It is always my goal to create a constant learning environment where students feel trusted, comfortable to take risks, excited to explore and create, and have opportunities to grow and learn everyday. I hope to engage and motivate students to fall in love with reading, cultivate their writing abilities, think and extend their math knowledge and skills, and inquire about science and social studies themes and connections. Each student has unique gifts and talents to add to our classroom discussions and lessons, and respecting all students in order to build a community of learners is essential. I believe that a strong and open parent-partnership is the foundation to a successful school year. I encourage parents to ask questions, share ideas, and be part of our learning. Most importantly, I am here for your child. I look forward to each and every day I have the chance to inspire and educate the learners in our classroom.

“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Welcome!

Mrs. Haugland’sClassroom

August 2017

Getting to know Mrs. Haugland’s Core Values

Creekside Elementary School4th Grade

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I love to celebrate birthdays! Due to food allergies, I ask that families not bring in food for birthdays. If you would like to bring in something to celebrate your child, I would encourage you to consider small favors (pencils, erasers, etc.) or donate a book to the classroom that we can read that day. Thank you for your understanding and support!

We encourage all students to bring in a water bottle and a healthy snack everyday. We do not have silverware or microwaves to heat up food, so please send your child with a ready-to-go snack! No candy, chocolates, or dessert-like items will be allowed as a snack.

Snacks and Birthdays

Fourth Grade Curriculum

Classroom Schedule

Research has proven that brain breaks allow learners to regain blood flow, focus, and allow for creativity. We will create time each day to take short brain breaks to refuel and recharge our batteries in addition to our 2 recess breaks.

Brain Breaks

8:10 Bell Rings and Learners Enter the Building8:15 - 8:30 Morning Meeting8:30 - 9:00 Math Lesson9:00 – 9:50 Specials 9:50 -10:30 Math Lesson cont./Snack10:30 -10:45 Word Study10:45 – 11:00 Morning Recess11:00 – 11:30 Writing11:30 – 12:05 Science/Social Studies12:10 - 12:50 Lunch/Recess12:50 - 1:00 Read Aloud1:00 – 2:00 Reading Lesson2:00 – 2:30 Math Workshop2:30 – 3:00 Reading Workshop3:00 – 3:05 Backpacks/Dismissal

Read AloudsRead Alouds are one of the most powerful tools a teacher and parent can do to inspire children to read, enjoy books, and develop their creativity and imagination. Read Alouds are one of the most sacred times in our classroom, and something I look forward to everyday! I am always looking for recommendations!

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The curriculum materials mentioned below are called our core curriculum. Core curriculum means lessons that are targeted for all learners to experience and participate in so that the necessary 4th grade standards and skills are taught and mastered across all fourth graders at Creekside. The curriculum has been chosen by a committee consisting of educators, administration, and the curriculum coordinator for our district. The core curriculum serves as the foundation for meeting the 4th grade standards. Additional materials and resources are supplemented and added in to help differentiate, engage, and meet the needs of all learners.    In addition to the curriculum described below, I will ensure that your child's specific learning needs are met, whether that be supporting their learning needs or extending and enriching their learning needs. All students deserve to grow and learn, and I cannot wait to work with your child. I use a combination of whole group, small group, and one-on-one instruction. I use observations, progress checks, and unit assessments to make sure students are progressing and growing throughout the year. In fourth grade, we also use benchmark assessments such as DIBELS (a reading assessment), STAR and NWEA MAPS (reading and math assessments) three times a year to measure student achievement and growth. 

Here is a quick glance at the curriculum we use in fourth grade:

ReadyGEN - This is our core curriculum for reading in third through fifth grade. This curriculum aligns with the 4th grade reading standards and supports both the reading and response to reading process. ReadyGEN progresses throughout the year in complexity of text, and facilitates

students' learning of academic vocabulary, close reading, and foundational skills to deepen content knowledge and comprehension. (ReadyGEN, 2016). The curriculum utilizes fiction, nonfiction, and trade books (books you find in a library) to engage and support reading across a variety of genres and topics. 4th grade is a pivotal year for learners to stop and synthesize what they are reading, prove their answers with specific evidence from the text, and extract meaning and purpose for the bigger world.  Along with this curriculum, we will utilize independent reading time to foster individualized reading goals and meet the needs of all learners. Students will use AR (Accelerated Reader) quizzes at the completion of each book to check understanding and comprehension. We will also spend time conferring to make sure learners are receiving the specialized instruction needed for them to reach their goals.

STEP UP to Writing - This is our core curriculum for writing in third through fifth grade. This curriculum matches up nicely to ReadyGEN. For example, as we come across informational text in reading, we will spend time learning how writers structure and craft their sentences to write informational pieces. This connected time will help learners understand the reading better and in turn, understand how to write that style of text. We will cover informational/explanatory, opinion, and narrative writing as well as poetry. STEP UP to Writing offers a sound organizational component that is necessary to have a clear writing piece. Writing is such an important skill in life, and this year will be spent making sure our learners can write for a variety of purposes.

