ABC's of Room 43

Please refer to this page if you have questions about the procedures and expectations of room 43.

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ABSENCES
If your child must be absent from school please remember to send them back to school with a note to excuse their absence. If you let me know a couple of days ahead of time that your child will be absent I can prepare some of their missing work for them before they leave. Please know that no amount of make-up work can replace what your child misses in class when they are absent.(top)

AGENDAS
All students in room 43 are required to have an agenda. Agendas can be purchased in the school office for $5.00. Agendas are a vital part of our classroom. We fill out our agendas every day. In the agendas we write activities we completed for the day, homework, and important reminders. Agendas should be signed each week by a parent. On Thursdays, your child's behavior slip will be stapled to their agenda. I will look for a signature on Friday mornings. (top)

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BEHAVIOR
Our classroom behavior system is designed to meet the diverse behavior needs of our classroom.  There will be both positive and negative consequences for behavior in the classroom.  I believe in rewarding students for positive behavior and redirecting negative behavior.
Whole Class Rewards:  I will reward the whole class for compliments and positive notes from specialists, substitutes, and other teachers.  After the class earns 15 points they will receive an extra recess or other agreed upon reward.
Table Rewards:  Students are grouped in small tables and will work as a team to complete many tasks through out the day.  Tables will receive points for on-task behavior, neatness, team work, etc.  The table with the most points at the end of the week will choose from the treasure box or receive a prize as a group.
Individual Rewards:  Students will receive tickets throughout the day for positive behavior.  Students that receive tickets will place their names on the tickets and then place the ticket into the drawing bag.  At the end of the week I will draw several names from the bag and those students will choose from the treasure box.
Negative Consequences:  Each student will have a chop sheet hanging in the classroom.  This chop sheet is labeled with an E, S, I, and N (E=excellent, S=satisfactory, I=inconsistent, N=needs improvement).  Each time a student receives a strike from a teacher the student will cut off the bottom letter on the chop sheet and complete the assigned consequence (as listed above).  The chop sheets remain for a week (Friday – Thursday) and will be stapled into each student’s agenda on Thursday.  The bottom letter that is showing on the chop sheet is your child’s behavior score for the week.

Classroom Expectations
1. Be respectful of all people and property.
2. Be responsible for your learning, actions, and assignments.

Consequences
Strike 1 = Warning
Strike 2 = Behavior Letter
Strike 3 = Parent-Teacher Conference
Strike 4 = Alternate Seating
All severe behavior will be an automatic referral to the office.
For each strike a student will chop their behavior card and complete the assigned consequence.

BIRTHDAYS
A birthdays is a special day for a child. If your family would like to bring in treats to help your child celebrate they must be here BEFORE lunch. Items such as cupcakes, cookies, or individual treats are easier to pass out. All treats are passed out during lunch to avoid messes in the classroom. Thank you for your understanding. (top)

BOOK PROJECTS
Each month your child will have a book project due.  The project and grading rubric will be introduced at the beginning of each month along with examples.  The example of the book project will be posted in the classroom for the entire month. A copy of both the directions and rubric will be placed in you child’s S.T.A.R. folder.  I will provide any materials that are available through the school district, but other unique materials may need to be collected or purchased from home. For more information please visit the book project link on this website. (top)

BREAKFAST
Our school serves breakfast from 8:45 - 9:00 AM. Your child's lunch account will be charged.(top)

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CALENDAR
Both the Thompson calendar and classroom calendar are located on the websites and are a way to keep you informed about events taking place in the classroom and at school. Please check the calendar often as I will update it with information as I receive it. Also look for the "volunteer signs". This means I will need volunteer(s) on this day for a specific project. (top)

COMMUNICATION
Communication between home and school plays a very important role in your child’s education.  Our school has its own website!  Please use the school’s website often as there is a lot of great information and resources.  There are several ways I will be communicating with you this year.

