The ABC's of Mrs. Gold's Classroom

ABSENCES
Please call the school and let us know if your child will be absent. 

 ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
School starts at 8:15 a.m. and dismisses at 2:35 p.m.

 BACK TO SCHOOL
The first few weeks of school will be spent getting to know each other and becoming familiar with new routines. 

BEHAVIOR CHART

The behavior chart is used for communication between you, the parents, and myself, to allow you to see your child's behavior and homework completion in class. The bottom boxes feature a star which must be colored in either green (child has completed homework for the day) or red (child has not completed homework for the day). The top boxes feature a blank box in which your child fills in a symbol at the top.

Happy Face- Great day!
Chair- Take a Break
Question Mark- Think Time
Sad Face- Principal

Take a Break is what you might refer to as "time out". However, this isn't looked upon as a really negative thing in my classroom (although it isn't positive either). Basically, if I've given a warning to a child, and they still can't control themselves, they go to Take a Break, which is a seat facing the wall in the corner of the room. They sit here as long or as short as they feel they need, in order to get themselves together and ready to work appropriately again at their seats. It's up to them how long they stay there- they are responsible for their own actions and behavior.

Think Time is a little more serious, but comparable to Take a Break. If I've given a warning, and the student has gone to Take a Break, and still can't get themselves under control, I will send them to a classroom across the hall that has a similar desk set facing the wall. This is Think Time. At this desk, there are "Behavior Reflections" in which the student must fill out the behavior displayed, why they behaved in this manner, and how they could change their behavior next time. After the reflection is written, students must turn over an egg timer and sit for 3 minutes, reflecting mentally about their actions, and then they return to the classroom. The reflection that they write at Think Time will be signed and read by me, and then sent home to be signed and returned to me by you the next day.

BIRTHDAYS 
"Goodies" are allowed in to celebrate your child's birthday, however you must let me know a few days in advance. You can drop the goodies off in the classroom between 7:45 and 8:00 but anytime after that, please bring them to the office as it's a disruption at that point. We eat snack around 10:00 each morning, and that's when birthdays are celebrated. Please try to have the treats dropped off by that time. Also, please bring only enough for the class (23 kids, and one teacher), as students are not allowed to wander the halls to give out to other teachers and classes.

BLUE BIRD BINDERS
Bringing Lessons Used Everyday
Being Incredibly Responsible Daily

For more information on Blue Bird Binders, please click HERE!

 BOOK BAGS
Your child should bring a book bag to school everyday. Roller bags are banned this year from VES.

 BOOK CLUB LUNCHES
If your child reads for 6 hours or more each month and fills out the Book Club Form, then he/she qualifies to come to our special Book Club Luncheon! At the Book Club Lunch, we all eat together, while discussing the genre of the month and books/authors that we enjoyed. I've been known to bring a special treat for the kids during this lunch- anything from yummy food treats, to pencils, to a free homework pass!

 BOOK ORDERS 
Every month or two I will be sending home book order forms for you and your child to look over. These clubs offer wonderful books at reduced prices – what a great way to build your home library! Orders will be conveniently available online this year! Click HERE for more information!

CHALLENGES
I will be challenging your child in and out of school. In school, I will provide them with Challenge Capsules, which are questions from all subject areas. Students can work on these if they complete their in-class work early. Also, students will be given the option of completing an extra math challenge each night. (This challenge is a must for enrichment students) Outside of class, students have the Mastery Club, Math Wizards Program, and Extra Credit options to further their learning. For more information on how I'll be challenging your children, click HERE!

 CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION
Please send a note or call the office if your child will be going home a different way than what is listed on the enrollment card. 

 CLOTHING
Students need to wear appropriate, comfortable clothing to school. Please put names on coats, sweaters and book bags. Healies are forbidden at VES.

 COMMUNICATION
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not
 hesitate to write a note, email or call. My website is my main form of communication, and it's updated frequently with important upcoming dates and announcements. Please check in at www.mrsgoldsclass.com at least once a week to be most currently informed.
 

DIFFERENTIATION
In our school, we differentiate instruction, which means that students are taught based on instructional level as well as interest. Groupings change frequently, as students' levels increase, or if they have an abundance of or less prior knowledge of the subject we're about to learn.

ECONOMY
In our classroom, students will learn the value of earning and saving money, as they get paid for their behavior, responsibility, organization, and good deeds. They are to keep track of this money, and may save up for different prizes, or to spend at our Classroom Store, which opens in December, March, and June. I'll be asking for donations of $5.00 early in the year, to help me purchase supplies for the classroom store, and if at any time you find some old toys or books around the house that you feel would be suitable, we'd be so appreciative of it!

