Let's talk money first. Before the break, students were given the opportunity to spend all of their cash on some little prizes. Almost everyone was able to do just that, but some kids had way too much money. :0) All students will find a new wallet on their desk with the $300 start up money. The change comes with how they will earn it. I will not just be giving out money for this or that anymore. We will have one more large field trip this spring. It will be a $1000 buy in and it will take some good character to earn it. I will still be rewarding kids for making good choices, but I will not be giving out such large amounts. For example, instead of $50 for a blog key word, it might be ten or twenty dollars. The amounts for negative choices however will stay put. It will still cost kids $50 for a planner with no signature and/or breaking a classroom rule. We are a couple of weeks away from being halfway through the fourth grade year, and now it is time to get ready for the fifth grade. I have no doubt each and every kid can adjust to these new expectations if they just BELIEVE in themselves a little bit more. I expect a week or two transitionary period and then all will settle in again.
Secondly, when the kids generally come into the classroom they go straight to our character meeting. Now, I would like for them to first unpack their backpacks and get ready for the day. This will be new for them, but if you could help me by talking to them tonight about it I know it will help save time in our day. Kids that do this, without reminder, will earn $20.
Thirdly, I told you before the break that our nightly writing journals will have a new format. Starting tomorrow night you will see the difference. I have noticed that this group of kids, on the whole, need to work on their basic grammar and spelling skills. Therefore, I have found some paragraphs that have errors in them. I will staple them into their writing notebooks each day before dismissal. Students will be required to rewrite the entire paragraph and make all the appropriate corrections. We will be discussing and grading these throughout the week. I encourage, actually I beg of you, to get involved in this assignment. Feel free to mark it up. Discuss the changes...especially the WHY behind the change. The more that kids hear the vocabulary and the rules the better off they will be in their future high school, college, and trainings for upcoming jobs. This assignment will be nightly Monday thru Thursday. We will NOT miss a day. This also, will be homework. Students will not be given time in class to work on this. Therefore, ALL students will have homework every day except Friday. Students that do not complete this assignment daily will not be given time to do it at school. We will be correcting and discussing them in class, so that would not be fair if they don't have it done. Students will receive a failing grade for incomplete writing assignments. The only exception will be if the student is absent. They will be excused from the assignment.
Lastly, for my spelling students (not READ 180 kids), I have added a new component to the spelling curriculum. I have noticed a HUGE issue in spelling the basic core words in the English language. Students should know these no excuse words by now. Therefore, I have found a program that tests these words. Students will not be given the words in advanced. They will take a test tomorrow and if they miss more than one then they do not pass the test. They will have to redo the test as many times as it takes to pass it. Students may look at the key and write down the correct spelling of the word if they chose too during their own free time. They may take home the graded test to study. They may retest the next day. Students will be required to pass ten tests in the next quarter. These tests will be part of their spelling grade. All the other components of their spelling academics will stay the same, including the nightly homework. Students will also continue to have their regular spelling test on Friday as well. I hope to see some major improvement in their basic every day writing soon.
Well, that is the new year school resolutions. I think we are going to be very busy for the remainder of the 4th grade academic year. Thanks for all of your support in the past, and I look forward to talking to you in the future as well. You may begin that communication tonight by writing the word RESOLUTION in your child's planner for an extra $10 at check in. By doing so though, it means that you have either let them read this blog post or discussed it with them. Thanks for all you are and all you do!
Ms. Erickson
