Welcome to 4th Grade 2024-25!

Please use this information to help answer some questions that you may have. I am so excited to work with you this year!!

How to reach me

If you have a question or concern, please contact me as soon as possible. You can send a note with your child, email me- aherrick@stignatiussacschool.org, or leave me a voicemail (488-3907 x1044). I will try to get back to you ASAP.  If you would like to talk in person, please schedule a meeting with me. If you have anything for me or for the office, please have your child bring to our classroom- that way Judy does not have unnecessary traffic in the office. We will make sure that it gets to the proper person.

Supply List 

Please put your child’s name or initials on supplies and replenish them as needed. Do NOT get sizes/quantities larger than requested.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZGwScT9tIXT6ioIAM0mlSm6PcN5_8NPmCu7UMh20RuI/edit

Homework Routine

We start each day at 8:00 and all homework is due at that time. If it is not complete or was left at home, your child will have to sign the clipboard and do the assignment at recess- this is NOT detention. (See Effort below.) If your child does not understand the assignment, please write a note on top or email me, stating what the issue was. Please do not leave anything blank- always have your child try (20 minutes per assignment). If you are helping with the work, please let me know so that I know that your child needs more help. Always remind your child to ask questions in class so that I know about any difficulties before the graded work and tests.  

Fourth Graders are to write all homework and upcoming tests in their planners. To help your child to develop good habits and increase responsibility, he/she should show you the planner along with the completed work to make sure that it is done properly- and make sure that your child puts it all into his/her backpack. We write everything in cursive this year for all subjects except math. 

Tardiness

We begin school promptly at 8:00. If your child is late, please have him/her check in at the office and they are responsible for doing what was missed during recess. If you are later than 7:55 on Wednesdays, your child will have to go to the office and a staff member will bring him/her over to the church. If a student is tardy 3 times in a trimester Mrs. Lane will be notified. Habitual tardiness will result in detention, as per the SI student handbook.


Weekly Schedule

We open the classroom each day at 7:45 and class begins at 8:00.  This gives the students a chance to unpack, get settled, visit with friends, and work on keyboarding on our new Chrome Books. On Wednesdays, please make sure that your child is at school no later than 7:50 so that we can leave for Mass by 7:55. 

Dismissal is 2:45. At the end of the day, students with siblings in K-2nd grades will leave through the office at 2:45.  All other students will leave the classroom at 2:45 to go to car-line at the end of the parking lot.                

Please try to schedule appointments for before/after school or during recess, lunch, or PE.             *Please see our Weekly Schedule.

Absences

If your child is sick and will not be at school, please call the office, email me or leave me a voice message in the morning and I will send your child’s work home with a sibling or put it in the office by the end of the day- if requested.  Please keep in mind that your child should be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. If you are traveling, please see the Handbook for our school-wide non-excused absence policy. 

Conduct/Effort

Classroom Conduct and Effort are graded based on a number scale. Everyone starts with O’s in both of these areas. It is the child’s responsibility to keep them. Each time a student signs the clipboard for misbehavior or not doing homework, their respective grade is lowered. Great Conduct and/or Effort will earn Sand Dollars. Sand Dollars are also randomly awarded for acts of kindness, honesty, various achievements, Virtues, effort, etc. Students use the Sand Dollars as bathroom/drink passes, to “rent” supplies, and to “buy” treats and prizes.

Wednesday Folders

Each Wednesday we will send home corrected work for the week in our Whale Mail. The graded papers (corrected in green), important communications and all other work that is not graded (corrected in red by students) will be sent home in your child’s B.E.A.C.H. Binder in a clear blue folder.  Any papers with a “Parent Signature” stamp need to be signed by a parent and returned by Friday in the clear blue folder.  All blue folders should be returned by Friday. Please check your child’s planner for all tests, projects, etc.

Tests

Each week the Spelling test is on the last day of the week. The Religion tests are always “open-book” on Wednesdays. I try not to give tests on Mondays and will do my best to give you a week notice in their planners so that you can remind your child to prepare. I try not to schedule 2 “big” tests on one day, but it sometimes happens when Science or Spanish have them scheduled. I require the class to take the textbook home the night before the test, but they are welcome to take it home any night, as long as it comes back to school each day. The English and two Math texts stay at home all year. 

Field Trips

4th Grade is a great year for field trips because we are in the heart of California’s history!
We usually go to:                                                                                           Effie Yeaw Nature Center- October 10  $12.00  (9 drivers)                         Sutter’s Fort- March $Free   (9 drivers)     
CA Railroad Museum/Old Sacramento- April $Free  (9 drivers)                Coloma- May 20-21 $184  (9 chaperones)                                                         

The Coloma deposit payment of $92 will be due the third week of September through FACTS. The balance of $92 will be deducted at the beginning of May through FACTS. 

Potential Coloma chaperones can “put their names in the hat” in February by emailing me. Please enter only one parent per student. We have a drawing on the first school day in March to choose the 9 required chaperones. More info to follow this spring!!!

Projects, reports, and speeches

We have so many fun and educational things planned for this year that there are too many to list! We will do as many as possible with our busy schedule and I will keep you posted as to when, where, what we need, etc. 

Birthdays

We love to celebrate birthdays! Just let me know when you’d like to bring something in so that we don’t have too many treats on one day. Please remember that we are NUT FREE and treats should be easy to pass out to the class. Students get free dress on their birthday. We currently have 35 students in 4th Grade. If you need emails or physical addresses for invitations, please see the Family Directory on FACTS.

Class Parties

Our wonderful Room Parents are in charge of our parties. They will post on HelperHelper with a sign up for goodies and/or assistance. I will also be “hitting you up” for different things for fun projects throughout the year- I’ll keep you posted. 

Scholastic Books

We will send home a paper copy of Scholastic book orders at the beginning of each month in the B.E.A.C.H. Binder. This is a great way for your child to enjoy reading and will come in handy for our Accelerated Reader Program. Also, the books that you purchase will help us to add books to our class library. Please only order books on-line at scholastic.com and you can choose from ANY of the catalogs. By ordering on-line, our class gets a free book EVERY time and you get Scholastic $$$ to spend as well! They can also ship the books directly to your house. Our class code number is H68FD when you go on scholastic.com.  

4th Grade Mass

The 4th Grade goes to Mass on Wednesdays. We leave the classroom by 7:55. Please make sure that your child is not late. The 4th Grade will host the Grandparents & Special Friends Day Mass on Friday, October 4 at 10:30. We’d love for you to worship with us!!

Last, but not least

Please make sure that your child has all of their school supplies each day and keep them replenished throughout the year. Check that they are in proper uniform- especially skirt/shorts length, hair and nails too (see Handbook) when they leave home and encourage them to get their homework done, go to bed fairly early, and eat a great breakfast. 

How to Succeed in 4th Grade

     1. LISTEN in class and do your BEST work.

     2. ASK questions.

     3. TRY and NEVER give up. 

     4. KNOW your math facts!

     5. TURN IN all your assignments- and you are sure to do well!

I look forward to a great year! 

Mrs. Herrick