• contact me
• calendar
• downloads
• drop box
• class pictures
• home
• search

Policies and Procedures

1. Supplies:

       Each child will receive crayons, scissors, glue sticks, a home-to-school folder, and paper.  Please send in the following items: a pencil pouch, pencils, erasers, extra glue sticks, a pencil sharpener, 1 pack of EXPO dry erase markers, and pens (for journal writing time).  Please no binders or pencil boxes.  When buying pens, only buy pens that have purple, green, blue, or black ink.  Your child will also need a backpack to carry his or her belongings to and from school each day.  Please remember to label all of your child’s belongings with his or her name and room number 205.

2. Snack Time:

      Each day, we will have a short snack time.  In fourth grade we eat lunch at approximately 12:00, and I often find the children are stating they are hungry midway through the morning.  This can distract from their learning so we will have approximately a 15 minute snack/quiet time period.  During this time, the students will have their Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) time.  The children will need to bring a small snack with them to school each day.  I encourage nutritious snacks such as pretzels, crackers, carrots, and celery sticks, etc.  No snacks should contain peanuts due to having students in our classroom with peanut allergies.   Your child may bring a water bottle to school each day.  Please make sure it is a plastic bottle and not a hard metal bottle.  The metal bottles make a lot of noise when they fall to the floor.  Only water is allowed in the water bottles. 

3. Birthdays

       Children love to celebrate their birthdays with others!  On or near your child’s birthday, you may send in party bags or a healthy treat for each student in the class.  Cupcakes or other sweets will not be accepted as birthday treats due to our nutrition policies.  Please make sure to let me know a few days in advance so that I can inform you of the correct number of students in our class.  For those children who have birthdays in June, July, or August, I will schedule dates in June to celebrate and acknowledge the students’ birthdays.   

4. Lunch/Recess

          The fourth grade lunch/recess time is 12:05 – 12:55 PM.  Each child will receive a S.N.A.P. card.  You may send in a check or cash to deposit into your child’s S.N.A.P. account for use.  Please remember to send the check or money into school in an envelope with your child’s name and room number 205 on it!  Please make checks payable to: East Penn Cafeteria Fund.  The children will need to pack a lunch from home or buy from the cafeteria every day.  Milk can be purchased separately for those children with a packed lunch.  A lunch bought in the cafeteria costs $1.90.  Dominos day costs $2.25 and milk is $.50.

5. Scholastic Book Orders:

          You will be able to purchase books for and with your child each month through SCHOLASTIC Book Club orders.  I will send home book orders once a month.  I offer the book orders as an additional source for parents and caretakers to purchase books that are age and reading level appropriate for your child.  Often, the school and/or I will purchase books for our classroom library from the monthly book orders.  Please fill out the order forms completely and return them to school with the correct amount of money (Checks only made payable to: Scholastic) by the due date marked on the order form.  Please enclose the order form and payment in an envelope with your child’s name and room number 205 on it. Also, you will be able to place book orders online.  Please look for more information on how to order books online in September.  Thank you!

6. Specials:

Monday:                 None              

Tuesday:                Fitness        11:10 - 11:50

Wednesday:           Library        11:10 – 11:40

Thursday:              Art              11:10 – 11:50           

Friday:                  Music           11:10 – 11:40                     

                             Health         2:00 – 2:45       

7. Homework:

          Fourth graders have approximately 30-40 minutes of homework each night.  Assignments will differ from night to night.  Spelling and vocabulary words will often be reviewed.  Math concepts and review worksheets will need to be completed on most nights.  Reading a story to someone older may simply be the assignment!  There will be no homework on Fridays except for 45 minutes of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) over the weekend.  Homework is practice and will not be graded.  However, I will check to make sure your child’s homework is completed on a daily basis.  If a student does not complete his or her homework, a notice will be sent home that must be signed and returned to school.

