Intermediate Orientation Meeting
It was wonderful to greet and welcome all the Year Four families into the Intermediate classroom. The start of a new adventure! We discussed the beautiful new agenda that will be the “tool” that works to organize and keep track of the daily classroom routine and due dates. These agendas will be going home each week on Wednesday to be signed and returned the next day. You are welcome to write a comment or send an email if you wish to discuss any concerns but please allow your child the opportunity to get into the routine of school over the next month; for Year Four students all of this is new!
Social-Emotional Environment
One big transition that all students, and the Yr. 4’s in particular, will be experiencing is a social-emotional change as friendships move and adjust in a new social environment. Also, physical and emotional changes have occurred over the summer and old friendships are up for review as interests and emotions change, sometimes daily! Listen to your child as they may need to discuss issues at home in a safe environment. Please listen with detachment (i.e. you don’t have to try to fix the problem!), as the emotions may move quickly and the children often move on once they feel heard.
Long-Term Assignments
Due dates for assignments are posted on the whiteboard in the classroom and criteria are given for all long-term assignments. Your child will ongoingly develop their ability to learn how to manage long term due dates and assignments. Generally, students will be researching assignments at school, but they are welcome to continue the research process at home. Students should have one of two methods to send assignments home, either via email or by saving assignments on a zip drive, so that they can continue their computer work at home. All research assignments will be recorded with hard copy facts first. Year Fours are just learning this process and will be starting on the computers soon for their first research assignment. They are currently building on the fact-finding skills started in the Primary classroom.
Class Meetings/Activities
Students hold a Class Meeting each week that is chaired and run by students. They make motions and bring ideas to the meeting in areas they wish to be involved in or want to discuss. Current issues are hockey time and free play time on the paved area of the playground, Pet Day, and iPod or personal music day….
Intermediate Camp
A highlight for the Intermediates is going to camp each May. The cost for this activity is separate from tuition and continues to increase each year (though minimally over the last twelve years). The cost for camp will be in the $300 dollar range per child, and this year we have an abundance of siblings in the class together! Consequently, last year some parents organized fundraising targeted for this event to help defray the cost. This activity is always welcome, and parents of Intermediate students are invited to set-up a committee for this purpose.
Homework
Homework will be assigned as we progress into the term:
- Year Four students will have a weekly spelling assignment after a lesson each Tuesday and it is be completed and returned by the next lesson on the following Tuesday.
- Students will be continuing with JGB stories, with reading and questions being assigned each week from the stories.
- Math continues to be taught using the Albanesi program plus other math worksheets for review. Once the assessments have been completed and work plans determined, there will be weekly math homework generated from the students’ work. If your child does not understand or remember the concept when completing the homework, please let the teacher know so that the lesson can be reviewed. Basic facts can always be reviewed if there is no homework in math for that week.
