Abney Elementary has defined our school rules in the Student
Handbook in the front of your child’s agenda. Please read and discuss these
school rules with your child. Not only will our class follow these school
rules, but we will also be proactive and learn the skills of peacemaking.
These skills will come to life for the students using role-playing, creative
writing, children’s literature, music, art, and class discussion. We will
focus on concepts such as: accepting self and others, communicating
effectively, resolving conflicts, and understanding differences. We will
begin working on these skills during our daily Class Meetings. The students
will learn how to use these peacemaking skills in the classroom, on the
playground, and at home. Hopefully, the peacemaking skills will become a
part of their everyday lives. In our class I hope to provide a positive
atmosphere for the class in order for learning to occur. Your child will be
responsible to obey our classroom guidelines and obey school policies. If
they are broken, your child will be responsible for consequences and like
wise, if you child has an awesome day they will receive rewards and praise
from the teacher and their classmates.I will not hesitate to write you a
note, call you, or have your child call if he or she is having a
particularly difficult day. Likewise, please do not hesitate to inform me
of any concerns that you may have. By working together, we can assure that
your child will grow in an atmosphere of acceptance and peace.
There are MANY different things that will be happening
school-wide and within my classroom this
year! I am very excited about all of them, and I think
the students will be, as well. Here they are:
1. PBS = Positive Behavior Support: This is promoting
positive behavior throughout the entire
school. All teachers have been trained in
procedures that EVERYONE, Pre-K through
5th grade,
will adhere to. This is to keep uniformity and
especially safety throughout the entire school.
There are procedures for the hallway, bathrooms,
cafeteria, bus, and playground. All of these will be taught to the students
and rehearsed many, many times with the students. This is the 2nd year
implementing PBS, so these 4th graders should
have a pretty well grasp on what is expected.
2. CHAMPs: This is a wonderful behavior management tool that I will be using
throughout the
school year. Students will be aware of what the behavioral expectations will
be for everything
going on in the classroom. There will be a CHAMPs board with icons showing
the students what
will be expected of them at any given time. We will also have CHAMPO
TIME...This is when the
ENTIRE class is on track and behaving awesome, I will announce..."It's CHAMPO
TIME"...I have a
CHAMPO board with a 100's chart on it. I will pick a student to pull a
number. That number
will be covered up. When we get a "bingo", we will have a class TREAT!!! I
really think the
kids are going to love this and really work hard for the CHAMPO TIME!!!
C- Conversation (This is the type of conversation the child should be having.)
H- Help (If a child needs help, this expectation shows how to ask for help.)
A- Activity (This is the type of activity that should be going on.)
M- Movement (This is the type of movement that should be going on.)
P- Participation (This is who/what type of participation should be going on.)
S- Success (If all children follow these expectations, then we will have
SUCCESS!)
While each 4th grade teachers classroom rules may differ slightly, the
consequences are
consistent. Each teacher will keep a private running record of all
undesirable behavior for
documentation.
First, students will be given a warning and asked to correct the behavior.
(Try it again)
If the first step is not acceptable the student will be given examples or
choices of how
to fix the undesirable behavior.
If the behavior continues and/or escalates the students will complete a
reflection
documenting the behavior and changes that can be made. Depending on the
circumstances, the
reflection will be completed in class or in a partner teachers room. A minor
infraction form
will be sent home with a copy of the student reflection. This is to be
reviewed, signed, and
returned the next day.
* A minor infraction may be automatically issued in such
cases as foul
language and/or willful disobedience. (Not limited to the listed.)
* School policy dictates that on a childs 5th Minor Infraction, he or she
will be referred to
the office for further intervention. It could result in a Saturday detention
or even a day of
in-school suspension; at that point it will be at the administrators
discretion. Major
infractions are also automatically earned in situations such as participating
in a fight,
defacing school property, and bullying. If you have any questions, please let
me know.
* Parental involvement and parent-teacher communication are very important.
We want to keep you
informed and involved! Please help by staying in touch through phone calls,
emails or notes and
by returning papers that require your signature in a timely fashion. Strong
parent-teacher
alliances give students a much better chance at success in the classroom.
* Through good communication and working with your child to correct problem
behavior if it
arises, we are confident that problems will not escalate. However, behavior
is a choice and
good choices lead to rewards and bad choices lead to negative consequences.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Diana H. Troyer