8. Assignment Books:    

          Each day your child will bring home his/her assignment book, which is provided to each child by our PTC.  During each school day, we will record that night’s assignment(s) in the appropriate place(s).  It is your child’s responsibility to make sure he or she has all of the books, folders, and/or papers needed to complete the assignment(s).  I will aid the children with this process at the beginning of the school year.  Please check your child’s assignment book each night for his or her homework and/or reminders from me.  After completing his or her homework, please check the quality of your child’s work and sign the assignment book in the marked box.  It is very important that you sign your child’s assignment book each night after viewing his or her assignments.  The assignment book is a great tool for keeping the lines of communication open between home and school. 

 9. Busy Bee Stickers:

          Throughout the school year, your child will be able to earn busy bee stickers for a variety of reasons.  The children will earn stickers on a daily basis for having their assignment books signed, class participation, following directions, helping their peers, and much more.  At the end of the year, we will have an auction.  The students will be able to buy items with the stickers they have accumulated throughout the school year.  

10. School Attendance:

          School attendance is key to success in school!  It is also required by school law.  If your child is absent due to illness, I will send home an excuse form.  Please complete the excuse form and return it to school as soon as possible.  If you are planning on taking a family trip, please notify the school in advance and complete a form explaining the nature of the trip, as well as the dates your child will not be in school.  All trips need to be approved by Mr. Best.  If your child is tardy, please report to the school office before coming to our classroom.   If your child is to be dismissed early from school one day, please notify me in writing on that day or before hand.  Please pick up your child in the school office.  Do not come to the classroom.  The secretary will notify me when a parent or guardian is here to pick up his or her child, and I will direct your child to meet you in the office.  Thank you! 

11. Home-to-School Folders:

          Each night your child will bring home his or her Home-to-School folder.  The papers placed in the “Leave at Home” pocket are for you to review and keep at home.  These papers may include informational material from school or myself and/or completed school work by your child.  Please take the time to review these papers with your child.  He or she has taken great time and effort in completing his or her work.  We want to ALWAYS encourage them to take pride in ALL their work!  In the “Return to School” pocket, you will find papers such as permission slips and field trip forms that you will need to fill out and return to school, as well as daily homework assignment papers.  Please check folders each night with your child; emptying out those that stay at home and completing those that need to be returned to school.

12. Friday Folders:

          You will receive your child’s tests and assessments in his or her “Friday Folder” on certain Fridays.  This folder will contain all of the recent tests and assessments.  Please take the time to review the pieces of work with your child and sign ALL of them.  The folders will be sent home on a Friday and are to be returned Monday with ALL assessments still inside the folder along with the Parent/Guardian Comment Sheet.  I will keep all of the tests and assessments on file in the classroom until the end of the school year.  At the end of fourth grade, many of them will be yours to keep. 

13. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR):

      Each day we will have 15 minutes of SSR time.  During this time the students will be reading silently to themselves.  I will also be reading to myself during this time.  I love to read and I think participating in SSR, along with any other class reading activities, provides the children with a wonderful example of how reading is a lifelong, enjoyable process!  Your child will have the option of choosing a book from our classroom library to read during SSR or bringing a book from home.  If your child does choose to select a book from home, please check it for length, content, and age/reading level appropriateness before allowing him/her to bring it to school.  SSR is a very valuable component to our school day and with your help the children can gain more from this learning experience.  

14. Labeling All Articles:

      Please write your child’s name and room number 205 on all articles brought to school!  Throughout the school year, many items become lost and go unclaimed in the Lost and Found.  Labeling all of your child’s items can prevent this from occurring!

15. School Times:

          The school day begins at 8:55 AM and ends at 3:30 PM except on our Wednesday early dismissal.  Early dismissal will occur at 1:30 PM.  If you need to drop your child off at school in the morning, please do so between 8:40 and 8:50 AM.  When picking up your child at the end of the day, please meet him or her at the flagpole at 3:30 PM (1:30 PM on Wednesdays).  On days of inclement weather, the meeting spot is in our school lobby.  At dismissal your child will be sent to the assigned bus unless I receive a written notice detailing the change.

          You will be receiving more information throughout the school year regarding procedures, policies, curriculum, etc.  Please take the time to read and review all of the information sent home.  Our yearly “Visitation Day” at Macungie School is scheduled for Monday, August 29 from 10:00 to 1:00.  Please feel free to contact me at school with any questions or concerns!  I look forward to a fun-filled and educational year with you and your child!