ENRICHMENT
All classrooms at VES have an enrichment cluster, which means that there are children who have been identified as Academically Talented. However, there are only a small group of enrichment children, and this does not change the curriculum of my class. Our class will be learning the same information as any other class, but I will be allowing the enrichment children to have more challenging work experiences and projects, in order to challenge them to their highest level. This work will also be an option for any other child in the classroom who is performing at that same level, so enrichment work is not only limited to children identified for the program. Enrichment children will be provided with a math challenge each night in addition to their homework, and this challenge is also an option for anyone else in the class who would like to try it.

GOLD STAR OF THE WEEK
Every child will have an opportunity to be the Gold Star of the Week. Each day of the week brings something special for that child. I will be sending home a special poster and parent letter the week before the child becomes the Gold Star. The child and parents will have to do a little preparation for the week ahead (fun things, I promise!) For more information, click here.

GRADING SCALE
In our school, we don't use the grades A, B, C, D, F.
Instead, we use the following standards:

These standards are pretty self explanatory, however if you wish to have clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. These will be the grades noted on the report cards.

 HANDWRITING
We use Handwriting For Tears as our method to learning cursive this year. Cursive will be taught in class, and normally will not be brought home as homework. Towards the end of the year, typically after spring break, students will be asked to write everything completely in cursive.

 HOMEWORK
Homework is assigned typically Monday through Thursday and is usually reading for 15 minutes (and logging it in a special Reading Log), a math Homelink page, and completion of the weekly spelling packet. Friday night homework is always to get your Behavior Chart signed by a parent. In the case that homework is not completed on the day it's due, the student is to stay in at recess to finish it. What does not get completed during recess, is additional homework that night. If there is a valid reason why the homework cannot be completed in the time given, parents are to write a note to the teacher and an extension will be provided. Another reason why there might be weekend homework, is if class work was not completed. I usually give an adequate amount of time for class work, so if it's sent home, there is a good reason for it to become homework. If students complete all assignments Monday through Friday, they will be rewarded by playing Homework-opoly to win prizes!

Click HERE to go to the Homework Help section. The Homework Help section has homework explanations and even a download section where kids can download papers they might have forgotten in school! In addition, spelling words are listed online, so there should be no excuses for late homework!

If your child has trouble with his/her homework, please write me a note at the top of the page, so that I can spend some added time with your child. If you've written me a note, I will count their homework as complete for that day, even if the assignment isn't completed entirely.

JOURNALS
Your child will be writing me a 1-2 page journal response every two weeks, that tells me of a book they've read within the past few days. Journals are to be completed in class. I don't always give an entire period devoted to journal writing, however as students finish their in class assignments, they are to go directly to their journals and have two weeks to complete this. If it's not completed,  students must complete the journal at home.

 LUNCH
Chartwells Service has set up a debit card system for your child to enter a pin number each time they purchase lunch at school. This will eliminate bringing lunch money each day. They will let you know when the balance is low on the card so that it can be replenished. Click HERE for more information.

MATH
We are using Everyday Mathematics this year. This program teaches children to show and explain the steps of how they figured out the answer, not just getting the correct answer. This is what they must be able to do in the upper grades on performance based achievement tests.

MYSTERY READERS
We welcome you to be our Mystery Readers throughout the year. I will provide a sign-up sheet at Back To School Night and will call you to schedule you to read to the class. Remember that you are a mystery to your child and the rest of the class, so don't give away the secret that you'll be coming! Please bring a short book (that takes about 15 minutes to read). When you sign in at the office before coming to the room, please have them call me to announce your arrival so that I can get the children ready for your story!

POSITIVE REWARDS
HEART JAR- Each time students as a class are doing a great job, they are rewarded with a heart in the jar. This can be for silent walking in the halls, working cooperatively together, or just doing an outstanding job learning! When the jar is filled up, they are rewarded with a class party of their choice.

TABLE POINTS- Each table group is rewarded one point for things such as being ready first, being the quietest, working most cooperatively, and more! When the table reaches ten points, they are awarded ten dollars in Classroom Money to use on a variety of prizes.

BONUS BUCKS- Each time a child is "caught being good", they are rewarded with a Bonus Buck (Classroom Money). They can save up for things such as a No Homework Pass, a prize from the prize box, lunch with Mrs. Gold, stickers, and more!

