Grade 5 Open House Tara Gestrich September 16, 2015

Welcome! I am so excited to see you all here! Please do the following:  Find your child’s desk  Read their letter to you and peruse other materials  Reply to your child’s letter (on the back)  Place completed “You’re the Expert” and “Remind” papers in Pass-In Bin (located on front table) before you leave

Tonight’s Agenda  6:30-6:35 – Homeroom  Find your child’s desk  Read letter/peruse materials  6:35-7:10 – Curriculum Overview  Classroom Information – Mrs. Gestrich  ELA (Literacy) – Mrs. Gestrich  Social Studies – Mrs. Gestrich  Math – Mrs. Kewriga/Ms. Newman  Science – Mrs. Buffone  7:10-8:00– Relocate to the Auditorium  Ms. Kenny, Mr. Slomski, Mrs. Brouillard  Specialists

Rainbow Trout Team Members  Tara Gestrich – Social studies and ELA  Nancy Buffone – Science and ELA  Caitlyn Kewriga – Math and ELA  Megan Newman – Math and ELA  Julie Belbin – Math and ELA  Brooke Graves – ELA with Mrs. Belbin  Kate Haywood– Math (pull out)  Paraprofessionals – Cynthia Arnold and Maria Almada

About “Mrs. G”

Mrs. Gestrich’s Homeroom Schedule Monday & Wednesday Tuesday & Thursday Friday 8:00-8:24 Homeroom 8:30-9:30 Social StudiesScience “Fix-it-up Friday” – SS/Sci 9:30-10:37 Math 10:38-11:21 Academic Activity Period 11:22-12:05 Recess/ Lunch Recess/ Lunch Recess/ Lunch 12:06-12:49 Specials 12:50-2:18 ELA

Homework Expectations  Reading  20 minutes each night  Weekly Reading Log (starting soon)  Spelling  High Frequency Words  Words Their Way – not all students  Packet assigned Monday and due Friday  Math  Daily Fact Practice  Lesson Focus Practice  Science/Social Studies  Long-term Projects  Finish work as needed  Online quizzes/challenges

Agendas  Please sign agendas nightly  Students write assignments into agendas at beginning of each class  Checked/initialed by me and other subject teachers  Gradual release of responsibility

Fall Conferences  Not for all students  Families can request a conference at any time during year  Conference Dates –  October 28 (daytime)  October 29 (daytime)  November 2 (evening)

Yoga Balls?  Classroom balls (2) rotate  Students are welcome to bring in their own  Three Strike Policy  Used as a tool for focusing  Want to read more?: ball-helps-kids-focus-and-do-better-school

ELA – Mrs. Gestrich  Readers’ and Writers’ Workshops  Mini-lesson, work time, closing  Anchor texts  Readers’ and writers’ notebooks  Whole group, small group, and individualized instruction  Fiction and Nonfiction; range of genres  Book Clubs

ELA – Reading  Comprehension Strategies (8)  Using Evidence from the Text  Independent Reading Books  Book Clubs

ELA – Writing Units of Study  The Writing Process  Narrative – Memoir  Opinion – Persuasive  Expository (Informational) – Research

ELA - Assessments  QRI-5 3x year (Sept/Oct, Jan, May/June)  1:1 Conferences (ongoing)  Published Writing Pieces  High Frequency Words (Sept, June)

ELA – Cocoa Café  8 th period – last Friday of every month  First one – September 25 th  Independent reading, Time for Kids, and/or Author Share  Mug to keep at school  Blanket, towel, or slippers (optional)  Cocoa donations appreciated  Big thank you to those who have already sent things in!

Spelling – Words Their Way  Word study – only for some students  Groups based on initial assessment  Weekly words – organized by patterns  Homework packet  Word sorts  Quiz Friday  High Frequency Words – all students

Communication  *  Website: mrsgestrich.weebly.com  Phone: ext  Notes and/or Missing Homework Stickers in agenda  Virtual Backpack  Remind (new this year!)

Questions?

Math – Mrs. Kewriga  Common Core Based Instruction  Programs: Eureka, OnCore  Math Binder  Math Workshop  Math Fact Practice

Social Studies – Mrs. Gestrich  Group and Partner Work  Non-fiction Reading Strategies  Hands-on Learning  Online Challenges/Review  Study Guides  Project-based Assessments (choice)

Social Studies – Units of Study  Maps and Geography  Island Project  Age of Exploration  Explorer Presentations  Colonial Period  May – Colonial Day!  American Revolution  Field Trip – Lexington & Concord

Social Studies – Online! TCI Social Studies Alive: America’s Past  Our textbook is in print and online  (“Student Sign In”)  Look for letter in homework folder explaining how to log-in  My website: mrsgestrich.weebly.commrsgestrich.weebly.com  Chapter summaries and materials  Videos  Homework and project descriptions

Science – Mrs. Buffone  Inquiry-based Approach  Hands-on Experiments  Cooperative Learning  Science Showcase is scheduled for early spring

Science – Units of Study  Plant Structures/Ecosystems  Mixtures and Solutions* new this year  Rocks and Minerals  Simple Machines  Motion and Design

Questions?