Hello,

My name is Tracey Wagster and I am very excited to be your child’s teacher this year! I know that we will have an amazing year as we work together to help your child become a happy and successful learner. My educational philosophy is that all students can learn and are entitled to the best education possible. I want all of my students to be happy and successful and to have a lifetime love of learning and reading. My mission statement is:

“To create an environment that promotes lifelong learning, values individuals, and prepares all students to become positive and successful adults.”

My educational beliefs are:
1- All who enter the classroom are an integral part of our community of learners.
2- The community of learners is a result of a cooperative effort of students, teachers, counselors, administrators, staff, and parents.
3- By working together in an atmosphere of trust and respect, we will be able to teach students that they are unique and important.
4- Students will be encouraged to reach full potential in academic, career, social, emotional, and physical growth.

My desired results of student learning are:
1- All students will demonstrate grade-level competency in basic academic skills.
2- All students will demonstrate complex thinking skills through creative thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and reasoning.
3- All students will demonstrate responsible citizenship through personal responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, honesty, caring, respect for their living and learning environment, and respect for diversity.
4- All students will develop the skills necessary to be lifelong learners.
5- All student learning will reflect the collaborative efforts of the entire Quest community.

In order to accomplish this, I have some classroom policies that I would like to explain. I have found that parents are much more comfortable if they understand policies and what is expected for the year. Also, please be sure to read through the Quest Parent Handbook. It contains extremely important information that you will need to know. The Parent Handbook can be found on the Quest webpage.



CURRICULUM

The curriculum used in class will address the objectives outlined in the National Core standards for math and language arts (www.corestandards.org) as well as the Utah State standards for science and social studies (www.schools.utah.gov/curr/main/default.htm ). We will be using the McGraw Hill Wonders program for reading and language arts and their My Math program for math.


ATTENDANCE POLICY

Federal law requires 95% attendance. Furthermore, our individual and institutional academic goals will be achieved only if our students attend school regularly and on-time. Please read through the Quest Parent Handbook very carefully and be sure you understand it so that there are no surprises.


PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION BINDER

An important and vital component of academic achievement is that of organization of student work, as well as home and school connection. Quest students will be given training that will assist them in becoming independent students and in organizing their school work, thus maximizing the potential for them to succeed. Each student will receive a binder at the beginning of the year.

The binder will contain important information throughout the year. There are 2 pocket dividers in each notebook. Papers put in the blue right pocket are to stay at home as they have been graded or completed. The blue left pocket is for homework. The green right pocket will contain information parents need to see and often return to school. The green left pocket is for missing or redo work that also needs your attention… it needs to be returned the next day.

1.Students will take their binders home each night and should bring them back to school each day. There will be a lot of information in there for you to see!

2.If students lose or damage their binder (or the folders inside), you will need to replace them.

3.Please help your child to keep his/her binder organized. This is much more effective when there is the home and school connection and cooperation.


GRADING POLICY

Teaching responsibility is very important. With that in mind we expect assignments to be turned in on time. An assignment will not be docked for being late, but may only be turned in up to 1 week after it is due. Scores are collected on each assignment. All assignments are important and need to be turned in on time. Any work not finished in class is homework. Assignments are due the next school day unless otherwise informed.

4 100%-90% The student demonstrates mastery of the standard

3 89%-80% The student demonstrates proficiency of the standard

2 79%-60% The student is approaching proficiency

1 59%-0% The student is well below proficiency.

Understanding where students are in relation to mastery of Common Core standards helps teachers and parents know if students need additional help, if students are proficient, or if students need further enrichment. At Quest Academy, students grades are determined by student performance on various grade level assessments. Students are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery and proficiency of standards. For example, if a student receives a below proficiency score, he/she will not only be retaught, but will also have the opportunity to raise his/her score by retaking the assessment multiple times throughout the term. We are excited for the implementation of this model and for the opportunities that will be offered our students for academic growth.

At Quest we use a grading system called SIS. Parents will have access to their child’s grades online. It is vital that you check on your child’s grades often, as first graders don’t always communicate this well.


MAKE UP WORK

It can be very overwhelming for a student to fall behind, so please help your child develop good habits and complete their homework on time. If your child is sick, they have as many days to make up their work as they were absent.


