1. Parents, Welcome Back To School!
Please feel free to use the note card on your child’s desk to write them a little note and hide it somewhere inside! They love finding these notes randomly throughout the year!
The paper on your desk is for you to write down any notes/reminders that you feel you will need later. This entire PowerPoint can be found on my website if you would need to reference it later.

2. Introduction

3. Contact Information
Mrs. Nicole (Nikki) Hower
Phone:
** I check my daily (and frequently throughout the day) and will typically respond to you within 12 hours. If your requires a longer response, I will at least let you know that I received your and will get back to you when I have an opportunity to write a response warranted to your question. If I don’t respond to you within 24 hours, I probably did not receive your and you should re-send it! **

4. Differentiated Math Groups with Mrs. Deitrich,
Mrs. Popadak, and Mrs. Stec
Students will be placed in leveled math groups according to individual need.
Placement in groups is fluid, meaning, students can move from one level to another depending on the topic and their individual need.
Students will be given a pre test prior to every chapter. This pre test will help determine what the child’s need is based on the given topic. This is not a situation where they will be “stuck” in one group for the entire year. (For example: some students may be strong in geometry and weaker with money.) The pre-test will determine the best rate of instruction for a given topic/chapter.

5. Students will learn the same material in all groups
Students will learn the same material in all groups. The rate of delivery may vary.
Students will be given the same assessments in all groups. (Adaptations may be used if necessary)
Homework may vary between groups.
At the beginning of the chapter, your child will write down who their Math teacher is in their assignment book for your information.

6. Special Schedule Day 1 ~ Library Day 2~ Music Day 3~ BONUS Day 4~ Art
Day 5~ Phys. Ed
Day 6~ Technology
BONUS SPECIALS FOR THE YEAR:
1st marking period: Technology
2nd marking period: Music
3rd marking period: Phys. Ed.
4th marking period: Library

7. 3 tabs for Parents to Check:
Binders
Bring home and back to school every day.
Student is responsible for the binder. Parents,
do not remove papers unless instructed to by your child (with the exception of the Parent Info tab.)
3 tabs for Parents to Check:
Homework: This is where your child’s homework for the night will be kept.
Parent Info: This is where any newsletters or information sheets from the district or community will be. Please empty this tab each night.
Graded Work: This is where all assignments given a grade (with the exception of large tests that are not permitted to be sent home) will be kept. This is a great place to check to keep up with your child’s progress.
I love my
Binder!

8. Missed Homework Translated onto Report Card
20 minutes of reading each night
Monday – Thursday. Reading log sheets due Friday morning.
There will be homework each
evening. I try not to give homework on Friday’s with the exception of studying for upcoming exams. Homework not done or forgotten will be made up at recess and counted as a miss.
Missed Homework Translated onto Report Card
0-1 Missed Assignments = O
2-3 Missed Assignments = S
4-5 Missed Assignments = P
6+ Missed Assignments = N

9. Spelling
Differentiated spelling lists…the child creates their own list.
Every child will have a different list based on their individual spelling needs.
All words are from the Houghton Mifflin 4th grade series.

10. ProgressBook
The absolute best way to keep up with your child’s academic success is to check Progressbook on a frequent basis. Grades will typically be posted within a day or two of a quiz and within a week of a larger assessment. If you have any questions, please contact me immediately.

11. Miscellaneous
** Mrs. Deitrich will be your child’s Social Studies teacher this year, I will be teaching both her class and my class Science.
** The Bean Jar will be used as positive reinforcement.
** If your child needs more than one reminder about a poor choice, they will spend time at recess writing you a note explaining their poor choice and how they will fix it for the next time.
** No birthday treats (school wide ban)

12. Explanation of Writing Weights
The writing grade includes a wide variety of writing skills and measurements. The total grade includes weekly spelling tests, theme test writing, classroom writing, editing, and grammar quizzes and tests. Spelling tests are given approximately nine times a marking period and only include predetermined lists of words. Grammar and convention grades are important, but are isolated writing skills. Composition is the measure of a student’s ability to use these individual skills to communicate an idea or information successfully to the reader. Composition grades are not given as frequently due to the amount of time needed for modeling, practice, and feedback. Writing sub skill grades are weighted to ensure that the overall writing grade reflects the student’s ability to master all sub skills taught and effectively communicate to the reader.