Welcome to Grade 4 September 2019 Newsletter
Dear Parents and Guardians,
My name is Ms. Pauline Ward and I am thrilled to have your student in my tenth class at Cedar Creek Public School. I am excited to get to know your student and join them in the exciting adventures of Grade 4! The Junior Division has a grade 3/4, a grade 4, a grade 4/5, a grade 5, a grade 5/6 and a grade 6 class. We have 25 students in our room; 10 girls and 15 boys. I will be teaching your student in all subject areas (Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Visual Arts, Gym) except for Music (Mrs. Schmitt), French (Madame Racicot), Drama (Mr. Ellis) and Health/1 class of Gym (Mr. Heald).
Communication
The students should bring their planner to school EVERY day. Students will be asked to copy information (homework, due dates, events etc.) from the board into the planner. The planners will be checked weekly to ensure that this is being done and the students are taking responsibility to use this tool wisely as a method to increase their success related to study habits. The planner can be used as a form of communication so feel free to write a brief note or ask any questions. Students are asked to inform their teacher if there is a note in their planner. I encourage you to ask to see your son/daughter’s planner each evening to keep you informed of what is going on in the classroom. Planners should be signed each week. If a student does not have a parent’s/guardian’s weekly signature, there will be a note in the planner indicating this.
If you would like to contact me by phone, you can leave me a voice message by dialing 519-632-5255 and then pressing “option 2” to for teaching staff. My voice mailbox number is 77727511. Please leave your name, student’s name, phone number, a brief message and when it is easiest to reach you. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, but it will likely take me 24 hours to respond. Please put any urgent information (e.g., leaving early due to an appointment) in the planner as I may not be able to check the voice mailbox during the school day. Remember all absences need to be called in to the office.
Class Website http://teachers.wrdsb.ca/ward
Our class has a website! The website is my main source of communication to let you know what is going on in our class such as:
- Current topics in language, math, social studies, science, etc.
- Examples of student work or work which has been created as a class
- Reminders and the latest classroom news
- An up-to-date calendar
- Links to places on the web for more resources which we may have used in class and other sites to practice skills
- Link to the school website
This newsletter is the only one you will receive this year. To be kept up-to-date, please sign up for “Get News from this Website” by filling in your email address and clicking “Subscribe”. It is spam free and you can opt out at any time. Please check the website frequently for updated information.
Materials
Most materials your child will need will be provided by the school; such as paper, pencils, erasers, rulers, and duo-tangs. It would be beneficial for your child to have his/her own coloured pencils, scissors, sharpener, pencil case and highlighters. These items are available in class as a shared resource.
Students will need to have a pair of indoor running shoes.
It would be greatly appreciated if each student donated a box of Kleenex to share with the class. Also earbuds or headphones would be helpful.
School Schedule
The school schedule times have changed this year. The bolded sections below are the changes from last year.
9:15-9:45 Period 1
9:45-10:15 Period 2
10:15-10:45 Period 3
10:45 -11:15 Period 4
11:15-11:35 Nutrition Break Eating Time/Go Home Break
11:35-11:55 Nutrition Break Outside Time
11:55-12:25 Period 5
12:25-12:55 Period 6
12:55-1:25 Period 7
1:25-1:55 Period 8
1:55-2:15 Nutrition Break Eating Time
2:15-2:35 Nutrition Break Outside Time
2:35-3:05 Period 9
3:05-3:35 Period 10
Physical Education Attire:
Due to the time constraints like thirty minutes in a period, travel time, etc., the students are not required to change into gym clothes for Physical Education. Students who wish to change can still do so. If they choose not to change, students need to ensure that they are wearing proper attire including: RUNNING shoes, shorts or loose fitting pants, and appropriate shirts. Jewellery (including earrings) will need to be removed or covered to ensure safety for all students. Also long hair must be tied back for safety reasons.
Water Bottles
If you wish your child to have water on his/her desk during the school day, please send a container which is unlikely to leak. Please do not freeze the water in the bottles (It often makes puddles on desks). Students are asked to refill their water bottles only at nutrition breaks so that they do not miss crucial learning experiences.
Personal Belongings
All removable clothing such as boots, coats and shoes should be labeled with your child’s name so that lost items can be returned easily. Your child will need to be responsible for all of their own belongings that they bring to the school. Please do not send anything valuable to school with your child, as they might go missing.
Homework
The students will be given a homework duo-tang usually on Wednesdays with the expectation it will be returned by the following Tuesday. Students are encouraged to look at their weekly home schedule to help plan for time to complete their homework. If a student does not hand in their homework duotang on time or it is incomplete, there will be a note indicating this, in the person’s planner. Each week the homework is handed in and completed on time, the student receives a sticker on the front of their duotang. There may be instances that work will come home at night which is work that was not completed in class with the expectation that it be completed and handed in the following day unless otherwise indicated. Students are also expected to read 20 minutes five times a week to improve their reading and vocabulary skills. A home reading duotang with a reading log and tracking sheet will be sent home. It should be handed in after 10 nights of reading have been completed. The home reading will be included as part of their homework mark and the weekends are included as nights available to read. The reading material can vary in genre from fiction, non-fiction, comics, newspaper, magazines, instruction manuals, menus, song lyrics, poems, etc. Parents are encouraged to listen to their children read and check their homework to ensure that work is correct or if your child has any immediate questions.
Book Orders
This year, I will be sending home the Scholastic Arrow book orders and some of their special offers. This Book Club is optional. If you wish to order any books please use cheques made payable to Scholastic Canada or pay online with your credit card at parentpay.scholastic.ca. Please remember to send the filled in order form with your child to school so I have the information needed. If you would like to order books for presents, please contact me so we can make special arrangements to keep it a surprise
Thank you in advance for all of your support, comments and assistance as I do my best to make it a fun and successful year for your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school. I hope to see you at the upcoming Meet the Staff Night on Thursday, September 14th. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year.
