Welcome to the 4th and 5th grade split at Prairie Ridge! I’m looking forward to working with you to make this a great year for your child. If I did not get to introduce myself at our Ice Cream Social, I will tell you a bit about myself now. This is my fifth year at Prairie Ridge Elementary School but this is my 10th year with Kalamazoo Public Schools, having taught at Lincoln International Studies School and Loy Norrix High School. In all, I have been teaching for 16 years in Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and overseas. I love sharing my experiences with my students and hope to make this year an exciting and successful one for your child.
All students will be working together to create a safe and respectful learning environment for this school year. Students are expected to respect the needs of your child as I expect your child to respect the needs of others. I want our classroom to be a place where students feel free to help each other and are comfortable asking for help when they need it.
Breakfast is provided in the classroom daily for any students who want it; no sign up is necessary. We will be eating lunch at 11:05. Students are welcome to bring in a clear plastic bottle for water to keep at their desk as long as it does not become a distraction, as well as a snack for a designated time in the afternoon. Please do not send candy, gum or Cheetos for snack time. If your child has any allergies or dietary restrictions, please make sure to note that on the student information form.
Many of you have had experience with your child in a split class. I taught the same split last year and found it to be a great experience for everyone involved. We can discuss it in more detail at our Open House, but generally, I teach language arts and much of science together. With math and social studies, I usually split the class in two groups for instruction and independent work. In all cases, students are being taught the curriculum appropriate for their grade level. It may seem confusing, but it comes together nicely. There is also a lot of overlap between the 4th and 5th grade curriculums, which allows for more cooperative whole group learning.
Our current specials schedule is a s follows but is subject to change:
Monday – Art 9:10-10:00
Tuesday – P.E. 9:40-10:10
Wednesday – Music 9:05-9:35; Library 3:10-3:40
Thursday – Music 10:15-10:45
Friday – P.E. 10:15-10:45
Students will be expected to fill out their planner each school day, listing their coursework topics from the day and their homework for that night. Please take time to review your child’s planner every night. All 4th graders in the district are expected to complete 40 minutes of homework plus 20-30 minutes of reading, either independently or with a family member, each day. For 5th graders, the expectation is 50 minutes plus reading. To help work toward schoolwide goals, there will be an increased emphasis on math homework as well as regular homework over the weekends. I will also be sending home a weekly math practice/ reading log to be signed by you and your child and brought back each Friday. Together, we can help your child succeed at school. Keep in mind, I do not want homework to be a struggle at home taking the whole night. If your child works hard on his or her homework for the allotted 40/50 minutes you can just sign the homework letting me know that. It won't be counted against them if they do not complete every problem as long as you indicate to me that they tried their best for their homework time.
I have a website on which I hope to post the homework. Last year I was not able to keep up with it all the time, so please rely on your child's planner for the best source of homework information. The website is:
We will also be switching to a new grading program which will allow you to keep track of your child's grades online. Just please understand that it is new for teachers and there will be a learning curve involved. Once everyone adjusts to it, I know it will be a great tool for keeping communication open between parents and teachers.
Pencils and paper are supplied by the school throughout the year. In my class, we will be using a three ring binder to organize our work. If you would like to buy a three ring binder (1.5 or 2 inches) along with dividers, you may do so. On Monday of next week, any child who does not have one, I will supply it for them.
Do not allow your child to bring in any cell phones, music players or electronic games. They will be taken away and turned into the main office if I see them. If there is a circumstance that requires a student to have a cell phone on a particular day, contact the office to make arrangements with them.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. For parents who use e-mail, I check my e-mail daily. This is often the quickest, most efficient way to get in touch with me. My email address is [email protected]. My phone number is 337-0630 x?. I look forward to meeting all of you at the Prairie Ridge Open House.