WELCOME TO 4TH GRADE
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to 4th grade! I am Mrs. Marino, your child’s new teacher. I am looking forward to building
a collaborative relationship with you in order to have an exciting and productive year. Please read this packet
with each other and sign the acknowledgement and return only the signature page to school by Friday,
keeping the packet for reference. The rest of this letter is divided into general categories that will summarize
some of the major areas of interest in my fourth grade classroom. As you read it, jot down any questions you
might have on the signature page.
Home/School Communication:
Good communication between the home and school is vital to promote a healthy relationship between
all of us. Please feel free to contact me any time with questions, comments, concerns, or information about
your child. There are several options for communication between us:
Email: maureen_marino@etiwanda.k12.ca.us I check my email in the morning and before I turn the
computer off as I leave the classroom in the afternoon. I will return emails as soon as possible and am very
timely with this type of communication. Traditionally, this has been my quickest form of communication.
Notes: I check the Binder Reminder (homework notebook) for notes each morning. I will write a reply in the
Binder Reminder when I have read the note. Notes that contain private or more confidential information
should be written separately and will also be addressed daily.
Telephone Calls: The school telephone number is (909)463-9105. When you call the school, the secretaries
and clerks will take a message and place it in my message pocket. I will check for messages when I am able
to go to the teachers’ workroom. If I have duty or obligations that prevent me from going to the workroom, I
may not receive the message immediately after your telephone call. In addition, I will return the call after my
class has been dismissed and/or other school duties are completed.
Homework:
The fourth grade teachers feel that homework is an integral part of the school curriculum. It serves as
an important link between school and home to keep the families informed about the student’s learning, as
well as reinforcing and extending what has been taught in the classroom. Assignments are never sent home
without an explanation having been given in class. Your child will have homework every night, Monday
through Thursday, which will include reading for 20 minutes. Students are required to take notes on the
pages they have read, and turn them in each Friday. (Note taking squares will begin in September.) Every
fourth grader has received a Binder Reminder. This is a great organizational tool that we use to record the
homework assignments each day. The students will write down the homework each day in the Binder
Reminder. In addition, the homework will remain posted on the board and on my TeacherWeb account. (I
will make every effort to post daily homework by 3:30 p.m. each day.)
There are three types of assignments in the fourth grade:
 Daily Assignments: These are given on one day and due the next morning.
 Weekly Assignments: These are given and are due one week later.
 Long Term Assignments/Projects: These are sent home with explicit instructions (which include
a due date and progress check dates) and are completed over the course of a few weeks.
Homework is due first thing in the morning. Students will not be allowed to call home for homework.
Students, who do not have their homework, will pull a homework ticket and be required to make up the
missed assignments at recess and/or lunch recess. (They will be allowed to use the restroom and get a drink
of water.) Effort counts! (Parents, please review and initial the Binder Reminder each night.)
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Classroom and School Rules:
My classroom discipline system utilizes tickets as reminders to follow the school’s rules. This system
focuses on encouraging responsibility and positive behaviors. Prior to any child pulling a ticket, I give verbal
reminders/warnings to refocus and attend to the immediate task. I also verbally praise students, use thumbsup signals, and other forms of non-verbal acknowledgement for on-task behaviors throughout each school
day. However, inappropriate actions will result in consequences that deter them (inappropriate actions) in the
future and remind the student the importance of staying on track in our school community. The ticket chart is
posted under the front white board. Tickets are divided into two categories: homework and behavior. When a
student pulls a ticket, the ticket will be sent home in the Binder Reminder. I ask that the parent signs the
paper and the child returns it to school the next day. It is my intention that the parent and child will discuss
the choice that the student made that resulted in pulling a ticket. A list of rules is posted on the west wall at
all times and we discuss appropriate behavior throughout the day.
Attendance and Tardies:
When your child is absent, I record the missed work on a form and attach it to the work that has been
completed throughout the day. Please call the school office (909-463-9105) and request I send this work up
to the office. I ask that you call early in the day and I will send it up before school is dismissed. Work
missed, due to an absence, is allotted one day for completion. Your child should return the work, with my
absent form attached to the front, to the homework basket.
Students, who are tardy, do not start the day out on in a positive manner. A child rushing into the
classroom, where the routine is already in progress, must quickly collect their thoughts and catch up. I
observe students in this situation taking quite a lot of time to get into the “school mode.” In addition, the
entire class is disrupted when someone rushes in during a lesson or when the routine has begun. If a student
is late, due to an appointment, the school office would appreciate a note from the provider to clear the
absence. All work will be made up upon the student’s return to class.
The instructional time is very valuable and our day begins promptly at the 8:15 a.m. bell. Please help
your child develop a routine at home that will ensure he/she arrives at school prior to the start time, thus
beginning on a positive note. Thank you!
Weekly Newsletter and Work Folder:
Each Monday, your child will bring home a folder containing their work from the previous week and
papers with information for you from the school. Please review this work with your child, sign the folder as
confirmation that you have done this, and give it to your child to bring back on Tuesday morning. (This will
be counted as a piece of Monday night’s homework.) Checking your child’s homework nightly and papers
that are returned weekly will keep you current on his/her academic needs and eliminate any surprises at
grade time.
My newsletters will also be sent home in the Monday folder. I will post them on the TeacherWeb
account whenever possible, too. They are an additional form of communication between you and me that
focus on happenings in the classroom.
ESPRI:
If you do not have an ESPRI account, please check with Mrs. Jordan, in the front office. This district
account allows you 24 hour access to many aspects of your child’s school life, including monitoring grades!
Birthdays:
John L. Golden Elementary staff has adopted a new birthday policy beginning this year. Each teacher
will recognize student birthdays in their own way (ie. song, certificate, or pencil) but treats from home will
no longer be passed out at school. Mrs. Carmean sent a letter, explaining the new policy, home in the report
card envelope and new students receive them in their welcome packet.
Please sign the attached sheet and add any questions on the lines. Return this by Friday.
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Welcome Letter Signature Page
We have read and discussed with our child the policies regarding home/school
communication, homework, classroom and school rules, the weekly newsletters and folder,
attendance, missed work, the E.S.P.R.I. account, and birthdays.
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Print Parent Name
Print Student Name
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Parent Signature
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Student Signature
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Date
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Parent email (Print please)
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Questions (optional)
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