Ms. Reed
Back-to-School Night
4th Grade
How should you contact
me?
My email is Jean_Reed@roundrockisd.org. My phone number is 464-5572. My website address is:
http://teacherweb.com/TX/CarawayElementary/JeanReed
You can find/access all this from the Caraway
Web page, in the TEAMS section, 4th grade.
When am I available?
My planning time each
day is from 8:15 – 8:50, except Tuesdays. I am also available after school many
days except Wednesdays. It is best
to arrange a meeting at least a day ahead to make sure I am available.
4th Grade
General Info:
Located in the front
section of the agenda that your child brings home every night.
Fourth
grade is considered an intermediate grade. The workload at school increases this
year, and the fourth grade teachers emphasize organization and responsibility
to help students transition into more independent learners. We do more reading
to learn, and writing to express what students have learned.
Daily Routine:
Specials 8:10-9:00
Language Arts (spelling/vocabulary, reading,
writing) 9:00 – 10:45
Snack 10:00 ish Please consider only healthy
snacks
Recess 10:45-11:10
Math 11:15-12:20
Lunch
12:20-1:00 Exact time rotates
every 6 weeks from 12:20 to 12:32
Social
Studies 1:05-1:50 with Mrs. Creger
Science 1:50-2:35
Homework and
Assignment books (agenda):
The Assignment/Agenda/Planner
book is taken home every night. We expect the students to discuss what
homework there may be and what topics were covered each day. This should answer the questions, “What
did you do today? Do you have any
homework?” Your student needs to remind
you to sign the planner each night!
The day’s topics and homework gets written down every day in the agenda,
and test and quiz dates are added when applicable. Homework is mostly work not
completed during the school day.
I ask the students to write down EVERYTHING I write on the planner
board. I use gold stars on the board
to show homework items. I expect
students to note homework items by some means, to differ from an agenda
topic. These are assignments I
will see or we will review the next day regardless of whether or not it is
finished at school or at home. The
students are expected to read from an independent-choice every night in
addition to any homework. Homework
is also posted on my website, but this is only homework, not the entire
agenda. I almost always give
overnight to do an assignment.
This is your opportunity to review it or help as appropriate. I know you know not to do the
assignment for your child, but if they are not independent and need help,
unless the homework is marked “Independent”, this is your opportunity!
Grading Policy:
A parent must sign all tests receiving a grade below 70. Tests receiving a 50 or below must be
retaken. Students have the option
of retaking tests with scores between 51 and 69. The two retaken test grades will be averaged for a final
grade, but no more than a 70. Additional grading information is
located in students’ agendas. I
highly encourage you to use Home Access to view grades and progress
reports. Our goal is to add one
grade per subject per week.
Projects and extra-curricular events may interrupt this timing. I will be encouraging the students to
also be aware of their own progress.
Absences and Tardies:
Students need to be in
the classroom at 7:45 in the morning.
If students are not in my classroom when the 7:45 bell rings, they are
marked as tardy. If your student
is absent, an email, phone call, or written note is required on the day your
student RETURNS to school. Of
course, an e-mail on the absent day is most
helpful and please copy or send to both me and our Caraway registrar, Nancy Richards. Nancy_Richards@roundrockisd.org If you know of doctors’ visits that will occur first thing in the
morning, do try to let us know ahead of time, even a week ahead is OK! Attendance accounting is so much easier
for Mrs. Richards and me! Those
first 15 minutes of the day are very important to the student. It is our news and organizational
time. Please make every effort to
help your student have a great start to their day at school.
Rewards/Consequences:
Fourth grade uses a
ticket in a token economy system for rewarding and
recognizing positive behaviors.
Certain rewards may be “purchased” for tickets as the year goes on. Our class has a LMB binder (late
work-missing work-behavior) binder that students must sign if work is missing,
turned in late, or if classroom rules are not followed. Consequences are staying in at study
hall to complete work or taking time off of recess. If students stay under a certain amount of signatures each 9-week
period, they are invited to attend a grade-wide party. We also use the “Blue Hoot” notes that
are employed school-wide which emphasize our main 3 school expectations,
Respect, Responsibility, and Safety.
Standardized Testing:
We will NOT be taking the OLSAT test this year.
In fourth grade, students take three STAAR (formerly TAKS) tests: writing (2 separate
essays on 2 separate days during the last week of March), math (April 26), and
reading (April 27). We do not
receive the results of these tests until about the last of May.
Additionally:
When sending money, please write the student’s name and
4-R on all checks. If your last name is different than your child’s, it is
important to put their last name on the check also.
No games, toys, or cell phones should be out of the
backpack during the school day.
Cell phones must be off at school.
Repeated problems with this will result in the item going to the
principal’s office.
If you need to contact your child during the day,
please call the office.
If you need to get a message to your
child during the day, please call the office to send a note, not a telephone transfer. I usually do not get to phone messages
until well after school. E-mails
are more efficient, but there are days I can’t read them until after school. Those calls/e-mails to remind your
child to take the bus or go to Grandma’s house or come home instead of the
friend’s home are sometimes not heard/seen until the child is long gone for the
day. The office can send a written
note to your child, especially if you call BEFORE NOON. After noon messages are reserved for
emergencies as there really isn’t someone in the office to deliver a note
unless we have a parent volunteer.
There are changes in the cafeteria food menu – components vs. items. Rather than items, e.g. a hamburger,
the cafeteria counts food groups.
There are 4 food groups, meat, grain, vegetable/fruit, and milk (juice).
Art field trip in the fall and San Antonio Feb.
24.
Complete the Raptor System process before
volunteering.