Mrs. Gehman’s
Everything
Handbook
For Parents
4TH Grade
Mrs. Gehman’s Everything Handbook
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Welcome to fourth grade! The purpose of this handbook is to answer
frequently asked questions and to familiarize you with school and classroom
procedures. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Communication
Communication is very important to your child’s success this year. I will
do my best to keep the lines of communication open by:
 Sending home a weekly e-newsletter indicating what is going on in our
classroom and letting you know of any upcoming events.
 Sending emails, skill slips attached to quizzes/tests, notes and/or
making calls to your home to keep you informed of your child’s
performance in class.
Please feel free to contact me should you ever have any concerns or
questions. The best way to contact me is by sending an e-mail to my school
e-mail address. I check this several times during the school day and at
home in the evening. For emergency concerns after school hours that
cannot wait until the next school day, please feel free to contact me at home
with my cell phone.
Contact Information:
School – (717) 531-2277 ext. 5050
Updated Cell Number – (717) 489-2002 (For after school concerns
needing immediate attention. Please call before 7:00 p.m. if possible)
Texting is fine too.
agehman@hershey.k12.pa.us
Absences
 When your child is absent, it is helpful if someone can pick up any
schoolwork so he/she doesn’t fall behind. I will have a “buddy” for
each student who can take work home for your child. This buddy
can be a sibling, a neighbor, or a friend.
 Expected Absences – If you know that your child will be absent for
several days, and you would like the work he/she will miss, please
give me as much notice as possible. I cannot guarantee to
have a homework packet together the same day a request is made.
Mrs. Gehman’s Everything Handbook
Medical or other Appointments
 Please send a note on the day your child is to be excused for an
appointment. On the note the office needs:
o Student’s full name
o Room 50
o Mrs. Gehman
o Date and time of dismissal
 When you arrive to pick up your child, you must sign out your
child in the office before he/she can be dismissed. Please wait
for your child at the office.
Transportation Changes
 The office must have any changes for bus or walker requests in
writing 1 hour prior to dismissal time, so prior to 2:30 p.m.
Parents must meet their child at the office lobby. Students are
released ONLY from the Intermediate Office.
Lunch/Recess/Special
Lunch and recess times are as follows:
Lunch 12:10 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Recess – 12:40 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Our Special subject schedule is as follows. Be sure your child is
wearing appropriate clothing and shoes on physical education days.
DAY
DAY
DAY
DAY
DAY
DAY
1
2
3
4
5
6
–
–
–
–
–
–
Library
Gym
Computer
Art
Gym
Music
SPECIAL
10:18 a.m. – 10:58 a.m.
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Mrs. Gehman’s Everything Handbook
Book Orders
Book orders will be sent home monthly. This is an optional activity.
Please do not feel obligated to make a purchase. If you do choose to
purchase items, please observe the following guidelines. You have two
options – online ordering or paper orders through the classroom.
Online orders:
For each online order that occurs in our class, we receive a free book!
1. Please go to: www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
2. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?"
section. Register for your own user name and password.
3. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code: GTJXM This
unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.
4. Select the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -many more than in our monthly flyers.
5. Send your order to me online by the due date and your child's books will
be delivered directly to my classroom.
Paper orders:
1. Be sure to write your child’s name on the order form.
2. Pay by check or money order made payable to the book
order company. NO CASH, PLEASE!
3. Return your order by the due date in your child’s assignment book.
Birthday Celebrations
At school celebrations - If you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday at
school, you may choose from the following options based on the school
board policy. I am certainly open to other ideas as well. 
1. Bring in a non-food treat for the class such as pencils, erasers,
stickers, pens, etc.
2. You may choose to donate a book to our classroom in your
child’s honor. Your child’s name and date will be placed inside
the book using a special sticker.
Outside of our classroom celebrations: If you are planning a birthday party
for your child outside of school, please mail the invitations unless all of
the boys and girls in our class are invited. This helps to reduce hurt
feelings.
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Mrs. Gehman’s Everything Handbook
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Homework
Homework is a very important part of the learning process. It
helps to reinforce and give extra practice for what we are
learning in school. A homework policy to be signed by both
student and parent/guardian is sent home during the first week
of school. Please note a 1 or 2 on the homework depending on the
amount of assistance your child needed on the homework. A 2 means
they were greatly assisted to complete the assignment. If they did not
need any assistance you do not need to write anything.
 All assignments will be clearly written in an “Assignment Book”

each day. I ask that the book be signed every evening after you
have seen that all assignments have been completed. If a
homework assignment has not been completed, there should be
NO signature in the book. This request is just for the first TWO
weeks of school. After that there is not a need to sign the book.
I will only require this if your child has a difficult time completing
assignments.
If a homework assignment is not completed, two things will
happen. First, the assignment will need to be completed at home that
evening. Secondly, there will be a note sent home that must be signed
by the student and parent. If the student consistently has a hard time
completing homework at home, they may need to stay in at recess
for a maximum of 10 minutes to complete the work with teacher
assistance.
 If a student misses 6 or more assignments during a trimester,
they may be asked to sit out of whole class rewards.
