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Class Website/CommunicationPlease check our classroom website every once in a while, particularly the calendar. Here, you will find deadlines and other important dates to remember. A bit of information regarding major class projects can also be found in addition to an educational same/informational section called “Website Links” for students. If your child happens to lose their homework, many assignments can be found under the “Homework” section. The website is a useful resource for both kids and parents. As the site is always a work in progress, I welcome comments and suggestions throughout the year. http://msloveman.weebly.com/ .
I have subscribed to Remind 101, a free text messages service that allows me to send a group text to parents that have subscribed to my list. I will use this to send last minute reminders. If you would like to subscribe, please do the following.
To subscribe: Text this number: (650) 557-4311Enter this: mslovema
BirthdaysWe will be celebrating birthdays at the end of the day. Birthday treats are welcome, but please be aware of the school’s wellness policy that will not allow cupcakes. Healthy treat alternatives are listed in our school wellness policy and can be discussed with the teacher if there are more questions. Please do not distribute party invitations at school unless you are inviting the entire class. We do not want hurt feelings.
HomeworkHomework is assigned Monday through Thursday each week (some projects will need to be completed over the weekend). Students will keep track of their nightly assignments in their school planner. In addition to the regularly assigned homework, students should read a library book of their choice for at least 20 minutes. I expect students to do their best job on each homework assignment and that it will be printed neatly. All written work should be done in pencil or typed. Homework must be completely finished before school begins on the due date. Students who do not turn in homework will need to complete it during recess. Please take a moment to review your child’s nightly work with them and allow them to correct any mistakes. If there is a legitimate reason why a student is unable to complete the assignment, please send a signed note to me on the date the homework is due or send an email stating the reason that it was not completed. Please see attached Homework Policy.
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Behavior ManagementOur classroom will use a clip chart to monitor behavior. Please see attached handout explaining
system.
Schedule
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Discovery QuestsDiscovery Quest is an oral question-of-the-month activity that allows students to learn public speaking skills and independent research skills. Students should prepare to participate once a month. Each student is assigned a student number at the beginning of the year. Your child’s student number corresponds with the order in which they will present each month. The schedule may need modification according to holidays and other school events. The following is a general guideline:
First Friday of the month: Students 1 – 10
Second Friday of the month: Students 11 – 20
Third Friday of the month: Students 21 – 31
Each student should use books, magazines, reference books, family member interviews, or research tools such as the Internet to learn about the topic. If a student would like to give a presentation on a Current Event instead of a Discovery Quest, students may use a newspaper or the Internet to research an event that is currently happening in our world.
Students will present to the class in order to receive a speaking score. Acceptable participation means that they DO NOT read their information, but they TELL us what they’ve learned. Students may use note cards, notes, bring pictures, posters they’ve made, or visual aid items.
This activity should be a fun way to study something that is interesting to the student. Look over the Discovery Quest topics for this trimester on the back of this paper. Select the most interesting “quest” to study. If some are not of interest, plan to present on a Current Event.
PlannersStudents will use planners to record tests, projects, and homework assignments. It is their responsibility to accurately record due dates and assignments. This is a great tool for students to begin taking responsibility with their own time management of projects and classroom work obligations. When students are absent, it is their responsibility to write down assignments and due dates upon their return to school (the master planner is located in our classroom). Please check their planner regularly to monitor their required work. Planners that are lost will need to be replaced (we don’t have any extras), so please remind your student the importance of keeping this planner in a safe location.
Field TripsThroughout the year we will take a few fieldtrips. The amount of fieldtrips our class takes is contingent upon parent volunteers to help drive and additional funds or parents willing to pick up the cost per child. Cost to be announced. • Exploratorium - October 8th
• Sacramento (4rth grade) - TBD• Tech Museum – December 3rd • 5th grade Outdoor Education - Apr 28th – May
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Scholastic Book OrdersYou can combine multiple orders for one payment. Please make checks payable to Scholastic Book Clubs. Online orders via credits card are preferred. Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure. Best of all, our class earns a FREE book very time a parent places their order online.
SIGN UP at www.Scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the “Don’t have a UserName And Password?” link, and then register for your own username and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code (MBQ2K). This code ensures order is sent to me.
GradingSBPSD’s Grading Scale
A = 100% - 93% C = 76% - 73%A- = 92% - 90% C- = 72% - 70%B+ = 89% - 87% D+ = 69% - 67%B = 88% - 83% D = 66% - 63%B- = 82% - 80% D- = 62% - 60%C+ = 79% - 77% F = 59% and below
Homework/Worksheets+ = Very Good Effort = Satisfactory Effort- = Little or No effort
INC = Incomplete
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Report Cards & Conferences1st Evaluation (Sept/Oct) - Skills possessed at entry of 4/5th grade2nd Evaluation - Mid-November1st Report Card & Parent Conferences (early December) - to go over strengths/weaknesses and to answer any questions3rd Evaluation & 2nd Report Card – March4th Evaluation 7 3rd Report Card – June
AssessmentsDistrict literacy assessments will be taking place over the next several weeks. These occur three times a year and assess the student’s using comprehension, fluency, and writing skills. Classroom assessments will consist of both formal and informal assessments. Formal assessments will happen approximately every week and will consist of chapter and unit tests in language arts, math, and spelling. Informal assessments consists of daily observation by teacher of all activities including reading, writing, math, social studies, and science skills, and the growth made by the student throughout the year. Additionally, students will take a state assessment (STAR), CST California Standard Tests – 6 Sections.
4th Grade – Language Arts, Math, Writing5th Grade Language Arts, Math, Science
Curriculum
Math
Houghton Mifflin – District wide adopted program that introduces new math concepts, in addition to building on prior math concepts. At the end of each chapter, students will be assessed on the chapter concepts only. Trimester benchmark tests will be also be administered that will correlate with the report card and state standards.
