4th Grade Handbook
This handbook outlines our school and classroom policies and procedures. Feel free to contact me at any time via phone or email. Please remember you are also always welcome to drop by and/or schedule a conference.
Hours
Ms. Jandy will be in the classroom daily from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. Our para, will be in from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. The 20 minutes before school is reserved for Teacher/Para collaboration. If you would like to schedule a conference please let us know in advance and we will make arrangements.
School starts promptly at 8:50 AM each day. It is our expectation that students be in their seats and ready to learn at that time. Tardiness and absences will be recorded in accordance with the school and state attendance policy. School is dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Please be on time to pick up your child. If there is an emergency and you cannot be to the school on time for some reason, please contact the office.
Please note that students who arrive to school before 8:50 AM or are not picked up by 3:40 PM will be sent to Extended Day (Giraffe Club) and parents will be charged accordingly.
Attendance
A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school. Your child’s progress, both academically and socially, is influenced by regular and timely attendance.
Illness
Please keep ill students at home until they are no longer contagious. Students who are unable to fully participate in the regular school day due to illness will call home to be picked up.
Behavior and Consequences
We will follow the school-wide PRIDE rules:
Practice listening body
Respect for all
I am accountable
Do at first request
Everybody safe
“Level Up”
Our class level system is how students relate the choices that they make (about following the rules) to the consequences (negative and positive) that they earn throughout the day. Our classroom levels are as follows:
Level 4: A student on level 4 (often referred to as Fantastic Four) has gone above and beyond to show respect to peers and adults. This student has done an outstanding job of following the PRIDE rules. Fantastic Four behavior is regularly rewarded with Caught-ya Cards and drawing tickets for quarterly prizes. This level is achieved infrequently and is a great accomplishment.
Level 3: A student on level 3 has had no more than two (2) reminders to follow classroom rules. This student has done a fantastic job of following the PRIDE rules. Level 3 behavior is regularly rewarded in many ways.
Level 2: A student on level 2 has been reminded three (3) to five (5) times to follow rules. This student will spend 2-3 minutes in from recess to write an apology note and/or help with a task in the classroom (community service). Some rule violations may constitute an automatic drop to level 1 based on the needs of the classroom.
Level 1: A student on level 1 has needed more than five (5) rule reminders. This student is having a hard day. During recess this student may need to do community service (3-5 minutes) around the classroom/school. A student who continues to break classroom rules will likely have to earn his/her way back into the classroom by working hard and showing “level 3 behavior”. Violence is always a “level 1 behavior” regardless of what the student's current level is.
Students always have the opportunity to "Level Up" after dropping a level. These opportunities are granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of staff when student is exhibiting on task behavior. Positive tallies marked on student desks can be used to buy a “Level Up” token (a puzzle piece).
EX: 2 tallies = 1 Token 4 Tokens (Puzzles) & 6 Tallies = Fantastic Four (Golden Puzzle Piece)
Student Jobs
Students will have the chance to do many jobs in our classroom. The jobs will be assigned for one week and will rotate every Friday. Our classroom jobs include: Environmentalist, Senator, Librarian, Media Specialist, Receptionist and Health Professional. Jobs will be discussed in full the 1st day of school and several times throughout the year.
Lunch
It is the responsibility of each family to ensure that arrangements are made for students to have lunch each day. Please be sure to either order hot lunch for your student or send a lunch to school with your child every day. If your child arrives at school without arrangements for lunch, you will be contacted to make arrangements. If a lunch has not been delivered to the school by 10:30 AM, we will contact you to pick up your child. Children DO NOT have access to a microwave. If Spectrum provides your child with a lunch you will be charged $5.
Snack
We will usually have the opportunity to enjoy a snack in the afternoon. A hungry child is a child who struggles to focus. Although it is not mandatory we encourage you to send something daily. Snack donations are accepted and encouraged as long as there is enough for the whole class and items are pre-packaged into individual servings. If your child has special dietary restrictions, please send them with a snack each day, as teachers do not want to be put in the position of deciding whether a particular snack falls within the guidelines of a special diet.
