Mrs. Sarah Griggs

Mrs. Mitzi Skiba

Mrs. Kelly Smith

Mrs. Judi Schneiderman

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

August 25, 2010

Dear Parents,

Fifth grade is an exciting year for students. It is filled with new responsibilities and

opportunities for social and academic growth.

We genuinely hope this packet will make the transition to fifth grade easier for your son/daughter and for you. It is our intention to eliminate any unnecessary anxieties and to facilitate parent-teacher partnerships.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.

In your child’s best interest,

Mrs. Sarah Griggs Mrs. Kelly Smith Mrs. Mitzi Skiba Mrs. Judi Schneiderman

CLASSROOM BILL OF RIGHTS

FOR ALL CITIZENS

I have a right to be treated with kindness in this room; This means that no one will laugh at me, tease, or

insult me.

I have a right to be myself in this room; This means that no one will treat me unfairly because I am fat or

thin, fast or slow, boy or girl, student or teacher.

I have a right to be safe in this room; This means no one will threaten me, bully me, push me, or destroy my

property.

I have a right to be heard in this room; This means no one will yell or shout, and my opinions will be

considered in plans we make.

I have a right to learn in this room; This means I will be free to express my feelings and respectfully give

my opinions without being interrupted or criticized.

Supplies Please be sure your son/daughter has the necessary school supplies. Without them, meaningful activities become frustrating. It is our desire to help your child become a confident learner with fine work habits and organizational skills. It will be necessary to

check occasionally on those items that run out or get lost easily such as pencils, pens, paper, and even notebooks so that they may be replaced. Your child needs these supplies all year long.

1. 4 Spiral notebooks (70 or more pages, wide-ruled)

2. #2 pencils (no mechanical pencils)

3. Erasable pens (blue or black)

4. Colored pencils 5. Crayons or markers

6. Highlighter

7. Glue stick

8. Scissors (Fiskars work best)

9. Ruler with metrics

10. 2 composition notebooks 11. Calculator

12. Sticky notes (a variety of colors)

13. Earphones for computer lab (inexpensive, like used for “Walkmans”)

14. Two large boxes of tissues

15. Paint shirt 16. 1 pkg. of wide-lined loose leaf notebook paper

17. 1 pocket folder

18. Disinfecting wipes - boys only

19. Set of dry erase markers – girls only

20. 1 eight-pocket folder (available at school store) No 3 Ring binders ** School supplies are cheapest during the August sales. Often it is timesaver to “stock up” then and keep

extras at home.

Homework Procedures

Green Trails’ homework policy for fifth graders provides for approximately 30-50

minutes of homework per night. Your child has a student planner and 8-pocket folder to help him or her organize nightly and long-range assignments. Each day, we will explain

the assignments and write them for your child to copy into his/her planner. However, the ultimate responsibility for posting assignments in the planner and completing them on time rests with the student.

Parents wishing to keep themselves abreast of assignments and their child’s progress in becoming an organized student may want to check their child’s planner/ 8-pocket folder

occasionally or on a regular basis. Homework will often require students to demonstrate and explain how to work or solve a problem. Students who need help should be prepared to ask for it promptly. For

homework, students may be asked to “wrestle” with a problem, make conjectures, or look for patterns. Because such processes take time and thought, students who are used to quickly “getting the right answer” may comment they “don’t get it” when, in fact, they have

not put in the time such mental processes take. Parents wishing to help can often do so by encouraging their child to think, explain fully, and try again. Sometimes parents may find

themselves working through problems with their child and often find themselves equally

challenged by the assignment. Remember that your child will not learn what you tell him or her; (s/he) only learns what (s/he) discovers for him or herself.

Homework/class work is an important element in our school life. Homework helps

students develop responsibility, time management skills and good study habits as well as reinforce important academic concepts. These are all important life skills. With your help and support we can make this a positive learning experience.

***Homework should be completed independently.

***4-5 days notice for tests will be given whenever possible.

***All homework turned in must be complete, neat, and on-time. ***A required assignment notebook is given to each student.

***Parents may be asked to sign assignments/ tests. (Any 70% and under)

Procedures of Handling Late Work:

1. Brief discussion with student. (Late homework notification sent home to be shared

with parent/caregiver.)

2. Possible phone call to parents by the child (or teacher).

3. Continued late work/ incomplete work will impact the areas of work and study habits and citizenship on the progress report card.