CONFERENCES
You are always welcome to reach me at school if you have any questions or concerns.  Conferences can be set up at any time of the year to discuss your child’s success at school. School Voice Mail: 799-3430 (top)

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DRESS CODE
Student dress and appearance is expected to conform to Clark County School District’s Regulations.  The following guidelines will be enforced:
- Shoes with soles must be worn at all times. Open-toed footwear is discouraged due to safety concerns.
- Shirts and blouses must be appropriately buttoned and the length must extend beyond belt level.
- All attire must be hemmed or rolled up and be at least finger-tip length.
- The following items are prohibited: hats, see-through tops, bare midriff and/or strapless clothing, low-cut clothing, clothing with slits, or tops and outfits that provide minimum covering.
- Slogans or advertising which by their controversial or obscene nature disrupt the educational setting are prohibited
Students violating the dress regulations will be asked to correct the problem or call their parents to bring appropriate clothing to school. (top)

DISMISSAL
All students are dismissed at 3:21. Please meet your child at the sunburst near the playground. It is believed that fourth graders are responsible enough to be released on their own. There are teachers on duty that will make sure someone is there to pick up your child. If for some unseen circumstance you are running late please plan on picking up your child in the office. (top)

DISTINGUISHED NEVADAN
In fourth grade the social studies curriculum focus is on Nevada history. While studying Nevada History throughout the year I will encourage students to participate in the Distinguished Nevadan award program. Students will be required to complete 5 different tests.  Each test will focus on different information about the state of Nevada. Below are the guidelines for each test.  On our class website there are links to worksheets or websites to help your child study. Test will be completed on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons each week. Students will be awarded at the end of the year for their hard work and dedication. 

Explanation of Tests:  State Symbols - students will create a state symbol book.  In this book students will need to include the:  flag, trees, animal, seal, bird, reptile, rock, nicknames & colors, fossil, fish, and flower.  In this book students will draw a picture of the symbol and summarize, in their own words, the history of the symbol and why they feel it best represents our state.  State Song - students will sing or say the entire state song.  The student can ask for 2 prompts. Current Leaders - students will write the current leaders of our state and label which job they currently hold, Governor, Senator, or Mayor.  The student must spell and capitalize each name and job correctly. State Counties - students will label a map of Nevada with the 17 counties.  Students must spell and capitalize each county correctly to pass the test.  Report on a Distinguished Nevadan - students will choose a person that they think is a Distinguished Nevadan. This person might have been born here, moved here, or did something great for our state. (top)

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EMAIL
I am a HUGE fan of email. I check my email several times through out the day. If you need to get a hold of me or leave me a message this is the best form of communication. Also, don't forget to sign-up for the parent email list. You will receive newsletters and up to date information. (top)

jdoss@interact.ccsd.net

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FIELDTRIPS
Throughout the school year, our class may be involved in fieldtrips. In order for your son/daughter to attend a school sponsored fieldtrip they must have all district paperwork turned in on time and I must feel comfortable taking them off school property. If for any reason your child is not able to attend a fieldtrip (due to behavior or other misc. reasons) I will let you know in advance. Links for fieldtrip permits are found under the "parents" button and "Important Links". (top)

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GRADED WORK
All graded work will be sent home in your child's STAR folder. I mark the papers how many correct out of how many possible. Please remember that I am required to grade your child on fourth grade standards. Sometimes the grade on top of a paper does not reflect all of the work your child is doing in class. I am monitoring each student's progress on these standards as whether they are "emerging, approaching, meeting, or exceeding each standard". You will see this language used on the progress reports and report cards as well. If you have any questions regarding your son/daughter's work please feel free to contact me. (top)

HOMEWORK IS NOT GRADED AS CORRECT OR INCORRECT. IT IS SCORED AS A RESPONSIBILITY GRADE.

GOOD GUY/GAL
Each month the fourth grade team holds a "Good Guy/Gal" activity. Each month's activity can vary. We've done everything from game day to kickball to lunch at a near by park. Students earn the right to attend the monthly good guy/gal each month. Notices will be sent each month when your child has earned the right to attend the activity. The following situations will result in a student missing the monthly Good Guy/Gal activity:

- ANY late or missing homework for the month
- more than 2 strikes in one week.
- name on a specialist's report
- severe behavior (fighting, language, office referral, etc.)

