Miss Andy's Class 2020-2021

Hello! My name is Miss Anderson but I often go by Miss Andy. Whatever you prefer! I am thrilled to be your 4th grade teacher! I'm sure this year is going to have some ups and downs, but I am so excited for all of the fun things we will learn and do together.

A little bit about me...
I moved quite a bit growing up, but Montana is where I spent the majority of my childhood, and I absolutely love it there. I go back to visit whenever I can!

I went to school at BYU-Idaho, and graduated in Elementary Education. Student teaching brought me to Utah, and I've been living here for six years. Utah is different, but is beautiful just the same. I recently completed my Masters in Math Education through WGU.

I absolutely love spending time with family and friends! My mom relocated to Utah shortly after my brother, so we are able to spend lots of time together. I have made great friends here, who have some of the cutest kids that I get to be "aunt shelby" to. We like to spend time outside, going to Bees games, going to movies, watching (and attending) Jazz games, going to the cabin, and just riding around the neighborhood on the golf cart.

I have high hopes for this year! The absolute BEST part of teaching is my students, and I am so glad we get to be together in person. Things will be different, but we will make the best of it. I consider myself lucky to be your teacher and I will do everything I can to make this year great for all of us! I truly believe that every student can learn, and I am so excited to be on this journey with you! Not only will we work on academics in our class, but we will also work on recognizing our potential, working hard to reach it, and celebrating our achievements.

You probably get it by now, but I am SO excited to be your teacher this year!

Classroom Management

I want your child to leave this year feeling successful and believing in their abilities. I will do my best to help your child recognize this, and in order to create an environment conducive to learning, it will take a group effort. We will have class rewards to work toward together, as well as individual rewards. Students will receive blocks for positive behavior, which are similar to classroom money. When they earn 10 blocks they will get to pick a prize from the prize box. As a class we will make our rules, but ultimately all rules require respect. Students will be expected to respect each other, the classroom, and all adults in the building.

Consequences

Positive
When students make good choices, they will earn blocks. As they earn blocks, they are able to choose prizes. We will also be working as a class to earn a reward.

Negative
When students make choices that break school or classroom rules, or disrupt learning, they will be given a reminder. After the first reminder, they will lose blocks. If necessary, students will take a break from the classroom, call home, or visit with the principal.

Classroom Expectations

Students
-Come to school prepared to work hard and learn
-Be KIND to yourself and others
-Participate in class and share your thinking
-Be respectful to peers and adults
-Be responsible for your learning, your materials, and your actions

Parents
-Be positive about your child's learning
-Encourage students to have a positive attitude about their learning
-Contact me with questions or concerns

Homework

Research has shown that homework does not have a significant effect on student growth. Because of this, I do not assign homework that is just for home. Occasionally there may be days that students have unfinished work that will need to be completed at home.

Reading Minutes

Students will be required to read five days per week, for 20 minutes each day. I will send home a weekly reading calendar for students to record their reading minutes. It does not matter which 5 days of the week they read. Reading calendars will be kept in your student's communication folder.

Technology

We are lucky at our school to have a Chromebook for each student! We will be doing lots of work on our Chromebooks on many different websites. Google Classroom will be used, but we are also working towards becoming familiar with Canvas. Because technology is such a huge part of learning, it would be greatly appreciated if you can have the Acceptable User Policy (on Skyward) signed as soon as possible. Students will become familiar with computer use and will be expected to use computers appropriately.

Lexia

We will be using a reading program called Lexia this year. It will help students with various language skills, depending on their needs. A placement test will be given to give students targeted practice where they need it.

Moby Max
Moby Max is a personalized math program that analyzes what students already know about math, and then identified which skills they need to learn. This program allows students to be taught at their individual levels.

Typing.com

Students will be working on Typing.com this year to improve their typing skills and fluency. They will have typing tests throughout the year to assess growth.

School Supplies

All students will be provided with any necessary school supplies. However, if you are looking to donate, here is a list of supplies your child might want to have of their own, or to donate:
Ticonderoga Pencils
Crayons or colored pencils
Thin Dry Erase Markers
Glue Sticks
Headphones or Earbuds
Kleenex
Clorox Wipes
Hand Sanitizer

Classroom Treats

I like to provide specials treats as motivation and a reward for my students (also, just because I like them and want to spoil them sometimes!). If you would like to donate treats such as Smarties, Laffy Taffy, Hi-Chews, or Jolly Ranchers, I would really appreciate it! If your child cannot have any of those treats, please let me know and we can find an alternative.

Please remember that all treats must be store bought and pre-packaged. I love to celebrate birthdays, so treats are welcome, but please try to keep them nut free!

Communication

Communication is so crucial to student success! Please, feel free to call, email, or text me anytime. I will do my best to respond promptly. I will be using the free app, Remind, and communicate regularly. Remind allows me to send a group text to everyone, but allows you to respond privately, in the form of a text. Please sign up ASAP. I hope you always feel welcome to communicate with me, and know that I enjoy communicating with you. I love bragging about my students and this is a great way for me to tell you about the wonderful things they are doing! This link will give you directions, or you can look at the picture for instructions explaining how to sign up as well.