Welcome to 4th Grade
Dear Parents,
The Fourth Grade Team at Vaughan would like to welcome you to the 2012-2013 school year! The following information concerns policies and procedures and is written to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your child.
Attendance
Students may arrive as early as 7:30 and will report to the cafeteria until their teacher picks them up. Vaughan students should be at school by 7:50 A.M. A student will be considered tardy if not in the classroom by 7:55 A.M. Our morning announcements begin at that time and are very important for the students to hear. Please notify the office if your child will be absent. In order for the absence to be excused, a note must be sent within 5 days of the absence. This includes doctor appointments and other special events that will take your child out of school for a portion of the day. If your child needs to be excused from PE or recess due to a health reason, please let us know by writing a note.
Dismissal
Students in 4th grade that do not have younger siblings or carpool riders should be picked up at the front of the building. These students should watch for their vehicles as they enter the pick-up line. Those students that do have younger siblings will join the youngest sibling with his/her class to be picked up.
Lunch meals
Money to purchase lunch meals needs to be taken to the cafeteria before the students come to class. Lunch money may also be deposited online through the parent section of Vaughan’s website. The lunch menu can also be found there.
Medications
Any medications, prescription or over-the-counter (cough drops, aspirin, lotions, etc.), need to be checked in with our school nurse. Medicines will be dispensed from our school clinic.
Supplies
Please check periodically with your child concerning supplies. We emphasize responsibility and expect that the students will be able to keep up with their supplies without a note from the teacher. The 4th grade supply list can be found on Vaughan’s website.
Homework
Homework will be assigned depending on the need seen by each teacher. Each child has a student planner which is filled out every day. Please review it each day and initial. This is one way to communicate what is going on at school and provide reminders of any special events or assignments.
Folders
Your child has a folder for each class and a homework folder to help him/her stay organized. They will also have a purple Wednesday folder in which all papers throughout the week will be sent home. Please look over your child’s work, check off that you have seen the folder, add comments as needed, and send the folder back on Thursday morning. Your child’s teacher will respond to any notes at her earliest convenience.
Grading Policies
When you receive a graded paper, there will be a number grade on it. If the grade is not circled, it was for practice and will not be entered into the grade book. If it is circled, it will be entered into the grade book.
Late papers, including homework, will have ten points counted off for every day that the assignment is late. Any assignment not turned in on the specified due date, will be completed during recess in homework hall. Please refer to Vaughan’s Student Handbook for more information regarding grading policies.
Conduct
In the back of the student planner there is a conduct sheet. Please check this sheet daily. Conduct grades are as follows:
0-3 marks – Outstanding
4-8 marks – Satisfactory
9-13 marks – Needs Improvement
14 or more marks – Unsatisfactory
At the end of each nine week grading period, the conduct grade starts over. We appreciate your support in helping your child understand how important it is to be responsible for his/her actions.
Communication
Please call or e-mail your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding our policies and procedures. Vaughan’s telephone number is 972-727-0470. We appreciate any support that you provide to help your child have a successful fourth grade year.
For additional information and support, please check out our fourth grade website located off of the Vaughan home page.
Sincerely,
Bev Bünger
Eleni Dimoulakis
Beth Monsen
Lenora Taylor