4. Conference with student, parent, and teacher to support the student while building their skills.

Classroom Expectations As Agreed Upon By

Mrs. Skiba’s Students 1. Raise your hand to speak.

2. Follow directions the first time. 3. Listen carefully to the speaker.

4. Honor others’ ideas and opinions. 5. Treat others with respect. 6. Be responsible.

7. Contribute to a positive lunch room/ recess environment. 8. Make safe choices.

9. Have fun and give 100%.

The students in fifth grade are expected to come to class prepared, which means

study/review and written assignments, supplies and homework, and attention and cooperation. They must participate fully in classroom activities, work cooperatively in

groups when required to do so, and be responsible for their own learning and achievement. If undesirable behavior persists, a parent-teacher conference will be scheduled.

Absences and School Work

Good attendance is vital for your child’s achievement and self-esteem. When your child is absent, s/he is missed and is missing important lessons and activities. However, we do not expect or want a sick child to try to do school work. Even when your child is ill,

it is important and necessary to get the homework assignments. Although your child may be unable to complete the assignments on that day, having the work will ensure that s/he will have them and all the appropriate instructions when s/he does feel well enough to

make up the work. If you wish a sibling or neighbor who is not in our homeroom to pick up books and

handouts for your child, please have that child come to our classroom first thing in the morning to be sure that we are ready at dismissal time with all the appropriate materials when the sibling or neighbor comes for them.

Makeup Work:

* All activity sheets and handouts not sent for during your child’s absence will be kept at

their desk until s/he returns to school. S/he should get them immediately upon his/her return.

* Unless special circumstances warrant different requirements, your child will have the number of days equal to the number of days absent to make up and turn in all missing

assignments.

* If your child is absent for one day and misses a test, s/he will be expected to make up the test on the day of his/her return. If your child is absent for more than one day, s/he will be expected to make up missed tests within a week of his/her return.

* If you feel your child needs more extended time to make up work, please contact us so that we can set a suitable schedule.

Grading Procedures

Class work, quizzes, and tests will be graded with: 1. a ratio indicating the points earned in respect to the total possible

points, 2. a percentage grade,

3. a rubric grade, or 4. a performance indicator as noted on the report card (O, S, E, N).

Letter grades on the report card represent the grade earned for the entire marking period Your child’s grade consists of in class assignments, projects, quizzes, journals, and tests.

Missing assignments will be reflected in the area of accepts responsibility and

completes assignments on time under citizenship and work and study habits of the progress report. Late completion of assignments is often meaningless as the work has been

discussed, reviewed, and often corrected during class time on the day it was due. Also, the workload is compounded and the quality of current learning is sacrificed.

Prompt Feedback

Assignments are reviewed, graded, and gone over daily when possible. Student work will be returned, with feedback if needed, every/ most Wednesdays. This coincides with

information being sent home from the office. Please be sure to sign and return them the following day.

Fifth Grade Curriculum Communication Arts:

Reading- The fifth grade Communication Arts Curriculum is centered on units of study in which students are actively engaged in the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening,

informational literacy and vocabulary. Within the structure of Reading Workshop, students learn to build habits to develop strategies that proficient readers use on a daily basis. The

units of study include:

Readers Build Good Habits- which is the setting up of routines and procedures for reading workshop.

Questioning the Text and Author - an inquiry into the importance of questioning text to clarify meaning,

speculate about the text yet to be read, determine author's purpose, and to transfer ideas from the text to

larger ideas.

Nonfiction - which is an inquiry into using multiple strategies to navigate multiple pieces of nonfiction sources

on a self selected topic.

Synthesizing - which is an inquiry into the purpose and specific skills readers use to generate new ideas as they encounter new ideas and thinking in text related to prior knowledge and experiences.

Story Elements - an inquiry into the dynamics of the relationships between the various story elements within

different types of text.

Dealing with Difficulty - an inquiry into the strategies that readers use to monitor comprehension in order to

adjust, clarify, and validate thinking about text.

Interrelationship of Thinking Strategies - an inquiry into comprehension strategies including the use of

connections, inferring, questioning, synthesizing, sensory images, determining importance and self

monitoring.

The units of study are taught in a Reading Workshop which is a balanced approach to instruction. The Reading Workshop includes the following.

Mini-lesson - a short, focused lesson taught in whole group format which teaches a strategy, skill, classroom

routine.

Small group instruction - students are grouped in flexible groups based on specific learner needs as

determined by assessments such as anecdotal notes, informal assessments, and running records. The small

group may be structured as a book club, strategy lesson, or guided reading.