Allergies
It is crucial that we know of any allergies or special dietary restrictions that your child may have. For the safety of everyone in our class, there is a strict no sharing policy at lunch and snack times.
Home-School Communication
Please check your child’s backpack each day. Important notes and forms will be sent home via your child’s homework binder. I refer to this binder as “The Beast”. Additionally, please return any permission slips or forms as soon as possible, preferably by the next school day. Children may not be able to participate in some activities (i.e., field trips) without parental permission.
Homework
Fourth grade students will be assigned homework often but NOT daily. The homework assigned is in preparation for statewide testing that students will participate in at the end of the school year. Students participating in alternative assessment will be assigned homework that correlates to those goals. Fourth Grade homework will be sent home in your child’s “Beast” and should be returned the next school day unless otherwise stated. Students may be assigned homework by their Language Arts and Math teachers.
In addition to homework, students should be reading out loud for at least twenty minutes each night. Reading time should be tracked in the “Beast”. Students will earn rewards and parties based on their completed reading minutes.
Recess
We will go outside for recess two times each day, except in the event of extreme weather and/or poor air quality. Please send proper outdoor attire for your child daily. Also, please send a change of clothes during wet weather. When the temperature for the day is less than 45˚, children will not be allowed outside without a coat or jacket.
Book Orders
We will send home Scholastic Book order forms each month. Ordering books for your home library is a great way to support our Spectrum Academy.
Volunteers
Per our school’s charter, parents of students at Spectrum Academy are required to donate forty (40) hours of volunteer time to the school (more if there is more than one student in your family at Spectrum). We need help planning class parties, organizing transportation for field trips, purchasing classroom supplies, maintaining our class snack supply, help with class projects, and much, much more. Please check with us for volunteer opportunities on a regular basis to see how your family might be able to contribute.
Please contact us if you are interested in helping in our room. We cannot accept volunteers without prior notice, as we need time to prepare projects. We love grandparent helpers, too. We ask that brothers and sisters stay at home on days that you help as our students get distracted easily.
Spectrum Academy requires every helper/volunteer to have a background check before helping at the school. All volunteers also need to check in at the front desk and pick up a visitor’s pass. If you are uncomfortable in the classroom or your child is distracted when you are in the room, please let us know. We have many other areas where we can use your help!
Supplies
The school supply list sent to you in an e-mail and an emergency kit are needed for your student. The office will update you about emergency kits.
Guardians may choose to donate supplies in lieu of volunteer hours ($10 spent = 1 hour). We will keep an updated classroom supply “wanted list” posted in our classroom and will send one home periodically. Please consult this list when considering donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Personal Property
Toys and other personal property should not be brought to school. When your child is our “All About…” student of the week he/she will be asked to bring things to share with the class. Any personal items found at school that are not related to our “All about…” program will be confiscated and will need to be picked up by a guardian.
All about… Person of the week
Each student will have a chance to be our “All about ...” person. The activities that go along with this privilege are:
Monday – Share All About Me Poster (this poster is created at home the weekend before Monday)
Tuesday – Show & Tell (Student may bring 1 Item from home to share with the class. They may also introduce a friend or family member to our class if they prefer.)
Wednesday – Bring a snack to share with class
Thursday – Bring an appropriate CD (We will listen to this music during independent work)
Friday – Choose the next “All about…” student. New “All about…” person takes the poster home to prepare for Monday.
Student Progress
Updated information on student progress for all subject areas will be available for parents to view on the school’s student information website: compass.spectrumcharter.org. If you have any questions regarding your student’s progress, please feel free to schedule a conference with me at any time. I’d love to see you all at Parent Teacher Conferences.
State Core and Curriculum
All lessons taught in our classroom will align with Common Core for Fourth Grade. You can view the Common Core online at the Utah Education Network’s website. Please feel free to ask me if you have specific questions regarding common core.
