This is my eighth year in Oelwein, and I am so excited to be teaching your child! I know that fourth grade is going to be a great year! There are so many fun things to do and learn in fourth grade, and I can't wait to get started!

You are cordially invited to be a partner in your child's education.

Stay-Tuned: Ask your child what he or she is studying, and look in the POWER binder every night. This is where you will find the newsletters and notes that are sent home, as well as any homework that needs to be completed. My monthly newsletter will help you keep up with important happenings in our classroom. I will also send home progress reports or make phone calls if I feel that your child is not progressing as expected.

Ask Questions: If you have any concerns or are wondering why something is happening, please feel free to call me at any time. You can reach me at school at 283-1982, and I can also be contacted by email at chillman@oelwein.k12.ia.us . I try to check my email multiple times a day. I welcome all concerns, ideas, and feedback that affect your child or our classroom. If something is not working, I am more than willing to talk. I welcome all feedback.

Homework: You should expect that your child will have some type of homework most everyday. You will always find the homework assignments written in the planner that is kept in the POWER binder. It will go home everyday. I encourage you to set up with your child a scheduled time for homework each day. Students should be able to do most assignments independently, but do help if it is completely necessary. If you notice that your child is not able to do an assignment on his or her own, please send a note or jot a note to me on the assignment. I will contact you if your child is falling behind or turning in poor work.

Birthday Snacks: Please give me a heads up at least a day ahead of time if your child is planning to bring a treat for his or her birthday. Nutritional snacks are appreciated and snacks should be individually wrapped. If you are planning on sending them with your child in the morning, they should bring them into the classroom and I will put them away until snack time. All birthday snacks will be served at the end of the day (around 2:45).

MVP: All students will be the MVP of the class sometime throughout the year. The week before, I let the students know who the MVP for the next week will be. You are encouraged to come in and eat with your child and read to the class sometime during their MVP week. Let me know what works for you and check out the MVP section for the schedule of the week.

Arrival Time: I also would like to request that students arrive at school no earlier than 8:00. It is not safe for them to be hanging around or playing on the equipment with no supervision. I certainly do not want your child to get injured prior to the school day. Breakfast is served at 8:00, no earlier.

Tardy: Students will be considered tardy if they arrive later than 8:35. They need to hustle if they are eating breakfast, as being prompt is expected of fourth graders.

Absences: If your child is absent, you will need to contact the at 283-1982. If you would like to pick up homework, let the office know when you call in. I will have it ready by the end of the day. Most assignments will be found on this website if you look under the homework section. Students will be allowed an extra day to complete assignments if they are absent, but lessons can't be made up; therefore, it is essential that students are here everyday, if possible.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carrie Hillman