Mrs. Mary Casha
GRADING AND HOMEWORK POLICY
2011-2012
(Updated September 19, 2011)
RULES OF THE CLASSROOM
Be kind to one another
Raise your hand when asking a question or sharing information
Keep your hands and your feet to yourself
Follow directions
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you wish to meet with me, please send a note with your child, call me at
978-475-2414 x31, or write me an email.
mcasha@staugustineandover.org
Announcements, homework, grading policy, student expectations can be found in
this packet and on my website:
http://TeacherWeb.com/MA/StAugustineSchool/Casha or by accessing St.
Augustine School Website. Go to Academics; Fourth Grade; Mrs. Casha.
Mrs. Bernal's contact information:
978-475-2414 x34
Email: ibernal@staugustineandover.org
Website:http://TeacherWeb.com/MA/StAugustineSchool/Bernal or by accessing St.
Augustine School Website. Go to Academics; Fourth Grade; Mrs. Bernal.
Arrival
For the safety of our children, please follow the rules for morning arrival.
A teacher is on duty in the schoolyard at 8:25 am. Please do not drop off
your child before 8:25 am.
Dismissal
For the safety of our children, please follow the rules for dismissal.
It is the teacher's responsibility to release students at the designated
areas. For safety and accountability, parents may not retrieve their child
or children from the line, wait in the schoolyard, or wait in St. Augustine's
driveway. North Andover parents need to wait at the top of the stairs and
School Street parents need to wait on School Street. Please adhere to these
rules for the safety of our children.
Extra Help
During the school year,I will be available on Thursday mornings. For
everyone’s safety, more than one student needs to be present during this
time. Please inform me ahead of time, if your child needs extra
help.
Homework
Homework is assigned daily. It is posted in the classroom and on the
website. Homework is an extension of the class work and a wonderful tool
used for reinforcement. 4th graders could expect up to 90 minutes of
homework daily. All homework is to be completed by the due date for credit.
Only students absent may make up the work, but needs to be completed in a
timely fashion.
WORD CHOICE
I have devised a program called "Word Choice" or Word of the Day. Each time
a student expresses himself/herself with words not usually used in fourth
grade, the student is invited to write the word on the board as long as it
pertains to the subject matter in that instance or in a writing piece. When
the class reaches the first 50 words, each student receives a reward.
After the initial 50 words a reward is given after every 100 words. If a
vocabulary or spelling word is used during the week of that particular
lesson, the word is worth 2 points instead of one point on the 'Word Choice'
chart.
FOLDERS:
WEEKLY FOLDER
Every Wednesday students will receive their blue weekly folder. This folder
contains a monthly calendar and graded assessments. The calendar contains
details of quizzes, tests, project due dates, and special events. The
calendar will be updated weekly if necessary. On the right hand side will be
a parent signature/comment page. Please review the papers, write one
positive comment on your child’s accomplishments and then sign and date the
form. This folder, including all papers, must be returned by Friday. Any
assessment(s) graded 70% or below need to be signed.
HOMEWORK FOLDER
The homework folder contains work to be done at home. In addition, notices
from the student’s mailbox will be found in this folder. The folder travels
to and from school on a daily basis and should be reviewed daily.
EIGHT-POCKET FOLDER
This folder is used to store information worksheets to complete activities
performed in the classroom. This folder is used for all subject areas. This
folder may not taken home and needs to remain in the classroom at all times.
ASSESSMENTS
All instructions and directions are shared aloud by me prior to beginning ALL
assignments and assessments. The students are instructed to highlight
important information. All students are required to write their name and
date on all papers handed in for grading purposes. All students are
responsible for completing assignments and assessments by the due date.
Five points will be taken off if a name is omitted. If a student leaves two
or more questions blank on any assessment, no more than 10 points will be
taken off the final grade. In addtion, the student will still be expected to
answer all of the questions.
RELIGION
Acts of kindness and signs of respect are to be present in the classroom
each day. “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” The students
are responsible for conducting themselves in this fashion at all times. The
students need to complete all activities assigned. The activities and
projects are used as test grades and are completed in the classroom. The
students will also have open book quizzes. Homework is only assigned if task
has not been completed and is scheduled to be handed in by the next day.
