Hi Parents,
Wow, it is hard to believe we are already in our second week of school. Things will begin to pick up now with homework, so be sure to check your child's planner nightly and help him/her get into the routine of completing the homework for the night. Remember it is due the next day. Don't forget to sign each day and initial the minutes your child reads at home nightly.
We have just started our first 4th grade CORE novel called Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. Your child should have it in his/her planner to read tonight. Please do not let your child read ahead in our class novel. Just have him/her read the AR book checked out after the nightly assignment is done. If your child does need to read a bit in the class novel for homework, this can count toward the 20 minutes of reading.
We do have our first Spelling list of the year this week. It is stapled into your child's planner. Tonight you can have him/her study the words, and tomorrow we will begin writing sentences in class. In the future, you can have your child begin sentence work on Monday night.
Please don't think that the math homework listed on my blog is for your child encessarily. We do switch for math classes, so check the link on my blog to your math teacher to find your child's math homework each night.
Don't forget! This Wednesday night is Back to School Night for all parents. Our meeting will not take longer than one hour, but it is SO important for you to understand our 4th grade routines. In the past, kids whose parents come to Back to School Night do far better in adjusting to 4th grade than those students whose parents did not attend. I hope to see everyone here. We will also have volunteer sign-ups then!
Please don't hesitate to email or call me if you have any questions or concerns about anything. I look forward to getting to know all of you!
Fondly,
Liz
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Stafford's Scoop
WELCOME TO OUR CLASS OF 2011-2012!
Hi Prents,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Liz Stafford, and I am thrilled to be your child's 4th grade teacher this year. I have been teaching at Zach for eight years now, and seven of those years have been in 4th grade. Before that I taught at Kruse Elementary in the Gifted and Talented program. Teaching children is my passion, and I love partnering with parents to foster the overall growth for your child.
Thank you to everyone who came to our Open House on Thursday. It was nice meeting all of you, and it will make Monday a smoother day for your child! If you weren't able to make it, just come into the class early on Monday, and I'll help get your child ready.
I believe that 4th grade is such a special year for children. They are considered the "big" kids of the school now. They have a new goal of reading to learn rather than learning to read. They begin receiving letter grades which will continue through college now, rather than the primary version of grades. They will have planner to keep track of nightly homework. They are definitely going to have a big year.
Simultaneous with these changes your children will experience this year, we will work on organization. I don't want you to think that I expect your child to walk into 4th grade being organized and resonsibile. This is a trait/skill that takes many years to develop. Therefore, I hope you and I can work together as a team to help model and support for each child how this looks and feels to be organized. Some kids are born this way. Others are not. We will work to help everyone in the class at the level at which he/she is. No worries!
I hope you all can make our Back To School Night on August 31st at 6:00 a priorty for your child. Being at this meeting helps to get your child off on the right foot for the year because all of us will "be in the loop" of knowing what is expected for the year. Plus, I just really like to put names with faces and get to know you all. So, please jot down 6:00-7:00 on Aug. 31st in my classroom!
If you have any questions before then, I have an open door policy that you can come talk with me anytime at all. I'd rather you tell me any ideas or concerns right away than wait and see how it goes. My class number is 488-5159. My email is estaffor@psdschools.org. I will get back to you as soon as possible if you have to leave a message.
My motto in my class is, "Behold the mighty turtle, for he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." Let's make this a great year for your children. I am honored to be a part of their lives.
Sincerely,
Liz
Hi Prents,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Liz Stafford, and I am thrilled to be your child's 4th grade teacher this year. I have been teaching at Zach for eight years now, and seven of those years have been in 4th grade. Before that I taught at Kruse Elementary in the Gifted and Talented program. Teaching children is my passion, and I love partnering with parents to foster the overall growth for your child.
Thank you to everyone who came to our Open House on Thursday. It was nice meeting all of you, and it will make Monday a smoother day for your child! If you weren't able to make it, just come into the class early on Monday, and I'll help get your child ready.
I believe that 4th grade is such a special year for children. They are considered the "big" kids of the school now. They have a new goal of reading to learn rather than learning to read. They begin receiving letter grades which will continue through college now, rather than the primary version of grades. They will have planner to keep track of nightly homework. They are definitely going to have a big year.
Simultaneous with these changes your children will experience this year, we will work on organization. I don't want you to think that I expect your child to walk into 4th grade being organized and resonsibile. This is a trait/skill that takes many years to develop. Therefore, I hope you and I can work together as a team to help model and support for each child how this looks and feels to be organized. Some kids are born this way. Others are not. We will work to help everyone in the class at the level at which he/she is. No worries!
I hope you all can make our Back To School Night on August 31st at 6:00 a priorty for your child. Being at this meeting helps to get your child off on the right foot for the year because all of us will "be in the loop" of knowing what is expected for the year. Plus, I just really like to put names with faces and get to know you all. So, please jot down 6:00-7:00 on Aug. 31st in my classroom!
If you have any questions before then, I have an open door policy that you can come talk with me anytime at all. I'd rather you tell me any ideas or concerns right away than wait and see how it goes. My class number is 488-5159. My email is estaffor@psdschools.org. I will get back to you as soon as possible if you have to leave a message.
My motto in my class is, "Behold the mighty turtle, for he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." Let's make this a great year for your children. I am honored to be a part of their lives.
Sincerely,
Liz
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