Dear Parents of 4th Grade Students,
We are delighted to have your child in 4th Grade at Blackland Prairie Elementary. We’re looking forward to a year of learning, growing, and discovering together. Please be sure to read your Blackland Prairie Student - Parent Handbook that addresses many important procedures, along with the Round Rock I.S.D. Handbook. This letter is intended to address items specific to our classrooms.
Other items of interest include:
You may call anytime and leave a message on your child’s teacher’s voice mail. Telephone calls are generally not answered during instructional periods of the day, but the call will be returned at the earliest possible break in the teacher’s schedule. In the event of an emergency, please contact the school office for immediate attention. The telephone numbers of the 4th Grade teachers and the office are listed below:
Blackland Prairie Office 512-424-8600
Attendance Office 512-424-8601
Carmen Scott 512-424-8668
Lori Keller 512-424-8672
Emily Rice 512-424-8686
Courtney Williamson 512-424-8685
Mary Angelich 512-424-8687
David Crawford 512-424-8684
Brittany Cortez 512-424-8670
Ryan Bilski 512-424-8675
Teachers may also be contacted by email: “first name_last [email protected]”
The classroom telephone is not intended to be used by the students.
- Upon arrival, all students are to remain in the cafeteria until 7:20 A.M. At that time, the students may go the 4th Grade Hallway and wait until 7:30 A.M. At the direction of their teachers, they may enter their classrooms.
Any student entering the classroom after 7:40 A.M. will be recorded as tardy. If a student is tardy, then (s)he must report to the office before going to the classroom. The student will get a “pass to class” from the attendance clerk to take to the homeroom teacher.
- Fourth grade dismissal will start at 2:55 P.M. for car riders in the front of the school unless a kindergarten or first grade sibling attends BPE. In that instance, car riders dismiss in the back of the school. Parents are encouraged to carpool with other families to cut down on the amount of traffic around our school and for the safety of our students. Walkers and bike riders will be dismissed at 3:07.
- Students will go outside for recess if the weather permits. During the hot weather months, we recommend that students wear clothing that is appropriate for outdoor activities and that complies with the student dress code as outlined in the Blackland Prairie Student-Parent Supplemental Handbook. (Keep in mind that shorts must be “finger-tip” length or longer, no spaghetti strap blouses, no inappropriate messages on t-shirts, etc.)
- Homework may be given any day, Monday through Thursday. Each 4th grader is required to read a minimum of 20 minutes each evening. Your child will be responsible for writing the daily homework assignments in his/her Assignment Notebook. Please check to ensure your child is completing his/her assignments nightly. Teachers’ websites will be updated weekly.
- Every Thursday your child will bring home their Thursday Folder containing work from the previous week and important information pertaining to school & community functions. The “ eBackpack” link on the Blackland Prairie website is also a great resource for school and community events and information.
- The Grading Policy for 4th Grade is based on weighted averages dependent on the types of assignments. Reports, tests, or projects count as 30% of the student’s 9-week average. Daily work counts as 60% and Homework is 10%. Late work may have a deduction of 10 points. The number of daily grades, tests, etc. will vary from teacher to teacher.
When a student scores below a 70% on a test or daily work, he/she may correct the assignment for a “redo” grade that is no higher than a 70%. All corrections must be turned in within 10 days of the student receiving the graded assignment.
- Students will be taking three state level assessments this year. The three STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) tests are given in writing, math, and reading. These assessments will be administered in March and May.
- At Blackland Prairie we are working on leadership skills by implementing the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. You will see information coming from the school and your students’ teachers throughout the year.
The privilege of teaching your child is a serious responsibility. We value your partnership and look forward to working with you this school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the telephone numbers listed in this packet.
Sincerely,
The 4th Grade Teachers
Math
There are many math skills that will be covered throughout the year. Some skills include double digit multiplication, long division, customary and metric units of measurement, geometry, and graphing. Problem solving is a significant part of our curriculum. We encourage the students to solve problems as many ways as possible. In order to make problem solving easier, your child needs to know their facts quickly. Not only does knowing the multiplication and division facts make problem solving easier, it will help students in many areas of 4th grade math, and also build math confidence.
Science
The major concepts that students will learn this year are:
Life Science – Plant and Animal Adaptations
Physical Science – Sun, Energy, Properties of Matter, Point of Reference
Earth Science – Soil, Weather, Water Cycle, Ocean Currents
Nature of Science – Scientific Process and Science Fair Projects
Students will take tests and/or do projects at the end of each unit, as well as participate in labs. Students will also learn how to take notes and derive meaning from the textbooks. Journals will be used for note taking and collecting important handouts, diagrams, lab forms, etc. throughout the year. Students are required to submit an experimental project for either fair entry and classroom credit or classroom credit only.
Social Studies
Throughout the year, students will learn about the history of Texas from its early beginnings to the present within the context of influences from the Western Hemisphere. We will learn about the four regions of Texas, early settlers, explorers, conflict and resolutions, as well as the branches of government. We will also learn about map skills and landforms.
4th Grade Language Arts Expectations
Our aim is to nurture and develop our students in language arts. Below are some of the ways we intend to enhance our students’ writing, reading, and spelling abilities.
Writing
Six Writing Traits – Students will learn the Six Writing Traits throughout the fall semester, and they will practice using those traits to enhance their writing. The Six Traits are … Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Construction, and Conventions.
Writers’ Journals– It is important that students practice getting their thoughts down on paper. One way that we accomplish this is through writing in a journal. Students will practice and publish many forms of writing.
Revision/ Editing Exercises & Weekly Tests – We will go over basic language skills through our weekly editing and revision exercises. The students will take a revision and editing test towards the end of each week. The STAAR Writing Test is divided into two parts. There is a multiple-choice section which covers language skills … spelling, grammar usage, capitalization, punctuation, and revision. The second section focuses on written expression. Writing passages will be used to assess student progress throughout the year.
Writing Homework –During the second semester, students will have written expression assignments on a daily basis. The expectations are reasonable … Monday – brainstorm for ideas and develop a plan; Tuesday – write an introductory paragraph; Wednesday – write the body or the three supporting paragraphs, using lots of elaboration; Thursday – write a concluding paragraph and revise & edit the entire paper. The final papers will be due on Fridays. Although the papers should be neat, we do not require that the students rewrite their papers in “published” form. Using editing symbols and insertions is acceptable.
By this time in the school year, most of the students will be proficient writers. We appreciate your help at home during this crucial time.
Spelling
Words Their Way - Word Study– We will focus on phonics, vocabulary, word parts and spelling instruction
Reading
Independent Reading – Fourth Graders are required to read at least 20 minutes a day at home. The goal of reading is not just to be able to decode words, but to take meaning from reading. Students will read novels, text book selections, current event articles, and comprehension passages throughout the year.
Our district reading assessment (BAS) will be given early in the year to determine reading levels.
There will be other Language Arts assignments throughout the school year that we have not outlined in this hand-out. We will assess the students’ needs as the school year progresses and keep you well informed of all assignments and expectations as they arise.
2018 FOURTH GRADE STAAR (STATE OF TEXAS ASSESSMENTS OF ACADEMIC READINESS) TESTS
This is the first year that your child will be tested by the state standards in writing with the STAAR test.
The STAAR WritingTest is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2019.
The STAAR Math is Monday, May 13, 2019 and the STAAR Reading Test will be given Tuesday, May 14, 2019.
We will do everything that we can to make sure that students are prepared for their tests.
We look forward to a year of learning and growing together.