All About Our Classroom

Susan Mahoney 

Fourth grade teacher  Room

Phone: 858-487-6887 ext. 6306

Email: smahoney@powayusd.com

Monterey Ridge Elementary School

     17117 4S Ranch Parkway

     San Diego, California  92127

 Principal: Rebecca Wardlow,

Welcome to Monterey Ridge Elementary School!  I will be your child’s homeroom teacher.  Your child will report to my classroom, C-6, every morning and be dismissed from this classroom every afternoon.  Students will have the opportunity to study and learn from all fourth grade teachers throughout the day.  We will differentiate for reading and math based on the instructional level of students after completing a series of assessments.  This “team” approach to instruction has been very successful in meeting individual student needs. 

Student Organization and Study Skills System (S.O. 3S) is a program that emphasizes goal setting, organization and time management in the upper elementary grades throughout the school district.  This is a spin-off of the PATH/AVID program in the middle and high schools within the district. 

Completing assignments is extremely important in fourth grade.  All students will be given the due date of all assignments and the quality that is expected.  Students will have an agenda with two calendar features.  The agendas should be kept in their “Monarch Binders” at all times.  Students are expected to write down assignments that they didn’t complete in class, any homework, and upcoming tests as they are written on the board in class.  Tests will be announced at least one week ahead of time.  It will be the student’s responsibility to make sure they have their agenda in each class and write down the assignments in addition to taking home their binder and agenda home every night.  You may assist your child in developing these organizational skills by asking to see their binder and agenda every night. 

If a student doesn’t have his/her assigned work, or it is incomplete, the student will receive an appropriate consequence.  If he/she is ill, absent for religious reasons, or an extreme situation exists, the teacher will provide an appropriate due date for the student to make up the assignment.

Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday.  Students will be required to read a minimum of 30 minutes at home each night.  They will have the opportunity to check out a book at the school library every week.  There will also be math, spelling, and unfinished classroom work assignments each night.  The amount of time should not exceed one hour.  If your child is spending an unusual amount of time on homework, please contact me so we may adjust assignments to meet his/her individual needs. 

A goal/ self evaluation sheet will be completed by students regularly to keep parents aware of their child’s progress.  These sheets and any other attached work should be signed and returned the following day so your child can place them in his/her portfolio.  The student portfolios are collections of assignments completed during the year.  Please feel free to stop by after school and look through your child’s portfolio from time to time.

I employ the “3 R’s” in my classroom:  Respect, Responsibility, and Rights.  The students and I have discussed what each of these words mean and how they are related to learning and instruction in the classroom.  If your child chooses not to obey these rules, there will be consequences.  If your child chooses to obey these rules, there will be rewards.  If your child has difficulty following these rules and interferes with the learning of other students, parents will be notified, and a conference will take place. 

Please know that I am here for you and your child.  I hope to make this a memorable year and one in which your child will blossom.  Please call me or email me with any questions or concerns.  I look forward to working with you this year.