I'll see you tomorrow in Room 17 at Franklin Elementary School. If you don't have one, you can pick out a silent reading book from our classroom library. We'll get started reading right at 8:05 AM. Below is the newsletter I'll send home with the students tomorrow afternoon. See you tomorrow!

Room 17 Report
Mr. Burnett's Class Franklin School Room 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 3, 2009

Dear Fourth Grade Student and Parents/Guardian:

I want to welcome you to the fourth grade and let you know that I am looking forward to having you in my class this year. You will have an enjoyable and productive year in our room!

You will need to have a book for silent reading at 8:10 each day. You may bring a book from home or find one in our classroom collection.

Since we believe that education is serious business, please do not bring any toys to school because they interfere with learning. Here are other rules you will be expected to follow:

1. Follow directions the first time they are given.
2. Stay in your seat unless given permission to leave
it.
3. Raise your hand and wait to be called on before
speaking.
4. Turn in all assignments on time.

HOMEWORK: Students are responsible for handing their homework in on time. Homework is due the following day and needs to be placed in the correct assignment box before the second bell when school starts. Homework generally consists of unfinished daily assignments, and I ask the students to read for at least fifteen minutes each evening. Occasionally, there will be homework projects that require more than one day to complete, and for these assignments I will give the students a due date.

WHEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE: Assignments are usually due the morning after they are assigned. If the assignment is not handed in, the student receives a 0 in the grade book for that assignment, so it is very important that all assignments are completed and turned in on time. Nothing lowers a report card grade faster than missing assignments. If a student is absent, he/ she will have at least two days to make up the assignments after checking with me to see which assignments to make up.

GRADING: No student will receive failing marks on their report card if their assignments are turned in on time and they are trying to do the assignments to the best of their ability. I will present more details on the new report card as they become available to me.

You will earn good grades as long as you listen well in class, follow directions the first time, and complete and turn in assignments on time.

HANDING ASSIGNMENTS BACK: Assignments and papers are returned to the student’s “mail box.” Students are responsible for getting their “mail” and taking it home to show their parents/ guardians. I encourage you to keep assignments rather than throw them away, at least through the end of the trimester. The projects, like the “Family History Report,” you will probably want to keep forever.

I hope some of your questions and concerns about this year have been answered in this letter. You can also check our Franklin website by accessing the Port Angeles School District website. Good communication will help each student succeed in fourth grade. Please contact me with any other questions and concerns.


Sincerely,
Mr. Burnett (565-1853)

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Please see me if you are interested in volunteering in the classroom this year.

School starts on September 3, 2009, and that is a Thursday. See you in Room 17 at Franklin School.

The Phone Message

WASL Over

After two weeks the WASL is finished. The kids worked very hard on all parts of this major fourth grade assessment, and attendance was excellent. Now we can move forward to group projects with a multi-media computer program called Photostory which allows kids to make a slide show with narration, pictures and music. That's one of our students in the photo above demonstrating the proper way to take a phone message. The picture will become part of her slide show project.

Technology Day 1

Science Night at Franklin

A few weeks ago we had a "Science Night" here at Franklin Elementary School and it was a big success. You can get an idea about what it was like from the video courtesy of Peninsula Daily News.Just go to the Peninsula Daily News website, find "video" in the tool bar, and scroll down to "Franklin Science Night."

Welcome back after what I hope has been a great Spring Break. Even the weather feels springlike today as we dive into finishing essays about life at Franklin Elementary School and learning more about long division and probablity. We had a terrific field trip to Port Townsend to see the Marinie Lab and participate in lessons about sound underwater and orcas (Killer Whales.) Both were very good, and the kids handled a long bus ride with ease and a demonstrated sense of joy...how many times did we sing the "Chicken Song?" On a more serious note: The WASL begins next week!