1. Thanks for attending Open House! These notes were discussed at the general group meeting of fourth grade parents. Wild About Learning Fourth Grade Open House September 13, 2011 Peggy DeMarsh, Catha Ivy, Leigh Kutach, Lisa Short, and Sue VanAllen

2. Student Expectations Follow safety rules. Take care of all school materials. Do his or her best. Respect the opinions of others. Treat others fairly. Be prepared for class every day. The goal is to be safe, kind, and productive!

3. Daily Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:10 – 10:30Class with AM Teacher* 10:30 – 11:15Library, Art, Music, or P. E. (Approx. 11:15)Switch classes 11:15 – 1:00Class with PM Teacher* 1:00 – 1:30Lunch 1:30 – 2:00Recess 2:00 – 3:10Class with PM Teacher* Wednesday 9:15 – 10:00Tiger Time (LAMP classes) – Schedule is adjusted accordingly. * DeMarsh/Kutach, Ivy/VanAllen, Short

4. Boomerang Folders and Planners Each fourth grader has been provided with a take home folder and planner to use on a daily basis. Students are expected to record homework assignments and update calendar information in their planner. Students are asked to take home graded papers and various notes to share with you in their take home folder. Please encourage your child to share both tools with you on a daily basis. Initial the planner indicating that you are aware of assignments and upcoming tests and school events. The planner and folder can also be used as a form of communication between teachers and parents.

5. Ways to Help Your Fourth Grader Academically Math and Science Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts Practice problem-solving skills related to a variety of tasks (including cooking, shopping, playing games, and telling time) Use mathematical and scientific vocabulary Encourage investigation Social Studies Encourage students to stay informed of current events If possible, visit local and state museums and points of interest as students learn more about the history and geography of Texas

6. Ways to Help Your Fourth Grader with Language Skills Reading and Writing Encourage your student to read and talk about a variety of texts. Encourage your student to read silently for at least 15 to 20 minutes at a time. They should increase that time period as they build independent reading stamina. Students will be specifically working on developing and improving writing skills in fourth grade. Writing improvement generally develops with reading improvement. Please promote reading and writing opportunities at home! Model reading and writing at home for a variety of reasons.

7. Testing Dates STAAR – Writing – Day 1 - March 27 STAAR – Writing – Day 2 – March 28 STAAR – Writing – Make-ups – March 29 STAAR – Math – April 24 STAAR – Reading – April 25 STAAR – Math/Reading – Make-ups – April 26/27 *State Assessments of Academic Readiness

8. Anticipated Activities Boosterthon CME Carnival Hands-on Science Activities Opportunity to vote on the Texas Bluebonnet nominees Texas Readers’ Club Choir (4 th Grade – Spring) Field Trip Frontier Day Parent volunteers are welcome and appreciated for many of these activities!

9. Conferences Please remember that tonight is not a parent conference night! The fourth grade teachers plan to conference with all of our parents … hopefully by the end of October! We will be contacting you to set up conferences soon. October 6, 2011, is an early release day for parent conferences. While we cannot meet with all of you on that day, it will be one of the options given to you.

10. Communication Fort Bend ISD and CME are trying to go as paperless as possible … Please help us make that transition by visiting the district and campus websites for information that affects you and your student. www.fortbendisd.com