Class Disclosure
Welcome to Mrs. Curtis’s Fourth-grade Class
2024-2025
I am very excited to be your child’s fourth grade teacher this year! Fourth grade is a great year in which we study many exciting new ideas.
Parent-Teacher Communication
Parents and teachers are a team, working together for the students. Thus, I feel communication is crucial.
If you ever have any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at jcurtis@dsdmail.net or call directly to my classroom before or after school at (801)402-3383. You may also stop by after school any time.
For regular communication, I will be sending a weekly email with the class newsletter; a hard copy will be sent home as well. They will also be posted in Canvas, along with other general information you may need. I feel communication is very important.
Volunteers
Let me know if you are interested in helping. Background checks are required now and can be done at the district HR department by appointment. There is a link to the volunteer sign up sheet on my canvas website.
Daily Schedule
Math will be first thing in the morning. Lunch for fourth graders is at 11:50. We will have reading after lunch and science and social studies after last recess. The specialist classes are listed below.
The specialist classes are listed below.
Specialists: Library – Monday 1:25, remember to bring books
Music – Tuesday 1:25,
P.E. – Wednesday 1:25, don't forget to wear appropriate shoes
Computer– Thursday 1:25,
Art - Friday, 12:30, every other week
Classroom Management
For the best possible learning to occur, our classroom should be a safe place where all students as well as the teacher are respectful and kind to each other. It should be free of distractions which keep others from learning. Transitions from one activity to another or from one location to another should be quiet and speedy to avoid wasting valuable learning time. To achieve this ideal, my classroom expectations are as follows:
1. Listen and follow directions.
2. Stay on task and
3. Use hand signals to get out of seat.during a lesson
4. Keep hands and feet to self.
5. Respect classmates, teacher and school.
The first few weeks of school we will discuss and review what these expectations look like in the classroom. I have several positive rewards for good classroom behavior. Students will earn “L.E.A.D.ing the Voyage” tickets for individual behavior which can be used in a drawing for prizes. Also, stars can be earned by the class for excellent whole-class behavior at preps, lunch, walking in the hall, transitions, and so forth and can be used towards class rewards or parties. Also, students who have finished all their work for the week will be able to participate in a fun activity on Friday. This will allow me to give assistance to the ones who are behind and need extra help or support to get caught up.
Also, to help students understand that our decisions have consequences, the following will occur when a student does not follow one of the class expectations:
- Verbal Reminder with 5 minutes off recess
- Break in the classroom with 10 minutes off recess or walk the track
- Break in another classroom with 20 minutes off recess or walk the track
- Letter home to parents
- Office referral
If there is a safe-school violation, or another serious offense, the first steps will be skipped.
Teaching students to be responsible for their own learning and behavior will take a combined effort between school and home. I would appreciate support of the school rules at home. It makes a huge difference in a student’s behavior if they know that they are held accountable for their school behavior at home too.
Homework and Home Reading
Our district recommends fourth graders spend about 40 minutes each night on homework. Homework in my class is practice only and does not count on the student’s grade other than toward academic responsibility. The time should be broken down as follows: (Note: The time is a little more than 40 minutes Monday - Thursday, and less on Friday.)
- 25 minutes of independent reading and/or working on a book project Monday-Friday or 100 minutes per week.
- 15 minutes of math practice Monday-Thursday
- Any assignments that did not get done in class, and occasional projects that will need to be done at home, such as a monthly book report.
I do not require students to keep track of the number of minutes they read. Instead I assign a book project each month to demonstrate their learning from what they read that month. It will be a different genre each month to give students exposure to books they wouldn't normally choose to read.
Each Monday I will send home a weekly newsletter with the week’s homework listed. It will include the vocabulary words. A math page will go home each day based on the skill we learned that day. If it is too difficult for your child to do without help, he or she can choose to practice basic math facts or some other math practice. Please have your child bring math page back to school each day so we can check for understanding. Watch for important notes and graded work which will be sent home from time to time.
Please Note: Any graded assignment or test may be redone and then resubmitted for a new score. I highly recommend students do this.
Absences and Missing Work
Attendance in class is important, but I want you to feel comfortable about keeping your child home when he/she is sick. Students will be able to access most of the class materials through Canvas both at school and at home. When students are absent, they will have extra time to do the work. I do accept late work, but I will reward students who turn it in on time. Students will receive a “Reliable” ticket when work is completed on time and according to directions. These tickets will be put in a weekly drawing for prizes.
Grading
Parents can check their child’s scores at any time by logging into the district’s Student Information System on my.DSD. Some assignments, such as homework, are considered practice and will only influence their academic responsibility grade.
Davis district uses a 3-point grading system in elementary school. The following is the breakdown: 3= 85-100% (Meets or exceeds grade-level standards) 2= 60-84% (Below grade-level standards) and 1= 59% and below (Far below grade-level standards).
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Our class will be using a data folder to track students’ progress. Students will set personal goals as well. Parents will be able see these at our conferences.
Conferences this year will be held October 2 & 3, and January 29 & 30. They are a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s leaning and review your child’s progress toward his/her goals.
Birthdays and “Voyager-of-the-Week”
Each week we will highlight one student as our Voyager-of-the-Week to spotlight. The students will create an All-about-Me page during the first week of class and it will be displayed during their week. More information about this will be on the Voyager-of-the-Week information page on my Canvas website, as well as a handout given the first day of school.
For birthdays, treats are allowed, but optional. For students with summer birthdays, we will celebrate a half-birthday instead. Please see the handout for that schedule as well.
Book Orders
Scholastic book orders are a great way to build your home library and help build our class library at the same time. I will send a flyer home each month. Orders can be made online or handed to the teacher and are due by the 15th of each month. Register and shop for books at http://clubs.scholastic.com/. Our class code is NXXP9.
Toys, Electronics, and Cell Phones
Students should keep all personal toys and electronics at home. They can be a distraction, or they get lost or broken. This includes fidget toys and Pokémon cards. Cell phones are permitted at school but are only allowed to be used before and after school. Please don't try to communicate with your child during the day through cell phones or watches; call the office instead. There are some exceptions to this policy as authorized by the administration.