Dear Parents,

Congratulations You are the parent of a Mountain View Elementary School fourth
grader! You will e ama!ed at "ust how much your child will learn and grow this year#
You will see changes in your child$s thin%ing as they ecome more familiar with the
curriculum# & am so e'cited to ha(e your child in my classroom# )ith your participation
and support, we can loo% forward to a producti(e, creati(e and fun year together#
& ha(e put together a handoo% of information to help you and your child ecome
familiar with my e'pectations for the school year# Please ta%e a day or two to read
through this information, and then sign your names on the lines elow# & will collect each
student$s signed handoo% co(er page# *his will ensure that all parents ha(e re(iewed
our class handoo%# You may want to %eep the handoo% in a special place so that you
may refer to it throughout the year# &f you need to contact me, you may call the school
+,-.#/0123 or email me +reecca4clute5gfps#%6,#mt#us3# & chec% my email and phone
messages at the end of each day and will try to respond within ,7 hours#
& am loo%ing forward to an e'citing year# *han% you for your cooperation in getting
this year o8 to a great start#
Your support in your child$s education is appreciated!
Mrs# 9eecca Clute
rebecca_clute@gfps.k12.mt.us
Student :ame +printed3 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
Parent Signature+s3 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
Student Signature 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
Fourth Grade
Handbook
2014-2015
Cooperative Learning
& wholeheartedly elie(e in cooperati(e learning e'periences in the
classroom# & will e placing students in mi'ed aility groups for (arious
pro"ects so that they can help each other during the learning process#
9esearch has shown that all students do etter when they are allowed to
discuss and defend their ideas as they learn# )or%ing in small groups, for
speci;c pro"ects, also helps students learn (aluale social s%ills they will
need throughout life#
Parents are sometimes concerned aout grades in the cooperati(e learning
en(ironment# & want to assure parents that all grades come from indi(idual
assignments# :o student$s grade will e raised or lowered ased on the
performance of others in the group#
& welcome the opportunity to discuss cooperati(e learning with anyone who
has <uestions or concerns# &$(e had great success with this techni<ue in
recent years, and lo(e eing ale to gi(e our students this uni<ue
opportunity#
Classroom Rules
& E'pect Students to # # #
Be Safe: Push chair in, )al%
Be Respectful: =ollow directions the ;rst time, >e a good listener, Say
please and than% you, ?eep hands, feet, and o"ects to yourself
Be Responsible: @ttend school regularly and on time, Complete
assigned wor%, >e prepared, Ase time wisely, Put things away, Care for
school property, Dress appropriately
Be Friendly, Fair, & Honest: >e friendly, Show respect to e included
Student eha(iors will e monitored this year through the use of Class Do"o#
*his is an online program +classdo"o#com3 that allows students to recei(e
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daily feedac% and allows parents to communicate with me as fre<uently as
they would li%e# Parents can monitor their child$s eha(ior at any time of the
day and see daily, wee%ly, or all time reports# Parents can also recei(e
messages and import updates from me# *his is a =9EE app that can e
downloaded to computers, iPads, iPhones, etc# Please loo% for your Class
Do"o in(itation +with account codes3 in your >ac% to School Pac%et#
Consequences
ositive ConsequencesD (eral praise, notes or phone calls home,
stic%ers, Collywood >uc%s +used for a pri!e o'3, >ingo s<uares, Bolden
Buitar *ic%et, as well as other natural conse<uences#
!egative ConsequencesD (eral reminder, conference with teacher, loss
of pri(ilegesErecess, notes or phone calls home, conference with parents,
conference with administrator, as well as other natural conse<uences#
"l#eus
Fnce again this year, our district will e utili!ing the Olweus Bullying
Prevention Program. (OBPP) is the most researched and estG%nown ullying
pre(ention program a(ailale today# *he goals of the program are toD
reduce e'isting ullying prolems among students
pre(ent the de(elopment of new ullying prolems
achie(e etter peer relations at school
gain community in(ol(ement with the Flweus Program

Home#or$ olicy
& elie(e homewor% is important ecause it is (aluale in helping students
ma%e the most of their e'perience in school# & gi(e homewor% ecause it is
useful in reinforcing what has een learned in class, it prepares students for
upcoming lessons, it e'tends and generali!es concepts, teaches
responsiility, and it helps students de(elop positi(e study haits#
Comewor% will consist of reading nightly, studying spelling +word wor%3,
practicing math facts and ;nishing any un;nished class wor%# Comewor%
will e sent home on =riday and due the following =riday#
An;nished class wor% will e turned in the ne't morning for grading# Fn
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occasion, the homewor% will (ary and will sometimes e wee% long pro"ects,
so please chec% your child$s newsletters#
Please discuss the homewor% policy with your child and contact me if any
prolems arise that you cannot handle#
@ny papers other than late wor%, <ui!!es and tests may e corrected and
returned to me to raise the grade up to /1H# Please chec% those
)ednesday En(elopes!
