5 th grade August 28 th, 2014

Megan Brown Becky Engram Jessica Gilbert Deborah Holder Erica Morrie Lacy Saxon Justine Smith

 If you participated with Parent Portal last year you should get an soon with info on how to access Family Portal.  If YOU HAVE NOT… contact the school and provide your current address to sign up.  Check grades frequently – request alerts. The system will notify you when your child gets a failing grade, zero, missing assignment etc.

 Every academic subject is to have something written in it, every day!  Students are to have their agenda with them for EACH class EVERY DAY.  Replacement cost for the agenda is $5.  The agenda should be READ and SIGNED each night by a parent or guardian.

 This is our way to communicate with you on a daily basis regarding your child’s behavior at school, completion of assignments, etc.  Students receive a new Behavior card every 3 weeks.  Parents, please review the behavior card DAILY. Sign the back of the behavior card on Thursday night.  The behavior card MUST remain in their blue folder.  Points will be deducted for things such as: missing assignments, excessive talking, off task, unprepared, etc.

 Students can earn Behavior Bucks by:  Having their behavior card signed by Friday morning.  100 points at the end of the 3 weeks = 20 BB  points = 10 BB  points = 5 BB  Any additional positive behaviors may be rewarded with BB.

 Our focus will be literary and informational texts. Please refer to my website to view our current standards.  Your child should bring their book, practice book, and binder to Reading class.  Your child’s reading level range is listed in the front of his/her agenda.  They should have an AR book with them at all times. They will be required to read them as part of their homework grade. I will send more information on that soon!

 Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Engram, and Mrs. Morrie are incorporating Shurley English, writing, and additional resources to teach Language Arts this year.  We will be practicing our writing all year with narratives, opinion pieces and research.  We will use the Write to Learn program.

 We will be teaching the 5 th grade standards through a variety of resources.  Students need to bring their Math textbooks, Math folders, spirals, and Power-Up workbooks to class each day.  SAXON tests will be given after every 5 Math lessons, and students will be given a Math 4 Today quiz once a week.  Please review flashcards nightly to help students master their +, -, x, and ÷ facts.  Any test or quiz under a 70 needs to be signed, corrected, and returned the following day.

 Quizzes- vocabulary is very important!  Tests- based on Unit of study  Projects- throughout the year, at home and in- class projects count 40%  Labs- counted as class work grades  Homework- study vocabulary nightly and complete other assignments as given.

 We are studying Civil War up to the Present. We will use a mixture of the Social Studies books, Newspapers, PowerPoints and videos to teach US History.  Homework will be given as needed. Please make sure your child studies their vocabulary nightly.  Study Guides will be given for all tests and quizzes.

 HW is assigned to review skills introduced in class.  Unfinished class work may become homework  Refer to the agenda daily for all assignments.  Incomplete or Missing HW will result in a loss of 3 points on the behavior card and an opportunity to complete the assignment in study hall.  For each day the assignment is late 10 points will be deducted from their grade.

 Each category is weighted the same for each class/subject.  Check online frequently for grades and the teacher if you have questions. Homework – 10% Classwork – 20% Quizzes - 30% Tests – 40%

The Blue Folder will come home DAILY so you can look over graded papers promptly. Please keep graded papers at home and make sure your child does not have loose papers in their book bag, agenda, etc.

Attendance is very important!!!  Students come into the classroom each morning at 7:30 to begin working on morning work.  If you are driving your child to school, please see that he/she arrives by 7:30 to allow them time to prepare for the day.  When students are tardy they miss important instructional time.

 Check the student handbook regarding excused absences and make-up work.  A written note must be sent following the absence.  Please give us as much notice as possible for any planned absences.  Excessive tardies or absences may result in parent contact, counselor referral, or social worker contact.

Please be aware of the school dress code as stated in the parent/student handbook and dress your child accordingly.

 We have high expectations for your child as they progress through fifth grade, both academically and socially.  Your child needs support and structure, both at home and at school. Please keep in mind that this is a major transitional year for your child.  Please use the CCSD website to access information about academic standards, testing dates, and the academic calendar. o Ultimately, it is the student’s job to be responsible for their work, their materials, and their behavior.

 Chaperones will be needed for field trips – you must complete a volunteer application and be approved by the county office – background check involved. Please do this now if you have not already. Please go to room 901 tonight to watch a short PowerPoint.  Jessica Ruiz is our Parent Facilitator to assist with academic issues that may arise.  Camp Learn-a-lotta is an organized volunteer program at WES where parents work with students for acceleration and remediation, as needed. If you are interested, please contact Bonny Keheley.  Please read the monthly 5 th grade newsletter to be kept up to date.

 Dr. Gayle McLaurin from the CCSD assessment department will be here on Feb. 24th, 2015 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm to speak with parents in grades 3-5 about the new Georgia end of the year assessment (GA Milestones) that will replace the CRCT. This assessment will be in both multiple choice and short answer format. We do not anticipate getting student results back by the end of the school year.  The GFAB (Georgia Formative Assessment Benchmarks) will mirror this assessment and be given to students in grades 3-5 as part of our school improvement process. These assessments will be given in November and February and will help inform instruction before the test.

It was great to have you here tonight!