Welcome to Mrs Barrera's 4th Grade

Welcome to the 2018 - 2019 school year!

Dear Parents:

Hello! My name is Julieann Barrera and I am your child’s 4^th grade homeroom teacher. I will be teaching your child Math, Reading, Spelling, and Social Studies. (Science will be taught by Br. Najeeb and Writing by Mrs. Doner.) I am very excited to be back at Leaders Preparatory and look forward to working with you and your child during the upcoming school year! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and give you an overview of my classroom policies for the next school year.

I graduated from the University of Central Florida and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in December of 2005. I am also certified in Elementary Education K-6 for the state of Florida. In January of 2006 I began my career at Seminole County Public Schools as a long-term substitute to fill in a three month leave of absence in 2^nd grade. During the 2006-2007 school year I taught 4^th grade at the same school. Last year was my tenth year teaching 4^th grade at Leaders Preparatory School.

I have always wanted to be a teacher since as far as I can remember. I love children and enjoy watching as they grow and develop. I have had many teachers who have inspired me and I hope to be an inspiration to all of my students. I believe that all children can achieve their dreams if they try hard enough. Children are the future and therefore it is important to provide them with the educational foundations necessary for them to become successful in life.

Fourth grade is a very transitional year for students. Often times, parents and students enter fourth grade thinking it will be the same as all the other elementary years. However, in reality this is not the case. In fourth grade there is a big shift from learning to read, to reading to learn. Furthermore, fourth graders are expected to work more independently and accept more responsibility. This is also an age where children are going through many social and developmental changes. I would like to recommend a website that specifically addresses these issues; http://www.education.com/grade/fourth-grade/#academic. I believe this site offers valuable information and I hope you will take the time to look at the information presented.

As your child’s teacher, I will do my best to prepare and guide my students through these sometimes difficult changes. However, I cannot do it alone. I need the support of you, the parents of my students. Good communication is the best way to accomplish this. On my end, I will be setting up my online grade book to be viewed and accessed by parents. More information about this will be sent home in the upcoming week. I am also always willing to sit down with you and discuss any questions or concerns that you have. The best way to get in touch with me is through email.

On your end, it is very important that you get in touch with me as soon as any problem or concern arises. While I know it is often easier or more comfortable for you to go to administration or another parent when you have a concern, I would greatly appreciate it if you would please come to me first so we can solve the problem together. If I do not know what is going on, it will be difficult for me to help you. Please know that I always have the best interest at heart for my students and I want you to feel comfortable communicating with me.

In order to create a learning environment that will benefit all students, I believe it is essential to have effective classroom management. In order to achieve this goal, I have a set of behavioral rules, consequences, and rewards. They are as follows:

Rules

1. We choose to listen and follow directions the first time.

2. We choose to keep our hands, feet, objects, and unkind words to ourselves.

3. We choose to raise our hands, unless told otherwise by the teacher.

4. We choose to have our homework completed and our planner signed every night.

Consequences

1. Warning

2. Loss of privilege

3. Call/note home to parent

4. Principal’s office (referral). In a severe case, such as starting a fight, using fowl language, bringing a weapon to school, etc., students will be sent immediately to the principal’s office.

Rewards

- Tickets (To be traded in for prizes)

- Marble Jar Rewards

- Brownie Points

- Homework Passes

As parents, I know a major concern for you is your child’s grades and how they are being graded. I would like to give you a general overview of my grading policy.

Math: Written Assessments- 40%, Fact Assessments- 30%, Homework/Classwork- 20%, Participation- 10%

Social Studies: Tests- 40%, Classwork- 30%, Projects- 20%, Participation- 10%

Reading: Tests- 40%, Book Reports- 20%, Classwork/Homework- 30%, Participation- 10%

Spelling: Tests- 60%, Classwork- 40%

Students who are absent are required to make up missed work. Of course, if a student is absent, they will be given time to make up the assignments from when they are gone if the absence has been deemed excused by administration. Unexcused absences will be handled by administration. It is always best to let me know if your child is going to be absent that way I can prepare materials before hand. Math homework is always due the next day and will not be accepted late or incomplete.

To keep you informed on how your child is doing, each day they will bring home their B.E.A.C.H. binder. In the binder you will find their planner, homework, graded work, important papers, etc. Please look through their binder every night, make sure they have completed their homework, and initial their planners. Students will be expected to return this binder every day. I will also use the planner to jot quick notes and you may use it to communicate with me as well.

Another aspect I would like to discuss with you is my homework policy. Unlike last year, students will be required to complete homework. While, we are trying to lighten the homework load to give students less stress and encourage more family time, I still believe some homework is important as it teaches responsibility and gives students extra practice on things learned in class. Please see the additional handout on homework to get a better idea of what to expect. I encourage you to check your child’s homework every night and help them with any trouble areas. I also require that you sign your child’s planner each night. You can also always find the homework posted on the 4^th grade page of the school’s website.

I hope you enjoyed your summer and I look forward to working with you and your student this year. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at j.barrera@lpscfl.org. I hope we can work together in order to make the year a success!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Julieann Barrera