Dear Parents/Guardians, September 5, 2017

My name is Carolyn Tola and I am so happy to be your students 4 grade teacher this
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year. This is my fourth year teaching at ABT Elementary School, and I am excited to be
back for another successful year. Below you will find important information you should
know about expectations for the upcoming year.
My Educational Background
In 1991, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn,
majoring in both English and Political Science. After graduating, I spent several years
working as a technical book editor in the industrial and automotive fields. After being out
of the workforce for a few years when my children were young, I decided to go back to
school to become an elementary school teacher. In 2006, I earned my Elementary
Teaching Certificate from Spring Arbor University. For six years I worked with students
in kindergarten through 6 grade as a Title 1/At-Risk Math Interventionist with the
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Lincoln Park Public School District. I was hired at ABT in 2014.

ENTRY AND EARLY DISMISSAL

Each morning, students are expected to arrive on time. School officially begins at
8:15 am. Students who enter the classroom after 8:15 am will be sent to the office for a
tardy slip. It is very important to make sure your student is in the classroom and ready to
work, on time.
I expect that all students will have all needed materials daily. This includes supplies,
textbooks, subject folders, completed homework, etc.
School ends at 3:15 pm. At the end of the day, I will walk students to the gym at
approximately 3:10. Students will be released to parents/guardians at 3:15. If you need
to pick up your student early, you must sign him or her out in the office before 2:45 pm.

CURRICULUM
Math We use the EnVision Math program. It is aligned with Common Core math
standards. Students have a textbook and a workbook. Each new lesson has an
assigned homework page. Additional leveled homework pages and review pages will
also be coming home regularly.
Reading We will be reading several novels this year, including Because of Winn-Dixie
and Bud, Not Buddy. We will also be reading leveled, fictional and informational texts
relating to other subject areas.
Writing Our school program is WriteSteps. We will be writing 5-paragraph papers
using different genres throughout the year. Final papers are considered as test grades.
Spelling Students will receive a spelling packet with a list of 25 new words and several
activities each Monday. Students have all week to complete the activities in the packet,
which is due on Friday. Spelling tests will also be on Friday, unless otherwise specified.
Science We use the Interactive Science program. Students do not have a hardcover
textbook with this program. Instead, each student will receive a softcover
textbook/workbook in which they can write, take notes, etc. Students may keep this
textbook/workbook at the end of the year. Each new lesson in this program has an
assigned homework page that students should complete using the textbook/workbook.
Supplemental science assignments will also be coming home regularly.
Social Studies Students will explore the following topics this year: Foundations in
Social Studies, The US in Spatial Terms, Human Geography in the US, Exploring
Economics, Our Federal Government, and the Rights and Responsibilities of
Citizenship.

GRADING POLICY
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
59% and below = E

According to ABT policy, grades are weighted as follows:

Tests (except spelling tests) 50%
Quizzes 20%
Classwork/Homework/Participation 25%
Spelling Tests 5%

CLASSWORK & HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS

Daily Planner
I believe that communication between classroom teachers and parents is essential to
student success. Therefore, each morning, I will list the following information on the
board:
daily homework assignments with due dates
weekly spelling packets with due dates
long-term projects with due dates
upcoming quiz and test dates
notification of Weekly Progress Reports
other important information
Your child will be responsible for recording all of this information in his or her Daily
Planner each day. Please look over and sign your students planner each night.
You can also leave written messages for me in the planner, and I will get back to you as
soon as possible.
Homework & Missing/Late Work
Every day your student will also bring home a homework folder with that nights
homework. All assigned homework is due the following day, unless otherwise specified.
Any classwork that is not completed during the school day must also be brought home,
completed, and returned the next day in order to receive full credit. Students who
routinely do not turn in homework on time will not receive full credit. After five
days, the highest a student will receive on a late assignment is 50%. If work is not
turned in at all, the student will receive a zero. Please talk to your student about turning
in their work on time. Low grades and zeroes due to late and missing work can have a
negative effect on the students overall grade.
Every Monday, students will also be bringing home a Weekly Progress Report. This
report will list each assignment that your student completed the previous week, as well
as the grade received. The report also lists any assignments that your student did not
turn in. These missing assignments will be marked with a lowercase m on the report.
Weekly Progress Reports must be signed by a parent and returned to me on
Tuesday to be checked off. Please ask your student about any missing work they may
have and ask to see this report. If students know their parents will be asking about the
report, they may be more likely to bring it home and get it signed. Students will be able
to keep the report once I have checked it for a parent signature. Again, if students do
not turn in this missing work before the next report goes out, it will no longer be
accepted and they will receive a 50%.
Absent Work
Absent work is not the same as missing work. If a student has an excused absence,
they will receive an additional day to make up the work (1 day absent = 1 additional
day). Absent students who do not turn in their makeup work in a timely manner will then
be marked down according to the late work policy above.

