1. Fort Sam Houston Elementary 5th Grade Parent Orientation
Welcome to
Fort Sam Houston Elementary
5th Grade Parent Orientation
“Breaking Boundaries and Building Connections”
September 7, 2017

2. FSHISD Belief Statement
We exist to serve the military child.
We are a family of lifelong learners who respect and honor individual differences, diversity and talents.
We believe a safe and caring environment fosters the emotional and social well-being of students.
We believe that every teacher is a leader; every leader is a teacher
We inspire our students to their highest level of learning.
We, the school community, provide engaging, challenging, and meaningful work for learners.
We prepare students to be leaders by instilling character, competence, and creativity.

3. 7:30 – 7:45 – Morning with a Purpose 7:45 – 7:55 – Morning Program
5th Grade Schedule
Monday - Friday
7:30 – 7:45 – Morning with a Purpose
7:45 – 7:55 – Morning Program
8:00 – 8:45 - Morning Specials/Teacher Conference
8:45– 9:45 - ELAR
9:45-10:00 - Working Snack
10:00-11:00 – Science Rotations
11:00-12:00 - Math
12:00-12:45 - Afternoon Specials
12:45-1: Silent Reading
1:00-1:30 – Lunch
1:30-2: Social Studies
2:15-2: Intervention & Enrichment
(Friday – Recess/Study Hall/Detention)
2:55 – 3:06 – Get ready for Dismissal

4. Agendas
Primary means of communication: homework, events and discipline notes
Please go over with student and sign a minimum of 2 times per week.
It is students responsibility to share notes with parents and teachers.
Parents please initial next to notes home about behavior so that teachers know it has been seen.
Since the agenda is our most significant means of communication, please check and initial it everyday.

5. Finger tip rule for shorts and skirts. No spaghetti straps
Dress Code
Student dress code guidelines can be found in the Parent Student Handbook on page 28.
Finger tip rule for shorts and skirts.
No spaghetti straps
No saggy pants or shorts
If you have questions or concerns about the district dress code, please call the administration at

6. Please send in an excuse note as soon as possible following absences.
Attendance
Please see the Parent Student Handbook for guidelines regarding state attendance policy.
Page: 14
Please notify me of absences of more than one day so we can develop a plan to make up missed work.
Please send in an excuse note as soon as possible following absences.
All missed work must be made up. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain/complete all missed work from each teacher upon their return to school.

7. 0 - 3 discipline marks = Excellent
Student Conduct
Daily conduct will be reflected on the report card. At the end of each nine weeks, the number of discipline signatures will be totaled for each student.
0 - 3 discipline marks = Excellent
4 -7 discipline marks = Satisfactory
8-10 discipline marks = Needs Improvement
11 or more discipline marks = Unsatisfactory
If a student receives an office referral for a severe offense such as fighting, he/she will receive an automatic N for the nine weeks. Any student who is suspended will receive an automatic U for the nine weeks.
Also, as stated in the handbook, citizenship grades of N or U can prevent a student from achieving Honor Roll.

8. Discipline
Each fifth grade teacher has classroom rules posted in her classroom. The rules are:
When a student chooses not to follow classroom rules, he/she will receive a discipline signature in the agenda.

9. Friday Detention
If a student has three or more discipline signatures from faculty/staff for the week, he/she will attend Friday Detention.
If a student has no parent initials for the week, he/she will attend Friday Detention.
If a student has no agenda on Friday, he/she will attend Friday Detention.
Friday Recess
When a student chooses to follow all classroom rules, he/she will receive extra social time with other students for a 15 minute Friday Recess.
Friday Study Hall
If for the week, a student has any “missing or incomplete assignments, the student must attend Friday Tutorial and complete the assignment(s) that were not turned in.

10. Grading Policy
Our grading policy is stated in the Student/Parent Handbook. It is as follows:
69 or below - F D C
– B A
Reports Cards go home four times a year at the end of each quarter and progress reports are sent home during each quarter. Please also be an advocate for your child and check their grades as often as possible online.
The Parent Portal can be set up to notify you if a grade falls below a set level.
You can find Txconnect Parent Portal on the school home page under Parent Resources.

11. Instructional Recovery
Morning with a Purpose
Within the classroom, meaningful activities begin taking place at 7:30.
Instructional Recovery
Please refer the Student/Parent Handbook. After school detention may result when a student has been tardy three times in a four-week period. Parents must provide transportation from after school detention.
Teacher Webpage
Please subscribe to my webpage:

12. Life Science- ecosystems and life cycles
5th Grade Curriculum
Math
Major Focus: Multi-step problem solving using various strategies, models and traditional methods.
Skills Covered: Addition , subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers, decimals and fractions.
Progress in math will be monitored using unit assessment, Aimsweb and Think Through Math.
Science
Major Focus:
Life Science- ecosystems and life cycles
Earth Science- landforms, climate/weather effects and energy resources
Physical Science- force, motion and energy.

13. The reading selections will come from fiction and nonfiction genres.
Language Arts
In Language Arts students will cover spelling, grammar and word usage as well as writing fiction and nonfiction texts.
In reading students will work on reading comprehension strategies and skills in a variety of ways.
The reading selections will come from fiction and nonfiction genres.
Student progress will be monitored using in class assessments and IStation Reading.
Social Studies
Major Focus: American History from Exploration to Present Day

14. We believe a safe and caring environment fosters the emotional and social well-being of students.
Students participate in a weekly anti-bullying program.
For more information: “Bullies are a Pain in the Brain” at TrevorRomain.com
Field Trips, Fun, and More
Field Trips (typical): 1 or more Fine Arts field trips, Science field trip to Medina River Natural Area
Special Days: Science in Action Day, Living History,
Fun: Field Day, tour of Cole Middle School, 5th grade pool party
Exemplary Fine Arts- Drama, Art and Music
Science Club and Student Council- after school activities

15. Texas Student Success Initiative
This initiative states that all 5th graders MUST pass the Math and Reading STAAR test by the end of their fifth grade year in order to be promoted to the 6th grade.
They have three opportunities to pass the test.
We will discuss the STAAR test during conferences in October.

16. Parent Teacher Conferences
Early Release Days on Ocober 4 & 5
December 15
March 9
May 25
Please watch for invitation to sign up for conferences from me
through Sign Up Genius.com.
There will be several after-school spots as well as the slots available the two early release days. If you need an alternate time such as before school or late afternoon, please let me know as soon as possible.