 PTA
Your involvement in our room, and at our school helps tremendously! Take time during the first few weeks of school to join our PTA! Your support of our school means a lot!

READING
This year, students will be reading from many genres. Each month at home, they are to focus on a certain genre and read at least one book from that assigned genre. In school, we will be doing an author study on Patricia Polacco, and will be reading genres such as realistic fiction, non-fiction informational, biographies, mysteries, and more!

Reading groups change each time, based on the skills needed for each book unit. We begin the year with Guided Reading, where I will be leading the groups in discussions focusing on certain reading skills. Mid-year, we begin studying Literature Circles, where the children lead the groups themselves, asking their own comprehension questions focusing on the main idea, finding vocabulary words, illustrating passages, and rephrasing passages.
 
 REPORT CARDS
Report cards are issued three times during the year: December, March, and June.

 SCIENCE
Our science program is centered on inquiry-based kits:
Magnetism and Electricity, Plant Growth and Development, and Earth Materials (Rocks and Minerals)

 SNACK
Please provide your child with a healthy snack every day. If you want to send a drink with your child, please send a water bottle- no juice. If your child has a food allergy, please let me know.

 SOCIAL STUDIES
Social Studies units this year focus on the Native American Tribes of the United States. We study tribes from four major areas of the USA: The South-East, the South-West, the North-East, and the North-West. We also study NJ and map skills in the beginning of the school year, and the history of Montgomery Township towards the end of the school year.

SPELLING
I test all children two to three times a year to find out which spelling group they are in. I put them in groups based on their level, and each group will receive different words each week. These words will be placed on the spelling page of my website. Challenge words, however, will not be listed on the website. All spelling homework includes challenge words, so if your child forgets his/her spelling notebook at school, there will be no other way of doing the homework. He/she can still do as much as possible, with the 15 words listed online, however the 5 challenge words will have to be done at recess, if this is the case.

CHALLENGE WORDS: Students take a 200 high frequency word spelling test in September. I grade this test, and students can see which words they got wrong and right. Each week, they can choose their own challenge words from this high frequency list. The words they choose must be words that they've misspelled on this high frequency test. Once they've chosen the word as their challenge word, and taken a test on it, they can mark it correct on their high frequency test. If they get it wrong again, it becomes an automatic challenge word for next week's words. Any words, for that matter, that are misspelled on a spelling test automatically become next week's challenge words.

HOMEWORK:  We will only do spelling on weeks that we are in school all 5 days. A packet is given out on Monday, to be returned on Friday, with 4 activities completed throughout the week. I'd prefer these activities to be completed once a night, but I understand how different nights hold different activities, so you and your child can make up the schedule that works best for you. Just make sure that your child is prepared for their test on Friday. On weeks that there is no spelling, children will have short writing assignments instead of the spelling homework.

SUPPLIES
If your child runs out of one or more of his supplies, please replace them as soon as possible. Click HERE to see a supply list!

 TARDIES
If your child is late for school, please sign them in at the office before sending them to the classroom.

TESTS
All tests (except spelling tests) must be brought home and signed by a parent. I expect the test back the following morning. If you wish to hold a test for an extra day, please write me a note and I will grant your request. This is considered part of your child's homework to get the test signed and returned to me the next day. If it's not, they will not be able to play Homework-opoly on Friday.

 TOYS
Students should not bring toys to school, as they can become lost. We are not responsible for a child's toys if they choose to bring them.

 VISITORS
Village Elementary School has a policy that ALL GUESTS (including familiar faces) are required to check in at the school office. However, I frequently welcome and encourage family involvement, and will let you know when I need parent assistance in the classroom.

 VOLUNTEERS
I feel that it is very important for a child to know that his or her parents support their education. As such, we will try to provide many opportunities for parents to volunteer and visit our classroom. Your support can be exhibited in a number of ways. These include helping with parties, assisting with special projects, sending in treats or party goods, chaperoning field trips, reading to the class, and preparing materials at home.

WEBSITE
As mentioned earlier, my website provides you and your children with everything they need for the school year. It allows your child to download assignments, find spelling words, and challenge themselves outside of the classroom with the Mastery Club, Math Wizards Program, and Exra Credit Projects. It allows you to see upcoming dates, announcements, children's published work, and answers probably 99% of your questions! Please check weekly for updates.

 WRITING
During Writer’s Workshop our class writes together (interactive writing) and independently (journals and book making). Students are involved in explicit demonstrations of the connection between reading and writing. They learn concepts of how written language works while engaged in the writing process.

 Zzzz!
Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be their best at school.