Snacks:
Your child may bring a healthy snack (crackers, fruit, veggies, etc.) to school each day. Please do not bring cookies, sugary snacks, or candy for a snack, as this can result in a "sugar crash" in the afternoon. :) Water bottles are allowed, but please do not send flavored drinks, as they can be sticky when they spill or drip on the desks. We do have a pineapple and kiwi allergy in class, please be mindful of what you are sending to keep everyone safe. Thank you!
Birthday Treats:
Your child may bring in birthday favors on their birthday to share with the class, but does not have to. We have 24 students in our class this year. Birthday favors can be pencils, stickers, etc., but NO FOOD ITEMS are allowed this year.
If your child has a summer birthday and would like to bring something they are welcome to choose a day and we will celebrate then. Just let me know what day so we can try not to have a summer birthday celebration on top of another birthday. Thanks!
Planner/Assignment Book:
The purpose of the planner is to help your child plan ahead and stay organized with upcoming homework, assignments, and projects. I will provide time each week in class to fill out the week's assignments, and the next week's tests as well. It is your child's responsibility to copy their HW assignments into their planner so they, and you, know what the HW is each week. Your child needs to bring home their planner nightly to be signed by an adult. When the adult signs the planner they are stating that the child has done the required homework for that night. Planners will be checked daily in class, and at the end of the week if the planner has been signed each night the student will receive a raffle ticket for the Friday Raffle. The planner is also another way to communicate with me. At times I will write notes home in the planner and you are welcome to write a note to me there as well.
If at any time you feel that your child has not completed their planner and may be missing the HW, you are welcome to contact me. If this becomes a problem, then we can work together to help your child so that he/she is being responsible for their HW. HW will not be posted on-line.
Raffle tickets/Friday Raffle:
As a positive reinforcement for good behavior, good choices in school, positive study habits, etc., the fifth grade teachers will be passing out raffle tickets to students this year. Students will collect their raffle tickets, and on Friday we will put them in a bag, mix them up, and draw for prizes. Examples of some prizes may include fun school supplies, gift cards, treats, and books. Students may save their tickets for a particular prize they are interested in, or put them in every week. After the raffle on Friday, the tickets that were in the bag will be dumped out and we will start fresh the next week. Typically there will be 2-3 prizes per week. Math teachers and specials teachers can also award tickets to be used in the child's home room raffle on Friday. Once a student has earned a ticket it is theirs, we will not take tickets away for poor choices etc. unless it is a special situation. Students are responsible for writing their name, in pen, on their ticket and keeping it in a safe place. Teachers are not responsible for lost tickets and will not replace them.
Marble Jar:
In addition to the raffle tickets, we also have a class Marble Jar. This is another behavior reinforcement program in class. Students may earn marbles for good choices and good behavior to fill the jar and earn rewards as a class. Marbles may also be deducted from the jar for poor choices in class. Once the Marble Jar is full, the class earns their reward. (possible rewards: extra recess, free time, treats, etc.)
If your child does have a significant behavior problem in class I will contact you. Typically, your child and I will work through the problem and try to solve it on our own before calling you. Any time there is a significant problem you will be contacted.
Homework:
The grade level expectation for time spent on HW in 5th grade is 60 minutes. This 60 minutes includes the 20 min. of independent reading, plus any other HW your child may have. If your child is in an advanced math class they may have more HW and it may take longer. There will typically be math HW four times a week. If at any time the HW is causing major problems at home please contact me and we can come up with a plan to help your child.
There will be weekly HW that your child should be spending some time on each night. Weekly HW will be due on Thursdays. Weekly HW will often be language arts based. Your child may also need to be studying each night for upcoming tests, or working on long term projects, so please help them manage their HW and their time wisely. If there is going to be a problem completing a HW assignment or project, please let me know in advance of the due date so we can work out something so your child can get their work in on time.
Your child is responsible for copying their HW from the classroom planner into their planner so they know what they need to do each week.
Spelling:
Spelling pre-tests will be given the Thursday before the upcoming week of spelling words. There will be 20 words on the pre-test. Based on how well your child does on the pre-test, they will then have 20 words, or 25-30 with added Challenge Words and/or Wordly Wise Words. The word lists will go home on Mondays so your child can be studying for the test taken on Thursdays.
Volunteers:
At Back to School Night there will be a sign-up, if you couldn't make it, send me an email with your information and what you are interested in doing and I will contact volunteers as needed. :) Thanks!
Conferences:
Our first conferences are scheduled for Nov. 5-9. A sign up sheet will be out at Back to School Night. If you miss the sign-up, feel free to stop by class, or email/call me and we will get you on the schedule. Conferences will be 20 minutes long. If there are any academic or social concerns that you feel we need to discuss before conference time, don't hesitate to contact me and we can talk via the phone or set up a meeting. I will have the sign-up sheet for the second round of conferences at the first conference and you can sign-up then.