Language Arts/Literatur
e Circles
Open Court – District wide adopted program that is an intensive, full immersion reading program which includes comprehension strategies and skills, inquiry techniques and strategies, the writing process and writing skills, spelling and vocabulary, and grammar, usage, and mechanics. We will have writing “workshop” for students to practice the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing, and revising skills).
Science Scott Foresman – 4th
Life Science – Flow of Energy
Scott Foresman – 5th
Life Science – Basic Structure of
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and Matter, Ecosystems, Interactions in Ecosystems
Earth Science – Mineral and Rocks, Our Changing Earth
Physical Science – Electricity, Magnetism
Organism, Human Body Systems
Earth Science – Water on Earth, Weather, The Solar System
Physical Science – Building Blocks of Matter, Changes in Matter
Social Studies4th Our Golden State
5th Making a New Nation
Discovery Quests (Oral Presentations)
Discovery Quest is an oral question-of-the-month activity that allows students to learn public speaking skills and independent research skills. Please see attached packet.
Physical Education
We have P.E. twice a week with Mr. Gininno, 40 minutes on Wednesday and Fridays.
Music We will have music with Ms. Elliot on Mondays for 40 minutes.
Library We will have library with Mrs. Martinucci on Tuesdays for 30 minutes.
Handwriting Students will continue their cursive practice using Handwriting without Tears.
Scholastic Reading Counts/LexileThe 4th grade Lexile ranges from 600 – 900 and 5th grade Lexile ranges from 700 – 1000. Our school goal this year is 50 Reading Counts points. Students who this goal by May will be allowed to both the individual class filed trip and Field Day in June. Top readers for individual classes and the whole school will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony in June. Student’s Lexile will be tested every 2 months, which ill then determine what books are most appropriate fro their reading level. To find a lexile for a specific book and/or see how many Reading Counts points a book is worth, go to www.lexile.com or http://src.scholastic.com/ecatalog/.
Blue FoldersBlue Folders will be sent home each Wednesday. Please get in the habit of asking your student about them every Wednesday. They will contain graded and reviewed work as well as the majority of school and community announcements. Most tests will be returned via this folder. It is critical that parents make an effort to look over their child’s tests and review any missed concepts with them. Blue Folders should be returned to school the following Thursday containing your child’s signed Family Bulletin from the previous week. Communication between
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home/school may also be placed in the Wednesday Blue Folder (notes, completed forms, Scholastic Book orders, etc.) to be returned on Thursday.
Volunteers/Guest SpeakersPlease sign up at kidney bean table if you would like to volunteer this year or make a donation to the class. If you like to schedule a time to observe the class, help with individual tutoring, be a guest speaker and share your occupation, I would love to have you as a guest.
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The LEXILE Framework for Reading Levels
This system measures semantic and syntactic difficulty of text, as well as assesses an
independent reader’s comprehension of text.
BR Beginning Reader
Grade 1 100 – 400Grade 2 300 – 600Grade 3 500 – 800Grade 4 600 – 900Grade 5 700 – 1000Grade 6 800 – 1050Grade 7 850 – 1100Grade 8 900 - 1150Grade 9 1000 - 1200Grade 10 1025 - 1250Grade 11 1050 - 1300
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4th/5th Grade Supply ListMs. Loveman, Room 6
1 Sturdy Backpack 1 USB Memory Stick (You may use one from previous year) 3 Spiral Notebooks
2 Orange Cover– Math1 Purple Cover – Science1 Choice Cover – Daily Skills Morning Journal
6 Folders1 Choice STURDY folder – Homework5 Colored folders –
Red – Social StudiesBlue – Writing/Language ArtsYellow - StemGreen –WorkshopPurple – Science
1 Plastic School Box/Pencil Bag (needs to fit desk) 1 Box of Sharpened No.2 Pencils/Mechanical Pencils 3 Red pens for correcting 1 Package of eraser caps 2 Large Eraser (pink) Thin Markers – 8 count, labeled Thick Markers 8/10 count, labeled Crayons – 24 count Color Pencils – 12 count, sharpened and labeled Scissors, labeled 4 glue sticks
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4th/5th Grade Supply ListMs. Loveman, Room 6
1 Sturdy Backpack 1 USB Memory Stick (You may use one from previous year) 3 Spiral Notebooks
2 Orange Cover– Math1 Purple Cover – Science1 Choice Cover – Daily Skills Morning Journal
6 Folders1 Choice STURDY folder – Homework5 Colored folders –
Red – Social StudiesBlue – Writing/Language ArtsYellow - StemGreen –WorkshopPurple – Science
1 Plastic School Box/Pencil Bag (needs to fit desk) 1 Box of Sharpened No.2 Pencils/Mechanical Pencils 3 Red pens for correcting 1 Package of eraser caps 2 Large Eraser (pink) Thin Markers – 8 count, labeled Thick Markers 8/10 count, labeled Crayons – 24 count Color Pencils – 12 count, sharpened and labeled Scissors, labeled 4 glue sticks
Parent Survey1. How would describe your child’s personality?
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2. What is your child’s favorite subject?
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3. What are your child’s strengths?
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4. In what area(s) would you like to see your child improve?
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5. What are hoping for you child to learn this year?
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6. What motivates your child?
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Parent Survey Continued
9. What does your child like to do for fun outside of school?––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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10. Is your Child involved in any extracurricular activities? If so, please list. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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11. Do you have any concerns you would like to share? If so, please explain. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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Feel Free to add any additional information you think would be helpful.
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Thank you! I appreciate the time you taken to share about your child. This will help me in better serving your child.
Ms. Loveman
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