Teachers:
T. Dotson
Homework Policy
Every student needs an agenda, which is to be signed nightly by a parent. Homework is assigned nightly, Monday through Thursday, and should take no more than 45-60 minutes to complete. Homework is graded periodically with the exception of spelling. A spelling list will come home on Monday and students will use the spelling activity sheets to complete their assignments. Late assignments will be accepted with a grade reduction of 10 points a day.
Grading Policy
B+ 90-92
B 84-89
C+ 81-83
C 74-80
D+ 71-73
D 64-70
F 64 and below
Student grades in each of the core areas are determined by the following: tests and quizzes represent 50% of the quarterly grades and classwork, projects, group work and participation represent the remaining 50%. Some quizzes, homework and classwork assignments may vary due to the needs of the students in the classroom.
Awards
Principal’s All-Stars
Student has received all A’s for that quarter.
A/B Honor Roll
Student has received all A’s and/or B’s for that quarter.
Vaughan on the Lawn Honor Ceremony
Cumulative A/B students will receive a medal.
Cumulative All Stars students will have their names engraved in the Vaughan Walk of All Stars.
Achievement Award
This award is given to a student who has improved 1 letter grade in 3 core academic areas while maintaining other core grades. This award can be received, beginning with the second grading period and is not given in conjunction with other academic awards.
Good Citizenship Award
The students must have an S+ in both Work Habits and Conduct to earn this award.
This is a teacher selected award given to a student who has shown tremendous effort in an academic and/or citizenship area during the grading period. Each teacher will present one or two awards per grading period.
Curriculum
All students will master the state Standards of Learning, as prescribed by the state Department of Education (DOE).
Language Arts
Students will develop oral language skills and an appreciation for all forms of literature using Prince William County’s Balanced Literacy Model, which includes shared reading and writing, reading and writing aloud, reading and writing workshops interactive writing, and Writing Pictures.
Students will read on grade level, use 3-cueing system (letter names and sounds, letters make words and create meaning) and phonetic decoding skills, apply word analysis skills, build on fluency, comprehension and vocabulary, summarize reading selections, know and use the writing domains of composing, written expression and usage/mechanics, use graphic organizers to plan writing, and use the writing process, score writing using 3 domains of writing. Students must know the genres of reading, literature circles and guided reading groups. Every student will develop a descriptive, informational, narrative, and expository piece of writing. Students must also understand the differences and write a variety of poems, which include cinquain, haiku, limerick, etc.
All students will have a portfolio that is maintained and sent home at least two times a year.
A dictionary and thesaurus are required materials for all 4th graders.
Math
Understand mathematical vocabulary, how to use a four function calculator, know how to add and subtract with regrouping, multiplication and division of two digit numbers, understand fractions, understand geometric symbols, determine volume, perimeter and area, measurement using metric and non-metric units, analyze data to obtain information, understand, interpret and construct various graphs.
Science
Earth and Space Science (weather systems and tools), Life Science (plant anatomy and ecosystems), Environmental Science (natural resources), Physical Science (energy, simple/complex machines, electricity and magnetism), Reasoning and Logic (scientific method and science fair project).
Social Studies
Emphasis is on Virginia History. The objectives are: Citizenship and Government, Geography, First English Settlement, Colonial Virginia, Virginians in the American Revolution, Virginia and the New American Nation, Virginia in the Civil War, Reconstruction of Virginia, 20th Century Virginia, and Government and Economics in Virginia.
All students are required to pass the History Standards of Learning standardized test.
Technology
The students will select appropriate search strategies to access and retrieve information from various electronic resources with guidance, use information gathered to create a computer generated product, cite sources of information, demonstrate proper keyboarding techniques for keying all letters, operate peripheral devices, identify important issues in a technological society, explain and follow copyright laws, enter, sort and find information in established databases and spreadsheets with assistance, use word processing, multimedia or publishing software to create a one page document, use grade level appropriate vocabulary,
Test Taking Strategies
The students work toward earning a test-taking certificate. To earn the certificate the students must understand what a passing score is (400 Pass, 500 Proficient, 600 Advanced), the three domains of writing and have knowledge of writing rubric, which is used for scoring writing. They must also understand the difference between timed and untimed tests, as well as fiction and non-fiction passages. They need to know how to highlight important information within passages, follow oral and written directions, eliminate trash, use post-it notes, use index cards for tracking, triple check their work when they complete their test, fill in all the blanks, make educated guesses when they don’t know an answer, understand how to pace, understand auditory and visual distractions, know testing terminology, and use scratch paper. The students must also understand when they can and cannot write in a test booklet.
Formal & Informal Assessments
Quantitative Reading Inventory (QRI) (done quarterly)
CMS tests
Stanford 9 (standardized test taken in the fall)
History Standards of Learning (SOL’s standardized test taken in May)
Writing Predictor Spring
Weekly Assessment (all subjects)
Monthly Writing Prompts
Monthly Book Report
Weekly Spelling Tests
Teacher Made Tests
Science Fair Project (counts for a majority of third grading period)
Writing Pictures
Parental Expectations
Emergency Phone Tree
Support the Code of Behavior
Test Information Nights (fall and spring)
Writing Workshop for Parents
Grade-Level Lunch
Field Trips
Science Fair
Parent Volunteers in the classroom
Colonial Days
Fulfillment of Parent Passport to Success
Supplies, 2006-2007
3 packages of white wide-ruled loose-leaf paper (college ruled is not allowed)
5 spiral notebooks (at least 70 pages)
5 pocket folders
2 journal notebooks (black and white speckled)
2 dozen #2 pencils
2 boxes of colored pencils (please sharpen at home)
8 glue sticks (two per grading period)
1 pair of scissors (pointed)
4 yellow highlighters
2 large boxes of tissues
1 box of 100 sandwich sized Ziploc bags
1 box of gallon sized Ziploc bags
6 packages of 100 count 3 x 5 index cards
1 bottle of hand sanitizer
$3.00 for an EVS Student Planner, the first day of school
$1.60 for an 8 pocket writing folder
Please label all of the supplies with the student's name and send them on the first day of school. We look forward to working with you and your child this year!
Discipline Plan
Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary believes that all children have the right to feel safe at school. Our school implements Prince William County’s Zero Tolerance Policy regarding drugs, weapons, and acts of violence, which harm or endanger others, to ensure the safety of your child.
Our proactive schoolwide discipline plan is both comprehensive and proactive. Each grade level has a management system, which includes clear, consistent student expectations and consequences posted in the room, regular class meetings, incentives for good behavior, and reinforcement of guidance lessons regarding life skills (responsibility, organization, friendship, effort, patience, perseverance, problem solving, caring, flexibility, sense of humor, integrity, initiative, common sense, curiosity) This plan is implemented through the use of a color-coded system.
Ø Green – the student displays appropriate behavior within the school and classroom.
Ø Yellow – warnings for inappropriate behavior choices.
Ø Red – the student violates Prince William County’s Code of Behavior and/or school rules.
Since this is a proactive plan, the children begin each day on green and their behavior choices reflect any color changes
(The plans may vary between grade levels.)
Safety phone number
To report student absences please leave child’s name, teacher’s name and grade.
(703) 494-9955
Attendance Policy
All explanations of absences shall be received in writing to your child’s teacher, no later than the second day after he/she returns. If no such notification is received, the absence will be marked as unexcused.
Students receiving excused absences shall be responsible for contacting their teachers to make arrangements for make-up work within a time specified by the teacher.
Students who miss ten or more days of school, excused or unexcused, for which little or no make-up work is completed, may be considered for retention.