Welcome to Back to School Night!

Fun and educational year Get ready for 4 th grade Strengthen study skills, students will enjoy reading, and become better readers. * Important to have an open line of communication so we can work as a team to insure your child’s success. Goals for the Year

Monday Art Tuesday Physical Ed Wednesday Music Thursday Library Friday Health Special Schedule

Schedule Homeroom Math Social Studies or Science Special Spanish ( on certain days) Lunch and Recess Language, Spelling, Writing, and Reading Pack up and read aloud or read quietly Dismissal

Homework 30 minutes a night-studying is homework (Please let me know if it’s more than that.) Homework is the student’s responsibility, but please check that it is complete and sign the agenda. Parents don’t have to correct it. 10% of grade (one “freebie”) A student who misses too many homework assignments will have a consequence of missing a recess. Please send a note if there is an extenuating circumstance. Test Schedule-always on the test board ahead of time. Please don’t let your child cram for a test, always study for a few days beforehand.

Topics Living Things Animals Plants Rocks Earth’s changes In Science, we have experiments and activities regularly, and these will be missed when students are absent. Please let me know if you can be an expert and do a presentation on any of these topics if your job is scientific in any way. Quiz at the end of each lesson. There will be note packet that can be used for studying. Tests at the end of some units. We study Science or Social Studies every day, but not at the same time Science

Map skills, Native Americans, Immigration, and early American history are some examples of material that will be covered. Quizzes are usually after each lesson. There will be a study packet that will be helpful when it comes to studying. Tests are after each chapter. Study tool- index cards should be reviewed often & the book should be read repeatedly. We study Science or Social Studies every day, but not at the same time. Social Studies

Math The children have to know their multiplication and division facts. Please practice math facts!!! There are always math websites included on my websites to make practicing fun. Flash cards are great, too. SPARKS are for students that are having no trouble with the current lessons. This group will change from week to week. Those students that don’t go to Sparks will review those skills. Students must show work and explain how they got the answer.

6 day cycle for each story Every Monday – Spelling Pretest/Every Friday – Spelling Test There is no spelling on short weeks. All words must be spelled correctly on all spelling work in order for it to be right. More accountable for sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation-NJASK. This means always having complete sentences and be careful with spelling. In order for them to show improvement with reading they need to be constantly reading. Reading & Language Arts

Tests/quizes-50% Classwork-40% (Reading 50%) Homework- 10% Review tests which are sent home and sign and return everything!!! Please reward your child’s successes!!!! Midterm/interim progress reports are sent home when students are getting a C or lower in a subject. Grading

If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow. -John Dewey Technology

1:1 iPad Classroom This year I will be piloting a program where my students will each have their own iPad 2. They will not have to share them with the rest of the school. We will be creating projects with them and then we will also use them as a tool for researching and practicing skills that I have already taught. I am very excited about this school year! My students will need the following since we have the 1:1 iPad classroom: Ear buds (there is a new wind up kind that are really great) Pencil-like stylist

Birthdays Please send in a note ahead of time so I know to plan for it. Birthdays: small treat for whole class. Please have all cookie cakes cut already. NO PEANUTS OR NUTS of any kind because there are students with allergies in my room. Sugar cannot be the first three ingredients because its now a NJ law. Students cannot pass out invitations to other students in school. (It’s a school rule.) If you want to join your child for lunch, please don’t share your special lunch with the other students. Lunch time is at 12:00.

Information available on Signal Hill Website We will be reading books that help create good discussion on this topic. A bully free school will be reinforced in classroom and lessons will be taught. Students will do role playing to help them practice what to do. Please call if there is any concerns. Bully Free Zone

Please send 2 notes if there is a change in dismissal procedure. One for me and a separate note for C.E.R. It would be better for the student and me if plans for going home would already be written in the agenda before leaving for school. Please feel free to write me any note in the agenda, but remind your student to show me the note. If you must take a vacation please let me know in advance, so I can try to gather any missed work. All school events and important information is in the Virtual Backpack online. Make sure you check it regularly. Report cards will be online now too. Miscellaneous

After School Program Anyone participating in the after school program (SAC) and has a "schedule change" or is registered "As Needed" will need to send in (2) notes. A note goes to the homeroom teacher so you are aware of the change and will know where the student is to go at the end of the day. Second note will go the CER Staff so they are aware of the change and will be expecting the child on a specific day. If we are unsure of where a child is going we will ALWAYS error on the side of caution and keep the child in our SAC Program. We will know they are safe and not going home to an empty house. CER understands that notes can be inconvenient. We try to avoid s and phone messages in the event you have a sub on a specific day or is not accessible. The notes are the most reliable for the program. There is not a more empty feeling than to have a parent arrive at 5:30 to pick up their child and they are not in CER. If they have any question please feel free to direct them to Mr. Redfearn (5232).

Contact Information Alison Francolino 33 Signal Hill Drive Voorhees, NJ (856) ext click here to me

Please sign up for a conference before you leave!