January 7, 2016

Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! I hope that the winter holidays were relaxing as well as exciting. We are now
in the second semester of the school year. Time really flies when youre having fun. With that
being said, I am implementing a few changes to enhance the mastery of concepts and allow for
greater monitoring of student progress and completion of assignments. I have analyzed the data
that I collected and have found that the students that completed all of the initiatives and
assignments given are SOARING! However, those that are not completing homework consistently or
to the BEST of their ability, practicing skills on the computer (blog & websites), and not
completing close reading assignments regularly are NOT performing to their greatest potential.
Therefore, change must take place.

Incomplete or missing assignments will receive a zero in synergy until the assignment is
submitted provided it is in the window allotted. In addition, a complete heading MUST be
on work submitted, particularly the name. Without name, a grade cannot be recorded
which will cause the assignment to be counted as missing.

I will conduct more informal and formal assessments particularly in reading to ensure that
our children have a strong phonics foundation and are able to utilize word attack skills
with ease. The assessments will be used primarily to guide my instruction as well as to
assist you with areas of weakness at home.

Monthly projects will be completed to assist with the comprehension of concepts and to
boost Lexile scores. These projects will be fun but allow the children to delve deeper into
the content while at home with you. This will give you, the parents, an opportunity to
share in the learning experience.

There will be more open-ended comprehension questions for homework. This will require
your child to answer with a F. A. T. response or essay form. Writing is a CRITICAL part
of the upcoming Georgia Milestones Exam. Although our writing has improved, we still
have progress to be made. (Summarizing text will also be included.)

Please know that I am honored to serve as your childs teacher! I take their education seriously
and want them to be more than prepared for the upcoming grades. As for the Georgia Milestones,
our goal is to score level 3 (Proficient Learner) or level 4 (Distinguished Learner). It is not enough
to simply be ready for fifth grade. I want them to be ahead of the curve so that they continue
to accelerate as they matriculate through school. When one has a strong foundation it allows for
accelerated learning to take place. Please assist me in constructing and developing that strong
foundation. Thank you for your support! I know this will be a FANTASTIC semester.
Best,
Ms. W.