Welcome to 4th Grade!


I am just thrilled to be your 4th grade teacher this year! Please take a moment to explore our classroom site to learn more about your new teacher & what we will be learning.  Although 4th grade in a new school may seem a little scary at first, I promise you that before long you will be walking around Indian Hill like you've been there forever!   I am so excited to learn and grow together this year.  I can't wait to meet you on the first day of school!  

Check out this student welcome letter for more information for the class of 2024-25.





Supplies for 4th Grade

The 4th grade supply list is posted on the Indian Hill website.  This is a general list for all 4th grade students. I recommend that your spiral math notebook that you'll need for math class is a heavy duty brand with a sturdy cover and paper size of 8.5 x 11. The paper size is important because we will be using this notebook as an interactive math journal and will be gluing down regular size paper (8.5x11) directly into the notebook.  So if your page size is too small, the papers we glue down will not fit and will have to be cut (huge time waster!). Personally, I went shopping for my notebook and found this one at Walmart.  It is a 3 subject instead of a 1 subject (which is totally okay, actually even better! A 5 Subject would be okay too.).  Last year we ran out of paper, so it never hurts to go bigger!  I also like it because it has a reinforced spine that is covered and some great pockets and tabs inside.  
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Remember:  the paper size should be larger (8.5x11).  If you could label your notebook with your first and last name on the inside, that would be great.  I will have a name label pre-printed for you to add to the front along with a larger label that designates your notebook as your math notebook.    

It would be fabulous if students could also have an assortment of colorful writing implements to use for writing in their interactive notebooks in math and social studies.  Colored pencils are on the original list, but thin markers (I love Mr. Sketch) and/or colored pens (I love Pilot Frixion erasable pens) might be a good option as well.  Having a good pair of personal scissors to keep in your pencil case is a LIFESAVER!  Write your initials or name on them in permanent marker and treat them like gold!  It will save you a ton of time to always have scissors on hand and not have to get up to borrow from the supply center (or search for them around the room!).  One of your folders (you'll need 8) will be used as your "Take Home Folder".  This will be your main folder that travels back and forth to school and home every day.  Feel free to get a fancy folder that you love!  You'll be looking at this folder every day for sure!  You will also be using many composition notebooks this year.    The plain black and white or colored marble composition books are classic and work great!  We will be adding labels in school to the covers, so just mark your name on the insides if you'd like.


 GLUE STICKS will be your best friends this year...I'm not joking.  We go through SO MANY GLUE STICKS!!!   You may want to keep some at home and replenish when necessary.  I will have lots to borrow in September and October, but after that it's every man for himself (I'm kidding...kind of).   I usually go to Costco and purchase a big pack of them for everyone to share, but it doesn't last long.  My advice is to write your initials on your stick's cap and keep a stock of them either in your locker or at home.  A brand new glue stick is a hot commodity around here!  

While we are on the subject of lockers...I know that many of the girls (and boys) like to decorate the insides of their lockers with all kinds of fancy things like rugs, wallpaper, and chandeliers (I think I went into the wrong business!).  It is totally fine to decorate however students choose as long as it doesn't interfere with fitting the school supplies/coats they will need to keep in their lockers.  Also, I would prefer if students decorated either after school or before school (if possible). You may NOT put stickers directly on the inside or outside of your locker as they are hard to remove at the end of the year.  

If you have any questions at all regarding supplies, please feel free to e-mail me anytime. No worries if you can't get all the supplies in on the first day.  Please note that some supplies may be collected and used by all students throughout the year, but the basics will be kept in the soft pencil case that your child carries around with him/her to class.  If possible, please write student's first and last name in permanent marker on the soft pencil case or place name on an index card and stick it inside.  It is always the first thing to get lost!

This is the supply checklist that we will use on the first day of school to get organized!  Feel free to take a sneak peak, and even fill your pencil case if you are so inclined. Please don't worry if you do not have all of the supplies listed.  I have extras of many of the items!  The whole supply thing can be very overwhelming (trust me, I know what it's like with my own kids!), but once we are organized it will make a world of difference and set us up for a smooth year! 

In our classroom, you will see a pocket pouch hanging on the back of your student chair at your desk. This pouch is for the students in our "switch class" to store their items in while I'm teaching them math. Our switch class is Mrs. Gish's homeroom (#14). When you go to literacy, her students come to our classroom to learn math. Those students will sit at your desk (that's why you'll see two name tags on your desk!). Everything inside of the desk is YOURS and is off-limits to anyone else that may be sitting at your desk. The chair pocket is THEIRS. When you go to literacy, you will have your own chair pocket to store your literacy materials in. Students no longer need a "switch bag"/tote bag to carry their stuff from class to class. We have found that with the addition of chair pockets, it is easier for students to simply carry their materials needed (notebook, take home folder, pencil case) by hand. 

**Note - A comfortable set of headphones is a game-changer for kids! Investing in a medium-quality pair of headphones is suggested & will last the whole year through. Any of the ones on Amazon are perfect. Just make sure they have a wire (no wireless allowed as they do not connect to the chromebooks we use). Two sets of headphones are better than one! You can keep one in your desk and one in your chair pocket in the other classroom.