Independent reading - a period of time in which individual students are engaged in the reading of self-selected

text at an independent reading level. During this time the teacher is conferring with individual students to

provide direct instruction.

Read Aloud - an instructional method whereby the teacher, while reading aloud to the class, models metacognitive process that proficient readers use while engaged in text.

Communication Arts (con’t):

Writing- The Fifth Grade Communication Arts Curriculum is centered around units of study in

which the students are actively engaged in the process of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and using informational literacy and vocabulary. Within the structure of writing workshop students learn to build habits and develop strategies that proficient writers use

on a daily basis. This includes keeping a writer's notebook to generate ideas and topics for writing, trying newly learned writing techniques and skills, and using other strategies that writers use on a daily basis. The units of study include the following inquiries:

Writers Build Good Habits - the writers learn the habit of good writers including how to organize materials,

building stamina, self-selecting topics for writing, and exploring the writing cycle. In this unit students will

be introduced to the writer's notebook.

Memoir - the students will learn the characteristics of a memoir and then apply strategies to create their

personal memoir including reflecting on the importance of the story and the message that it shares with the

readers.

Expository- Editorial - the students will learn how to write an editorial that communicates a clear position on

a specific issue of their choice.

Expository- Personal Essay - the students will learn the characteristics of a non-fiction essay and then use craft techniques to publish a non-fiction essay.

Craft of Revision - the students will learn various strategies that writers use when revising their piece for

structure, choice of words, and clarity of message.

Craft of Presentation - the students will learn about the choices that writers make when deciding how to

present their message. This unit will include an exploration of various formats of forms of writing including

technology enhanced presentations.

The units of study are taught in a Writing Workshop, which is a balanced approach to instruction. The Writing Workshop includes the following:

Mini-Lesson - a short, focused lesson taught in whole group format which teaches a strategy, skill, or

classroom routine.

Independent Writing - a period of time in which individual students are engaged in writing independently.

During this time the teacher is conferring with individual students to provide direct instruction.

Small Group Instruction - students are grouped flexibly based on specific learning needs. The small group

may be structured as a strategy lesson or guided writing lesson.

Celebration - a time when students share published pieces of writing.

Science: Fifth grade science has four units of study. In the Forces and Motion strand, students

create a lever and discover its ability to make work easier. They use pulleys and explore their ability to give a mechanical advantage. In the Ecology strand, students observe the

interrelatedness of organisms and their environment. In the Earth Systems strand, students examine the properties of water and its cycle on earth. They will then be able to explain some of the complexity of earth's weather. In the Universe strand, students will

create models of the earth, sun and moon to help explain the shadows that they experience at various times of day and on various days of the year. Students will also compare the different physical conditions on the planets of our solar system. Scientific inquiry is

embedded into each unit by encouraging students to ask and explore their own questions. Technology is used as a tool to support learning and to give evidence of learning. (See

attached “I Can’ statements)

Social Studies:

The fifth grade social studies curriculum begins a three year spiral; fifth, eight, and ninth grade. The fifth grade curriculum is a chronological study of United States history beginning with pre-colonial Native Americans and culminating with an in depth study of

the process of creating the Constitution. Through the study of American history students will examine economic concepts and principles as well as the influence of geography on exploration and early settlement of America. Students will participate in a service-learning

project to develop efficacy, as they become active citizens. Throughout the year, students will be applying the skills of social science inquiry through a variety of sources including

technology. (See attached “I Can’ statements)

Math: The fifth grade mathematical curriculum is organized into units. Each unit offers from two

to six weeks of mathematical work on topics in number and operations, algebraic relationships, geometric and spatial relationships, measurement, and data and probability.

Because of the many interconnections among mathematical ideas, units may revolve around two or three related areas- for example, fractions and area, multiplication and division, measuring and data.

(See attached “I Can’ statements)

TWO SCULPTORS I dreamed I stood in a studio

And watched two sculptors there,

The clay they used was a young child’s mind,

And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher; the tools she used

Were books, music, and art.

One, a parent who worked with a guiding hand

And a gentle, loving heart.

Day after day the teacher toiled

With touch that was deft and sure,

While the parent labored by her side

And polished and smoothed it o’er

And when at last their task was done,

They were proud of what they had wrought;

For the things they had molded into the child

Could neither be sold or bought.

