1. Welcome Back!!! 4 th Grade Mrs. Butzow Room 404 8-27-15

3. My name is Gina Butzow, and I am so excited to be teaching fourth grade at Meadow Ridge this year! I will be covering Mrs. Douglas’ classroom until she returns in January. I live in Orland Park with my husband and my two-year-old son, Logan. I love to travel, read, listen to country music, drink Starbucks and practice yoga!

4. Previous experience in Kindergarten, 1 st, and 4 th grades in Chicago and Frankfort. My favorite subject to teach is math, but I am REALLY looking forward to our new reading curriculum! My educational background… Bachelors Degree from University of IL Champaign Masters Degree from Loyola University Chicago

5. I am really looking forward to getting to know each of your children as individuals and helping assist in their academic growth this year. Goal Setting in the classroom One Goal Challenge

6. Students are expected to come to school prepared to learn everyday. Upon entering, each student will be responsible for emptying his/her take-home folder of any notes or homework and putting them in the appropriate place.

7. Lunch is at 11:00 with recess immediately following. Dismissal is at 2:30. Students will be asked to contribute to our classroom community by holding various “jobs” throughout the school year. We will do a lot of group and partner work. Students will come to understand the importance of collaboration and cooperation.

8. Students will be responsible for charging their iPad at home each night and returning it to school the following day. There may be homework that requires iPad or internet use. Please contact me if this will be a problem. iPads are for student use only – not to be used by siblings or friends. Beyond that, it is “your house, your rules.” Please review appropriate iPad usage and expectations with your child.

9. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Music PE Computers Music Art PE

10. We will use a colored system to monitor our behaviors in school this year. All students will start the day on green. PAW – Entered into weekly, school drawing Blue – Caught being a leader! Green – Good job! Rewards include positive praise, certificates, pencils, and extra recess.

11. Verbal Warning Yellow – Warning Orange – Write a note home Red - Minor

12. We will be using the new Schoolwide curriculum for reading and writing. This curriculum is set up around a workshop approach with a lot of small group instruction and 1:1 conferences. We will rotate through a mini-lesson, independent reading/work, and shared learning. Students will be graded in part based on their participation and effort during Reading and Writing workshop.

13. Hands-on approach to word study that teaches students to look closely at words to discover the spelling patterns and syllable structures that are needed for reading and writing. Individualized lists based on spelling skills The heart of the program is the sort, the process of grouping words that represent sounds into specific categories. Students will learn a variety of sorts and use them to study their word lists at home as well.

14. Once again we will be using Envisions math for the bulk of our instruction. Each student will have a math notebook, and they will learn how to take notes by chapter and lesson. These notes will be used in class and at home. Multiplication fact fluency is critical to success in fourth grade. Please spend 5-10 minutes a night practicing math facts with your child as a part of their nightly homework routine. There is an emphasis on explaining HOW students got to their answer.

15. Our Social Studies curriculum is theme based and will be integrated into our new Reading/ELA curriculum. Some topics we will cover this year include Map Skills, US Regions, Illinois History, and the US Government.

16. Students have a Science textbook. Science will be taught through note taking, videos, and a variety of hands-on science experiments. Some topics we will cover this year include Classification, Plants, Matter and Energy, Forces and Motion, and Simple Machines.

17. Read with your child as often as possible Support math fact fluency with multiplication and division flash cards or apps Practice keyboarding skills at home Check electronic assignment notebook daily Check Friday Folder and discuss

18. Homework will be assigned Monday - Thursday. Please check your child’s digital assignment book via my classroom page or the shortcut on their iPad. Students will get one “freebie” late assignment a month. This assignment will still need to be completed, but will not count against them as a late assignment. Beyond that, missing assignments will be counted and may prevent your child from participating in whole class rewards like extra recess time. If your child misses an assignment, a yellow note will come home informing you and requiring a parent signature. Three missing assignments will result in a minor.

19. 4 th graders will receive approximately 40 minutes of homework a night Monday - Thursday. Homework is usually not given on the weekend. A typical night of homework may include… 20 minutes of independent reading Spelling practice Math practice Completion of any class work not finished during the school day Correct and Returns (Fridays)

20. Every Friday your child will bring home a folder containing their graded papers from the week before. Please look them over and discuss good performance and areas that need improvement. Also, please check for papers that require a parent signature. Any paper that receives a grade of D or F will require a parent signature and have the option of Correct & Return. This will help your child’s grade overall, so please encourage their participation. Lastly sign the enclosed form and have your child return the folder on Monday.

21. Newsletters on the website weekly Friday Folders Questions? Call, email, or send a note to school with your child gbutzow@orland135.org 708-226-8404

22. I am looking forward to working with you and your child this school year!