WELCOME
TO
ROOM 107
Ms. Bresch
2013-2014
Grade 4
INFORMATION ABOUT ROOM 107
CLASS RULES
I strongly feel that everyone should have some “ownership” of the classroom, so as a class,
we have spent time developing our classroom rules. My goal for the year is to help foster a
sense of responsibility in your child for his or her own behavior and learning, so each child
signed the rule list as a “contract” for the year. I will do my best to enforce the rules
consistently and fairly. If a child is having difficulty following one or more of the rules, we
will work together to plan a solution to improve. If this is not successful, I may call on you
to assist. I hope I never have to do this, but you are truly the most important people in your
child’s world and consistency between home and school makes a huge difference in
correcting a problem behavior. Please take the time every so often to discuss with your
child whether he/she feels that the rules are being followed. Thanks!
AS INDIVIDUALS: If rules are not followed, the following steps will be taken:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Warning and move clip
Private talk with teacher about behavior improvement and move clip
Parent phone call and move clip- lose recess
Office referral
AS A CLASS: Room 107 will also have a positive classroom behavior system in which the
class can earn privileges through respectful behavior. (POPCORN JAR)
ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAM:
Seneca Valley will continue its use of the Olweus program this year. We work very hard to
teach our children:
a) What bullying is
b) How and when to intervene when they see bullying happen
c) The four bullying rules
We have a system in place to stop bullying and to track how often children are involved in
it so we can educate all students not to be bullies.
ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL
If you would like your child’s work to be sent home when he/she is absent from school,
please have a friend or sibling tell us first thing in the morning or email one of us by
10:30am. I will have the assignments ready for pick-up by 3:00. They can either be picked
up in the office or the designated messenger can come to our room at the end of the day. I
will rarely send homework that is a newly taught skill, but would rather review that with
your child the next morning to ensure understanding. After that, I will determine a due
date for the assignment together. If your child is seriously ill and will be out for an
extended period of time, please let me know. DO NOT worry about the missed work in this
case- I will work with your child individually to catch him/her up! The most important thing
is to get healthy! ***Make sure you send a note to school the day of your child’s return
explaining his/her absence (SVSD policy).
If you are taking an educational trip, the appropriate form (found in the office) needs to
be filled out 2 weeks prior to your departure. Once I receive approval for the trip, I will
supply as much missed work as possible.
ASSIGNMENTS
I expect the class to work hard each day in school. There will be 20 minutes of reading
each night (100 minutes/week) and something small each day to complete, along with
weekly and/or monthly assignments. This work will be approximately 40 minutes a night
(TOTAL) (per district guidelines). Each day, assignments will be written on the board and
the class will be given time to copy them into their planners. The homework is also on
http://new.schoolnotes.com/breschaa each night in case your child had to leave early or
missed planner time for another reason. I almost always review homework in class, so
homework will not be graded based on every question. If an assignment is late (not turned
in by 8:50), 1 point will be deducted. Any assignment that is not turned in within 2 days of
the due date will result in a zero, regardless of the point value of the assignment. If your
child is having trouble with an assignment or a due date, please remind him/her to come
talk with me BEFORE the assignment is due so we can figure out a plan together. The
students need to be responsible and come to me as soon as they think there could be a
problem.
PLANNERS
For the first semester of school, you will sign your child’s planner each night. After the 2nd
report card, I will continue to have “planner time” each afternoon, but as long as
homework is being completed and returned to school, the planner will become an
individual responsibility. If you would like to continue to sign after this time, (if homework
or organization has been a problem in past years), please let me know.
GRADES
Fourth grade is a THINKING grade, so you may notice some differences in assessments this
year. Sometimes your child will be given tests, but these probably will not have many
“remember the facts” information. Instead, the questions will be a little more in-depth.
The students will also be graded on homework, projects, group work, writing papers,
notebooks, and participation. If you ever have questions about a grade, please talk with
me about it! I truly believe that, in the end, the most important thing is to understand the
material. I don’t expect the kids to be perfect: I only expect that they do their best each
day.
GRADING SCALE
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
0-59 = F
OTHER ASSESSMENTS
The students will continue to use the Compass Learning system in the classroom this year.
The goal is for every student to work for 40 minutes per week with the program. This will
take place both in the computer lab and in the classroom. The students will work on
teacher-generated assignments that directly relate to reading, language arts, and math.
The Seneca Valley School District is using the NWEA system of assessment. The kids will
test their reading and math skills three times during the year.
As in years past, the students in fourth grade will take the PSSA tests in March this year.
This is a statewide assessment tool and we will prepare throughout the year for these tests.
