August 24, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians and Fourth Graders,
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year at Buffalo Elementary! Madison Petras will be your child’s Math, Science, and Social Studies teacher. Will Mitlo will be your child’s Reading, Grammar, Writing, and Spelling (ELA) teacher. Below you will find some helpful information about our classes. A hard copy of this information will also be sent home with your child.
If needed, please click here for the 4th grade supply list. It is very important that students have a three ring zippered binder for switching classes. If you have difficulty purchasing this or any school supplies due to financial constraints, please contact us.
Please understand that these notes are a guide for our classes and are subject to change. We cannot possibly include every detail. We also have a new reading series this year. Since it is the first year, routines and practices may change best on what works best for our class. Your child will be informed in class, assignments boards will be used, and students will complete their planners daily. We also update Schoology and a Schoology Group with assignments for our respective classes. Details about how to access that are included in this letter.
Please review the District Calendar for the 2023-24 school year by clicking on the hyperlink or visiting our district website.
We are looking forward to a GREAT school year! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Madison Petras
William Mitlo
Communication
The best way to communicate with us is through our school email addresses listed below. You may call between 8:15-8:30 and 3:30-3:45. Please use email to request schoolwork, but please do so by 9:00 a.m. If there is a change to dismissal, please call the front office. (724-353-9577) We might not see an email because we are often away from our computers, there may be issues with the internet that day, or we could simply be absent.
We will utilize a daily Schoology group, email, and student planners to communicate with parents. Students will utilize their planners and copy assignments from an assignment board.
Please access the Daily Homework/Assignments Schoology GROUP on your parent account. To do so, follow these steps. Students will join at school on their personal student accounts. This group will be so helpful to you and your child. You will be able to see what was covered in class and see the assignments for the day. When students are absent, we will refer them to this group where everything will be detailed for each day by both of your child’s teachers!
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Log on to your Schoology Parent Account.
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Click on “Groups” in the upper right corner of the screen.
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Click on “My Groups” in the upper left corner.
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Click on the blue button labeled “Join Group.”
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In the pop-up window, enter the access code: SDNG-7NWG-XVPCP
Contact information:
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Phone number:
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E-mail:
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Madison Petras
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724-353-9577 ext. 4020
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petras@freeport.k12.pa.us
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Will Mitlo
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724-353-9577 ext. 4021
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mitlo@freeport.k12.pa.us
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Illnesses/Schedule Changes
Please email your homeroom teacher or contact the office before 9:00 a.m. if your child is ill and you would like work sent to the office to be picked up. Also, please contact the office or send a note if your child is going somewhere other than normally scheduled. Please do not rely on our voicemail or email to make changes on the same day, as we may not be able to check either before the end of the day. The attendance email is buffattendance@freeport.k12.pa.us; we appreciate it if you could cc your homeroom teachers on any emails to the attendance office.
Schedule of Specials: (9:40-10:20 am; unless noted otherwise)
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Petras
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Mitlo
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Day 1
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Computer
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Music
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Day 2
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Art
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Computer
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Day 3
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Choir (9:00 am) and Computer
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Choir (9:00 am) and Library
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Day 4
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Library
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Health
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Day 5
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Health and P.E (11:00 am)
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Art and Computer (11:00 am)
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Day 6
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Music
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P.E
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*PE: Please wear or bring sneakers.
**Art: No art smocks needed until further notice.
***Choir: Students must join to participate. Please be on the lookout for information from Mr. Harris. If students do not join choir, they will stay with Mrs. Haney or Mrs. Welling and work on Study Island or other work. This is not a study hall or free time for students that are not in choir.
****Health: Grades are taken and recorded for semester 1 and 2 (not quarterly).
COURSE INFORMATION:
Reading (Mr.Mitlo)
Our reading series, Wonders, is aligned to the ELA Common Core standards. This series also includes grammar, spelling, and writing instruction. In addition to whole group instruction, paired reading, and independent work, students will be working together with some leveled readers and assignments. The leveled readers and assignments are differentiated for the different reading levels of 4th grade students. Your child may change groups based on assessments, classroom performance, and teacher discretion. Please check Schoology for the weekly story selection, skills, and assessments and/or due dates. I also include a reading “mini-project” to reinforce skills in a creative way for each selection.
Reading packets will be used in class and will include due dates for parent signatures, mini-projects, and tests. They will be distributed to students and posted on Schoology. These packets will help your child prepare for the reading tests (you may use them to review), but they will not be graded or collected by me. Some pages may also be skipped due to time constraints. On the front of this packet is a place for you to sign to show that your student has read the selections at least one time AT HOME while we are working on the selections. They will receive one point in the gradebook for reading them at home BEFORE Day 6, when the test is given.
Reading tests will generally be given on Day 6. Parent signatures for reading at home will also be due on Day 6. There will be 3-5 mini-reading projects per unit; they will be due on Day 6 as well..
Before the winter break and after PSSA testing, we will complete novel units. My reading assignments do change during those times and will be communicated to students and parents.
Grammar/Writing (Mr. Mitlo)
Grammar instruction for each skill will occur weekly. Homework is typically assigned nightly in grammar. Students will often have a small amount of class time to begin their grammar homework. Worksheets that are from the Wonders series will be completed as part of class instruction. The weekly grammar packets will include additional practice. We also complete notes in a “Grammar Rock” notebook. Students may refer to this notebook for homework and to study for tests.
Grammar tests will generally be given on Day 6.
We will complete many writing projects throughout the year. Most of the time the genre is chosen by the teacher, but students choose their own topic. A rubric will be used to assess your child’s final copy. We will move through the writing process in class. Please do not correct, write, or change your child’s assignments. Typed assignments will only be accepted if we are typing them in class or at my discretion. Due to time constraints, students may have to work on these at home if they do not finish in class. If a writing assignment comes home, it is important that parents do not do the work for their child.