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HOMEWORK
Homework should be extra practice of concepts already learned at school.  You should not have to teach your child a concept before they complete their homework.  Not to say your child will not need some guidance, but if they can’t complete the worksheet on their own please let me know.  Therefore, homework will always be an extension of a concept learned in class previously.
Each student in our classroom has diverse strengths and weaknesses.  Some homework may be easy for your child while other concepts may be more difficult.  I ask that each homework assignment is at least attempted.  I recommend that you set a timer for homework if you see that your child is struggling.  It should take no more than an hour for your child to complete their homework each night (20 min. of reading, 20-30 min. math, and 10 – 20 min. spelling).  If you child is struggling with an assignment please do not force them to finish or drag homework out for hours.  This only makes your child and you frustrated.  I don’t want that.  Instead, draw a line where they stopped and sign your name so I know that you are aware they did not finish the assignment.  I will know then that I need to assist your child with that concept.
Homework is sent home in packets on Mondays.  There is homework for each night of the week, Monday – Thursday.  I like homework packets for the simple reason that I know families have many commitments throughout the week.  By having the packet your child can space out the work through out the week as necessary.  Fourth graders will have nightly math, reading, and spelling homework.  All homework packets are due Friday morning unless stated otherwise.  PLEASE LEAVE ALL HOMEWORK STAPPLED TOGETHER IN PACKET!  Completion of homework will be reflected in the academic success indicators on the report card under “accepts responsibility and completes homework on time”.  Homework will not be graded as correct or incorrect but rather complete/incomplete and on time/late.  Homework will not be returned to students unless requested.
Reading Logs:  Each week your child will record their at home reading minutes in their agenda.  Each evening, Monday – Thursday, your child should be reading for at least 20 minutes.  After reading your son/daughter will record the number of minutes read in the appropriate box in their agenda.  Each Friday I will check the agenda for the total number of minutes read for the week.  In Friday’s box please have the total minutes read for the week and a parent’s signature.  If there is no parent signature for the week the minutes will not count toward homework.
Spelling Lists:  Each week your child will receive a 4th grade level spelling list to practice at home.  Your child will also receive a list of activities that they can choose from to complete each night.  Your child should choose one activity (a different one each night) to study these words.  On Friday, there should be 4 spelling assignment turned in.  If there is a short school week, for example only 4 days, then your child will turn in three and so on.  **As stated above, some of the spelling lists may be easy for your child while others will be more difficult.  I ask that each student does the best that they can do.  During reading groups students will be challenged at their ability level with a spelling list.
Reading Comprehension:  Each week there will be one reading comprehension worksheet in the homework packet.  This worksheet will count as one night’s worth of reading minutes.  The worksheet may be difficult for some students to read.  The purpose of the worksheet is for you and your child to read the article together and work on the skills/strategies as stated.
Agendas:  Must be signed and returned to school every Friday.

Homework Scores:
2 points = On time and complete work
1 point = late or incomplete work
0 points = missing work

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HEALTH
If there are any health concerns related to you child that you think I should be aware of please let me know. As with everything regarding your child it is confidential. Please let the health office know as well so we can be prepared to help your child incase of an emergency. (top)

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INCLUSION
Our classroom is the 4th grade inclusion room. What does this mean? This means that students of all ability levels will be in our classroom. You're probably saying to yourself, "Aren't all classrooms grouped with students of different ability levels?" and you are right! The difference is some of my students are actually identified as "special education". In some schools these students are actually being pulled out of their classrooms throughout the day to go to a different classroom to learn. Ask yourself...if you were a child in a classroom, how would you feel having to leave your classmates everyday, being taken to a smaller classroom, and miss out on what everyone else is doing in class? I know I would not want to go. By allowing the students to stay in the classroom ALL students are exposed to the 4th grade curriculum (which they will be tested on throughout the school year) and we can work on both social and academic needs. The other great thing about inclusion is that I will have other teachers in my room throughout the day. These teachers are here for ALL of the students. Many parents worry that their child will not get as much help as other students. WHile I understand your worry, I actually find that it is the complete opposite. By having more than one teacher in the classroom for READING (as an example) we can pull TWICE as many reading groups as a classroom with only one teacher. This also goes for math, reading, and other subjects. If you have ANY questions, comments, or concerns regarding inclusion PLEASE come and speak with me about it. This is my fourth year participating in inclusion. It takes a lot of work and patience, but I truly believe this is a positive experience for ALL students in the inclusion classroom.(top)

