1. Ms. Traynor 4th Grade Room 406
WELCOME TO OPEN HOUSE
Ms. Traynor 4th Grade
Room 406

2. A Little about me: I have been teaching for 17 years.
This is my 14th year in Red Clay
I have taught 4th, 2nd, and K.
I have a Master of Education degree from U of D and my undergraduate degree in education from Millersville University.
I have two children, Lauren (12) and Brian (9). They go to Skyline and Heritage.

3. School Day 8:50-3:40
No one may ride any bus except the one they are assigned to
Siblings may not come in to school during the instructional day or lunch
Early dismissals must be done by 2:45
Notes required for every dismissal change
Doors are locked at 4:00-check on the website or with a friend for homework
Sign-in at the office upon arrival

4. Health and Well-Being
Please check in with your child and discuss how they are feeling each morning.
Many students come through the door each morning with aches and ailments and want to go to the nurse.
I have found that it is helpful if they have already talked to you about their issue.
Then I say “Did you tell Mom/Dad?” They say “Yeah, they said go to school.” I say, “Well then, I guess you should try to stick it out for a while.” If it is really nothing that is the end. If they really don’t feel well they come back and I send them to the nurse.

5. Our Daily Schedule
8:35-9:00 Opening- Morning Work, Journal, Pledge, Moment of Silence
Attendance- remember to send a note when your child is absent or needs to go home early or in a different way
Materials: Homework Folder, Agenda, binder and writer’s
notebook

6. RTI- Intervention Period ½ hour a day
Students will be grouped according to needs
The students will work on skills that they are struggling with or that were identified as needs on the DCAS.
Some students may go to other rooms or be serviced by other teachers at this time.

7. Word Work 9:00-9:30 Students will work on: Vocabulary
Prefixes, suffixes, and root words
Commonly misspelled words
Reading and figuring out words in context

8. Reading/Language Arts 9:30-10:30
Reader’s Workshop- students will Predict/read/summarize/connect to books in a particular genre
I will present mini-lessons on particular skills before they read
Students will complete a Reading Response Journal when they read
They will complete before, during and after reading entries.
We will also use the Scott Foresman reading materials to meet our reading goals.

9. Math 10:30-11:20
We are using the Math Trailblazers curriculum to present the 4th grade Core Curriculum.
Students complete Daily Practice Problems, lessons and practice activities, and Labs.
We will use Math Excel worksheets for morning work and homework.
I will also supplement with other materials as needed
Fourth Graders need to know their multiplication basic facts (Flash cards)

10. Lunch-11:20-11:50 Recess- 11:50-12:20
Please send your child to school every day prepared to go outside.
Please adhere to the dress code (no open backed shoes)
Students may not bring any “equipment” from home

11. Silent Reading/AR/Small Group/Work Completion 12:20-12:40
As students re-enter the classroom after recess, we take time to cool down or warm up.
Students are able to use the restroom/fill water bottles/get drinks
I use this time to work with students to complete assignments or reteach a concept
Students are reading books for AR or completing assigned work

12. Science 12:40-1:50 Kits: Structures of Life Electricity and Magnetism
Land and Water
Skywatchers
Graded on group experiments and classwork
Tests
Study Guides and quizzes

13. Social Studies 12:40-1:50
We will use classroom newspapers, textbooks and materials to investigate civics, geography, economics, and history
We will study these areas by using the State of Delaware as an example.
We study the Native Americans through the Revolutionary War
Students are graded on classwork, study guides, and quizzes

14. Related Arts 1:50-2:35 Technology with Ms. Bernal
Art with Ms. Phillips
Music with Ms. Murphy
Library with Ms. Marinelli-remember your books
Gym with Ms. Cox -remember sneakers
Spanish Experience with Ms. Palmer
Band with Ms. Peo
See the Related Arts Schedule for your child’s specific schedule

15. Writing/Language Arts 2:35-3:20
Writer’s Workshop
We will use the writing process- prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, publishing to write narrative, persuasive, informative, and creative pieces
Students will use rubrics to self assess their writing

16. Writing Journals
Due Dates are written in their agendas. (They are due near the end of each month.)
4 one page entries is the minimum amount of work required. They may always do more.
Journals are graded for neatness, quality, quantity, and proofreading.
They are worth 20 points.

17. Pack-up 3:20-3:35 We pack up all of our belongings to go home
Homework is placed in mailboxes and students are responsible for getting it on the way out
Math Excel sheets are given out in the morning and we go over the morning work portion at math time.

18. Band, Chorus and Strings
These are excellent additional programs that are offered through Linden Hill
Please address any concerns, questions, etc. about these programs and their schedules to the appropriate staff member
Students are responsible for any work they miss when they are out for these programs
I will provide them with the work by giving them a copy of anything they miss and listing the assignments on the board. It is their responsibility to ask any questions they have pertaining to the work and to make sure they hand the work in.

19. Homework Reading- students are expected to read
15 minutes each night and complete their reading summaries.
We will have one project each marking period
Math- students will have math homework most nights
Science and Social Studies homework, studying or projects will be given occasionally, as noted in the agenda
Word work will be given weekly. Students are responsible for knowing the definitions of the words and how to use them in context
Students will be asked to write in their writing journal at least once a week.

20. Agendas/Website
Please see the agenda for the homework assigned for each night and nightly reminders
Please sign the agenda to show that you have seen the homework for the night
Please write any notes, questions, or concerns about homework in the agenda
If your child is really struggling with an assignment please note that in the planner
Homework should not take longer than 45 min.- one hour

21. Grades Students in Fourth Grade receive letter grades
A=Excellent
B= Very Good 85-92
C=Satisfactory 77-84
D=Poor 70-76
F= Failure Below 70
Grades will be affected by class participation, homework, class work, projects, and tests

22. Behavior Students have a pocket on the chart in the back of the room
They start the day with a green card.
If they break the rules, they get a reminder.
If I have to speak to them again, they have to change their card to yellow and note this in their agenda.
If I have to speak to them again they get a red card and a note comes home for you to sign.
If they do not bring the note back the next day they will lose some of their recess time until they bring it back signed and I will have them call you to let you know to look for it.

23. Assessments Grade Level Assessments DCAS Star Reading
Classroom tests- they will be noted in the agenda and study materials will be sent home when applicable
Study Island

24. Home Access Center
You received a password to log into the HAC.
You can monitor your child’s grades and progress throughout the year by logging on.
Please send questions, concerns, comments about grades via or the planner.

25. Websites Study Island http://www.studyisland.com/
District
Linden Hill
My home page
Study Island

26. Other Little Tidbits
Volunteer training Oct. 9th at 6pm and Oct. 10th 9:30-10:30
Conferences are on the four half days and I will be sending home notices to schedule them.
distribution list-I will start sending home class messages via . If your information changes please let me know asap.
No Birthday foods allowed. District wellness policy.

27. PTA
Please be sure to join the PTA.
They support many of our programs.

28. Contacting Me
Please contact me as soon as you have a question, concern, problem or suggestion -
Phone (Before school 8-8:35) (Planning 1:50-2:35) (After school most nights until 4:15)
You may also write a note in the agenda or send a separate note with your child to school
I will try my best to always respond within 24 hours.