1. Welcome to Our Family of 5 th Graders! Were glad youre here!

2. Students, Teachers, and Parents Working Together…

3. Meet the Teachers Mrs. Hawley and Mrs. Allen Mrs. HawleyMrs. Allen

4. School is fun, and dont let anyone tell you differently!

5. Yes, we do have planners! We write in them EVERY DAY! We also have a classroom planner for kids to check if theyre absent. Parents should sign the planner every Friday.

6. Homework Purpose Reinforce learning Help retain knowledge Provide practice Encourage self- evaluation Develop self- directed learning

7. Friday folders come home every Friday! Imagine that! They contain all sorts of important things, like: –Corrected work –Notes from the office –The current spelling packet Please review it with your child and sign and return it on Monday.

8. Ah, yes…. the dreaded … Missing Assignment Notes Missing assignment notes will be sent home every Friday. They will list any missing work for the card marking. If your child has missing work, please sign the sheet and return it with your child on Monday. (It would be great if the work were attached, too! Those NOT returned will merit phone calls or emails from us!

10. Progress Report Cards will be accessed ONLINE!!! Accessed three times a year…. December, March, and June Conferences will be held on October 23 rd and October 25 th Please make sure to sign up tonight! A Student Action Plan will be utilized at the conference in lieu of a progress report card –Areas of strength –Areas needing improvement –Goal(s)

11. Grading Criteria Students papers will either be graded on a scale of 1 – 4, as this is the scale on our progress report cards, or with a percentage grade, depending on the assignment. In general, the new district percentages on papers are proposed to be as follows: 90 – 100:4 80 – 89:3 65 – 79:2 65 – below:1

12. Literature Our Language Arts curriculum includes 7 units of study in a variety of genre, and encompasses grammar, spelling, comprehension, and more! We use a Readers Workshop approach based on the CAFÉ model. Making Meaning will be utilized as well Our Harcourt Language Arts series will be used as a resource.

13. Writing is taught every day is based on many different genres, including journal writing, stories, poetry, personal narratives, persuasive essays, etc. It may require some word processing at home. If this is not possible, please contact the teacher.

14. Spelling packets will be sent home every Friday. They are due the following Friday. Pretests are given on Wednesdays. Challenge Words may be found on our website and will be given on Wednesdays as well. Final tests will be given on Fridays. If a child gets 100% on Wednesday, they are exempt from the Friday test.

15. Math We will be using the Everyday Math series again this year. It requires a GREAT deal of problem solving and THINKING! You can now access Everyday Math Family Letters, Student Reference Books, and Study Links online!! MATH IS FUN!

16. Social Studies Is taught to both classes by Mrs. Hawley We are using a new book this year as a resource – Social Studies Alive! Units based on state benchmarks –U.S. History –Geography –Economics –Civics/Presidential Election

17. Scholastic News Magazine We will be sending home a Scholastic News magazine ALMOST every week. We review the articles in class on Mondays and send the magazine home with the kids. Tests are given on Fridays! They may use the magazine, so make sure it is brought back to school on Friday.

18. Science Is taught to both classes by Mrs. Allen Includes life, earth, and physical sciences Is a hands-on and textbook approach Help! exclaimed Mrs. Allen.

19. Field Trips Camp Copneconic: 11/7-11/9! The cost will be $140.00 Pizza kits can be sold to help with the costs. A camp meeting is scheduled for October 10 th at 7 p.m. Sign up to chaperone! We will go to Mystic Creek Golf Course in Camp Dearborn in May. Anyone may chaperone if they like All chaperones for camp or Mystic Creek must have filled out a Criminal Record Check.

20. Pizza Kit Info Participation is voluntary Each item sold earns $5 toward camp Sale runs from 10/3- 10/12 Pick up date and time is 10/18 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. We need volunteers to help with a variety of tasks! Please sign up to help!

21. Join the Fun! October 2nd The Fun Run is an all-school fundraiser Our PTA provides many wonderful things for our school with the money that is earned. Prizes will be awarded to the highest selling students and classes.

22. The MEAP test is coming! October 15 th -26 th window Tests on Language Arts, Math, and Science

23. Newsletters! If you would like them emailed to you (as well as other important information), please do the following: 1. Go to the Huron Valley Schools website 2. Click on the ListServ link 3. Fill out the form with your name and email address. 4. Click on Country Oaks and any other information you would like. 5. The information will be emailed to you.

24. Family Access!! You are able to access: Report Cards Attendance AND MORE! If you dont have an account, please email: family.access@hvs.org. family.access@hvs.org You need to have the following information in their email: Student's name Parent's name The name of the school their student(s) attends The email address that COE has been given (on the green card)

25. Please sign up for a conference and take your Curriculum Guides!

26. Our Classroom Web Page Visit our site often!! Bookmark it! Pick up a reminder sheet!~ http://teacherweb.com/MI/CountryOaksElementary/MrsAlle nandMrsHawley/index.html Classroom updates Daily Homework Spelling words – including Challenge words Family friendly links to a variety of subjects And more!

27. If you have ANY questions or concerns at ANY time, please dont hesitate to email, call, or jot us a note. THANKS FOR COMING!