Spelling (Mr. Mitlo)
Students will receive 20 words for each lesson. Spelling assignments will be assigned from the Wonders Practice book and possibly created by the teacher. Generally, students will have a spelling assignment on Days 1, 2, and 3 as morning work during homeroom time. If they do not complete the page in class that day, they should complete it for homework. The spelling assignments will be collected on the day of the test (Day 5). On Day 4, they will not have an assignment because they should study for the spelling test.. (Please note: Spelling tests will be given on-line and are multiple choice.)
Math (Miss Petras)
This year, we have the math program Envision Mathematics, which is aligned with the math Common Core Standards. Students use a book that they write in and have access to the book online. All online materials will be available through the Clever portal that students are familiar with. We will also review how to access these at school.
Number sense, problem-solving, and estimation are stressed along with writing to explain. Computational proficiency is necessary for success. All incoming students are expected to have mastered the addition and subtraction facts to 20, as well as their multiplication facts to 9. We will work on these basic facts in the beginning, but it is very important to practice at home as well if they are not mastered yet. Most of what we do in fourth grade is built upon the knowledge of these facts.
Your child will occasionally have math homework, though it will not be every night. It will typically be one page front and back with questions from the lesson we learned that day. Students will be graded in a variety of ways, including homework participation, chapter tests, and miscellaneous projects.
Social Studies (Miss Petras)
The emphasis in Social Studies in fourth grade is the United States. The units study the United States by dividing it into the five regions and their geographic features, natural resources, culture, and economy. We alternate Social Studies and Science due to time constraints.
Science (Miss Petras)
This year, we will be using the FOSS Science curriculum. This is a very exciting program full of hands-on activities and experiments, class lead sense-making discussions, and individual student journaling and discoveries. We will cover earth science, physical science, and life science throughout the year. We will begin with Rocks, Soils, and Landforms, followed by Energy, and ending with Environments. Grades will be given throughout each module for participation in the activities and journaling, as well as formal assessments at the end of each investigation. Students can access the FOSS website through Clever.
GENERAL INFORMATION
On-Line Resources
Information is linked below to access the on-line textbooks and materials. Please be sure you can access these materials before asking your child to leave his or her book(s) at school. Schoology will be utilized for every subject. Students can access most sites through Clever. Click here for the 2022-23 Online Learning Account information.
Arrival Time/Tardiness
Students arrive between 8:35-8:45 am. The tardy bell rings at 8:50 am. All students arriving after 8:50 am will need to get a late slip from the office. Students are dismissed at 3:20 pm.
Homework
Your help and support will not only make your child more successful in school this year, but will also instill good study habits that will last a lifetime. Assignments should be manageable for students, therefore, if you find that your child regularly struggles with homework and needs special assistance from you, please let us know. Your child’s planner needs to be filled out and checked at least weekly by you. This will help your child stay organized. Supervise your child’s work, but please do not complete it for him or her.
Please know that most of the time, for most assignments, students have time in class to start or even finish “homework” in class. Uncompleted assignments in class are often homework.
Students will be given class time to copy their assignments from the assignment board to their planners each day. Miss Petras and Mr. Mitlo will also update the group on Schoology titled, “Daily Assignments/Homework” each day..
Assignments may be turned in late according to the following guidelines. Homework is generally given 1-5 points; late homework must be turned in the next day for ½ credit. Your child will be given a zero for homework assignments if they are not turned in the next school day. Illnesses and absences will be taken into consideration.
Additionally, projects that are late will have 10% of the final grade deducted for each day the project is late. This includes but is not limited to; writing assignments and weekly reading mini-projects.
Grades
Please refer to PowerSchool to routinely check your child’s grades. If you see an assignment with a “0” beside it or a missing grade, please have your child complete the assignment as soon as possible.
Grading Scale:
91-100 A 81-90 B 70-80 C 60-69 D 0-59 F
Behavior and Expectations
We expect all students to behave respectfully and cooperatively at all times. We will contact the parent if a student has had several warnings, if the behavior persists, or is concerning. Information will be shared about our new school-wide behavior plan, “Bee Your Best.”
Recess
Recess is at 11:40 am. Please dress for the weather. A note is required to stay inside. A coat (not a hooded sweatshirt) is required if the “real feel” is 40 degrees or below. We will have indoor recess if the “real feel” is below 32 degrees.
Snacks and Lunch
Due to our lunch schedule, students are encouraged to bring a snack to school. Snacks should be healthy, but not messy. Water bottles are permitted and must go home each day. We will have a working snack time after our daily special time at 10:20 a.m. Lunch is at 12:50 p.m.
Scholastic Book Club
Students and parents will have the opportunity to purchase books through the Scholastic Book Club. If ordering on-line, use the class code that will be provided with the order form. If ordering with the order form, please send a check…cash is not accepted. Checks must be made out to Scholastic Book Clubs.
Conferences
Fall Conferences: November 9-10, 2023
Winter Conferences: February 15-16, 2024
PSSA Testing
Please try and refrain from taking trips and scheduling doctor appointments during these dates if possible. Testing is usually from 9-12 am each morning. The following are testing windows; specific dates TBA.
ELA: April 22-26, 2024 Math, Science and Make-ups: April 29-May 3, 2024
Open House
Buffalo Elementary School will hold the following Open House sessions for parents and students…
for Grades K-2 - September 6, 2022 6:00-8:00 p.m.
for Grades 3-5 - September 7, 2022 6:00-8:00 p.m.
(More information about Open House will be sent home soon. Please mark the above dates on your calendar.)
Thank you for reading! Have a great school year!
Sincerely,
Miss Petras and Mr. Mitlo