About Our Classroom Website . . .

This website was created in order to improve communicaton with parents, display student work, and provide educational opportunities at home!  Please browse each tab to discover what is available for students, parents, and other members of the school community.  Some of the sites will be particularly useful for parents and students at home. Below gives a brief explanation of those tabs that will be especially be useful . . .

Weekly Newsletters:  Under this tab you will discover a review of the past school week, as well as, a preview for the upcoming week!
Written Works:  Under this tab you will find examples of student work on the blogs we have created.  Students will be posting their work throughout the school year!
Homework Help:  This tab provides information about homework in each subject, as well as, posts daily homework assignments.  Please check this tab daily in order to check homework assignments on a daily basis!
Perfect Practice:  This tab provides a variety of websites that students can access at home for additional math and reading practice!

Welcome Letter to Parents. . .

I am Miss Kalgren, your child’s fourth grade teacher for the 2010-2011 school year!   I am looking forward to an exciting year full of many learning experiences and I am sure that you and your child are, as well.  In this letter, I would like to share with you some of my beliefs and styles that will play a role in your child’s educational and social experiences this school year.

What are My Goals and Hopes for the School Year?

Each student’s learning over the approaching school year will be driven by both academic and social goals.  Most importantly are these social goals.  My goal for each fourth grade student is to develop into a responsible and independent citizen.  My classroom environment and teaching will foster decision making skills, successful completion of duties and daily tasks, and making appropriate choices and judgments about behaviors and actions.   I also believe in fostering a community of learners, in which problems are solved collectively and in a democratic process.


How Much Homework Should Students Expect?

Fourth grade is a new year marked by a heavy emphasis on student accountability and responsibility.  As the school year progresses, I will gradually increase the students’ opportunities to practice responsible behaviors and decision making, including homework and daily work.  The average child will have ½ hour of homework each evening, and maybe extra if there is a project.  We do the majority of seatwork at school so that I may assist students as needed.  Please let me know if your child is working too long on homework.  We will work together to find a solution.  I will be providing your child with a blue homework folder.  They will take this folder home each evening.  Please make sure to check your child’s folder to ensure that they are completing any homework assignments.  Under the "Homework Help" tab I will be posting daily homework assignments, as well.  Please use this tool if ever there is confusion about homework. 

What is My Management Style?

My goal is to create a classroom environment that fosters respect and responsibility, two important aspects of encouraging growth and learning.  In order to assist my fourth grade students as they begin their transition to becoming accountable and independent citizens, I will encourage students to make responsible decisions throughout the school day.  I will provide students opportunities to make decisions about how they will learn, as well as, provide them with chances to share their thoughts and opinions.  The management strategies I put to use in my classroom foster respect within the classroom, as well.  I use what is called a “social conference” in order to solve any problems that may arise in the classroom. This strategy involves the cooperation of both student and teacher to find the source of a problem and a logical solution to solve it. 

What Activities will the Students be Doing this Year?

I am a strong believer in providing students with a mixture of classroom experiences, including learning through exploration, self-discovery, and cooperative group work. My fourth grade students will be provided with a variety of learning situations, including group work, partner work, individual research and study, and whole group discussions and explorations.  To encourage group work and collaboration, students will be seated at tables according to teams which they will have for each quarter of the school year.  Students will have many opportunities to work with their classmates including projects, experiments and literacy circles.  I want students to learn how to work with others, how share their thoughts and ideas, and to realize how learning can happen in a variety of ways.

 
How Can Parents Help Their Child to be Successful?

A successful school year for your child relies on a team effort between both you and me.   At the beginning of the year, I will be sending home weekly student progress reports each Friday describing your child’s progress, including successes and areas in which he/she may need additional assistance at home.  These progress reports will need to be returned with a parent signature by the following Monday.  These reports will maintain an open line of communication between parents and teacher.  I will discontinue the progress reports if  and when weekly notification is no longer needed.  If at any time you would like to schedule a conference, please send in a note or call.  I will set-up a time to meet as quickly as possible.  The quickest way to contact me would be via email, bkalgren@clearfield.org, and via phone at school.  I welcome you to contact me about any concerns, ideas, or questions you may have as the school year progresses.                                                                                    
 
In addition to sending home weekly progress reports, I will be posting a weekly newsletter on this website under the "Weekly Website" tab.  I will review some of the highlights of the week, as well as, provide a preview for the upcoming week.  I hope that you take advantage of this newsletter in order to further support your child's fourth grade school year.  It will keep you connected with classroom events, projects, and news! 

What will Your Child Need for the School Year?

I will be providing the students with a TEAM art basket which will have markers, crayons, and pencils.  However, the items are limited due to recent budget cuts and I encourage all students to bring in their own supplies if they want to!  Supplies such as glue sticks, Elmer's glue, erasers, and regular #2 pencils always come in handy.  As with every classroom, supplies such as tissues, cleaning wipes, soaps, and antibacterials are always needed and welcomed too!

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter!  Together we can work to create a successful, exciting, and fun school year for all students in this fourth grade class!

Sincerely,

Miss Kalgren