INDEPENDENCE
The jump from third to fourth grade can be a BIG one for some students. The class size can almost double and the work load seems to be getting bigger. If that isn't enough I also stress the importance of independence and making good choices. When students come to fourth grade they only have 2 years before they are expected to be able to move between several class, keep a locker, turn in homework for several classes, and act in a mature manner in junior high school. It is very important to me that during their fourth grade year they begin to become independent and make good choices on their own. (top)

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LUNCH
Our lunch this year is from 11:20 - 11:50. Students have a 10 minute recess before they eat in the cafeteria. Students have a choice of hot or cold lunch. Cold lunch must be brought from home and hot lunch is provided through our school's cafeteria. Please be sure your child has enough money in their lunch account to avoid charging. You can add money to your child's account under the "Passport" link found on the "parent's" page. (top)

LIBRARY
Our school has an amazing library filled with books of all genres. Fourth graders are allowed to check-out 2 library books during their library special. I require the students to choose one AR book at their level. The second book is always their choice. Your son/daughter will be given an AR level in the beginning of the school year. This book level is a guide to help them find a book that is "just right" for them. Please be sure to remind your child to return their library books on time so they can have a new adventure. If a library book is misplaced your son/daughter will be responsible for replacing the book. (top)

LOST AND FOUND
Our school's lost and found is located in the cafeteria. If your son/daughter has misplaced an item please be sure to look their first. Some more valuable items may be held in the office. (top)

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MYSTERY READERS
My favorite time of day is when I am able to read aloud to the students. I would love to share this experience with others as well. I would like to make Fridays a "mystery reader" day. The students will be surprised to find out who is coming in to read each week. If you have family visiting, have connections with a local celebrity, or you yourself would like to come in and read please let me know. You will be able to see if a mystery reader is needed by looking at our class calendar. I would like our mystery reader to come in at 1:00 pm if possible, but we can be flexible. The kids will be looking forward to every Friday to see who is going to walk through the door. By the way, you can bring your own favorite book to share OR I can provide a book for you. (top)

MAILING LIST
If you would like to be added to our class emailing list please sign-up on the "parents" page of our class website.. I will send emails to anyone registered on the list when I have updated the website, sent home a newsletter, or if there is something of importance happening in the classroom or at school. Please do not reply to these emails as they will be sent to others as well. (top)

MASTERY CLUB
I feel that it is important that all students feel challenged, have choices, and take charge of their own learning. Through our classroom’s Mastery Club students can do all three. The Mastery Club is completely voluntary but will be highly encouraged.  The Mastery Club consists of 86 different challenges students can complete. The challenges are posted in the classroom and on our class website along with websites to help students complete the challenge. Once students pass 15 challenges their name will be placed on the Mastery Club Hall of Fame in the classroom. (top)

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NEWSLETTER
Class newsletters will be sent home every other Wednesday with your son/daughter's progress report. I will also attach each newsletter to our website and send an email out to those on our mailing list. Be on the look out for the mystery boxes. If you can find the mystery box and follow the directions your child can earn a special prize. (top)

NURSE
Our school is very lucky to have a Nurse, Ms. Helen, and a FASA, Ms. Bridget. It is my policy to always allow a child to go to the nurse if they ask. If at any time you, or myself, feel your son/daughter may be abusing the situation we can have discussion. All medications are to be given through the health office. It is VERY IMPORTANT that the school has up-to-date contact information incase of an emergency. (top)

