2007-2008 Procedures and Welcome
We are a fourth grade classroom one hour north of Tampa, Florida. The
units we have this year are called:
Year-Long Study- "Florida- Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"
Our units:
“Life Starts Here”- Animals, Ecosystems,
and Cells
"Quite A Sightseeing
Adventure!"- Geography (the regions of Florida, geography terms, mapping)
"It All Started With The
Conquistadors..."- Florida's Native Peoples
"Beyond The X-Ray"- The Human
Body
“Rock On!”- Geology
"Feeling The Vibes"- Energy
"Pushing
Force!"- Force and Motion
"Distinctive Discoveries!"-
The Scientific Method
"Laying A Foundation For
Florida"- America's Oldest City, St. Augustine, and some of Florida's
other foundations
"Amazing Space!"- Space
(studying the five outer planets, the Sun, the phases of the moon, rocketry,
Laws of Motion, and more)
"A Superior Citizen"-
Government and Citizenship
Dear Families,
I would like to take
this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Victoria Jasztal and this is
my fourth year as a fourth grade teacher at Moton Elementary School. I am a
product of the Hernando County School District. Before teaching in Brooksville,
I lived in America's Oldest City, St. Augustine, and interned at W.D. Hartley
Elementary School in a second grade classroom. I graduated from Flagler College
with a Bachelor of Art degree in Elementary Education with ESOL endorsement.
While in St. Augustine, I also worked with students in a self- contained VE
classroom (grades 4-5), with two limited English proficient students (grades 1
and 3), in an art classroom at R.B. Hunt Elementary, and with a 4th grade
gifted student at Ketterlinus Elementary School to publish her own book.
Though St. Johns County
School District is an incredible place to work, it was far from my family.
Though it was a change at first moving back to Brooksville, I adjusted to Moton
quickly. I have had the experience of working with a qualified and devoted
group of professionals.
I set very high
standards for my students because I feel they are capable of achieving anything
they desire. Most importantly, I never accept less than one hundred percent of
effort from anyone, particularly myself. If I hold such high expectations for
my students, then they should expect that degree of effort in return from their
teacher. Every day, I try to think of innovative ways I can capture my
students' interest in topics that they did not learn much about prior to fourth
grade, particularly topics pertaining to Social Studies and Science. It is most
rewarding when I watch your child develop inquiry and comprehension skills
because I dedicated as much time as I could to make his or her learning
experiences authentic.
I genuinely believe that
communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. Your child
will be accountable for writing homework assignments and keeping track of
upcoming tests in his or her agenda. Please sign the agenda every evening and
respond to written communications as promptly as possible.
Please feel free to
participate in your son or daughter's fourth grade year as much as you are
able, as my class is always actively involved in completing hands-on projects,
reading novels, and working in cooperative groups. I would very much appreciate
if I had two or three parents to volunteer as room parents to participate in
field trips, assist in class celebrations, and serve as role models for the
class.
I am looking forward to
an outstanding year! Thank you for your desire to take an active role in your
child's educational journey.
With Gratitude,
Ms. Jasztal
Procedures
of Jasztalville
First and foremost- RESPECT.
Respect- Esteem for or
a sense of the worth or excellence of a person or a personal quality or ability
-When meeting an adult,
shake his or her hand.
-If you are a male, it
is proper to open the door for a female.
-Anyone should be
willing to open the door for an adult or another student.
-Say “please” and
“thank you”.
-Ask “May I?” rather
than “Can I?” because “May I” refers to having a privilege while “Can I?”
refers to whether you know how to do something or not.
-Wait until someone has
said an entire sentence to speak.
I always greet you by name and with a smile.
Returning the gesture is a sign of courtesy.
- Bring at least two pencils to school sharpened.
If you do not have a sharpener at home, use your personal sharpener or the
classroom sharpener at the beginning or end of the school day.
- Place your backpack with one strap across the
back of the chair.
- Place your agenda in the agenda basket and your
homework in the homework drawer immediately after unstacking your chair.
- Make sure your homework is headed neatly.
- After getting prepared for the day (maximum
five minutes), begin your Morning Work assignment on the board.
- Please work quietly and respectfully. Whisper
to your neighbor or come to me if you need something important. Yet
please do not ask about the daily schedule, due dates, or anything else that is
always posted on the board.
- 8:30 a.m. is when you can begin entering the
classroom.
- Please line up by the door quietly and read a
book if I am not in the classroom. This is not the time to run or play. Set an
example for any students passing you in the hallway.
- Full name, number, and date go at the top right
of the paper.
- Subject and page numbers are sometimes needed,
too, especially in math class. Write out which problems you are completing.
- Turn in the assignment to your personal
mailbox. All assignments from the day will go in the same spot.
Homework is
important because it helps you to practice important skills and involves your
parents in knowing what you are learning at school.
-
Homework is given daily except for Fridays. However, from December-March, math
homework may be assigned on Fridays to prepare for FCAT.
-
Homework is due the next day; no excuses!
-
Your homework needs to have the required heading and must be neat.
-
Please bring your assignment to class the day and time it is due.
-
If another teacher assigned the homework, please turn it in to her.
-
Hand in the homework immediately when you walk into the classroom where your teacher has a designated spot.
- Keep at
least 2 sharpened pencils daily, yet more is preferable.
- Use your
desk sharpener quietly without interruption. Keep the sharpener down by your
waist while using it.