SNACK BREAKS
Students will be given a short break at mid-morning each day, during which time they
may stretch their legs, use the bathroom, and have a healthy snack/drink. Our mornings
are long, so please make sure your student has packed a snack with them each
morning. Students may also keep a small water bottle with them at their desk
throughout the day. Small water bottles only please! Large bottles of sugary drinks will
not be allowed. Gum and candy are also not allowed in class.
BEHAVIOR AND REWARDS
Distractions to Student Learning
The following items have proven to be a distraction to student learning and are not to
be brought into the classroom under any circumstances: Orbeez, Fidget
Spinners, Paper Spinners/Footballs, Sports Balls/Bouncing Balls, Dolls and/or
Action Figures, Legos/Building Blocks, Cards of any kind (Sports, Yu-Gi-Oh,
Pokemon, etc.), Slime, Play Doh, Perfume/Cologne/Nail Polish/Makeup. This is not
a complete list of items. As situations arise throughout the year, students may be asked
to keep other items at home as well.
Positive Behavior Support Program
ABT has implemented the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Program for many years. Its
purpose is to encourage students to behave appropriately.
In our class, we have a card flip system that works as follows:
Green Good Day
Yellow Warning
Red Rough Day, phone call home
For a green day, students have maintained appropriate behavior. A yellow card
indicates the student was verbally warned then continued his or her unacceptable
behavior. Finally, a red card means the student was warned verbally, flipped their card,
and even after flipping their card, still continued to act inappropriately. At this point, the
student will be sent to the office, receive a phone call home, and a think sheet to
complete. If these measures still do not curb the inappropriate behavior, a referral is
filled out and the student may receive additional consequences from Dr. Merritt.
This year I will also be using Classroom Dojo. Students will be able to earn points for
positive, helpful, and kind behavior. Students will also lose points for negative and
disruptive behavior. At the end of the week, the top five point earners will be able to
choose a bag of chips or other treat as a reward for their positive behavior.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to an exciting,
successful new school year!

Sincerely,
Carolyn Tola
(313)581-2223
carolyn.tola@leonagroup.com
I have read and understand the above information.
______________________________________________________________________
Student Signature Date
______________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature Date
 Ms. Tolas 4 Grade Supply List
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pencil box or zippered pouch

pencils

erasers

scissors

glue sticks/liquid glue

crayons

highlighters

12-inch ruler (inches and centimeters)

small pencil sharpener

6 wide-ruled, one-subject spiral notebooks (one for each subject - Reading,

Math, Writing, Grammar, Science, and Social Studies )

extra wide-ruled filler paper

6 durable 2-pocket folders (one for each subject - Reading, Math, Writing,
Grammar, Science, and Social Studies)

1 additional heavy-duty plastic folder with 2 pockets (homework folder)

Binder (optional)

Kleenex

*****Please keep in mind that supplies will need to be replaced throughout the
year. It is important for students to have their supplies so they are ready to
learn.*****

*****Please make sure your students name is marked clearly on all of their
belongings.*****

Classroom supplies are always appreciated as well, such as: Kleenex, hand sanitizer,
disinfecting wipes, baby wipes, paper towels, copy paper, construction paper, colored
pencils, Crayola markers, dry erase markers, Elmers glue, and Ziploc bags.

Thank you for your support!!