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ORGANIZATION
In fourth grade, a big push for me is INDEPENDENCE. Part of learning to be independent is also learning to be organized. I will have several things in place at school to help keep you son/daughter organized, but it is also important that they remain organized at home. Think about a specific place where your child can place important papers? How about a calendar to keep track of up coming events? Do you have a designated spot for homework to be completed? Something to think about... (top)

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PARTIES
Our classroom will hold holiday parties for Halloween, Winter, Valentine's Day, and End of the Year. I appreciate parent support with donations of treats and other misc. items that will help our class celebrate. (top)

PROGRESS REPORTS
Progress reports are sent home every other Wednesday., unless otherwise stated. Each progress report must be returned the next school day with a parent's signature. If you would like to keep a progress report please write a note and I will be sure to send home a copy of your child's report for the week. Attached to the progress report you will find a newsletter. This newsletter will also be posted on the class website. (top)

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QUESTIONS
How does that old saying go? There is never a stupid question? Well, it's true, especially when it comes to your child. If at any time you have questions about your child's progress, events taking place in the classroom, or just want to address a concern please feel free to contact me. As the school year continues I will build a "frequently asked questions" area on the parent's page. (top)

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READING LOG
Each evening, Monday – Thursday, your child should be reading for at least 20 minutes.  After reading your son/daughter will record the number of minutes read in the appropriate box in their agenda.  Each Friday I will check the reading logs.  In Friday’s box please have the total minutes read for the week and a parent’s signature.(top)

REPORT CARDS
Report cards are distributed 3 times per year. You can view a sample here. (top)

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SCHEDULE
Students should not arrive on school campus before 8:45 A.M.
9:00 – Freeze Bell
9:01 – Opening Announcements on Sunburst
9:10 – Instruction Begins
11:20 - 11:50 – Lunch
1:35 - 2:25 - Specials
3:21 – Dismissal (top)

SPECIALS
We are on a 6 day rotating schedule for specials. Instead of having a Mon. - Fri. schedule we are on an A, B, C, D, E, and F day schedule. Please check our class calendar for the letter of the day to see which special our class has. (top)

SUPPLIES
Because of the number of students in the classroom I ask that students not bring in personal binders, pencil boxes, or any other large items they might want to keep in their desks.  Their desks are not large enough to hold these large items.  No mechanical pencils please! All supplies will be "community supplies" meaning that I will collect the supplies as students bring them in and pass them back out as we need them throughout the year. Students will keep their folders and notebooks in their desk.

The Clark County School District provides necessary supplies for all students in order to meet their educational needs.  However, we know that sometimes parents choose to buy school items for their children.  Should you decide to do this, the following items would be appropriate. 

1 pkg. black erasable ballpoint pens
2 boxes Kleenex
5 pocket folders
2 glue sticks or 1 bottle of glue
2 pkg. of #2 pencils (NO MECHANICALS)
3 spiral bound notebooks
1 box of crayons
1 box of colored pencils
2 pkg. loose leaf wide ruled paper
1 box Ziploc bag quart size
2 bottles of hand soap
2 rolls of paper towels
1 pair student scissors
2 whiteboard markers (black)
1 ream colored copy paper
2 reams white copy paper
$5.00 Agenda (cash only)
$5.00 Scholastic News (cash only)
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STAR FOLDER
Your child will have his/her own S.T.A.R. (Students Taking Academic Responsibility) folder.  This folder is meant to be a tool to keep important class/school information organized and in one place. The following items will be in the S.T.A.R. Folder: monthly reading log, book project directions, monthly literacy calendar, lunch menu, and daily schedule.  In one pocket will be daily take home papers.  In the other pocket will be the weekly homework packet.(top)

