1. 4th Grade Back to School Night
Sarah Anderson, Teresa Martinez, Jean Mercy, Sierra Wren, and Rae Regan
august 30, 2018
We will go down the line and everyone quickly introduce themselves. Sarah will start.

2. Specials (Art, Music, Technology, and Physical Education)
Teachers
Introduction of Specials teachers and content
Curriculum
Grading
50% Participation and
50% Skills, Projects, and Assessments
Enrichment opportunities
Extracurricular opportunities
Specials representative

3. PTO Information
Teresa

4. Discipline Policy Overview & Kickboard
In our school we strive to be people of character. We use the American Academy Manners and the teaching of the Core Virtues to accomplish this goal. Parents are strongly encouraged to reinforce these character-based rules at home. Our goal with discipline is to promote a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and encourages mutual respect.
We use a grade-level disciplinary program as well as a building-wide discipline policy.
Sarah

5. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Math
We use the Saxon Math curriculum at American Academy. This program is a “spiral” program. This means, instead of a concept being taught just once, students practice a concept many times at varying intervals throughout the year. This gives the student the time and practice needed to master a math concept.
Directions on how to access the book will be on our website.
Grading:
Lesson Practice (homework) 20%
Assessments 80%
Jean

6. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Hake & Spalding
Hake Grammar:
Hake Grammar is a spiraling program that allows the students to practice grammar rules throughout each week.
Students will have homework if they do not complete the practice in class.
Directions on how to access the book will be on our website.
The Spalding Method is a phonics-based program that integrates reading, and spelling.
Spelling: Students will practice phonograms and weekly spelling words.
Reading: This method teaches students to better self-monitor their reading and comprehension while learning about the different text structures.
Sierra

7. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Reading
Core Knowledge Novels: Students will be reading a variety of classic novels including Robinson Crusoe, Robin Hood, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Treasure Island. As students read these novels, they will learn new vocabulary and extend their use of comprehension strategies.
Additional Novel: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – this is a wonderful story to finish the year that teaches the kids about fables and ties in the China unit they are studying in History.
We do not send home nightly reading logs. We do ask that you spend time with your child reading a book they enjoy. We will communicate their Lexile level after MAP testing.
Sarah

8. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Writing
With Step Up to Writing, students will learn and practice the following writing skills and many more:
Summaries (within reading and writing as well as during Science and History classes)
Narratives with the use of dialogue
Essays
Research report
All writing will be completed in class; assignments will only come home if your student has fallen behind in class.
Rae

9. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Literacy Grading
Writing 35%
Grammar 15%
Reading 35%
Spelling & Vocabulary 15%
Assignments will have a weight of 1
Quizzes will have a weight of 2
Assessments will have a weight of 3 or 4
Rae

10. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: Science
We use the Next Gen Science Standards, Core Knowledge Science, as well as American Academy’s STEM program in Science. The following subjects are covered in 4th grade:
Waves and their application technologies for information transfer
Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Energy
Earth
STEM Units
Little Bits: September 10th – September 21st
EV3: April 3rd – April 12th
Jean

11. 4th Grade Curriculum Overview: History
We use the Core Knowledge curriculum for history and geography. The following subjects are covered in 4th grade:
Map Skills
Major Mountains and Mountain Ranges
Middle Ages in Europe
Islam
Early and Medieval African Kingdoms
Chinese Dynasties
American Revolution
Colorado History
Economics
Grading:
Classwork/Homework 40%
Tests 60%
Teresa

12. Grading & Late Work Policy
Vacations:
No work will be given prior to vacations. Students must meet with their teachers to request any missed work. Students will be extended the grace period of 5 days to finish all missed work. Infinite Campus (IC) is the best resource for seeing what was assigned on the days missed.
Late work:
10% deduction for one day
50% deduction for 2 days
After two days no credit is given
Grading Scale:
Per the Parent/Student Handbook, the following grading scale will be used:
A B C
A B D
A C D 69-65
B C F Below 65
Sierra

13. Student Responsibilities
Students will learn to advocate for themselves and take responsibility for their learning. We expect students to:
Check Infinite Campus, under “Assignments”- homework will not be posted on the website
Ask teachers for assignments when absent
Ask teachers for clarification on grades
teachers with questions
Sarah

14. Conferences & Field Trips
We have conferences three times a year.
Please check the school calendar for dates.
We will send a sign up out about a week before conferences.
Please be aware of when the conference sign up closes.
Our last conferences in May will be student-led this year!
We currently have one field trip planned for this year: Young Ameritowne in March.
More information regarding chaperones, permission slips, and payments will be sent out prior to the field trip
Sierra

15. Contact Information
Sarah Anderson:
Teresa Martinez:
Jean Mercy:
Sierra Wren:
Rae Regan:
Please make sure you are sending s to our American Academy addresses and NOT our district addresses.
Those sent to district may or may not be forwarded.
If you send an directly from Infinite Campus (IC) it will go to our district address.
There is a 48 hour work hour response time.
Teresa

16. Thank you for coming!
We are looking forward to partnering with you to make this a great year! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any celebrations, concerns, or questions.
All of us answer questions. 