4K
Welcome to
Cherry Hill’s
Back To School Night!
Mrs. Karam
Room 107
My Life
Communication
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Email: Karamk@riveredgeschools.org
Website: Karamk.weebly.com
(or through River Edge homepage)
(Lots of information here – use Blog)
• Call the office (201) 261-3405
• Send a note
Teamwork
Our goal in fourth grade is
to give the students:
1. More responsibility
2. Establish organizational
skills
3. Work well independently
and cooperatively when in
groups
Class Parents
• Sherry Duerr - Captain
• Jane DiMasso
• Jackie Molina
Workshop Routine
Mini-Lesson: (10-15 minutes)
The students sit on the carpet for a short lesson while the
teacher models or demonstrates a strategy or skill to help
everyone become a better writer or reader.
Independent Practice: (30-40 minutes)
Reading = Children are reading their self-selected books at
their independent reading level to help practice what they
learned in the mini-lesson.
Writing = Children will write entries and generate ideas in
their writer’s notebooks and after a few weeks they will
choose an entry from their collection to turn into a published
piece.
Closing/Share Time: (5-10 minutes)
The children meet back at the rug to review the mini-lesson
and talk about their reading and writing.
Mondo Reading Program
The Mondo reading program is comprehensive instruction that
addresses oral language development, alphabetic knowledge, and
strategic comprehension.
Oral Language – Mondo provides materials for oral language
instruction for all students, with emphasis on language-deficient
native English speakers and English language learners.
Phonological Awareness – Mondo provides materials for explicit
differentiated instruction that targets the needs of all
students. It offers skills application with targeted word lists
and carefully crafted decodable texts.
Mondo Reading Program
Sequentially Leveled Texts – Mondo’s library provide fiction and
nonfiction books for sequenced and targeted instruction at each
student’s precise instructional reading level. The libraries include a
range of text types, such as fantasy, historical fiction, folktales,
procedural, persuasive, explanations, as well as science and social
studies themes and more.
Shared Reading and Read Aloud - Mondo’s “shared reading”
provides a range of materials for modeling, explicit teaching, and
teacher-supported practice of critical early literacy skills,
comprehension strategies, vocabulary and fluency. Mondo “read
aloud” provides a collection of 20 short (3 page) highinterest stories and articles supported by a one-session focused
lesson plan. The selections represent a cross-section of genres and
text types.
Mondo Reading Program
Through read alouds and explicit
teaching, students become more
effective critical listeners, build
vocabularies, and learn to apply
strategic comprehension skills.
Writer’s Workshop
• Writing is taught as process: Generating notebook
entries, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
• Students will be given the opportunity to peer
revise/edit, as well as conference with me about their
writing.
• Through Writers’ Workshop I will be conducting mini
lessons on individual skills one at a time.
• You may see errors in your child’s writing and that is
to be expected with our workshop format!
• Some lessons I will focus on during writing time
include: grammar rules, paragraph structure, dialogue,
leads, voice, endings, word choice, sentence structure,
and character development.
Spelling/Word
Study/Grammar/Health
• Wordly Wise,
dictation tests,
spelling list words,
word study, and
grammar review
sheets
• Spelling City, WW
sites
• Type or write
homework - heading
• Health discussions in
class
• Newsletters each
month-must be
retuned to school at
end of month
Science
• Discovery Lab and/or lesson with Mrs. Crawford or
Mr. Corcoran will be taught every other week. the
topics will be supported with lessons in class.
• Topics discussed in Science are challenging...Students
will be taking notes and conducting many labs in school,
and reading independently at home.
• There will be quizzes or tests at the end of each topic
to assess your child's understanding of the material.
Topics to be covered
• Water cycle/weather
• Energy
• Forces of Motion
• Human Body
Social Studies
• Students will be taking notes and doing research.
• There will be quizzes and/or projects at the end
of each topic to assess your child's understanding
of the material.
Topics to be covered
• Map Skills
• Native Americans
• Explorers
• New Jersey
• Current Events
Everyday Math
• At beginning of each unit, look for the letter home with answers
and helpful strategies (online- parent links)
• Spiral approach
• Students are engaged with games and activities
• Uses real-life applications
• Work with hands-on problems and materials to construct
learning
• Learning multiplication/division facts is stressed: Quizzes
throughout the year to reinforce basic facts.
• Optional extra math exemplars
• There will be 2 or 3 creative math extension projects
4K Homework
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Website – Please check, I always post.
Planner – parents sign
Mon.–Thurs. (occasional Fridays/no holidays)
Keep work neat, clean, and organized
Book talk, math projects, & Internet
Read at least 20 – 30 minutes a night (parents can read)
Writer’s & Reader’s notebooks that go home must come back
Binders home and school everyday
Math 3-4 times/week
Social Studies, Science, Spelling 2-3/week
Health and Grammar occasionally
Homework Continued…
• The students from time to time might need a
little help with HW, but on average, they should
not need your help as much as the year
progresses. Please help them, but don’t do it for
them. 
• *See attached homework note
• Consequences: May have to do assignments over,
complete homework at recess, (if it becomes a
regular occurrence) and/or parent conference
• Rewards: Free homework pass for entire night
after 20 checks
Folders
• Yellow Folders – Office Notices (Also check
CHS’s website – going green)
• Manila Folders –All graded papers must be signed
& returned. This folder will also contain notices
from Mrs. Karam.
• Homework Folder – Left at home & Right back.
Please empty.
Instruments/Create
• Many students will be taking advantage of the school’s
instrument program.
• Students will have lessons every week
• Students are responsible for any work that they miss while
they are at a lesson.
• They should ask a "buddy" to keep track of all the work
they miss and turn it in the following day.
• They may also make it up during free time on that particular
day or for homework.
• Students that are out for Create are expected to make up
the missed work
Grading
• All tests, quizzes, and projects will be sent home
with a number percentage (100%, 95%, etc.)
• Report card grades are based on averages from
homework, projects, quizzes, test grades, class
participation and student effort.
• Missed assignments notice-50% when made up
• Students are also assessed through one-on-one
conferences, group work, class discussions,
observation, and completion of class projects.
Therefore, grades are not based on an average
alone! 
Additional Notes
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Birthdays: Grades K-3 ONLY – no treats
Marble Jar: Students have the opportunity to fill the marble jar
for good behavior and we will celebrate with a marble party (free
time, movie, etc.)
Poor student behavior: Breaking classroom rules, not acting 4th
grade appropriate, not being safe, being disrespectful to
classmates or teacher and/or frequent missed homework may
result in the following:
Consequences: Explanation note home from the student, loss of
special privileges at school, no recess, principals office, and/or
parent conference.
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DON’T FORGET!
• Aide – Tara Deckler
• Guess Who?
• Conference sign-ups
Look around our room and visit specials‘ classrooms
• Parent Questionnaire and letter to child
• Check online notices – going green
• Picture Day – Oct. 18th