Monday Folders
 Each Monday a folder with student work and important school papers
will be coming home labeled, “Monday Folder.” Please
remove and keep those papers on the “Keep at Home” side. Send the
folder back to school with your child each Tuesday with anything
from the “Bring Back” side. I am trying something new this year to
reduce the papers going home and coming back to school. This is a
website/App called Box. This will allow you to have a digital file of all
quizzes and tests in addition to the paper sent home. If you have not
yet set up an account, please do so as soon as possible. www.box.com.
Each time an item is put into your child’s private Box Folder, you will
receive an email. I will be uploading our weekly newsletters this way.
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Classroom Discipline
Our school and classroom values are centered on the C.O.C.O.A.
principles. Weekly behavior reports will be emailed home using a
computer program called, “Class Dojo.”
 C = Community:
It looks like greeting others with a hello and smile,
respecting differences, encouraging others in words and actions.
 O = Opportunity:
It looks like inviting and welcoming others,
participating in school, clubs, organizations, etc.
 C = Citizenship:
It looks like doing what is right…even when no one is
looking, treating others the way you want to be treated, volunteering
to help others.
 O = Ownership:
It looks like keep our school, classroom, desk areas,
and community clean, taking responsibility for your actions, seeking
help when needed.
 A = Academics:
It looks like striving to be the best you can be, taking
pride in your work, staying engaged and committed to learning, being
on time, being prepared, and learning from each other.
Consequences:
1st time: Name is recorded in Conduct Book and on Class Dojo behavior
report; THIS IS SIMPLY A WARNING.  It is nothing to be alarmed about.
2nd time: Name is recorded in Conduct Book and on Class Dojo behavior
report. The student and I will find time to talk about the day and what
better choices could be made.
3rd time: Name is recorded in Conduct Book and on Class Dojo behavior
report; The child will write a letter of explanation to parent/guardian
explaining behavior which the parent must sign and return or the teacher
and student call home to discuss matter with parents.
Severe Behavior: Student will be sent directly to the principal.
Class Dojo is an online behavior tracker that parents can access anytime to
see how well your child is behaving. I use class Dojo for both positive and
negative behaviors. However, it is mostly positive behaviors.  If students
have 80% or better at the end of the day, they receive a ticket. When
students have 15 or more tickets, they can turn them in to pick a surprise
QR reward.
Other Classroom Rewards
 Verbal and Nonverbal Praise
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 Notes/Phone calls to parents
 Classroom “Chances”
 The class as a whole will be working on a BINGO game for
class rewards.
 C.O.C.O.A. Club rewards
 Class Dojo Positive Points
 Please understand that I am extra stern on these rules throughout the
first months of school so that we can establish expectations and
classroom routines. I have high expectations. 
BYOD Classroom Information
In an effort to move towards a 21st century classroom, our goal this
year is to incorporate the use of technology into our daily
classroom/homework routines. Students will be exposed to a variety of
educational, web-based applications in order to achieve this goal. Below is
information regarding the various internet based sites students will have
access to on a daily basis. These are the main sites to assist from home,
but I will be using more during our day. Please keep this information in a
safe place so that you can assist your child in accessing these sites from
home. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns! I will
be sending home a BYOD technology permission slip mid September. Apple
devices are preferred. Attached to the permission will be usernames and
passwords for your student’s accounts.
Netiquette and Guidelines for Using Online Tools





Ask a parent’s/guardian’s permission to go online when you are at home.
All rules that apply in school apply while using resources outside of
school.
Use devices at appropriate times for appropriate reasons
Behave in a respectful manner.
Never share usernames and passwords
Students who struggle to follow our classroom rules may have device
privileges revoke for a day, a week, a month, or longer.
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Spelling City is a website that helps students to practice their weekly spelling
words while having fun at the same time. Using Spelling City, students will
be able to review, play spelling games, and take a practice test.
Here’s how to access our 4th grade Spelling City site:
1. Go to http://www.spellingcity.com/hersheyfourth/
2. Select the appropriate story for the unit and week from the list of
available word lists
3. Select an activity: “practice me,” “play me,” or “test me”
Many students enjoy using Spelling City to effectively practice their spelling
words. Please check it out!
www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
Reading Street is the program that we will utilize in reading this
year. Students can access the text and practice activities to review skills
learned in reading.
www.everydaymathonline.com
Students have access to an interactive, online student reference book, as
well as study links and activities to practice the skills they are learning in
math. There is also an EverydayMathematics journal app that is free with
your login.
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www.classdojo.com
We will be using class dojo as our behavior management system. Students
and parents can create a login to monitoring their behaviors, both positive
and negative. Weekly reports can be emailed to parents at the end of each
week. There is also a ClassDojo app that can be used to monitor behavior.
www.brainpop.com
Students can use the school login to access activities, videos, quizzes, and
more pertaining to the 4th grade curriculum. Check it out! Also use the
app. Username: derry Password: brainpop
https://drive.google.com/a/hershey.k12.pa.us
Students access projects and assignments they are working on in school
through this platform. Teachers and students can collaborate and share
resources.
Box
www.box.com
Box is a tool that allows student work to be easily shared among
parent/guardian and teacher. It is a private folder that I will invite you to
join via an email. Each time your child or I add something to the folder, you
will be notified via email. Weekly newsletters will be posted there as well.