Policies and Procedures
Birthdays
How to celebrate
A longstanding tradition in Room 11, started by a student, is to have the birthday child read a picture book to the class.
• Your child may donate a book to the class library.
• Your child may read a book to the class.
• Your child may bring in favors such as pencils, stickers, etc.
Please do not send in cupcakes, brownies, etc. District policy states that sugary treats should not be brought into class. We do have several students with food allergies, as well.
Communication
Lines of communication are always open between teacher and student.
• "I Wish My Teacher Knew..." - Students place a question, concern, or compliment into the 'jar.' It could be something like, "I'm having a hard time with _____. Could you meet with me and go over it?" or I saw _______ be kind during recess when she invited that other person to play."
• Incorporate social emotional learning by having Community discussions revolving around topics such as Belonging, Friendship, Integrity, Respect, Perseverance, etc.
• Positive notes and comments given often
Lines of communication are always open between teacher and parent.
• Written notes and email are the best forms of communication
• Email is checked before and after school. Occasionally, our school internet is down. I will let you know when, and if, that occurs.
• Email will be returned within a 48 hour period. Please DO NOT leave me a message on the school voicemail system (I've been locked out of my voice message box for at least 3-4 years!)
• Notes home
• Papers and tests go home in the Parent Communication Folder
• Long term assignments (book reports, research projects) go home for parent signature when assigned
• Conferences / appointments made when necessary
• Students complete a weekly reflection which is brought home for you to read and sign.
Classroom Management
• Students are encouraged to develop strong self discipline.
• Students must show respect to others and abide by school and classroom rules. Occasionally, a behavior contract is necessary.
• Parents are notified of any discipline issues or noticeable changes in behavior.
• Parents are also notified if a child does something great that warrants acknowledgement!
Homework
• Expect homework Monday through Thursday in math and another subject
• An “Oh, No!” slip will be issued, and a parent’s signature required, for any missed assignments.*
• Students will have 1 day to make up the missed assignment, after that the assignment will be completed at S.O.S.
Quality work is stressed which includes neatness, completeness, proper headings, and following directions.
It is vitally important that parents check their children’s organizer each night!
* We all make mistakes sometimes, and we all forget things. An occasional “Oh, No!” slip is not a problem. If it becomes a weekly occurrence, a conference will be held.
PLEASE, DO NOT rescue your child by bringing in forgotten homework.
Standards
The district follows a standards based education philosophy:
• Standards are a description of the knowledge, concepts, and skills children are expected to have mastered by the end of a particular grade level.
• Standards identify what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level K-12.
• The goal of standards based education is to increase the achievement of all students through the use of content and performance standards.
Differentiation at all levels, in all areas, is incorporated into our classroom. Differentiation doe not mean a child who needs a challenge is given a 'packet' - more work does not mean differentiation. It means more work. Students will be offered different opportunities to show their knowledge or go future/deeper into a subject.
Elementary schools in our district use Standards Based Grading:
3 - End of year standards demonstrated consistently
This does not directly correlate with an A as a 3 can be anywhere from an 88% - 100%
2 - End of year standards are developing
1 - End of year standards not yet demonstrated
NS - Needs additional support
This is not a negative! It's just pointing out an area where more practice/growth would be beneficial.
On a test, grading is straight forward - if a test is worth 100%, and there are 20 questions, that means each question is worth 5 points. If a child is missing
a label on a word problem (in math), it is - 1% point.
CA Common Core ELA Standards
CA Common Core Math Standards
CA Social Studies Standards
NGSS science standards
Student 360 Dispositions
Persistence and Grit
Autonomy and Independence
Collaborative Communities
Mindfulness and Thoughtfulness
On a test, grading is straight forward - if a test is worth 100%, and there are 20 questions, that means each question is worth 5 points. If a child is missing a label on a word problem (in math), it is - 1% point.
Students are also evaluated and assessed in the following ways:
• observation
• review of assignments done at school and at home
• benchmarks - projects/investigations that tell what a student knows and can do in a particular unit of study
• oral participation and presentation
• reading / math logs
• writing folders
•Weekly Reflection