Hello there. Thanks for joining me here. I am your child's 4th grade teacher for the 2014-15 academic school year (YES, it is 2014-15! I messed up on the first day letter!) If you are reading this, I am guessing that you received that very letter at home. Please let me be the first one to welcome you to the 4th grade. I couldn't be more excited to be starting this exciting journey with you.
Before I start in on the who, what, when, where, whys and hows of Classroom G4, I have some URG news! 4th grade classrooms are currently sitting at 28-29 students apiece. If more register, there is a good chance that a 5th fourth grade teacher will be added. If that happens, and your child is moved to another classroom, Mrs. Meier will send you a letter. I would HATE to lose any student, but at Arrowhead we focus on what is best for all kids. Having over 30 is not in the best interest of your child, or any child. Time will tell on this one. Please know this is a possibility up front. Ok…back to the good news! (THIS JUST IN…WE HIRED ANOTHER 4TH GRADE TEACHER! WATCH FOR NOTICES FROM MRS. MEIER. I MAILED MY LETTER HOME THIS MORNING BEFORE THE NEWS, SO EVERYONE IS GETTING ONE. THERE WILL BE MOVES. HAPPY AND SAD MOMENT!!!!)
So, who exactly is this Mrs. Grewell? Well, most of you may know me as Ms. Erickson. This summer, Zach and I got married. Hence the name change. You pronounce it as Grew…well. Like...I grew up well. It sounds like there are two w's, but there is only one. Don't worry, I still answer to Ms. Erickson as well. In fact, I will probably be confused by Mrs. Grewell myself for awhile. :0)
Zach and I live in Silesia, Montana. That is about 8 miles West of Laurel. We have two children, Emma and Beau. Emma is 10 and will be going into the 5th grade. Beau is 8, and going into 3rd grade. It is quite the challenge to be a mom and a teacher at the same time. Two completely different hats! We live on a family ranch. Zach's entire family lives there as well. We raise cattle and crops year round. It is busy, busy but we all love it! We are blessed to be able to offer our kids both the city and the country lifestyles, as Emma and Beau attend school in Billings.
So, who am I as a teacher? When I ask past students to describe me, they always include two adjectives: strict and nice. To me those are antonyms. How can one be strict but nice at the same time. However, they are 100% correct. I do it by showing, expecting, and giving respect. I have very high expectations for all students and parents, along with myself. One of my favorite sayings in class is choices…consequences. Kids have to be held accountable for their actions. Sometimes consequences are positive, and sometimes the are negative. In the beginning, I tend to be a little more on the strict side. Once procedures are in place, and as we get to know each other on a more personable level the niceness sets in more. Strict is very different then mean. It is all about character for me. I try very hard to model positive character. By doing so, I show them respect. I have never been a teacher that comes to work to work. I am a teacher that truly is invested in making a difference in your child's life and beyond. My philosophy is based on research. If I can win their hearts, then I can teach their brains. Kids don't learn until I build a relationship with them. They have to trust me and the system. If I can do that, then I can help them soar to new heights. Therefore, I often say that I am 75% character driven as a teacher and 25% academic. That may sound lopsided and scary to a parent, but allow me to ease your mind. If I take the time to care, really, really care about your child, then the academics just literally flow into place. It is quite amazing really. You just have to trust me on this one, remembering that I have been doing this for over 14 years now.