Participation 10%
Activities/Writing Pieces/Open Book Quizes 90%
MATHEMATICS
Every student is expected to do 20-30 minutes of Math homework each night.
Homework is an essential part of understanding new /old concepts. Homework
is not graded on the number of problems done correctly. The student needs to
make the effort in completing the problems assigned. I encourage guidance
from parents but I do not expect you to give your child the answers. I need
to know when a student is struggling in a particular area. If difficulty
arises during a homework assignment, please discontinue the assignment and
send me a note.
Homework is reviewed on a daily basis and therefore a student needs to
complete the assignment by the due date. A student receives credit for
homework if it is completed by the due date.
Assessments are administered once we have completed a unit. To receive full
credit for each problem, students need to show all work. The students are
also responsible for math learned in the 3rd grade and throughout the fourth
grade. Students’ skills are measured throughout the year and these types of
assessments are labeled checkups/quizzes. Checkups include mathematical
operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
For those students who have a higher understanding of math, I have a bin
labeled 'Above and Beyond'. Students are welcome to work on these sheets
during timed intervals and will not be tested on these concepts. These
students are responsible for completing regular classwork and homework
and will take the same assessments.
Math is broken down into three separate grades on the report card. The
computation portion of the grade is based on drill work known as timed
sheets completed during the first six minutes of each math class. The
students work on problems, reviewing all mathematical operations, at one-
minute intervals. These papers are not graded. I spot check them, circle
errors, explain mistakes and then the papers are recycled. As long as a
student is working during the entire time, he/she can expect an A in
computation. If a student chooses not to complete the work during the
allotted time, he/she will not earn an A in computation. The student needs to
be ready to work the moment they enter the classroom. Timed sheets cannot be
made up.
Homework 10%
Participation 10%
Check/Ups; Quizzes 20%
Tests 60%
SCIENCE
During Science class the students participate in experiments and group
projects. They learn how to complete investigation logs following the
scientific method. I read picture books and show Eye Witness, Magic School
Bus, and Bill Nye the Science Guy movies to enhance the concepts
being taught. In addition, they are instructed as to how to take notes and
write definitions of vocabulary words on index cards. Daily homework
includes reading index cards twice nightly. The index cards are used as a
study tool. If the student loses his/her index cards, he/she is expected to
rewrite them during recess period. The definitions are taken from the
textbook and tests. They are not verbatim but contain key words to trigger
memory. The cards are to be kept in a zip lock baggy in the homework folder
at all times. There is always a supply of baggies in the classroom.
On occasion there will also be a worksheet or reading comprehension to
complete for homework. All worksheets are excellent study guides. At the
end of each unit, we will complete the Chapter Review. Dates of open book
quizzes and unit tests will be given ahead of time along with a list of study
words. Resources to be used for studying include index cards, textbook, and
worksheets. When writing assignments are assigned the students are not
allowed to use any slang words. Therefore, if the word 'cool' is used it
needs to refer to the weather. The student will lose 5 points for every
slang word written in an assignment. All writing assignments are completed
in the classroom.
Homework/Participation 10%
Open Book Quizzes/Tests/Writing Pieces 70%
Investigation Logs 20%
Reading (Mrs. Bernal)
With the desire to make reading an important part in the life of every fourth
grader, we’ll spend our year reading motivating and engaging stories. The
stories are not limited to Scott Foresman’s Reading Street. The students
will be asked to read literary works by award winning and distinguished
authors. A strong emphasis will be placed on helping the students develop
successful reading comprehension strategies. The students are expected to
complete all classroom reading assignments, book reports, exams and writing
assignments on time. They’ll be asked to work in both small and large group
activities. While completing their group work, they’ll be expected to
conduct themselves appropriately as well as participate to the best of their
ability. Students must also read stories of their choosing at home every
night. RAH should be for 20 minutes or more.
