WELCOME Austin’s Agents

1. WELCOMEAustin’s Agents to the Buena Vista Learning Community!

2. COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS • Every Tuesday you will receive the blue folder, please return it by Thursday. • Check the web! • Parents are contacted when behavior interferes with learning. • Please contact me if you have any concerns or questions • The best way to get in touch with me is email. I will get back to you within 24 hours. • 355-2252 or jaustin@greenville.k12.sc.us

3. Our Grade Level Mission Statement We, the fourth grade teachers, are here to instill the qualities needed to become lifelong learners and models of character.

4. Curriculum Map

5. Curriculum Map

6. Syllabus My syllabus is located on my website. Please sign up on the side table if you would like a hard copy. Please send me an email if you would like it sent to you electronically.

7. Classroom Code of Cooperation We created this together at the beginning of the school year. It is posted at the front of the room on the Data Board.

8. Discipline Plan It is posted at the back of the room. We use the school color-coded system as well as reinforcement and recognition for Good Behavior.

9. Grading Policy/Scale • Tests and Major projects count twice • 5 points will be deducted each day for late assignments. • Spelling counts as 10% of ELA grade. • 60% minors/40% majors for all other subject areas • A 100 – 93 • B 92 – 85 • C 84 – 77 • D 76 – 70 • F 69 - below

10. HOMEWORK • Homework is assigned nightly Monday through Thursday. • Homework assignments are copied into the agenda each morning. • Homework is assigned for review and practice. • Students should study nightly as a part of their homework. • I will be happy to sign agendas, but it is the student’s responsibility to ask me to look at it and sign it. • Pack-Up Buddies can be assigned as needed.

11. Attendance Students who attend school regularly tend to do better academically than those who are absent and tardy frequently. Turn in notes for absences. (either parent or doctor’s note) Parents whose child misses 10 or more days will be required to attend a conference with a school and/or district administrator.

12. Related Arts A Week – Monday – Enrichment B Week – Monday – Guidance Tuesday – Music (Leach) Wednesday – Wacky Science Wednesday Thursday – PE (McGuffie) Friday – Art (Reynolds)

13. Recess and Lunch • Recess is from 11:30 – 11:45 • Lunch is from 11:50 – 12:15 • You are always welcome to come and eat lunch with your student. • Please do not bring in any outside food that is in a labeled cup, bag, or container. • We have a Birthday Celebration each month, since we are a “healthy school” the students are not allowed to bring in cupcakes or treats on their birthday.

14. Field Trips Greenville Art Museum (tentative) Washington D.C.

15. Highlights of 4th Grade • Making new friends • Taking on more Responsibility • Learning to become an Effective Student • Virtual Field Trips • Learning via Technology and the Arts • Science Labs • 1 to 1 Initiative with laptops

16. SCIENCE • Lots of Hands on learning • Units of Study: Process Skills Weather Astronomy Organisms and Their Environments Biomes Electricity Magnetism Light

17. LANGUAGE ARTS • Language instruction focuses on good writing skills and learning the parts of speech. • Stories, poems, reports, commercials, letters… • The majority of our writing is done in class with the exception of final copies possibly being sent home • Students will be graded with rubrics reflecting the skills we have learned or the State Writing Rubric. • Students will also be learning about parts of speech, word choice, and punctuation.

18. SPELLING • Each week there will be a spelling list with new and/ or review words. There are also 5 Challenge Words each week. • Students were given a list of suggested activities to complete during the week. • It is their responsibility to prepare for the spelling test. No homework must be turned in. • Dictation sentences are given for a spelling and language grade. This includes past and present spelling words and word wall words. Word Wall Words and Spelling Words are worth 5 points. Ending Punctuation and Capitalization errors are worth 2 points. All other grammar/spelling errors are worth 1 point.

19. Curriculum covers the standards. Students will have homework most evenings during the week. (Mon – Th.) Quizzes, tests, and daily work will determine grades. Students will be given a pretest before the beginning of each unit to determine their level of mastery. Students will potentially move for each unit based on their strengths and weaknesses in that unit. MATH

20. We work on strategies to improve comprehension. Students are tested on vocabulary and comprehension. Students will be exposed to a variety of genres. Students will read trade books, novels, picture books, and informational texts. Students will potentially move for each unit based on their strengths and weaknesses in that unit. MAP test scores from this fall will help to determine placement. READING

21. SOCIAL STUDIES • We utilize many historical fiction novels, picture books, and nonfiction texts. • Graphic organizers are used to aid learning. • Units of Study The First Americans Exploration of the New World Colonial America Conflict and Revolution A New Nation Westward Expansion The Civil War

22. Outline of who is eligible and what the student’s role is…. Any student can redo if they received less than a 100 on the assignment. Students are only allowed to complete 3 redos per nine weeks. Original signed by parents. (Or District test parent note) Complete item analysis. Complete plan of action. Redo must be completed within a week when it went home in the Tuesday folder. Follow through with action plan in order to retake. If you do not follow through with your plan, write an apology to your family and to the teacher for not doing what you said. Options for Plan of Actions Compass Activities with 80% or higher accuracy. Before school help from the teacher (MUST be planned with teacher!) After school (2:30-3:00) help from the teacher (MUST be planned with teacher!) SSR time (As the teacher has time available.) Spending Extra time studying with outside help – tutor, peer (who has demonstrated mastery), parent Extra Practice Assignments (from website or emailed to student/parent) BVLC Grading Policy

23. Items Eligible Unit Tests Tests Projects Written Works Items Not Eligible Spelling Tests – Each counts less than 2% of overall grade in Language Arts Daily Grades Quizzes Reading Theme Test BVLC Grading Policy

24. Total Quality Education • Students will be learning to use quality tools for goal setting. • Students will learn to analyze data to help in the learning process through keeping goal sheets. • Students will set quarterly goals. • We have developed our class mission statement and code of cooperation. • Student-led conferences take place in the fall. We will look at the progress towards individual goals and MAP Scores.

25. THANK YOU • Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come tonight. • With your support we will have a great year in the BVLC. • Thank you for your support of the PTA. • Your willingness to help makes all the difference! • PTA/Room Mother Announcements 

26. 3-2-1 on Your Child • 3 - Things Mrs. Austin should know about your child • 2 - Things you child has enjoyed so far this year • 1 - Question you have for Mrs. Austin • If you would like to set up a conference, please write me a note on the index card and I will send you a list of times to choose from.