%&e 'cademic rogram
*his year, your child will e e'posed to a (ariety of reading and math
e'periences# &n fourth grade, we will e using a Daily 2EC@=I model# *he
Daily =i(e is a way of structuring the reading loc% so e(ery student is
independently engaged in meaningful literacy tas%s# *hese research ased
tas%s are ones that will ha(e the iggest impact on student reading and
writing achie(ement, as well as help foster children who lo(e to read and
write# Students recei(e e'plicit whole group instruction and then are gi(en
independent practice time to read and write independently while & pro(ide
focused, intense instruction to indi(iduals and small groups of students#
)hen it is up and running smoothly, students will e engaged in the Daily
=i(e, which are comprised ofD
9ead to Self
)or% on )riting
9ead to Someone
Jisten to 9eading
)ord )or%
*here are (ery speci;c eha(ior e'pectations that go with each Daily 2
component# )e will spend our ;rst wee%s wor%ing intensely on uilding our
reading and writing stamina, learning the eha(iors of the Daily 2 and
fostering our classroom community# & will also spend time learning aout
your child$s strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to est plan
for each student$s instruction# *herefore & will e in(iting parents into the
classroom after we ha(e accomplished this important wor%# *han% you in
ad(ance for your patience and understanding#
Fne thing you$ll notice that may e a change for you is a direct
decrease in the numer of wor%sheets your child rings home# )hile
wor%sheets %eep students usy, they don$t really result in the high le(el of
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learning & want for your child# &nstead, your child will e taught to select
KBood =it >oo%sL or oo%s they can read, understand and are interested in,
which they will read during Daily 2# *hey will e spending most of their time
actually reading, which research supports as the numer one way to
impro(e reading# & anticipate the moti(ation and en"oyment of reading will
s%yroc%et when this gift of choosing their own oo%s is accompanied y
e'tended practice and speci;c reading instruction for each indi(idual child#
*o learn more aout the Daily 2EC@=I model, please (isit
www#thedailycafe#com#
& will use a (ariety of programs to achie(e the writing goals such as Jucy
Cal%ins, -M6 *rait )riting, :o(els, and integrated writing throughout all
su"ect areas# & will e using a writing ruric to assess each ;nished writing
pro"ect we do#
&n fourth grade, will e using the Math Daily 0 model to meet our math
curriculum o"ecti(es# *he Math Daily 0N is a method for structuring math
time so students practice di8erent ways of applying and learning math
e(ery day, fostering independent learning and success# )hen it is up and
running smoothly, students will e engaged in the Daily =i(e, which are
comprised ofD
Math y Myself
Math )riting
Math with Someone
&n Science this year, students will e utili!ing a science noteoo% to
research, study, and ta%e notes as they learn aout the human ody,
magnetism and electricity, and water#
*hroughout the year, students will e doing Daily Beography, Beo *hemes,
learning how to read and use an @tlas, completing a unit on Montana, and
completing a research pro"ect that will end with the )a' Museum as the
culminating acti(ity#
& will use formal and informal assessments in all areas to monitor your
child$s mastery of the Common Core Standards# *o learn more aout the
recently adopted Common Core Standards, please (isit
www#thecurriculumcorner#com#
'bsences
9egular school attendance is critical to the learning process# )hen your
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child is asent, heEshe misses (aluale instructional time# Students are
re<uired to ma%e up wor% missed during asences# Cowe(er, some
acti(ities will e diOcult or impossile for students to ma%e up +such as
science e'periments and handGon math acti(ities3#
Apon returning from an asence, your child will ;nd a pac%et on hisEher
des% with the assignments missed and an assignment sheet# *he
assignment sheet will ha(e all of the day$s assignments on it# Your child will
ha(e , days for each day asent to complete the ma%eup wor%#
&f your child will e asent for an e'tended amount of days no ma%eup wor%
will e gi(en prior to the asence# @ny assignments and tests will e made
up upon returning#
Boo$ "rders
)e allow students to order oo%s from Scholastic >oo% Clus# >y sending in
a oo% order, we recei(e free oo%s for our classroom lirary# )hen
ordering oo%s, please ma%e out chec%s directly to Scholastic, or order
online y following the directions sent home with the orders#
(ays to Help )our C&ild Bloom
*he lo(eliest Powers usually ha(e the est gardener G and that$s you!