SCHEDULES/ROUTINES/LEAVING THE ROOM
Many of your children will leave the room at some point for Purpose, Band, Speech,
Guidance, or other reasons. If students are out of the room, it is THEIR responsibility to
find out what work and/or assignments they have missed. Students will need to come to
me at the beginning of the day, end of the day, or during recess (if I am not on duty) to go
over the work. Of course, I will help with this at the beginning of the year by giving friendly
reminders!! I find that sticking to a schedule each day helps to keep everyone organized,
so each morning I will review what I am doing during the day in each subject. Please
review the attached schedule when scheduling any appointments for your child.
Please note that the arrival time for elementary students is 8:40 am, and dismissal will
begin at 3:10 pm. If you would like to pick your child up early, please send a note to school
that morning with detailed information. Also, please keep in mind the district bus policy. If
you have any questions, concerns, or a unique situation, please let me know so I can put
you into contact with the appropriate individuals. If your child is a walker, please send a
written note to school with this information.
LUNCHES
Students will always have 5 choices for lunch each day. This is counted and turned in, so
please make sure to discuss lunch with your child before school each day. Money for
lunches will be turned in to the teacher and sent to the cafeteria each day in a special
envelope (by 9am).
BIRTHDAYS- Non-Edible Treats Only
Birthday (or any other occasion) treats are welcome in Room 107! At this time, we have 24
students. I have included a list of “Non-Edible” birthday treats on the class website so that
you can refer to if you are looking for a creative way to celebrate your child’s birthday.
BAM! (Book a Month)
Reading is an important part of life, so each month your child will have an assigned genre
from which to select a novel of interest. When the book is chosen, your child will be given
a calendar to complete so that he/she may pace his/her reading. I have found this really
helps improve time management skills! After your child has finalized a reading schedule,
you will be asked to sign the calendar, and throughout the reading, you will be asked to
initial to ensure that the book is being read. You are encouraged to read along with your
child and discuss thoughts and feelings about the selection. At the end of the month, the
students will each complete an in-class project related to the book.
BOOK CLUB ORDERS
Some months, I will send home Scholastic Book Orders. This is a wonderful and
inexpensive way to promote reading and self-selection of materials of interest. If you
choose to order books, please pay with a check made payable to Scholastic Book Club. The
students usually have about 4-7 days to return the form, and the orders generally arrive a
week or two from that date. You may also place your order online. There is a Scholastic
Book Club link on my website.
WATER BOTTLE
During the warm fall & spring months especially, I would love for your child to bring a
water bottle so we can avoid constant trips to the fountain. The bottles must have a lid that
closes and can only contain water!
BEE OF THE WEEK:
Your child will be notified the Friday before the week that she or he is to be our “Bee of
the Week.” Please assist her/him with completing the checklist of activities for the
following week. Thanks!
CLASSROOM DONATIONS
Thank you so much to those of you who have already donated classroom materials! You
have no idea how important these are to the class and I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Throughout the year, if you could continue to periodically send these items (hand
sanitizer, tissues, antibacterial wipes, paper towels), it would help tremendously! Thank
you!
TAKE HOME FOLDERS/GENERAL INFORMATION
Each child at Haine Elementary was given a blue, “Take Home” folder. There are two sides
to this- “Take Home” and “Return to School.” Please review these each evening, as any
important communication from school should end up in this folder. In the past, I have
noticed that sometimes papers tend to gather in these folders. This presents difficulty
because, with too many papers, important things may be overlooked. Thank you in
advance for your help in keeping organized this year!
FIELD TRIPS
The fourth grade generally takes two or three field trips during the year. Each child
receives a $15 “stipend” from our generous PTO, but there may be additional costs for fees
and transportation. If you are having trouble with the amount, please let Rozann Lamberto
(Student Assistance) know and we will accommodate you. The tentative field trips for this
year are as follows:
September - Moraine State Park
April - Sen. John Heinz History Museum
May – Harmony Museum
CONTACTING ME
Communication between parents and teachers is essential for educational success. Let’s
keep the lines open this year! Because of our busy schedule and Haine’s large staff, phone
calls are not always the most efficient way to contact me. If you do leave a phone message
in the office, I will return your call within 24 hours. The easiest way to reach me is through
email, which I usually check a couple of times a day. If you send an email and don’t get a
reply, please give me a call or send a note with your child. Our email system isn’t without
flaws, and I would hate to miss any communication with you! I am also available for
conferences before or after school most days, so if talking in person is best for you, please
get in touch with me and we will schedule a time.
THANK YOU!
The school year gets busy, so I don’t have as much time as I would like to appreciate our
parents. However, please know in advance just how important I think you are. I realize that
I could not be as successful without each and every one of you and I thank you in advance
for your help and support this year. I know we are going to have a wonderful year
together!
Ms. Bresch
breschaa@svsd.net
724-776-1581