Welcome to Mrs Hammond’s Fifth Grade Class! khammond@bluevalleyk12.org Classroom website accessible through the MTE website

Welcome! I know you are all leading busy lives, but it means so much to your children and me to have you here tonight! Thank you! On your child’s desk – Fifth grade newsletter – please take home Birthday Project- please take home Introducing Your Child: please complete and return Technology Agreement: please complete

A little about me… I was raised in Johnson County. I graduated from Blue Valley High School. I received Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Social Studies and a minor in American Ethnic Studies from Kansas State University. By the end of this month, I will have a Master’s Degree from Baker University! I have been at Mission Trail for 7 years, teaching both 4th and 5th grades. I have one daughter, Brookelyn, and another on the way!

Innovation Spaces! IPADS Ladybug Netbooks Digital Cameras Email Accounts

Communication Email is the quickest way for me to respond to you, and I make all efforts to respond within 24 hours. I will send emails regularly regarding important last minute reminders or clarifications regarding our classroom activities. I update the class website frequently with copies of project guidelines, helpful tips and websites as well as some student projects.

Assignment Notebook IC means completed IN CLASS All learning activities will be recorded daily The activity’s learning target will be recorded on the first line The homework or activity will be recorded on the second line If a child has not finished and needs to complete something as homework, that subject will be highlighted

Weekly Homework Our spelling/vocabulary program will correlate with our Reading curriculum. Each Monday, students will be given 20 words and definitions. Students will then be responsible for completing exercises by Friday. Spelling tests are usually given on Fridays. Students are also responsible for understanding the meaning of the word. DPP is a booklet of review math problems. Assignments are given on Mondays and due on Fridays. Weekly homework is to be completed during morning work time and at home. Some time each day should be dedicated to making progress on weekly homework.

Arrival School starts at 8:25. Please make sure your child is here in time to unpack his/her school supplies for the day, turn in permission slips, book order, etc., sharpen his/her pencil, and get settled in for the day by 8:35. Students not seated and ready for the day and started on morning work by 8:35 will be marked tardy and sent to the office for a late slip. They may also receive a tally.

Daily Schedule 8:25-8:45 Morning Work (DPP and VocabuLit time) 8:45-10:00 Reading 10:00 Writing 10:45 Lunch 11:30 Specials (A list of which specials are on which day can be found in the newsletter on your student’s desk.) 12:30 Math 1:45 Recess 2:00 Science or Social Studies 2:45 Differentiation 3:15 Assignment Notebook/Pack Up 3:42 Dismissal

Assignment Alerts Assignments are due at the beginning of the day. If they are not here and completed, the work is late. Alerts are utilized as reminders for the student and teacher of outstanding work. The student is responsible for filling them out and turning them in. They will be signed and kept by the teacher as a record of the missing work until the assignment is completed and turned in. One yellow copy of the Assignment Alert will be stapled in the assignment notebook to alert parents of missing work. All missing work is due ASAP…in most cases, the next school day or before.

Allergies/Snacks We do have peanut allergies in the grade level. Please be aware of any and all snacks or treats you send in. As mentioned before, students should aim for healthy, small snacks rather than sugary treats or colored drinks. 

Expectations and Procedures Folders will be kept in an orderly fashion all year. When there is homework in a subject, the whole folder will go home to organize notes, materials, and supplies necessary. Take home folder is for notes and important papers, not nightly homework. It will also be how I send home graded assignments. Please empty daily. If students receive less than 70% on assignments, they always have the opportunity to make up some of these points. They need to talk to me individually for each assignment about how to do this and when it is due.

Expectations and Procedures Our math curriculum is taught through concepts rather than algorithms. Please do not allow your child to memorize shortcuts. There is online help available to coincide with the classroom instruction. The math folder will be where we take notes about procedures and new vocabulary. Students are to keep their homework and book in the folder so they have all necessary and helpful resources with them when they are working on homework. Homework is kept in the folder...NOT the book! 

Top Five Ways to Support Your Fifth Grader Please support and review your child’s folder organization system as a part of his/her homework routine. Also as a part of your child’s homework routine, please discuss and sign the assignment notebook . Practice math facts regularly! Reviewing math facts with your child so that they are quickly and correctly remembered is imperative to their mathematical success. Encourage your child to thoroughly verbalize her/her thinking as he/she works. Ask them questions about how/why he/she arrived at a certain conclusion. Support and encourage your student in his/her efforts to bring questions to the teacher regarding assignments/project/due dates. This will further prepare them for the middle school experience of having multiple teachers. One of our biggest goals in fifth grade is to foster independence.

Other important points… Conference Sign Ups If you are interested in donating items to our classroom, our “wish list” is on the board. If you can, you are welcome to take a post-it note to let me know that you will be donating this item. We SO appreciate this! Room mother’s presentation