1. WELCOME TO OPEN HOUSE!
I will be giving a presentation
at 7:30 the powerpoint of the
presentation is on your child’s
desk.
Please feel free to look around
and come meet me!
Please sign up for conferences
located on the front board!!

2. 1-
2 01
S E :
O U
H
E N
P2
O 01
2
E:
AD ND
GR I, A
TH K
UR YC
AL
FO AT
TO .M
M
E RS
CO ,M
EL GS
W OG
.B ER
RS FF
M AE
SH
R.
M

3. WELCOME! A LITTLE ABOUT FOURTH
GRADE:
We would like to take this time to help
you get acquainted with classroom
procedures, classroom rules, and the
academic expectations we have for your
children. We are excited about this new
school year and we hope that you will
work with us to make it one of growth,
discovery, and significance for your child.
Please feel free to contact us at school if
you have any questions or comments.

4. DEPARTMENTALIZATION:
Fourth grade students will have their
instruction in a departmentalized
environment.
Spelling, Reading, and Math will be taught
by the homeroom teachers in the
morning.
“Switches” occur in the afternoon -
Mr. Shaeffer will be teaching Social
Studies.
Mrs. Boggs will be teaching Science.
Mrs. Matalycki will be teaching
English/Grammar and Writing.

5. CALENDAR EXPECTATIONS:
We believe that all students can behave
appropriately in our classroom. We will be
teaching your children appropriate behavior,
social skills, and classroom procedures to have
an orderly and productive school environment and
community.
Please see the attached example of our calendar
system for home and school communication. The
modeling of the school expectations is on the
back of the calendar.
Your child’s daily goal is to achieve a “Y” for
appropriate behavior.
Other repeated letters on the calendar are
reminders of which expectations your child needs

6. REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES
• Receive positive reinforcements.
• Receive coupons for meeting behavior and homework
expectations. They may also be given at the teacher’s
discretion.
• Coupons may be exchanged for treasures or other
rewards as posted in the homeroom teacher’s room.
• Calendars will be evaluated weekly and at the end of
the month. Students with successful calendars will
attend “The End of the Month Party”.
• The consequence for incomplete homework is required
attendance in homework lab during recess.
• Other consequences may include verbal warnings,
letters marked on the calendar, notes or calls home,
loss of privileges, or referral to the principal.
• Students whose calendars that do not meet the end of
the month criteria will attend the “Opportunity Room” to
reflect on their calendars and to create a plan to make
changes to their behaviors.

7. ASSIGNMENT BOOK:
Your child will again be using an assignment
book. It is your child’s responsibility to fill in
the book. All assignments are posted in the
homeroom.
Parents/guardians should go over the
assignment book and calendar each evening
and sign both. If they are incomplete, please
check our teacher websites and fill in the
assignment book.

8. ASSIGNMENT BOOK CONT…
Incomplete work will be noted on the calendar. Your
child will go to the homework lab during recess to
complete it.
It is the student’s responsibility to make sure the
work is turned into the teacher and the
assignment is crossed off the calendar by the
teacher.
If there are any incomplete assignments at the end
of the week, the student will need to complete
these assignments over the weekend.

9. ORGANIZATION:
To help aide students with organization
the following colors will be used for each subject:
Yellow-reading
Black-spelling
Composition Notebook-reading response journal
Blue-Math
Purple-Language arts
Green-Science
Red-Social Studies
Any 2 pocket folder of the child’s choice for a Take Home
Folder. This folder will carry home graded papers and
notes from the office.
COMPLETED HOMEWORK RETURNS IN THE COLORED FOLDER
FOR WHICH IT WAS ASSIGNED (e.g. social studies
homework goes in the RED pocket folder)

10. HOMEWORK:
Homework will be given on a daily basis. We
believe homework is important because it
helps students make the most of their
experience in school. By doing their
homework, students reinforce and apply what
they have learned in class. They prepare for
upcoming lessons, learn responsibility and
independence, and develop positive study
habits.
Reading 20 minutes each day is expected. The
monthly reading calendar affects your child’s
reading grade.