HOMEWORK

Homework and class work are a meaningful part of the academic environment. The work is carefully designed to enrich the curriculum or build practice skills. Reading homework is required each day. Required home reading is at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Research has shown that daily reading leads to greater academic gains and success in school. Your child will usually have math and Language Arts homework as well…. this should take no more than 10 minutes. Homework packets will be sent home on Monday and should be returned the following Monday. Please do a little each day as instructed on the cover sheet. Doing all the work in 1 or 2 sessions not only causes frustrations, but doesn’t give the child the repetitive practice that is needed to master the concepts. Parents are in charge of checking homework and signing off that it was completed. Please return the cover sheet only… unless you have a concern that I need to see.


CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Positive Reinforcement/Rewards:
This year I will be using Class Dojo to give or take points as earned. A separate paper describing this system will be sent home. Students will be tracking their points to earn rewards.

Consequences:
Students who make bad choices will be first given a warning until procedures are taught. Next, I will take points from them on Class Dojo and often, a natural consequence will follow. (If you broke your crayons, you cannot color; if your cannot quit talking to a neighbor, you will be moved, etc.) If any issues continue, parents will be contacted for their input. We will work together to make school a positive experience.

Whole Class:
I do various things to reward the entire class for their teamwork and cooperative behavior. I change it up to keep things fresh and fun. Some parents may feel that it is not fair to their student to not receive a reward if it is another student’s behavior at fault. However, a class is like a family and we all have to work together (just like in “real” life). I want to encourage students to support each other and work as a group. When I see or hear about this happening, I will let them know in a special way!


CLASS SCHEDULE

I have also included a copy of our class schedule on my blog. I reserve the right to change the schedule if needed.


UNIFORM POLICY

Please make sure your child comes to school every day in the appropriate uniform. Please label sweaters and coats as many of them look the same. Athletic shoes will be required for PE. If you feel your child should not participate in P.E. activities on a particular day, please submit a short note, stating the reason, with your signature.


FIELD TRIPS

We are planning 2 field trips this year. Parents are asked to provide a small donation before each trip to cover entrance fees for our fieldtrips. If we do not receive enough donations, we reserve the right to cancel the trip. There will be opportunities for parents to chaperone field trips and we welcome your participation.

Field Trips include:
The Zoo
The Aerospace Museum


TOYS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

It is a school-wide policy that electronic devices are not allowed on campus. Your child should also not bring toys to class. The first time I see a toy, I will take it and give it back at the end of the day. If the problem occurs again, I will return the toy to a parent. Third time, it is mine unless there are unusual circumstances.


BIRTHDAYS

I know you want to make your child’s birthday special and so do I. If you want to bring a NON FOOD treat on your child’s birthday to share with the class that is great. Your child can bring them to school in the morning and I will pass them out during the day. If your child has a summer birthday they can bring a treat when we celebrate their ½ birthday.


STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Every student will have a chance to be “Student of the Week”. When your child is the Student of the Week, they will bring home a poster to fill in and color. They will also be able to bring a Show & Tell item- please nothing oversized, alive, or valuable. They will share these with the class on the Friday of that week. They will also get to bring home our class mascot, Sparky, to have an adventure and record it for our class. Sparky and his book MUST be back on Monday!


DONATIONS:

In order to enrich your child’s educational experience, we ask for voluntary donations of supplies. Needed supplies are found on our class blog (“supply list” under “Parent Information”). Voluntary donations for field trips and class parties are also appreciated. Additionally, donation of your time is critical to the class and we love to have parent volunteers!


SCHOOL WIDE POLICIES:

*Dress Code Violations: Please pay close attention to our school dress code. If your child is in violation, they will receive a “violation ticket”. One copy comes home to you, one is for me, and the last is turned in to the office at the end of each day. After three dress code violations, the administration will issue the student a lunchtime detention.

*Name Badge Violation: Each student at Quest Academy is given a name badge at the beginning of the year and is required to wear it. These badges need to remain at school each day. If your child forgets to remove their badge at the end of the day, please have them immediately put it in their backpack to ensure they will have it the next day. If your child is missing their name badge, they will need to get a temporary badge at the office. If the badge is lost or broken, a new one can be purchased at the office for $5.

If you have any questions or comments for me, one way to reach me is by email twagster@questac.org . I check my email daily and try to respond quickly. Also I will be communicating often with parents through Class Dojo text. I am always happy to meet with parents to discuss their child’s progress. Just email/text me and we will schedule a time. Again, I know that we will have an amazing year as we work together to help your child become a happy and successful learner.

It is necessary to receive confirmation that you have received this document and understand it’s content.  Please sign online at this link: Disclosure Read and Review Form