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Investigations - This is our core curriculum for math in third

through fifth grade. This curriculum is designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas (Investigations, 2012). This program supports learners to be mathematical thinkers, focus on computational fluency, reason about mathematical ideas, and develop a strong conceptual foundation connected to skills. The curriculum is broken into units to provide time for students to strengthen and practice the math ideas and skills with concepts that build on each other. 

Timelinks - This is our core curriculum for social studies in fourth grade. This curriculum reviews our country and its regions. We have an additional curriculum that digs deep in South Dakota history, which we will cover starting in April through May. Timelinks supports the understanding of map and globe skills. In addition, the text digs deeper into how people, places, and events affect and shape a region in our Nation. Learners will also spend time learning about global connections to the events discussed in the text. In addition, we embed and integrate the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards to "create circles of understanding" through the WoLakota Project.

Interactive Science - This is our core curriculum for science in third through fifth grade and is new this year to Creekside. This is a very hands-on program that will be taught by my teammate Mrs. Bauer. Learners are interacting with the scientific process on a daily basis as they spend time through inquiry-based lessons. Students work together in small-groups through several experiments, while also spending time reading and responding to learn more about the content. This

program utilizes the ABC approach to engage learners - "Activity Before Content." I have no doubt your child will love the science lessons!

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Classroom Information ClassDojo

This is one of the best ways you can see and receive small snapshots of information about how your child is doing in the classroom. I will send home a parent invite with an access code to our classroom page and then you can receive photos, messages, and updates as to the learning taking place in the classroom. You are also able to receive a private message from me about your child’s progress and action in the classroom. Go online to classdojo to learn more about it!

Weebly I use weebly for my classroom blog. I find this is a go-to place for families to learn more about the curriculum, check out a blog, and refer to when paper copies might be lost. I will upload our monthly, specials’ calendar here, etc. o http://hauglandclassroom.weebly.com/

SpecialsWe have a 4-day rotation for PE, Music, Computer, and Library. I will send home a calendar with our monthly newsletter so your child knows when to bring PE shoes and library books. We also have art that is offered in the 2nd trimester. This will be an additional special during the 2nd trimester. Every 4th day, students will go to one of the regular 4-day rotations (PE, Music, Computer, or Library) and then have art! Students love it.

Procedures PBS (Positive Behavior System) – I believe in mutual

trust, respect, listening, and understanding from all learners as well as myself. I want to encourage students to feel successful and safe in the classroom. We will have Morning Meeting each day to share and learn about one another. Your child will have one day each week to share something personal and receive questions and comments from the class.

I will lead by example and maintain a positive, yet firm, role as a facilitator and educator in the classroom. I will have individual conversations with learners that need reminders of our norms and use a reflective binder for students to check in and take a moment to think about their actions when needed.

As a class, I use the 7 Habits of Happy Kids to set norms. These norms ensure good attitude, respect, citizenship, caring, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, and decision making (the Creekside Pillars). When students demonstrate these ideals or go above and beyond the expected behavior/norms, students will be recognized in the classroom as well as in the front office with Spartan Cards. A student who has received a Spartan Card will enter their cards in for drawings throughout the year. One student a month will also be recognized at an assembly for showing outstanding effort in a particular pillar. Each month, Creekside will focus on one of the 8 pillars to build character and strong community in our school.

Classroom Jobs will be assigned weekly. I believe that we should work together to make our classroom run smoothly.

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Homework/Absences We will have homework each week.

o Students will receive a planner to update and stay organized as well as a Take Home Folder. Both are expected to go home each day and returned each day.

o Parents are asked to sign the reading log each week and review the homework folder/planner daily.

o See the homework sheet that addresses more about the type of homework and homework expectations in fourth grade.

o I also send a weekly, email update at the beginning of the week to give families an indication of the week’s homework and any important school/classroom updates.

o If your child misses an assignment due to an absence, extended time is always provided.

o If your child misses an assignment not due to an absence without a parent note, your child will be asked to complete the assignment during the day.

If your child will be absent, please call the attendance line at 605-717-1210. Any work to be completed will be collected and ready to go when your child returns.

I can be reached by email or phone. Feel free to catch me outside or in the hallway for a quick chat. Basically, I am open to talk and share whenever needed. If the conversation needs to be discussed in further detail or in private, please don’t hesitate to set up a meeting with me. I am here for your child and you.

Communication

School Year 2016-2017

Sydney HauglandRoom 522shaugland@spearfish.k12.sd.us

http://hauglandclassroom.weebly.com/

Creekside Elementary School

Principal Dan Olson

2325 N. AveSpearfish, SD 57783Phone – 605-717-1210Fax – 605-717-1231