Hello Parents and Students! Welcome back to South Loop for an exciting new school year in the 4th grade! Our goal is to help each child in our classes reach their fullest potential, while supporting their social and emotional needs. In this bulletin, you will find information regarding our classroom policies and procedures, as well as our contact information. Please be sure to read through this informational letter and become familiar with our classroom rules. We look forward to working with all of you throughout the 2017-2018 school year!
Ms. Julianne Knox, Mrs. Gucciardo, & Ms. Ryan Shannon
Leader In Me As in the previous school years, we will be implementing the Leader In Me program at South Loop. Each month we will focus on a new habit of the Month, using the following schedule: September: Be Proactive October: Begin with the End in Mind November: Put First Things First December: Think Win-Win January: Seek First to Understand, then to Be Understood February: Synergize March: Sharpen The Saw April, May, June: TBD
Each month we will choose two “Leaders of the Month” in the classroom. In order to be chosen, a student must exhibit the following: All homework completed on time Wear your uniform every day Follow the 7 habits of Happy Kids Be prepared for class Perfect Attendance & on time to school Excellent behavior
Students will keep a Leader In Me binder they will update each week. In this binder there will be five areas of focus that include personal and academic goals, ongoing learning, leadership roles, and academic celebrations. Make sure to ask your child about the goals they set during the first week of school! If you are not already familiar with Leader In Me and the 7 Habits of Happy Kids, please visit www.theleaderinme.org to learn more.
Behavior System This year we will be implementing Class Dojo in 4th grade. Each day every student will have an opportunity to receive Points and Pride Paws for exhibiting respectful and positive behavior that reflects the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Points will be given for routine positive behavior (i.e. sharing a pencil, first to be ready, etc.) and Pride Paws will be given for exemplary behavior that is aligned with the 7 Habits (i.e. choosing to listen to a classmate first during a disagreement instead of engaging in an argument).
Students will collect their Points (5 Points by the end of the week = 1 Pride Paw) and Pride Paws to exchange them for a reward each month. The rewards for Pride Paws are: Late Homework Pass (1 page) – 10 Pride Paws Show & Tell – 10 Pride Paws Out of Uniform – 15 Pride Paws Extra Recess – 20 Pride Paws 30 Minutes of Free Time – 20 Pride Paws Lunch with the Teacher – 25 Pride Paws Teachers chair for the day – 25 Pride Paws
When students exhibit disruptive and negative behavior that does not reflect the qualities of a Leader, they will lose a Class Dojo point. In addition to behavior, students can also lose points for unpreparedness, lack of materials, and missing homework. The consequences for each check are outlined below. -1 point:Verbal Warning -2 points:Behavior Lesson and Log -3 points:Detention
Science My name is Mrs. Gucciardo, and I will be your child's Science teacher this year. We will be covering many aspects of Science this year, including Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science, and Space and Technology. I will be following the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) throughout the year to fully prepare the students for their Science academic career. Students will be tested over each chapter every one to two weeks depending on the length of the chapter, and we will be taking notes throughout. It is imperative that students study their notes each night so that they are prepared for tests well in advance. I will also be providing students with a study guide containing vital information from the chapters and important vocabulary terms. I look forward to meeting everyone and working with you all this school year.
Classroom Corrections Policy If a student receives a score of 79% or below on tests, they will have the option to make corrections for one day after it has been returned to them. Each correction needs to be explained or with new work shown. This can be done either at school or at home. The original score and the corrections score will be averaged together for a final score. Homework and Classwork cannot be corrected. Late Work Policy
This year South Loop has implemented a school-wide late work policy. Each day that an classwork assignment is late will be 10% off the grade for up to three days. After a chapter has been completed in class, the student will no longer be able to turn in work from that chapter for a grade.
Students will be given weekly Reading and Math homework packets on Monday mornings that will be due the following Monday morning. For each day that a homework packet is late, there will be a 10% deduction from the total score of the packet for up to three days. This will begin the first week that homework is given and will continue throughout the remainder of the school year. Each homework packet will have a cover page checklist for students to know what they are expected to complete. Science will be tested every one to two weeks depending on the chapter length. Students should be studying their science notes every night.
Technology This year students will use school e-mail when working on projects. Each student will receive his or her CPS E-mail address and password from their teacher. Students will only have the capability to e-mail each other and their teachers. Please look for this information in the near future. Students will also be using different websites and apps to further their educational growth.
Dismissal Students will be dismissed through the Main Entrance door. Children who are not picked up by 3:40 PM will be free to go, unless otherwise specified by the parent. You can request to have your child wait outside of the Main Office. Please provide an e-mail or note if you will be allowing your child to leave with another student.
Leadership Roles Throughout the school year, students will have the opportunity to have a leadership role in our classrooms each quarter. This provides our students with a wonderful opportunity to take on some responsibility in their environment. The roles are: Classroom Messenger: Sends messages/notes to the office or other teachers Librarians: Keeps our library tidy and organized Technology Crew: Makes sure our devices are charged and used properly Bathroom Monitors: Monitors the bathrooms during class bathroom breaks Clean-Up Crew: Keeps our class floors and desks tidy, helps with lunchroom clean up Paper-Passer/Mailbox: Pass out papers to mailboxes, Sharpens pencils Door Holder: Holds doors open for our class as we walk through the building Recess Monitor: Checks if recess will be indoors or outdoors Greeter: Greets any visitors to our classroom and explains what the class is doing Substitute: Collects work for students that are absent and places it in the absent folder Caboose: Turns off lights and checks that everyone is out of the classroom Board Eraser: Erases the board Window Monitor: Pulls the shades down Clipboard Carrier: Carries the discipline clipboard for their class throughout the day Cubby Crew: Monitors the cleanliness of the cubbies
Ongoing Updates Periodically we will send the room parents an e-mail with new information and updates for our classes. The room parents will forward this on to the rest of the parents. We use these e-mails as our way to inform parents of events at school, field trips, assignments, issues in the classroom, need for supplies, etc. We will also be using Class Dojo daily and you can check that for more frequent updates, along with our classroom websites.