With that being said, I want you to know that I realize that I can NOT do this without you. I can NOT tap into your child's true potential without your trust, backing, and support. It is just not possible. Therefore, you and I working together is a very important piece to the success of your child's education. One way I do that is with this blog. I will post religiously daily. If I miss a post, it means that something odd has come up. It is rare, rare, rare that I miss a day. I generally post daily after school lets out. I try to have it up by 4:30. I post a daily dinner discussion topic as well. I do this so you can avoid the dreaded "What did you do at school today" question, and avoid the even more dreaded answer of "Nothing." Urg…so frustrating. I have titled my blog A Fly on the Wall for a reason. I want you to know exactly what is going on each day your child is with me. I do tend to get wordy, and many times I act as if this is my personal journal and reflection time. It may seem as if I ramble on and on and on at times. Know that I know this. It is just me loving your kids! Know also that there are times that I will make spelling and grammatical errors while posting. I don't have time to go back and proofread posts. I just want to get important information out to you as quickly as I can daily. Thanks for being forgiving on this issue. I will also post pictures and videos of your kiddos in action. In order for this to happen, I will need the permission slip found in your before school letter signed and returned. Kids that don't have permission, will be asked to step out of picture shots to ensure they are not posted. Kids LOVE to see themselves on the blog!!! I will never post your child's first and last name. I will only ever type their first. This blog is open to the public. Therefore any relative is welcome to visit it. Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and siblings at college can check in too. You will just need to give them the address: grewellt2014.blogspot.com. Fun!
It is important to address that when I type the blog I am talking to ALL parents. I am not talking directly to you or about your child. There will be times that I request a discussion at home about an issue that comes up in the classroom. This does not mean that your child is the one doing it. It just means that it is a topic I need to be reviewed and discussed at home for all kids. If there is an issue that is out of character for your child, I will address you personally, privately, and promptly. I am a big believer of nipping things in the bud before they grow into huge issues. I will try very hard to avoid surprising you with issues. I find it frustrating when I get a report card after 45 days and my child has been misbehaving in class or is struggling in a certain subject. Why didn't someone tell me before this? I believe that report cards should reenforce what you already know has been happening all year long.
Along with the blog, I will also communicate by phone or email. I am best at texting for the quick things. If it is an issue at school, I will always call you or request a one on one conference. I try very hard to respond quickly to emails, calls, and texts. Please allow at least one day however. Please also make an appointment to come in and talk. Before and after school are very busy times for me, and I am at times in meetings or with students during those times. I want to talk to you though, so please do NOT hesitate to get a hold of me. I will give you all of my contact information at the Meet the Teacher event on August 25th. I do give out my personal cell number. Please feel free to use it, but remember that I am also a busy mom at home. If I don't respond or answer right away it is because I am busy with my own children. If we are texting, please know that I will just quick response back to you. Don't read too much into it. I usually just answer or ask a question quickly. Let's save sensitive issues for face to face communication to avoid miscommunications due to technology. Lastly, please do NOT text me changes in kids schedules or pick up routines. I don't always get those in time. Please call the office for those things, and they will get the message to me in time. Thanks!
Water bottles are encouraged in the classroom daily. Due to classroom distractions, I don't allow kids to use the classroom water fountain. Once one of them does, then they all want to. We are lucky to be an air conditioned school, but we still do have recess daily. When I was a kid I certainly didn't have a water bottle on my desk, so kids will not die without one, but there is research showing how having water on hand does help kids do better in school. If kids forget one, they may purchase one from me with their fake classroom money if I have some available. Water bottles will need to go home daily to get refilled. Ice is always a good idea as well. All I ask is that water bottles are just the regular sized cylinder shape. Please don't send giant thermos or bottle types. Remember, what goes in does have to eventually come out. Kids are allowed to use the restroom before school, during recess times, and after school. If they need to go during class instruction time, they will have to pay with their fake classroom money.
Let's talk snacks. We have the last lunch slot this year, so a mid-morning snack is important. I allow kids to bring an individual snack each day. We will have it after recess before lunch. We do not do a snack time. They simply get it out and eat it while we still work. They need to be mature about it and be able to eat quickly, cleanly, and appropriately. Snacks HAVE to be healthy. I don't allow potato chips, cookies, or any type of candy. Nuts, granola bars, fruit, veggies, hard boiled eggs, yogurts, cheese sticks, crackers, and so on are awesome snacks. Please make sure eggs and nuts are deshelled before coming to school. I do have a small fridge in the classroom if they need to keep it cold. Please do NOT send in weekly snacks. There is no room to store them. Kids just need to bring in enough for one day. One snack is plenty. If kids push limits on snacks, they will lose the privilege for a period of time.
