Mrs. Gordon and Mr. Desin will be team teaching this year, with Mrs. Gordon teaching reading, social studies, and writing and Mr. Desin teaching math and science. They provide the daily schedule, explain the Eagle behavior system of rewards and consequences, and give information on homework, grading, testing, communication methods, and other classroom policies.

1. Open House 2014
Mrs. Gordon

2. Shared Instructional
Responsibility
• Teachers are going to be sharing your child’s learning
experiences this year. This is a school-wide initiative.
• I will be team-teaching with Mr. Desin.
• Gordon- Reading and Social Studies/Writing
• Desin- Math and Science Writing
• We will be sharing responsibility for Spelling and
Writing/Grammar.
• Mr. Desin and I try to work out a schedule that best fits
the needs of our students. Please understand that this
schedule may change as we try to best meet the needs
of our students through dynamic grouping.

3. Daily Schedule
7:30-8:00 Eagle Time
8:00-8:15 Attendance and
Restroom
8:15-9:15 Reading with Gordon
9:15-10:00 Science with Desin
10:00-10:45 Specials
11:00-12:00 Math with Desin
12:00-12:08 Read Aloud
12:15-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:05 Recess
1:05-1:50 Social Studies
1:50-2:00 Grammar
2:05 Pack Up/Agenda

4. Eagle Time
• Eagle Time will begin at 7:30 each morning. Your child has to
be in the classroom by 7:30 to be able to participate in Eagle
Time.
• If your child is in the cafeteria at 7:30, he or she will remain in
the cafeteria and read after eating.
• If your child arrives at 7:30 or later and does not need to eat
breakfast, he or she will go to the Media Center and read.
• Your child may elect to get a “Grab and Go” breakfast before
7:30 and eat in the classroom.
• I will be pulling small groups to work on skills while everyone
else is reading independently.
• Please make sure your child has 1-2 independent reading
books in his or her backpack at all times!

5. Agendas
• The agenda is your best friend this year!
• This is an excellent communication tool.
Feel free to write notes to me in the
agenda.
• Please sign the agenda daily!!!
• It is ultimately your child’s responsibility to
get his or her agenda signed.

6. Excellent Eagles
• Engaged in learning
• Accept Responsibility
• Gratitude is our Attitude
• Live the Golden Rule
• Eager to achieve
• Self control

7. Eagle Update
• The Eagle Update will travel EVERYWHERE with the
student (except lunch); it will be used as a hall pass as
well as a record for monitoring behavior.
• Teachers and staff will initial the update for any areas of
difficulty.

8. Rewards
• Eagle Award Ceremony: awards are based on
performance that has been documented on the Eagle
Update.
• Dress for Success: On the day of the Eagle Award
Ceremony, students will be encouraged to “dress for
success” in order to show pride in themselves and their
school. Teachers will present a career lesson to their
homeroom class on this day.
• Golden Eagle: 0 marks on update (per 9 weeks).
• Blue Eagle: 3 or less marks on update (per 9 weeks).
• Parents and all students will attend the ceremony,
where students will receive a certificate and a blue or
gold dog tag for his/her backpack.

9. Rewards Continued
• All teachers or staff members of the school will be giving
out tickets to reinforce positive behavior. The students
will be able to exchange those tickets for rewards.
Media center helper for 20 minutes---20 tickets
Mystery reader in another classroom---30 tickets
Thirty minutes computer time---25 tickets
Lunch with a friend---15 tickets
Custodians’ assistant---40 tickets
Eat lunch with principal---50 tickets
Watering/weeding garden with custodian---35 tickets
Deliver announcements on BSEN---30 tickets
Principal for half-day---75 tickets

10. Consequences
• Our primary job as teachers is to help your child learn. If
there are undesired behaviors that prohibit his/her best
learning or the learning of others, there may be a
consequence.
• Your child may have his or her Eagle Update marked.
• There may be a logical consequence.
• Repeated offenses that prohibit learning or are a danger
to others may result in an office referral.

11. Restrooms
• All of Big Shanty will now be taking classroom restroom
breaks. These occur every few hours.
• Please encourage your child to use the restroom during
the allotted time.
• Emergencies happen, but if your child has the need for
ongoing emergency restroom breaks, we will need to
confer.