STAR STUDENT
Star Student is a very special title in room 43.  Each week, I will select a student to be “Star Student ”.  If your son/daughter is selected as the star student they will be given a poster on Monday along with a detailed letter explaining their weekly activities.  This poster must be returned by the following Monday.  During your child’s week each day is special for them. Every student will be star student during the school year.
Monday:  Your son/daughter shares their poster with their classmates. Remember, you can bring in 6 4x6 pictures to put up with your poster.
Tuesday:  A special letter written by a parent or another loved one will be shared with the class (if you would like to come and share the letter yourself please let me know).
Wednesday:  Your son/daughter will bring in their favorite picture book to share with the class.
Thursday:  Buddy lunch!  A parent or special loved one can come and have lunch with the student of the week.  I will let you know almost 2 weeks in advance so you can plan for this special lunch.  If a loved one is not able to attend please let me know so I can make arrangements to ensure a special lunch for your son/daughter.
Friday:  Friendship poster.  Your son/daughter will receive a special poster from his/her classmates(top)

SCHOLASTIC
Scholastic Book Club is a great resource for inexpensive books. I will send home monthly book club order forms. All forms will have a due date. This year I have set up a parent ordering account. This account allows parents to order books at home using a credit card. The order will be added to my account and will be shipped to the school after I close the order. To order from home go CLICK HERE. Our username and password is "doss4". If you choose to send the order from to school as always that is fine as well. Please be sure to send checks only made out to "Scholastic". NO CASH PLEASE. I will try to identify some of my "Favorite Picks" for each order. All money spent on book orders allows our class to earn points. These points help build our class library. (top)

SAFEKEY
Safekey is a before and after school program for students. This program is sponsored by Clark County Parks and Recreation and is not affiliated with CCSD. There is a small fee and hours very depending on the school. (top)

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TARDIES
A student is considered tardy if they come to school after the instruction bell has rung at 9:10 am. Your child will be marked tardy, but it will not count against their days. However, excessive tardies will count against their days. (top)

TOYS
In this technological age that we live in there are all kinds of toys that fit into pockets. Our school policy is that there are to be NO games of any kind brought to school. This includes balls (basketballs, footballs, bouncy balls, etc.), gameboys, card games, ipods, cd players, or other objects that may distract students from learning. If these items are found at school I will take them and return them at the end of the school day or a parent will be contacted to come in and collect the item.

Many fourth graders now carry cell phones. Our school policy is that cell phones must be turned off and be placed in a child's backpack during the school day. Students are not allowed to talk on the phone at anytime during the school day; this includes lunch time. (top)

TRANSPORTATION
It is important for me to know how your child comes and leaves from school in case of an emergency. At our school we have students that ride the bus, walk, go to safekey, and are picked up. Please keep me informed if your child's transportation has changed.

All transportation arrangements need to be made at home. Students can not call home after school to switch their plans. If plans are changed I must have a written note making me aware of the change. Please have a specific spot where you meet you child each day. (top)

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UNIQUE
Each child in my classroom is unique. What works for one may not work for another, what one student needs another may not. Please know that my goal is to meet each child's needs and help them to grow as a student and independent learner. If you feel that a situation or assignment is not working for your child please let me know. (top)

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VOLUNTEERS
I love to have good parent volunteers in the classroom. I do my best to have meaningful and productive activities for my volunteers to complete, but some days there will be more work than others. If you are interested in volunteering please contact me to let me know. Also, keep an eye out on our calendar for "volunteers needed" signs. (top)

VISITORS
All visitors to the school must check-in at the office. You will be given a badge to wear while on campus. If you would like to visit our classroom please give me at least one day's notice. The most important thing to me is that my class runs as usual and that all of the students are comfortable. If you would like to have a private conference with me I would ask that you schedule a time to meet so that we do not disrupt class instruction time. (top)

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WEBSITE WEDNESDAYS
Each Wednesday our class website will be updated with new information, dates, and important documents. Add your name to the email list to receive notices each time the website is updated.
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WISH LIST
All classroom supplies your child will need are provided by the school district. If you can donate any of the supplies listed below it is an added bonus to our classroom. Thank you so much for your generosity and support.

plastic 2-pocket folders (any color)
colored copy paper
white copy paper
white cardstock
headphones for listening centers and computers
any unwanted books from home for our class library

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