Your child may bring a healthy snack (crackers, fruit, veggies, etc.) to school each day. Please do not bring cookies, sugary snacks, or candy for a snack, as this can result in a "sugar crash" in the afternoon. :) Water bottles are allowed, but please do not send flavored drinks, as they can be sticky when they spill or drip on the desks. We do have a pineapple and kiwi allergy in class, please be mindful of what you are sending to keep everyone safe. Thank you!
Birthday Treats:
Your child may bring in birthday favors on their birthday to share with the class, but does not have to. We have 24 students in our class this year. Birthday favors can be pencils, stickers, etc., but NO FOOD ITEMS are allowed this year.
If your child has a summer birthday and would like to bring something they are welcome to choose a day and we will celebrate then. Just let me know what day so we can try not to have a summer birthday celebration on top of another birthday. Thanks!
Planner/Assignment Book:
The purpose of the planner is to help your child plan ahead and stay organized with upcoming homework, assignments, and projects. I will provide time each week in class to fill out the week's assignments, and the next week's tests as well. It is your child's responsibility to copy their HW assignments into their planner so they, and you, know what the HW is each week. Your child needs to bring home their planner nightly to be signed by an adult. When the adult signs the planner they are stating that the child has done the required homework for that night. Planners will be checked daily in class, and at the end of the week if the planner has been signed each night the student will receive a raffle ticket for the Friday Raffle. The planner is also another way to communicate with me. At times I will write notes home in the planner and you are welcome to write a note to me there as well.
If at any time you feel that your child has not completed their planner and may be missing the HW, you are welcome to contact me. If this becomes a problem, then we can work together to help your child so that he/she is being responsible for their HW. HW will not be posted on-line.
Raffle tickets/Friday Raffle:
As a positive reinforcement for good behavior, good choices in school, positive study habits, etc., the fifth grade teachers will be passing out raffle tickets to students this year. Students will collect their raffle tickets, and on Friday we will put them in a bag, mix them up, and draw for prizes. Examples of some prizes may include fun school supplies, gift cards, treats, and books. Students may save their tickets for a particular prize they are interested in, or put them in every week. After the raffle on Friday, the tickets that were in the bag will be dumped out and we will start fresh the next week. Typically there will be 2-3 prizes per week. Math teachers and specials teachers can also award tickets to be used in the child's home room raffle on Friday. Once a student has earned a ticket it is theirs, we will not take tickets away for poor choices etc. unless it is a special situation. Students are responsible for writing their name, in pen, on their ticket and keeping it in a safe place. Teachers are not responsible for lost tickets and will not replace them.
- If parents are interested in donating prizes ($5-$20 gift cards, books, toys, etc.), you are welcome to.
Marble Jar:
In addition to the raffle tickets, we also have a class Marble Jar. This is another behavior reinforcement program in class. Students may earn marbles for good choices and good behavior to fill the jar and earn rewards as a class. Marbles may also be deducted from the jar for poor choices in class. Once the Marble Jar is full, the class earns their reward. (possible rewards: extra recess, free time, treats, etc.)
If your child does have a significant behavior problem in class I will contact you. Typically, your child and I will work through the problem and try to solve it on our own before calling you. Any time there is a significant problem you will be contacted.
Homework:
The grade level expectation for time spent on HW in 5th grade is 60 minutes. This 60 minutes includes the 20 min. of independent reading, plus any other HW your child may have. If your child is in an advanced math class they may have more HW and it may take longer. There will typically be math HW four times a week. If at any time the HW is causing major problems at home please contact me and we can come up with a plan to help your child.
There will be weekly HW that your child should be spending some time on each night. Weekly HW will be due on Thursdays. Weekly HW will often be language arts based. Your child may also need to be studying each night for upcoming tests, or working on long term projects, so please help them manage their HW and their time wisely. If there is going to be a problem completing a HW assignment or project, please let me know in advance of the due date so we can work out something so your child can get their work in on time.
Your child is responsible for copying their HW from the classroom planner into their planner so they know what they need to do each week.
- If your child does not turn in a HW assignment on time they will need to complete the work at school, possibly recess, until it is done
Spelling:
Spelling pre-tests will be given the Thursday before the upcoming week of spelling words. There will be 20 words on the pre-test. Based on how well your child does on the pre-test, they will then have 20 words, or 25-30 with added Challenge Words and/or Wordly Wise Words. The word lists will go home on Mondays so your child can be studying for the test taken on Thursdays.
Volunteers:
At Back to School Night there will be a sign-up, if you couldn't make it, send me an email with your information and what you are interested in doing and I will contact volunteers as needed. :) Thanks!
Conferences:
Our first conferences are scheduled for Nov. 5-9. A sign up sheet will be out at Back to School Night. If you miss the sign-up, feel free to stop by class, or email/call me and we will get you on the schedule. Conferences will be 20 minutes long. If there are any academic or social concerns that you feel we need to discuss before conference time, don't hesitate to contact me and we can talk via the phone or set up a meeting. I will have the sign-up sheet for the second round of conferences at the first conference and you can sign-up then.