Staying in(ol(ed in your child$s education is the %ey to a successful year#
Engage your child in con(ersation aout hisEher day e(ery night and
celerate their successes# &f you are e'cited aout their wor%, it will %eep
them enthusiastic aout learning to e proud of their wor%# & will also send
home newsletters that will %eep you aware of what$s going on in our
classroom G and you can use these as a springoard for discussion as well#
*he last thing you can do to stay in(ol(ed is read to and with your child
e(ery night# *he more your child is e'posed to language, the etter they
will do in school#
%&an$ )ou* %&an$ )ou* %&an$ )ou*
*han% you for ta%ing the time to read and discuss this handoo% with your
child# &t is important for himEher to %now that we communicate and oth
want what is est for himEher# & am e'tremely e'cited to wor% as a team, for
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your child, throughout the year#
Rebecca Clute
reecca4clute5gfps#%6,#mt#us
+,-./012
***Tentative*** 2014-2015 Schedule
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THUSDAY !"DAY
8:25-8:30 Opening 8:25-8:30 Opening 8:25-8:30 Opening 8:25-8:30 Opening 8:25-8:30 Opening
8:30-9:00 Olweus 830-9:00 !usic 8:30-9:15 "# 8:30-9:15 "# 8:30-9:00
$%unseling
9:00-10:00 &cience 9:00-10:00 &%cial
&tu'ies
9:15-10:00 (ibrar) 9:15-10:15 9:00-10:00 &%cial
&tu'ies
10:00-10:15 *ecess 10:00-10:15 *ecess 10:00-10:15
+uickwrite
&cience 10:00-10:15 *ecess
10:15-11:,5 -ail) 5
.#(/0
10:15-11:,5 -ail) 5
.#(/0
10:15-11:,5 -ail) 5
.#(/0
10:15-11:,5 -ail) 5
.#(/0
10:15-11:,5 -ail) 5
.#(/0
11:,5-12:05 *ecess 11:,5-12:05 *ecess 11:,5-12:05 *ecess 11:,5-12:05 *ecess 11:,5-12:05 *ecess
12:05-12:25 (unc1 12:05-12:25 (unc1 12:05-12:25 (unc1 12:05-12:25 (unc1 12:05-12:25 (unc1
12:25-2:00 !at1
-ail) 3
12:25-2:00 !at1
-ail) 3
12:25-2:00 !at1
-ail) 3
12:25-2:00 !at1
-ail) 3
12:25-2:00 !at1
-ail) 3
2:00-2:15 *ecess 2:00-2:15 *ecess 2:00-2:30
$%mputers
2:00-2:15 *ecess 2:00-2:15 *ecess
2:15-2:,5
$%mputers
2:15-2:,5
$%mputers
2:,0 -ismissal 2:15-2:,5
$%mputers
2:15-2:,5
$%mputers
2:,5-3:20 &%cial
&tu'ies
2:,5-3:20 &cience 2:,5-3:20 &%cial
&tu'ies
2:,5-3:20 &cience
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