Mrs Studer's Classroom Website

August 23, 2011

Dear Parents,

My name is Mary Studer.  I will be your child’s classroom teacher for the 2011-2012 school year.  I hope that you have had a great summer and that your child is ready to begin his/her 4th grade year.  I am very excited to get started on a great year!

I live in Ankeny with my husband Jon and my two children Jaryn and Jorden.  Jaryn is 21 years old and a senior at West Virginia University where she is a part of the West Virginia University women’s swim team.  Jorden is 17 years old and is a senior at Ankeny High School.  He plays football. I have two cats.  Their names are Tigger and Dori.

            I will be starting my 26^th year as a teacher in the Des Moines Public School District.  I have taught 14 of those years in special education, and have enjoyed the last few years as a classroom teacher.

            Fourth grade is a very special time in your child’s life.  He or she will be learning many new things this year:  academic skills, organizational skills, social skills, self-confidence, and responsibility. You play a major role in helping your child reach the maximum of his or her potential.  Research in the area of child development points out that most of a child’s intellectual development takes place outside the formal classroom.  This means that children spend a great deal of time with their first and most important teachers-their parents.  Indeed, as parents, your involvement in your child’s learning experiences will have much to do with how well your child succeeds in school and in later life.  By working together, I believe we can all help your child become the best person possible-socially, emotionally, and scholastically.

            In order to keep you informed of classroom activities, I will be sending home a monthly calendar at the beginning of each month announcing upcoming projects, tests, quizzes, and any other important Brubaker news.

            If you have any questions or concerns throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact me by stopping in the classroom (Room 215), giving me a phone call (242-8405), writing a note, or sending me an email (mary.studer@dmps.k12.ia.us).

            I’m looking forward to working with you this year as we help your child experience all the joys of learning.  I stand ready to assist you in any way I can, so please feel free to get in touch with me at any time.

            I have prepared this handbook, which accompanies this letter, to give you and your child some ideas as to what to expect over the course of this year.

Sincerely,

Mary Studer

2011-2012 Classroom Handbook:  Mrs. Studer

The following information will help explain some of the policies and procedures that we will try to follow in Room 215.

*Specials Schedule:

• The following is the special schedule for my classroom this school year.  Because it is the beginning of the year, this schedule could change.  If it does, I will let you know.

*Start and Dismissal Times:

• School starts @ 8:35.  Students are marked tardy @ 8:40.  Students who are tardy will get the regular hot lunch.
• School dismisses @ 3:20.  We will dismiss out the north door.

*Lunch/Recess:

• This year at Brubaker, 4^th graders will be having recess from 11:50-12:10.
• This year at Brubaker, 4^th graders will be having lunch from 12:10-12:40.

*Management System:

• In order to maintain an environment that is rich in learning, behavior must be controlled.  I believe in handling situations within my classroom and not involving the office unless that kind of help is warranted.  If inappropriate behavior does occur, I use the Pull-A-Card Management System.  Each day, the student will start out with a green card.  It is their job to keep the green card all day.  The following will explain how the system works:

• Green Card:  All students will begin the day on green.  It is their responsibility to keep the green card all day.
• Yellow Card:  If the student makes a poor behavior choice or forgets to return his/her homework or have their daily planner signed, the green card is pulled to a yellow card.  This yellow card will require the student to have a consequence. 
• Red Card:  If the student makes a second poor behavior choice or forgets more than one piece of homework, the yellow card is pulled to a red card.  This red card will require the student to have a consequence.
• Reward :  At the end of each day, each student who has a green card will receive 2 Brubaker bulldog stickers, each student who has a yellow card will receive 1 Brubaker bulldog sticker, and each student who has a red card will not receive any Brubaker bulldog stickers.  These Brubaker stickers will be put on Brubaker tickets that can be handed in at the end of the month for prizes and be put in the lottery for a chance to be “The Top Dog” for the month. 

*Classroom Jobs:

• Some days your child will have a job and some days they won’t.  Each student will keep their job for one month and then they will switch.  Classroom jobs will not begin until September.

*Daily Planner:

• Your child will bring home a “Daily Planner”.  Each day we will fill this out so that you will know what homework your child has, when it is due, what color of card he/she ended their day on, and any other pertinent information. Your child will also write their weekly spelling words in their planner.   Your job will be to sign this each day.  If you have any comments or concerns that I need to be aware of, just write it in the planner.  I feel this is a great communication tool between school and home.  Please remind your student to keep this planner in good condition all  year.

*Homework Schedule:

*Weekly Quizzes: 

Spelling

• Every week on Monday, students will receive spelling words for that week.  Each student will write their spelling words in their planner so that they will always have their spelling words with them.  On Friday, students will take their spelling quiz.  This will be part of their language grade.  We will review each day in class.

DOL Quiz

• Each day Monday-Thursday, students will be given 1 DOL sentence to correct both mechanically and grammatically.  On Friday, 2 out of the 4 DOL sentences, that each student will have corrected that week, will be attached to the spelling quiz.  We will review each day in class.  On Thursday, this DOL review sheet will come home for your child to study, get your signature, and return on Friday.  Each Friday, each student will take a Spelling/DOL quiz.    This will be part of their language grade.

Math Maintenance Quiz

• Each day Monday-Thursday, students will be given 7-9 math problems to correct.  On Friday, 15 of these problems will appear on a math maintenance quiz.  On Thursday, this math maintenance review sheet will come home for your child to study, get your signature, and return on Friday.  Each Friday, each student will take a Math Maintenance Quiz.    This will be part of their math grade.

* “D” Slip:

• Each time a student receives a D on a quiz, paper, test, or project, he/she will bring home a “D” slip attached to whatever he/she received a D on.  His/Her job will be to show it to you, go over it, have you sign the “D” slip, and return both the “D” slip and whatever was attached to it the next school day. 

*Take Home/Homework Folder:

• Each student will have a red folder that will be his/her take home/homework folder.  Any papers that need to be brought home from Brubaker will be in this folder.  Also, any homework that your child may have will also be in this folder.  Please ask your child about this folder, as well as his/her planner, each day.