- If your
sharpener is not available, politely ask a neighbor to borrow his or her
sharpener.
- Cross
your fingers to use the restroom.
- Part your
fingers to use the water fountain. Remember, though, you are certainly
allowed to have a water bottle.
- During
centers or writing workshop, you do not need to ask me to use the restroom.
- Tap on
the door always to see if the restroom is occupied. A sign is there to remind
you. Knocking is common courtesy.
- If
someone is in the restroom, please return to your seat and wait until he or she
is out. - You may not line up at the restroom or water fountain.
- Always
flush the toilet and wash your hands. If the toilet does not flush, please
flush a second time.
- It is
better to go during group work, independent work, or centers/writing workshop
time than instruction time. Please wait patiently if you can.
- I will raise my hand
for “Give Me Five”. Each
finger means: 1. Eyes on speaker, 2. Quiet, 3. Be Still, 4. Hands Free,
and 5. Listen.
- Sit up straight and fold your hands to show me
you are ready to go on.
- The line leader and door holder line up first.
- I call by groups for you to join the line.
Sitting up straight, folding your hands, and being quiet help me to call your
group.
- The student who is the caboose lines up last.
- Line up in the order you are called. Waiting
for friends is not permitted.
- You are silent and facing forward with your
hands at your side when walking around the school. I call this the “Three Point
Line”.
- Walk behind one another (walking in pairs and
trios does not show respect). We walk in a line, not a group.
- Touching is not permitted.
- When you need to tie your shoe, step out of the
line and then return to your spot.
- Handle books with care. If you place them back,
put them in the place where it is designated to be (for example, Realistic
Fiction book #12 goes between #11 and #13).
- Handle all other supplies with care and place
them where they came from in the classroom.
- Do everything as always (entering quietly and
putting supplies where they belong).
- The tardy pass goes in my basket at my desk.
- Your missed work will be in the absent student
file. Take out your file, put the papers in one of the absent student bags, and
place the bag in your backpack.
- Look at the board to see if you missed any new
postings for homework or projects that may be due.
- You must ask me if you need to do anything
else.
- You MUST copy everything I write on the right
side of the board into your planner. You will have time to write this in the
planner (normally during morning work). This includes homework, due dates, and
event dates.
- Write legibly and in an appropriate size.
- Everything must be kept in your take-home
folders until your parent takes the papers out.
- I write a personalized, positive note at least
once a week to your parents. Make sure they see it.
- You must remain in your seat.
- When I give you time, clean your area and pick
up any papers or trash off the floor. The floor should be spotless. This makes
it easier for our custodian!
- Place your chair where it belongs.
- I dismiss you, not the intercom. You must be
seated until you are called.
- Stop what you are doing.
- Listen with respect. When finished, go back to
your work.
- Read one of our classroom books.
- Complete work that is not finished. This should
be your first priority.
- Study for an upcoming test.
- Take a Reading Counts test.
- Go to the basket at the front of the classroom
that has activities for those who are done. This includes Brain Quest booklets,
science trivia, multiplication and division flash cards, and math
manipulatives.
- You may help me out.
- You may not complete homework during the day,
or I will take it. It will be kept until the end of the day.
- Stand up straight.
- Place your right hand across your chest.
- Recite the pledge, knowing you are showing
respect to your country.
- During the Moment of Silence, stand with hands
free. You must be silent. Think about the freedoms you have as an American
citizen.
- During the Star Spangled Banner, either sing
the song naturally or quietly.
- Line up quietly and be prepared to exit the
classroom.
- Be silent, respectful, careful, and serious.
- No talking is allowed.
- Make sure you can see me, as I will be
directing you to where you need to go.
- Please throw garbage away when you are working
on your own, as a group, in centers, or during writing workshop.
- Only one student is permitted to be at the
garbage can at a time. You should be there only a few moments.
-At the beginning of the day, turn them on. The
first student in the classroom may help me to turn them on.
-At the end of the day, turn them off. Students
who have a late bus may help me to turn them off.
-There will be one person at a
computer at a time. Wait your turn to use it! Example- Please do not peek over
a person's shoulder while he or she is in Reading Counts or in a website.
-When getting off the computer, you must close
all programs (leave no windows open).
-Wear headphones when visiting websites because
they may have sound and it may distract your classmates.
-Ask permission before printing a page. “May I
print this page, please?”
-You do not need to ask permission before saving
a Microsoft Word file to your own disk.
- While
someone is at the front of the classroom, your eyes and ears should be on the
person. Listen attentively, and take notes of the material if needed. When you
want to provide an answer to a question, raise your hand and wait to be called
on. Wait patiently, please; I see you.
- Classwork
and other papers will be passed out several times during the school day. I hand
out papers per group, and I hand the papers to the week's team leader. The team
leader distributes the papers to his or her entire group, quietly and
efficiently. Your team leaders are on an alternating five-week period.
Before you
seek help from me, either try to figure out the problem on your own or ask a
classmate who is next to you. Give the problem a fair chance. If neither of the
above help, I encourage you to seek help from me. When you are seeking help
from a teacher, please raise your hand. Quietly wait until I am ready to call
on you or I come over to your desk. Never walk over to my desk or another teacher's
desk to get assistance unless you are told to do so.
You are a citizen of Jasztalville. Always
put forth 100% effort and treat people with the foremost respect.