Welcome to 5th Grade Teachers: Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Pendley, Mrs. Mitchell, Ms. Nottingham, Mr. Plunkert, Mrs. Strickland, and Ms. Tillman

Agendas: Each afternoon, your child will copy homework assignments and reminder notes in their school agenda. It is their responsibility to take the agenda home every afternoon. Please check and sign their agenda each day to make sure that they have completed their homework. The agenda is also a great tool for parent-teacher communication.

Behavior Expectations: Good behavior fosters a positive learning environment for everyone. In order to minimize disruptions, we employ an exploratory incentive for our behavior management system. Students have the responsibility to: *Maintain a positive attitude. *Respect yourself and others. *Work quietly and cooperatively. *Be prepared to learn everyday and manage time wisely. *Be a good citizen all around Ford.

Home-School Connection Folder: Each Friday your child will bring home their red Home-School Connection Folder. This folder will serve as a communication tool between the parent/guardian and teacher. I will send home most graded work on Fridays as well as the behavior sheet. Please sign the behavior sheet and look through the papers to see if any of them need to be signed, and place them back in the Friday Folder. I will check the folders on Mondays for signed papers, PTSA forms, etc.

Reading Goal: Students are required to read at least two and a half hours each week. This time should be split up into five days with thirty-minute segments each day. Students are required to fill in their agendas to keep track of their reading each day. Reading fluency is part of the 5th grade standards and students are expected to read 25 books this school year. We will be tracking this progress in the classroom, and encouraging students to read from a variety of genres, such as non-fiction, biography, mystery, and historical fiction. Fifth grade students are allowed to check out 2 books at a time. All students have a sheet in their Reading Response Journals as to the quarterly requirements.

Specials: The specialists would like to remind you to have your students wear athletic shoes for ALL specials.

Visiting the School: Please be patient and buzz in for the office staff to let you in the building. Make sure sunglasses are off so they can easily identify you. Be sure to always sign in and get a yellow visitor sticker before coming around to classrooms in the school.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Please read and complete the forms in order for your child to participate in the BYOD program. We plan on beginning NEXT Monday 8/14/17. Forms need to be completed and returned PRIOR to bringing any device to school.

Learning Contracts For each Science and Social Studies unit, students will receive a detailed learning contract outlining standards, essential questions, and required assignments. Please review and sign the contracts after reviewing them with your student.

Homework Policy We expect that all 5th grade students complete homework nightly. Failure to complete homework will be reflected on the weekly behavior sheet. Students not completing homework will participate in Recess Enrichment.

Attendance Policy All absences, including religious holidays, must be accompanied by a note from the parent or guardian regarding the reason for the absence. (Must be received within 3 days.) Perfect Attendance includes no tardies and no early check-outs.

Class Website http://www.cobblearning.net/tplunkert/ * Can be accessed through Ford Blog.

Synergy We are hoping to have grades accessible to you within the next week. You will be responsible for checking Synergy for grade updates and 4 ½ week progress. You will sign the weekly behavior sheet verifying that you have seen the grades.

Communication The best way to communicate with your child’s teacher is via email (todd.plunkert@cobbk12.org). Those who signed up for Remind 101 will get messages from me from time to time.

Year Long S.T.E.M. Projects Aquaponics Hydroponics

We will keep you informed throughout the year concerning activities in the classroom. We look forward to a wonderful year with you and your children!

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!!! WE NEED YOU!!!