Participation 10%
Homework 10%
Quizzes 20%
Test/Book Reports/Writing Pieces 60%
Oral Reading (Miss Kendall)
After each End of Unit in Scott Foresman’s Reading Street, the students’
reading fluency will be assessed. A fluency test measures a student’s
reading rate, or the number of words the student is able to read in a
minute. The student reads the test aloud. Any errors made are deducted from
the total number of words the student reads during his/her one minute
assessment.
The students’ evaluation will not affect their Reading Comprehension grade.
Rather, the students will be given a numerical score. Those students who
read at grade level (ex. students who read between 95 to 105 words after the
Unit 1 Reading Rate Assessment) will receive a (3) on his/her report card.
Anyone who reads above grade level or more than the expected words will
receive a (4). Students who do not meet the fluency rate expected by one to
ten words will receive a (2). Those who do not meet the fluency rate by
eleven or more words will receive a (1).
If your child is not reading at grade level, please feel free to contact me
or Miss Kathleen Kendall so that we may discuss different ways that to help
him/her improve their reading fluency.
Social Studies (Mrs. Bernal)
In Social Studies, the students continue developing map reading skills. They
will extensively study the five regions of the United States through the
examination of history, geography, economics, humanities and citizenship.
The students will be expected to learn the capital and location of each state
of our Great Union. Students must come to class ready to participate. As
with Reading, they will work in large and small groups and must conduct
themselves appropriately.
Participation 10%
Homework 10%
Quizzes 20%
Test/Writing Pieces 60%
LANGUAGE ARTS:
SPELLING
Twenty new spelling words are introduced every other Friday. Homework is
assigned daily for one week. Tests follow different formats: fill in the
blanks,
dictation, proofread, multiple choice, etc. Once the student is tested,
he/she is responsible to know the spelling of each word in future writing
pieces. Different patterns are taught to the students using the methods
introduced by Ms. Stitton. We play games and write silly sentences to
reinforce new words. Wednesday evening’s homework includes sentence
writing. The student needs to select ten of the new spelling words and write
a sentence that contains 6-8 words. As the year progresses, students will be
expected to write longer sentences.
Participation 10%
Homework 20%
Tests 70%
VOCABULARY
Twelve new vocabulary words are introduced every other Friday. During
class, the students are expected to highlight the information needed to be
studied. Homework is assigned daily for one week. Students are not
responsible for the spelling or part of speech. Students will write an index
card for each word. A crossword puzzle is to be designed during class time
and must include all twelve words along with hints using the definition,
synonym, or antonym. The words can be written forward, backward,
diagonally, and some of the words should be connected. Tests include multiple
choice, fill-in, synonyms, and antonyms. Wednesday evening’s homework
includes sentence writing. The student needs to select five of the new
vocabulary words and write a sentence that contains 6-8 words. As the year
progresses, students will be expected to write longer sentences.
Participation 10%
Homework 20%
Tests 70%
Writing
Writing is a big part of 4th grade. The students will be given guidelines
to follow in their writing called FCAs(Focus Correction Areas). The FCAs
consist of areas being taught during Language Arts, Spelling, and
Vocabulary. Once a writing piece has been graded in a specific area (such
as capitalization, punctuation, indent of paragraphs, friendly letter format,
etc.), each student will be expected to continue incorporating these
guidelines in future writing pieces and will be held accountable. On the
other hand, if I have not taught a specific concept in the classroom, the
student will not receive extra points for being correct (but will be
complimented) and will not be penalized for a mistake. The students are
allowed to use their thesaurus, and English textbook as reference guides
whenever they are writing.
Writing Pieces 100%
Grammar
Students will be responsible for learning different parts of speech, writing
complete sentences, incorporating grammar skills in their writing and
following directions.
Participation 10%
Homework 10%
Worksheets/Unit Tests 80%
Penmanship
Students are expected to continue writing in cursive. Most assignments will
be written in this fashion. The students will have an opportunity to
continue perfecting their penmanship with the workbook, Writing Our Catholic
Faith.
Cursive Writing 100%