Hours
Ms. Jandy will be in the classroom daily from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. Our para, will be in from 8:30 AM-4:00 PM. The 20 minutes before school is reserved for Teacher/Para collaboration. If you would like to schedule a conference please let us know in advance and we will make arrangements.
School starts promptly at 8:50 AM each day. It is our expectation that students be in their seats and ready to learn at that time. Tardiness and absences will be recorded in accordance with the school and state attendance policy. School is dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Please be on time to pick up your child. If there is an emergency and you cannot be to the school on time for some reason, please contact the office.
Please note that students who arrive to school before 8:50 AM or are not picked up by 3:40 PM will be sent to Extended Day (Giraffe Club) and parents will be charged accordingly.
Attendance
A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school. Your child’s progress, both academically and socially, is influenced by regular and timely attendance.
Illness
Please keep ill students at home until they are no longer contagious. Students who are unable to fully participate in the regular school day due to illness will call home to be picked up.
Behavior and Consequences
We will follow the school-wide PRIDE rules:
Practice listening body
Respect for all
I am accountable
Do at first request
Everybody safe
“Level Up”
Our class level system is how students relate the choices that they make (about following the rules) to the consequences (negative and positive) that they earn throughout the day. Our classroom levels are as follows:
Level 4: A student on level 4 (often referred to as Fantastic Four) has gone above and beyond to show respect to peers and adults. This student has done an outstanding job of following the PRIDE rules. Fantastic Four behavior is regularly rewarded with Caught-ya Cards and drawing tickets for quarterly prizes. This level is achieved infrequently and is a great accomplishment.
Level 3: A student on level 3 has had no more than two (2) reminders to follow classroom rules. This student has done a fantastic job of following the PRIDE rules. Level 3 behavior is regularly rewarded in many ways.
Level 2: A student on level 2 has been reminded three (3) to five (5) times to follow rules. This student will spend 2-3 minutes in from recess to write an apology note and/or help with a task in the classroom (community service). Some rule violations may constitute an automatic drop to level 1 based on the needs of the classroom.
Level 1: A student on level 1 has needed more than five (5) rule reminders. This student is having a hard day. During recess this student may need to do community service (3-5 minutes) around the classroom/school. A student who continues to break classroom rules will likely have to earn his/her way back into the classroom by working hard and showing “level 3 behavior”. Violence is always a “level 1 behavior” regardless of what the student's current level is.
Students always have the opportunity to "Level Up" after dropping a level. These opportunities are granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of staff when student is exhibiting on task behavior. Positive tallies marked on student desks can be used to buy a “Level Up” token (a puzzle piece).
EX: 2 tallies = 1 Token 4 Tokens (Puzzles) & 6 Tallies = Fantastic Four (Golden Puzzle Piece)
Student Jobs
Students will have the chance to do many jobs in our classroom. The jobs will be assigned for one week and will rotate every Friday. Our classroom jobs include: Environmentalist, Senator, Librarian, Media Specialist, Receptionist and Health Professional. Jobs will be discussed in full the 1st day of school and several times throughout the year.
Lunch
It is the responsibility of each family to ensure that arrangements are made for students to have lunch each day. Please be sure to either order hot lunch for your student or send a lunch to school with your child every day. If your child arrives at school without arrangements for lunch, you will be contacted to make arrangements. If a lunch has not been delivered to the school by 10:30 AM, we will contact you to pick up your child. Children DO NOT have access to a microwave. If Spectrum provides your child with a lunch you will be charged $5.
Snack
We will usually have the opportunity to enjoy a snack in the afternoon. A hungry child is a child who struggles to focus. Although it is not mandatory we encourage you to send something daily. Snack donations are accepted and encouraged as long as there is enough for the whole class and items are pre-packaged into individual servings. If your child has special dietary restrictions, please send them with a snack each day, as teachers do not want to be put in the position of deciding whether a particular snack falls within the guidelines of a special diet.
