Welcome!
Dear Parent(s),
I would like to welcome you to the 2011-2012 school year at Footprints Academy. I am very excited and honored to have the opportunity to work with your child this year. I am anticipating your child’s fourth grade school year to be exciting, fun, challenging and successful!
In this packet you will find an outline of the classroom policies, schedules, programs and other information to make the school year a success. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me at school or by email at emogren@footprintsacademy.com. My door is always open and I appreciate any feedback you may have.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mogren
Fourth Grade Supply List
6 pocket folders
- 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Blue & 1 of student’s choice
5 notebooks
- 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Blue
1 student planner (can be purchased on Back to School Night)
1 package of loose leaf paper (wide rule)
1 pack of 4x6 index cards
24 pencils
2 hand-held erasers
2 ink pens
1 pack of washable markers
1 box of colored pencils (12 count)
1 bottle of glue
1 glue stick
4 dry erase markers
1 yellow highlighter
1 container of anti-bacterial wipes
1 scissors
1 ruler (metric & standard)
1 USB flash drive (least costly)
2 packs of post-it notes (any color)
*Items in italics will be shared with the class.
Homework
Your fourth grader will receive homework most nights of the week. Every night, with the exception of Wednesdays, your child will be expected to read for a minimum of 20 minutes on top of other assignments which may be assigned as homework. The homework that is given to your child is to reinforce what was learned during the day. Homework is not work that your child should struggle with or that you should have to teach. If your child is given an assignment and he/she is having a difficult time completing it, please send a note to school with them letting me know the situation.
Footprints Academy’s policy states that no child will receive homework on Wednesday nights. My classroom policy is that if your child is given an assignment on a Wednesday; please note that it will not be due until Friday.
If your child is to miss a homework assignment without an excuse, a “Homework News” slip will be sent home. This is a slip that the child will fill out and is expected to have a parent sign and return the next day with the completed assignment.
Wednesday Folder
Every Wednesday, your child will be bringing home their file folder. This folder will include all of their corrected work for the week. Please empty the folder and return it to school on Thursday. On the cover of the file folder is a place for you to initial and comment on the great work your child is doing. Inside the file folder will also be our weekly newsletter.
File folders ensure that all work is being sent home in a neat and organized manner. Please note that if there is a test or quiz given, these will be sent home as soon as possible so that you can see how your child performed.
Super Star Students!
During the first week of school the children will be helping define the school and classroom expectations that they will be held accountable for during the school year.
All students are expected to follow the expectations we create together. When these expectations are not being met, we will use the following system:
- The child receives a verbal warning.
- The teacher will redirect the student making sure the student knows the consequences if the behavior continues.
- A logical consequence is given. It is at this point that you will receive some communication from me, either verbal or written, as to what occurred.
- We start fresh!
“Super Star Students” is my way of acknowledging excellent behavior within the classroom and school. When your child follows class expectations and goes above and beyond the call of duty, your child will be rewarded with a ticket. Your child will put their name on the ticket and place it in the STAR JAR. At the end of each month there will be a class raffle for various prizes!
Portfolios
Portfolios are a collection of work samples throughout the year. What makes portfolios so wonderful is that they provide an authentic way to assess a child’s growth.
Each child will have a place in the classroom, accessible to them, where they can store self-selected work that they are especially proud of. Each item that your child selects will also have a reflection sheet attached that will tell why he/she selected that piece for their portfolio.
In addition to the students’ portfolios, I will be keeping a separate portfolio for them that will contain test scores, observations and academic checklists.
As you may know, students put a lot of time and effort into their portfolios. We will celebrate their hard work with you at conferences and during celebrations throughout the year.
Grading
In fourth grade your child will be receiving letter grades on his/her report card. Some assignments that your child turns in for grading will be graded for completion and other assignments will be awarded points. All major projects will have a rubric so that your child knows how their project will be evaluated.
Healthy Morning Snack
Fourth graders will be eating lunch at 12:30 p.m. each school day. Your child may bring a healthy morning snack or buy a snack from the cafeteria ($.50) to fuel their minds and allow for optimal learning. Please remember that all snacks must be PEANUT FREE!
Medications
Medication cannot be administered to a child unless a completed prescription/non-prescription form is filled out by the child’s legal guardian. Please see the Footprint Academy’s Parent Handbook for more details.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Students are welcomed to enter the classroom at 8:30 a.m. Students who are dropped off early will be asked to go to Trailblazers.
At 3:25 p.m. each day, students will be walked to the gymnasium as a class. All students must line up in the gym before they are allowed to be dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Your child will need to be picked up at the gym by a parent/guardian to be dismissed. If your child can not be picked up before 3:45 p.m., we will walk them to where the Trailblazer friends are and they will join them until you pick them up. We are hoping this allows for a smoother dismissal/pick-up for all families. Thank you for your help with this.
Uniform Policy
The basic FPA uniform requirements are as follows:
*Navy or white tops (Children in grades 4-6 may wear maroon, purchased through Dennis uniform store.)
*long sleeves, short sleeves, turtle necks acceptable
*boys’ shirts must have collars
*bottoms must be khakis
A “Uniform Reminder” slip will be sent home if your child is not in proper uniform. Please see the FPA Handbook for further explanation of the policy.