11. TESTS AND QUIZZES:
Notification of all tests will be given at least a
week in advance.
Study guides may be provided for tests.
Your child could be given short quizzes or
assessments in class. The purpose is to
check his/her understanding of recently
taught concepts, and provide data for further
instruction.
Your child will have a chance to fix D or F
assessments to improve their grade, with the
exception of Spelling tests. All corrections
must be done on separate notebook paper
and attached to the original assessment.

12. GRADING SCALE:
• 100-99= A+ • 82-76= C
• 98-95=A • 75-74= C-
• 94-93= A- • 73-72= D+
• 92-91= B+ • 71-68= D
• 90-87= B • 67-66= D-
• 86-85= B- • 65- = F
• 84-83= C+ • O, S, N, I, or U will
be given for
handwriting and
special classes.

13. INFORMATION ABOUT GRADES:
Grade cards will be issued every nine weeks,
and interim reports on an as needed basis
after the first nine weeks.
You can be certain that if your child is having
difficulty in an area, we will be in contact
with you. We will not wait for a reporting
time. We want them to meet success just as
much as you do.

14. COMMUNICATION:
Please call or e-mail anytime you have a
question or a concern.
You can write notes/questions in the
Assignment Book.
“Believe half of what your child says about
school and I’ll believe half of what they say
happens at home”. Please contact us if
something seems a little weird about what
your child says about school. Books ARE
allowed to go home! 
We will communicate with you through notes
on the daily assignment page, email, or
phone call.

15. SCHEDULE:
• We are currently using a block schedule
9:00 – 10:10 – Math
10:10 – 11:00 – Reading/ Spelling/ Handwriting
11:00 – 11:40 – ENCORE (gym, music, art)
11:40 – 12:20 – RtI (Response to Instruction)* see next slide
12:20- 1:00 – lunch then recess
1:10-1:50 – switch: social studies, science, writing
1:50-2:30 – switch: social studies, science, writing
2:30-3:10 - switch: social studies, science, writing
3:10 – 3:30 –Study Hall/ prepare for home

16. WHAT IS RTI?
Response to Instruction is a model of teaching that uses
data, frequent assessments, team teaching, and flexible
grouping to best meet the needs of all students.
Our team, along with Mrs. Rambert and Mrs. Peck, will use
the RtI block to provide interventions or enrichment in
reading, writing, or math.
Students will work on specific skills for 4-6 weeks. The team
re-evaluates at the end of the 4-6 weeks to see if
progress was made.
Adjustments to groupings and focus skills are then made,
and a new 4-6 week block begin.
It is possible that some students will remain in one type of
grouping.
RtI is also the block when Mrs. Ginesi sees her speech
students.

17. SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS:
Hands are for helping.
I am responsible.
Never hurt others.
Can do attitudes will be displayed.
Keep Hinckley clean and safe.
Listen to each other.
Everyday, show respect.
Yea! Hinckley Elementary!

18. MORE INFORMATION
In the yellow bag on each student’s desk,
you will find a “Kid’s Stuff” coupon book. If
you are interested in purchasing it, please
take it home and fill out the order form.
This is a PTO fundraiser, please see if
family and or friends would like to
purchase one!! If you are not interested,
please put it in the paper bag by my desk
Please go to the Highland webpage and sign
up for Enews and download medical forms.
If you do not have computer access please
pick up the forms at the office.

19. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FIRST
DAY…
Please sign up for ONE conference night on the white board.
Please read the handbook with your child and send back the handbook form.
We still need the following items to be sent in:
tissues, baggies – two boxes each (1 gallon/ 1 sandwich size), and
disinfecting wipes
Please have a zippered pencil pouch to carry supplies to switches. We do not
recommend the vinyl type as it tends to tear.
Write your child’s name and subject on each folder and spiral notebook (see
slide 8).
Mechanical pencils are not allowed . We will ask your child to bring them home.
We are looking forward to a great year! Thank you.