Homework will be given daily M-Thurs. I do not give homework on the weekends. It will be in addition to our classwork. I don't give just busy work for homework. Whatever comes home will be a review of things I have taught them in class, and should not need much assistance from you. It should be practice of a skill they already know. It should not take any longer than 40 minutes. If you are finding that it is taking more than that or that they are not getting it alone or with little help, please let me know asap. If kids are bringing home a lot of homework, they may be struggling with staying on task during seat work time. If they don't finish an assignment in class, it then becomes additional homework. I try very hard to budget enough time for all kids to finish assignments. If students don't use that time wisely, they may end up with more. Again, let me know asap and we will figure out why.
If your child is absent from class they will receive an excused mark in the grade book. It does not hurt their overall grade, however they will have less to average with at the end of the quarter. I do NOT do make up work. I work hard to prepare original lessons to teach your child. If they are not in class to receive the lesson, how can I possibly expect them to do the work? I surely don't expect you to teach them. I don't think I could come to your work and just do your job the way you do. Therefore, I don't expect you to do mine either. Kids will just return and jump in where we are. I will always help them understand concepts they missed to catch them up. The only exceptions is if we are reading a novel. I may choose to send it with them on vacation. Missed tests will be made up upon return, if a student was in class to receive the content being assessed. That being said, it is sooooo important that kids are in school every single day. :0)
I use a fake money classroom management system. Depending on their choices, they will earn or be fined fake money amounts (Super Bucks!). They will be able to buy into special privileges such as fun reward coupons and field trips with their fake money.We will talk more on this at open house.
Specialist classes are listed off to the right. They are different in the intermediate grades. Kids now add Art to their list of classes. Library is also an hour long now instead of a half hour. In addition to PE, kids now have Health. They will have music twice a week instead of once. 4th graders play the recorders as well. Having the correct tennis shoes on gym days and library books back on time will effect their report card grades. In addition, kids will have academic classes: Reading, Writing, Language, Spelling, Science, Regional U.S. Social Studies, Montana History, and Math. In Regional U.S. Social Studies, students will learn about all 50 of the U.S. States. They will be tested on states and capitals in each of the 5 U.S. regions. Montana History is an interactive notebook. There will be many activities that include crafty ways of learning. Hence the large amount of glue sticks needed on the supply list. Lastly, your child will have Character Lessons daily. We do this in a morning meeting setting that I call Fly Time. This year, we will base our lessons on a Superhero theme. Kids will learn how to become the best superhero they can be, and avoid behaviors and choices that would resemble a villain. This summer, I read a book called What's Under Your Cape? It was a book stressing ten different character traits that kids need to master in order to survive in the real world. I have many stories and activities that will help solidify these concepts into everyday happenings. My hope is that all students leave my classroom in 180 days knowing they are loved, important, and good people with good character. My dream is that they will fly as high as they possibly can with a positive cape tied around their necks and can feel the power of that cape when interacting with others. BELIEVE!
Spelling words are also listed off to the right. The test will be on Fridays. As the year progresses, I will offer an alternate list for those that are ready for a challenge in this area. It will be their choice if they test on those words or the regular list. I try to have the new words up by the Sunday before.
Well, I am sure you are either overly informed or totally overwhelmed by now. No worries! Your child and I will spend the first three days on procedures and addressing all of the issues discussed above. Please bring any questions you may have to open house. I can't wait to meet all of you on Monday, August 25th at the back to school Meet the Teacher night. Families are welcome and encouraged to bring in all supplies anytime between 4:45-5:45 p.m. on that day. It is sooooo much easier to have all the classroom supplies BEFORE kids walk in. That way I can put away all the kleenix and other supplies that don't go in kids individual desk. Please also bring in the permission slips I sent in the before school starts letter. You may also purchase your child's planner that night for $5. Arrowhead only takes cash or check. Please purchase the school planner only. It is easiest if everyone has the same one.
Again, I can't wait to join forces with all of you and have the best year yet! Welcome, welcome, welcome!
Kindly,
Mrs. Grewell
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