportunities for creative writing during our
literature centers. Write Source is the textbook series used to support the writing curriculum.
The writing curriculum will emphasize the three writing genres mentioned in the standards:
Informative/explanatory, Narrative, Opinion, As well as poetry and creative writing.
To support the CCSS in public speaking, the students will be required to give a short talk in
front of the class one day each month. Every month there will be a different topic so please
look for those papers to come home once a month. The students will also receive a rubric on how
they will be assessed and I will give them personal feedback on their presentation. My goal for
the students is to feel comfortable in speaking in front of their peers.
Everything we do revolves around reading and writing, so it is an integral part of the
curriculum.
Math
The Math instruction is connected to the CCSS, which has; Greater focus on fewer
topics, Coherence: Linking topics and thinking across grades, and Rigor: Pursue conceptual
understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application with equal intensity
Stepping Stones/Origo is an online teaching resource that was new to our district last year.
Students will have print journals, but there will not be a printed math textbook. Students will
use manipulatives, visual representations, traditional computation, and number sense and fact
fluency
With our series, I will be supplementing other Common Core activities in order to help
students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency of skills.
Students will be introduced to contextual situation to provide meaning to new concepts, and
then skills will be reinforced with pictorial models. The students will have a chance to orally or
written practice the new skill. Students will also have a chance to extend their understanding of
the concepts and skills. The Common Core units will be presented through the year for deeper
understanding. Students should also continue to practice their math facts which will help when
they need to apply them to our new concepts
Science & Social Studies
Our Social Studies textbook series is by Scott Foresman. Along with the textbook, we
will be reading non-fiction stories that supplement our learned topics. They will focus on
reading skills that we will be using along with incorporating & extending our unit of study. We
will be learning about the U.S regions while incorporating the social studies strands of history,
economics, science/technology, geography, culture, citizenship, government, & natural symbols
within each U.S. region. The regions are; Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, & the
West. The students will also be tested on the states and capitals for each region.
In science, we will be using the National Geographic school publishing company to learn
about the different units of study. By using these new materials, it should help target the “big
ideas” in depth. Physical Science; we study magnets, electricity, matter, and light. Earth
Science; we study the earth, rocks and minerals. Life Science; we study ecosystems and food
chain cycles & human body. Students enjoy the hands on experiments along with the non-fiction
reading that is necessary.
Computers
Fourth graders will be receiving formalized instruction on computers in the Learning
Media Center. In addition, the children will have many opportunities to use the laptop
computers in the classroom. We will have 3 classroom tablets in the classroom along with the
ability to use a class set of laptops. We have a wonderful selection of software and applications
that are appropriately challenging to the students. Use of the Internet by way of Internet
Explorer is available to students on the classroom computers and laptops. Explorer will allow
students to gather a much wider range of information on curriculum areas of study. Careful
screening and bookmarking will be done by the classroom teacher prior to student use of the
Internet information. We also have a class Ipad to use different “apps” to enrich our daily
skills. Students will be receiving their “passwords” for all district programs. “Myon” reading
program will be offered again this year. Students are able to choose a variety of books at their
level and by interest. This resource is available on the internet, so students are encourage to
use their account at home as part of their independent reading.
Testing
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) will take the place at the beginning and at the end
of each school year. This assessment is unique in that it adapts to the student’s ability,
accurately measuring what a child knows, and what the student needs to learn. In addition, MAP
tests measure academic growth over time and results are quickly received and will have
practical application to teaching and learning. We will be taking these tests using the laptops
and computers in the LMC. They will be tested in Reading and in Math.
The students will also be tested in Reading and Math using the PARCC test; The Partnership
for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career which is aligned directly to the CCSS.
Please visit http://www.parcconline.org/ for more information regarding this assessment. The
dates for this testing are in the spring.
Open Door
I have an open door policy. That is, at any time you would like to come in and discuss
anything with me, please set up a scheduled time before or after school hours. The students
are my main focus when school is in session. We are in this educational experience together and
I believe if we work together, your child will greatly benefit.