Allergies
It is crucial that we know of any allergies or special dietary restrictions that your child may have. For the safety of everyone in our class, there is a strict no sharing policy at lunch and snack times.
Home-School Communication
Please check your child’s backpack each day. Important notes and forms will be sent home via your child’s homework binder. I refer to this binder as “The Beast”. Additionally, please return any permission slips or forms as soon as possible, preferably by the next school day. Children may not be able to participate in some activities (i.e., field trips) without parental permission.
Homework
Fourth grade students will be assigned homework often but NOT daily. The homework assigned is in preparation for statewide testing that students will participate in at the end of the school year. Students participating in alternative assessment will be assigned homework that correlates to those goals. Fourth Grade homework will be sent home in your child’s “Beast” and should be returned the next school day unless otherwise stated. Students may be assigned homework by their Language Arts and Math teachers.
In addition to homework, students should be reading out loud for at least twenty minutes each night. Reading time should be tracked in the “Beast”. Students will earn rewards and parties based on their completed reading minutes.
Recess
We will go outside for recess two times each day, except in the event of extreme weather and/or poor air quality. Please send proper outdoor attire for your child daily. Also, please send a change of clothes during wet weather. When the temperature for the day is less than 45˚, children will not be allowed outside without a coat or jacket.
Book Orders
We will send home Scholastic Book order forms each month. Ordering books for your home library is a great way to support our Spectrum Academy.
Volunteers
Per our school’s charter, parents of students at Spectrum Academy are required to donate forty (40) hours of volunteer time to the school (more if there is more than one student in your family at Spectrum). We need help planning class parties, organizing transportation for field trips, purchasing classroom supplies, maintaining our class snack supply, help with class projects, and much, much more. Please check with us for volunteer opportunities on a regular basis to see how your family might be able to contribute.
Please contact us if you are interested in helping in our room. We cannot accept volunteers without prior notice, as we need time to prepare projects. We love grandparent helpers, too. We ask that brothers and sisters stay at home on days that you help as our students get distracted easily.
Spectrum Academy requires every helper/volunteer to have a background check before helping at the school. All volunteers also need to check in at the front desk and pick up a visitor’s pass. If you are uncomfortable in the classroom or your child is distracted when you are in the room, please let us know. We have many other areas where we can use your help!
Supplies
The school supply list sent to you in an e-mail and an emergency kit are needed for your student. The office will update you about emergency kits.
Guardians may choose to donate supplies in lieu of volunteer hours ($10 spent = 1 hour). We will keep an updated classroom supply “wanted list” posted in our classroom and will send one home periodically. Please consult this list when considering donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Personal Property
Toys and other personal property should not be brought to school. When your child is our “All About…” student of the week he/she will be asked to bring things to share with the class. Any personal items found at school that are not related to our “All about…” program will be confiscated and will need to be picked up by a guardian.
All about… Person of the week
Each student will have a chance to be our “All about ...” person. The activities that go along with this privilege are:
Monday – Share All About Me Poster (this poster is created at home the weekend before Monday)
Tuesday – Show & Tell (Student may bring 1 Item from home to share with the class. They may also introduce a friend or family member to our class if they prefer.)
Wednesday – Bring a snack to share with class
Thursday – Bring an appropriate CD (We will listen to this music during independent work)
Friday – Choose the next “All about…” student. New “All about…” person takes the poster home to prepare for Monday.
Student Progress
Updated information on student progress for all subject areas will be available for parents to view on the school’s student information website: compass.spectrumcharter.org. If you have any questions regarding your student’s progress, please feel free to schedule a conference with me at any time. I’d love to see you all at Parent Teacher Conferences.
State Core and Curriculum
All lessons taught in our classroom will align with Common Core for Fourth Grade. You can view the Common Core online at the Utah Education Network’s website. Please feel free to ask me if you have specific questions regarding common core.