1. A TRAIL GUIDE FOR FOURTH GRADE AT NORTON ELEMENTARY 2015-2016 Deep in the Heart of 4 th Grade

2. Teaching Teams Partners: Wheeler/VanWinkle Dreher/McGraw/Dobson

4. We Believe Our Job Is To… Inspire Excite Challenge Appreciate

5. Daily Itinerary Wheeler/VanWinkle Block 1 7:55 – 9:30 CASTLE 9:30 – 10:00 Block 1 Continued 10:00 – 10:45 Block 2 10:45 – 11:35 Lunch 11:35 – 12:05 12:10 -12:30 – Recess Block 2 12:30 – 2:05 Specials 2:05 – 2:50 Dismissal 2:50 – 2:55 Dobson/Dreher/McGraw Block 1 7:55 – 9:30 CASTLE 9:30 – 10:00 Block 1 10:00 – 10:10 Block 2 10:10 – 11:40 Lunch 11:40 – 12:10 Recess 12:10 – 12:30 Block 3 12:10 – 2:05 Specials 2:05 – 2:50 Dismissal 2:50 – 2:55

6. Tools for the Trail Fourth graders use binders to stay organized. Homework, the Norton Code of Conduct, unfinished work, reading logs, and agendas are kept in the binders. Students are required to bring their binders to school with them each day. Please check agendas nightly for notes and homework assignments.

7. Complete Nightly Work : Fourth graders have homework almost every night. Homework will consist of:  Math worksheets and/or technology  Reading a minimum of 30 minutes, four nights per week  Word Work practice packets  Reading Response Journal  Studying for Social Studies and Science tests  Some long term projects  Download CITRIX for your child to complete work at home.

8. Keep In Touch  If your fourth grader will be absent, please e-mail your homeroom teacher, and she will gather any missed work. Please let us know if you would like to pick up your child’s work at the end of the school day in the front office area.  Please turn in an absence note within 3 days of the absence.  Your child will have one day for each day missed to complete makeup work.  If there is a change in plans during the school day, contact the office.

9. Keep In Touch, continued….  If you have questions or concerns, please e-mail your child’s content specific teacher.  We welcome communication from you. Please understand that it may take 24 hours for a response.

10. Stay Connected  Wednesday Folders contain communication from school and completed graded work for you to keep.  Codes, Reading Logs, and Agendas are to be viewed and signed on Wednesday nights.  Fourth Grade Newsletters are emailed weekly and posted on webpages.

11. Know the Lay of the Land Language Arts Writing  Spiraling Process of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing  Word Work (grammar, spelling) Reading  Reading is Thinking!

12. Know the Lay of the Land, continued …

13. Lay of the Land, continued… Math  Drill and Practice- Need to know multiplication facts!  Problem Solving- critical thinking and multi-step problems  Content Instruction- modeling and guided practice (Many new skills this year.)  Learning Groups- assessments, work stations, reinforcement of skills  Math Journals- concepts, examples, strategies on solving problems  Websites have many resources to help your child

14. Know the Lay of the Land, continued… Science  Scientific Processes  Properties of Matter  Mixtures & Solutions  Energy, Force, & Motion  Shadows, Seasons, Moon, & Tides  Weather & Water Cycle  Soil, Weathering, Erosion, Deposition  Natural Resources  Life Cycles, Inherited Traits, & Adaptations  Food Chains & Food Webs

15. Know the Lay of the Land, continued… Social Studies-Texas History Map Skills/Geography Regions of Texas and the United States Texas Beginnings Influence on North America, Spain, and Mexico The Road to Statehood Civil War Cattle Industry and Oil Boom Elections/Government

16. Know the Lay of the Land, continued… CASTLE TIME  30 Minute block from 9:30 – 10:00  Time for Intervention and/or Enrichment  Access to various teachers and resources including, SSI, Dyslexia, ESL, and Speech  Students will move between groups as needed throughout the year

17. Avoid An Ambush AKA: Don’t be Caught off Guard at Report Card Time  Skyward is available for students and parents to view grades at any time.  Access Skyward through the family access link on the district website. http://www.allenisd.org/domain/73

18. Identify Friend or Foe  Conflicts occasionally arise in a classroom of nine and ten-year-olds.  Talk with your child about concerns.  Share concerns with teacher.  Teacher cannot discuss another child with you.

19. Use Technology  Fourth graders use a variety of technology during the school day and for homework.  Consider downloading CITRIX on your home computer.

20. Plan to Hit the Trail We will be taking several field trips this year including:  Connemara – 2-3 times (Science)  Ereckson Middle School Musical Performance  Mesquite Rodeo (Social Studies)  AT&T Stadium (TBD)

21. Shoot for the STAAR Fourth graders take 3 STAAR tests. (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) Math– rigorous math problem solving Writing– revising/editing and writing two compositions (narrative/expository) Reading – rigorous reading and comprehension They will also have benchmark and simulation testing days. We will have the dates posted in our newsletter and they will be on the Norton Website. Please be aware of these dates when making appointments.

22. PARENT CONFERENCES WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 15TH & 20TH WE WILL SEND OUT A PRE- CONFERENCE FORM AND AN INVITATION TO SIGN-UP GENIUS TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONFERENCE. Parent Conferences