Hello Parents and Students!

September 2016 Hello Parents and Students! Welcome to the 4th grade and Miss Knaus’ class. I do pronounce the “K” in my name, and it rhymes with house. For those of you that don’t know me, I have been teaching in Dearborn since 1989. I was hired at Lindbergh teaching first grade. I then taught at Salina Elementary School for 19 years. I transferred back to Lindbergh 8 years ago. As your child’s teacher, I would like to be available for any concerns or questions you may have. You may contact me at [email protected], through Lindbergh’s email address, you can view our classroom blog, or you may telephone at 313-827-6300. I am also available after school Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday. Our journey as a Leader In Me School is now in its second year! We met as a staff over the summer to continue training for this wonderful program that enhances our atmosphere of leadership, communication, respect, and time management amongst our students, staff, and parents. Using Steve and Sean Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Seven Habits of Happy Kids, we learn, study, and put into action the 7 Habits. You will hear your child using the vocabulary and hopefully incorporating the 7 Habits at home. Please watch for Home communication flyers and a Family night to learn more about this great program. Students will be encouraged to take on Leadership roles in our class and school. I personally have visited 3 schools in the Detroit area that also use this program, and the culture and pride that the 7 Habits instills is amazing! If you are interested in continuing our principles at home, please consider purchasing Dr. Steven R. Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. *** If you wish to volunteer this year in our classroom, a background check must be completed in the office. ALL parents who wish to participate in classroom parties or field trips must have this done. It takes at least two weeks for approval from our Human Resources Department. The checks expire after 3 years, so if you need to, check to see if you need to redo this. This is for the safety of your children. I encourage everyone to come in to the front office and complete this paperwork early in the year. *** For the continued safety of everyone here at Lindbergh, we are asking ALL parents that need to come into the building at any time to come through the front door and check into the office. If parents/students arrive late, you must buzz in at the front door, as ALL school doors will be locked shortly after 8:40. Also, at 3:35, please wait outside for your children at dismissal time. Again, this is for the safety of everyone in the building. We are asking that you kindly follow these procedures. Our class exits out of the back doors onto the playground at 3:35.p.m. We are excited here at Lindbergh to begin our fifth year of PBIS – Positive Behavior Support. I have received extensive training in this program, visited schools that use PBIS, and I chaired this committee our first year. Students are encouraged to follow the behavior matrix in all areas of school, and by keeping their behavior color on GREEN 80% of each month, they get to join in a school-wide reward party and classroom rewards too! If 80% is not obtained, they miss the party and attend a reteaching room where correct behaviors are further discussed and practiced. You will be notified if your child is at warning for missing the Reward Party. Enclosed with our take-home notes today is the Lindbergh Matrix for you to keep at home. Please cut off the signature portion and return to school, so we can see that you have read through the Matrix at home and understand our Expectations. If you have any questions concerning this program, please feel free to contact me. I have always used a positive behavior approach in my teaching and have had great success with it. In addition to this program, Dearborn Schools provides us with a What is Bullying? curriculum that we teach all year. Any and All bullying incidents are documented and recorded on the computer. Your child will bring home a Student Planner every night with homework, future assignments, or special dates written in it. I would also like each student to have a Homework Folder. Homework is assigned most days. Please take a few minutes each night to check over the homework and sign the Planner. I realize that on occasion emergencies or things come up and homework cannot be completed. Please write me a short note in the Planner, and I will excuse that assignment. I also require Tests to be signed by a parent or guardian. That way you know what was assigned and the grades your child is receiving. You may also communicate to me through this planner. Missing homework may affect grades on Report Cards. In addition, extra credit activities to do at home will be suggested throughout the year, so the students can improve their grades also. For all tests given this year, there will be at least several days’ notice. I also will send home study guides, websites, folders, reference books, and whatever other materials will help your child to study at home. Please help make sure that all books, classroom supplies, library books, and materials that go home get returned to school. Students will also be given a Math Pre-test for each Unit. If they pass with 80% or above, I will work on enrichment activities and advanced Math Games with those students. Our lunch time is 12:30 – 1:00pm. We will be having a snack break every morning. Please make sure your child brings a HEALTHY snack. Bottled water is also acceptable. No pop or juices for snack. If you wish to bring in a treat for your child’s birthday, we will celebrate it at 3:00 p.m. Again this year we are asking that birthday treats are only for the classroom students and office. Students will not be allowed to go from room to room to other teachers. I will let you know if we have any nut allergies or other food items that we need to avoid. Please make sure to fill out and return the Emergency Form and Lunch Form if needed along with the PBIS form. If your child is not to be photographed at school, please check the appropriate boxes on the Emergency Form. I am looking forward to a wonderful school year. Please check out our classroom blog from time to time as I post important dates, notes and other classroom information. You can receive notifications on your phone if you sign up for the blog. Thanks! I look forward to seeing you all at Open House – Thursday, September 15 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Please visit our Classroom Blog throughout the year: http://iblog.dearbornschools.org/knausj or access it by visiting dearbornschools.org, click “schools, “ click “Lindbergh,” click “staff websites,” find Jennifer Knaus. If anyone is interested in being a Room Mom or Dad, please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks! Jennifer Knaus Team 4th Grade Lindbergh School