And each agreed he would have failed

If he had worked alone,

For behind the teacher stood the school.

And behind the parent, the home.

Let’s work together to create our finest work!

5th Grade Science I Can Statements

Levers and Pulleys I can create different types of levers and pulleys.

I can identify the forces acting on a load and use a spring scale to measure the resistance of the load.

I can describe how friction affects the amount of force needed to move a load over different surfaces.

I can explain how work can be done on a object.

I can recognize that simple machines change the amount of force and/or the direction of the force.

I can identify the simple machines in common tools and household items.

Environments I can trace the path of water and nutrients as they move through the transport system of a

plant.

I can recognize the major life processes carried out by the major systems of plants and animals.

I can identify ways a specific organism may interact with other organisms or with the environment.

I can recognize different environments support the life of different types of plants and animals.

I can identify examples in Missouri where people have had a beneficial or harmful effect on plants and animals.

I can describe the impact of humans on the environment.

Mixtures and Solutions I can measure the mass of objects to the nearest gram using balances.

I can measure the volume of objects using a graduated cylinder.

I can classify substances as pure or mixed.

I can make a mixture by combining solids and /or liquids.

I can separate the components of a mixture by sorting, filtration, and screening.

I can describe the physical properties of mixtures.

Solar System I can identify the Sun as a primary source of light and food energy in our solar system.

I can illustrate and describe how the sun appears and moves during the day and the position of shadows.

I can observe and identify Earth as one of several planets within the solar system that orbits the Sun.

I can relate the apparent motion of the Sun, Moon, and stars to the rotation of the Earth.

I can understand the difference between revolution and rotation in relation to the Earth, Moon,

and Sun.

I can observe and identify the phases of the moon and explain why they occur.

I can compare and contrast Earth’s physical features that allow life to exist in relation to other planets.

I can compare the physical features of Earth to the physical features of the Sun and Moon.

I can identify that planets looks like stars and appear to move across the sky among the stars.

I can design testable questions and conduct fair experiments.

I can use tables and graphs to analyze data and communicate the results.

5th Grade Social Studies I Can Statements

Geography: Chapter 1

I can use maps, atlases, and answer questions and solve problems.

I can make and label maps.

I can locate the states (13 original) and major landforms and bodies of water of the United States.

I can locate and describe real places using latitude, longitude, and cardinal directions.

I can identify physical (climate, topography, bodies of water) and human (language, economics, political system) characteristics of a place.

Native Americans: Chapter 2 &3

I can summarize the diverse Native American cultures before the arrival Europeans.

I can locate and describe Native American regions.

Discovery, Exploration and Early Settlement: Chapter 5 & 6 (Can omit Chapter 4)

I can identify the lands claimed in the western hemisphere by European countries during the exploration of the New World.

I can explain the successes and failures of early settlement of America.

I can label the countries of the explorers who contributed to the exploration and colonization of the

Americas.

Colonial Period

I can locate the 13 original colonies and describe the features that would aid or hurt expansion.

The Revolutionary War

I can explain the American Revolution including: 1. The point of view of Patriots and Loyalists, 2. Reasons why the American colonists were successful

I can identify important points in the Declaration of Independence (inalienable rights and government by the consent of the governed)

I can identify the causes and consequences of the American Revolution.

The United States Constitution

I can identify important points in the Constitution (limited government, rule of law, majority rule, minority rights, separation of powers and checks and balances)

I can identify important points in the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 – 10)

I can describe interactions among these groups from discovery to the Bill of Rights: 1. Native Americans, 2. Immigrants from Europe, 3. Africans brought to America

I can tell the difference between the powers and functions of local, state and national government.

Economics (The Voyage of Columbus OR JA Biz Town)

I can apply the economic concepts of scarcity, supply and demand, and opportunity cost (trade-offs).

I can identify the role of technology in our economy.

I can interpret the past, explain the present and predict future consequences of economic decisions.

Social Studies Skills*

I can create tables, bar graphs, line graphs and pictographs to better represent and interpret data. (MA)

I can identify faction and opinion and recognize bias and points of view. (CA)

I can apply information in format, graphics, sequence, maps, diagrams, charts and index to clarify and connect concepts to the main ideas. (CA)

I can select, investigate and present a topic using primary and secondary resources (examples: oral interviews, artifacts, journals, documents, photos and letters).

Service Learning

I can demonstrate how I am an active citizen.

I can develop a creative solution to a problem in the community. (21st Century Skills)