12. Cobb County Grading Scale
• A: 90-100
• B: 80-89
• C: 74-79
• D: 70-73
• F: 69-Below

13. Synergy Online Gradebook
• We will be using an online grade book this year.
• This will allow you to be up to date on your child’s grades
and missing assignments.
• Last year, parents were given a date and timeframe to
pick up logins. More information will be given about this
later.

14. Online Gradebook

15. Staying Informed
• Eagle Updates are at the back of your child’s
agenda. Please glance at it daily, but sign every
Thursday.
• Academic Alerts go home for everyone at 4 ½
weeks.
• Report cards go home after 9 week intervals.
These are traditional report cards, not standards
based.

16. Homework
• Eagle Eye reading logs will need to be
completed weekly.
• There will be Math homework. This depends on
Mr. Desin’s preference. Please study
multiplication and division facts with your child.
• If your child has unfinished work, he/she may
have to bring it home to finish.

17. Eagle Eyes
• Eagle Eyes go home daily and are turned in on
Wednesday. Please sign them daily on the back of the
form. Eagle Eyes are required this year!
• Students will need to get a minimum of 9 Eagle Eye
points each 9 weeks (4 of those points ned to be
nonfiction). 12 points will earn a celebration after each
nine week period.
• If your child is reading a large book that cannot be
completed in a week, he or she may just “check in” with
me.
• Please sign the back of the Reading Log every night to
indicate your child has read 20 minutes each night.

18. CRCT
• We will have standardized testing this
year, but there will be no CRCT!
• We do not know what this testing will look
like yet! I have heard there will be a writing
component, so this is something we will
work on heavily this year.

19. BYOD
• Mr. Desin and I participate in the “Bring Your Own
Device” program at Big Shanty.
• This is completely optional! Please understand that this
can be an excellent tool to support learning, but you
have to weigh the risks! Is your child responsible
enough?
• Last year, the students that participated in this used their
devices every day (either with Mackinvia, Study Island,
or research).
• We have a secure Wifi with content filters.

20. Study Island
• We utilize Study Island a lot in our classroom. It is a
web-based learning website that Cobb County finances.
• Study Island shows videos and allows students to
answer questions related to Reading, Math, and
Language Common Core Standards.
• Game mode is an engaging way for students to practice
the standards because it allows you to play a game after
answering a question correctly on the first try.
• Please encourage your child to use the excellent tool.

21. Communication
• You can contact me by e-mail at:
Keisha.gordon@cobbk12.org
• You can call me at the school at:
678-594-8023 ext. 451
• See my blog:
http://www.cobbk12.org/
• Send me a note!
• E-mail is the best way to contact me for questions.
Please be aware that our e-mail system will
periodically quarantine e-mails.

22. Transportation
• If you have a transportation change
please send a note!
• If your child’s transportation changes
during the day, you must contact the front
office. Please do not send me an e-mail.
• Please do not send transportation
changes by e-mail. It may be hours
(and too late) before I receive your e-
mail!

23. Housekeeping
• If your child arrives at 7:50 or after, you must bring
your child in to the school!
• No student will be allowed to check out after 1:45.
• If your child is a car rider, he or she must be picked up
by 2:30. If there are no cars at 2:30 and your child isn’t
picked up, he or she will be checked in to ASP.
• If your child has asthma, please make sure the nurse
has an inhaler and a form to administer the medication.

24. Lunch/Snack
• Lunch money should be turned into the cafeteria
(by your child) in the morning.
• Please send money in an envelope with your
child’s legal name on it.
• Water bottles are allowed all the time. Your child
may not bring colored or sugared drinks to
consume in the classroom.
• Please send a healthy snack for our morning
snack time. Lunch is late this year!

25. Birthdays
• Please do not have your child pass out
invitations in my classroom unless there is an
invitation for all of the students.
• Please let me know in advance if you will be
sending something in.
• If you are sending in a birthday treat, it must be
something that is already cut (cupcakes,
brownies, etc.).
• The birthday treat will be distributed by your
child after students have eaten their meal at
lunch.

26. Questions?

27. Thank you for coming!!!!
• You can contact me by e-mail at:
Keisha.gordon@cobbk12.org
• You can call me at the school at:
678-594-8023 ext. 451