RevisedSept.14,2016

Parent Orientation: Back to School Night Mrs. Johannah Aiken, Lakeside Farms 4TH AND 5TH GRADE

OUR DAY: 8:55 Roll / Announcements / Opening Activities 9:00 Language Arts Block 10:00 Rotation 1: 4th Grade History

5th Grade Rotations: Mansour, Cullen, Aiken or Ehlers 11:00 Snack / Recess (10:30 on Wednesdays) 11:20 Rotation 2: 4th Science with Ms. Mansour

5th Grade Rotations: Mansour, Cullen, Aiken or Ehlers 12:25 Lunch 12:30 on Wed. 1:10 Rotation 3: 4th Math with Mrs. Cullen

5th Grade Rotations: Mansour, Cullen, Aiken or Ehlers 2:10 Rotation 4: 4th Writing and Novel Studies with Mrs. Ehlers

5th Grade Rotations: Mansour, Cullen, Aiken or Ehlers 3:10 Homework Folders / Day in Review 3:20 Dismissal (1:20 on Wednesdays) Additional Subject Areas: PE, Visual Art, Music and Library are on Wednesdays and / or Fridays. Times are approximate and may change at teacher discretion in order to accommodate maximum learning.

My name is Johannah Aiken. This is my twenty-sixth year of teaching for Lakeside Union School District. I’ve been at Lakeside Farms for the past twenty three and I’ve taught grades 1 - 5. I consider myself a ‘life-long learner’. My Bachelors degree is in Health Science. My Masters is in Curriculum Development and Instructional Leadership. My PASSION is American History. It is my personal philosophy that my job is not only to ‘educate’ your; I need to instill a sense of respect for the people who came before us and founded this great nation I am also very interested in brain research and maximizing student learning. Matt Thompson, “Mr. T” is our fabulous principal! He has been a tremendous asset to our school. He demonstrates respect and professionalism, and knows an amazing number of students by name! The students, staff, and community at large think the world of him.

Attendance: At Lakeside Farms, we now use a computerized attendance program. It is important for children to arrive on time every day. Roll is taken at 8:55 am, and instruction begins immediately afterward. Students arriving after 9:00 need to check in at the office before coming to class.

Morning Arrival: Students eating breakfast at school may arrive at 8:35. All other students should be arriving between 8:40 and 8:55 am. There are no adults on duty at the playground until 8:40, so children need to remain at the lunch tables until 8:40.

RevisedSept.14,2016

Absences: If your child is ill and won’t be attending school, call the Absence Hotline at 390-2646 and choose option #1 on the first day of the absence. You can also follow the link through our school website. If you cannot contact us immediately, please send a note stating the reason for the absence with your child the day he or she returns to school. Funding for our school is greatly determined by attendance, so we thank you in advance for your diligence in reporting absences.

Lunch: Lunch is $2.50 per student. Parents who wish to ‘pre-pay’ for the month are welcome to do so. Qualifying families can also receive assistance with these costs. (Please inquire through the office for more information) The office cannot ‘loan’ lunch money. Thank you for your understanding.

Because we are nurturing a safe and respectful environment, clothing with “inappropriate” logos or language, spaghetti straps, bare midriffs or back, or very “short shorts” are not permissible. Showing of underwear is not allowed. Hair color, spikes and make-up are not appropriate choices for elementary students. Shoes that are unsafe for PE and recess should not be worn to school. If students dress inappropriately, parents will be called and students must be picked up to change. I appreciate your support in maintaining a respectful classroom.

Dismissal: Our dismissal time is 3:20 pm except for Wednesday. Wednesday ‘early release’ time is 1:20. If you pick up your child at school, you have three options for dismissal. You may wait outside the classroom, you may park your car and meet your child at the lunch tables, or you may drive through our ‘pick up’ circle outside the kindergarten playground. Students whose siblings are in other grades may also be picked up with them.

Please understand that your child’s safety is paramount. Please do not ask your child to meet you anywhere other than a designated pick-up area. We are simply trying to protect your child. If there is a change in how your child will be going home, please send a note with your child. Please, do not call the office with last minute transportation changes, except in the case of bona fide emergencies. (Do not leave pick-up information on my voice mail; I will not get it until after the children are gone.)

Appropriate Clothing: Your child will be running and jumping on the playground, learning games and using objects on the carpet, painting, and working with many kinds of arts materials. It is important that your child comes to school wearing shoes and clothing that allow for these activities.

Snacks: I’m sure you’ve noticed how much your child has grown since last school year! Children at this age are constantly hungry, and students who are hungry are not effective learners. Please send nutritious snacks, such as an extra sandwich, cheese and crackers, or fruit every day for your child to eat during snack/recess. (Please do not send candy, sodas or caffeinated drinks.)

RevisedSept.14,2016

Early Checkout: I keep teaching right up until the very end of the day. Please make every attempt to schedule appointments either before or after school. If you do need to pick your child up early, please go to the office to sign your child out. The office will contact me, and I will send your child to the office. We will not be able to release your child to anyone not listed on the emergency card. OUR SPECIFIC CLASSROOM Curriculum: The program that we have planned for our students is rigorous, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. I plan lessons for multiple learning modalities, so that our visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners remain engaged and focused. Please peruse the handout of the Common Core Standards for Fifth Grade for more information.

We assign homework every night, Monday through Thursday. ALL work noted in the planner is due the next day in class, unless otherwise noted. It is our philosophy that homework should always be an extension of the learning that has already happened in class. We never assign ‘busy work’. Please review your child’s work with him or her, provide encouragement / critique when needed, then return the work to school, in that same planner the next day. The planner will also include correspondence from our principal, Mr. Thompson, my notes to you, information from the office and PTA, and graded work for you to keep. (Most notices go home on Wednesdays or Thursdays, but homework is sent home daily.)

Volunteers: We LOVE parent volunteers! If you are available to donate your time or skills, please sign up on our ’Volunteer’ Sheet. I do ask that you schedule a time, so that I may arrange my schedule according to when volunteers will be available. Please also sign in at the office prior to coming into the classroom and pick up a volunteer badge. If you have a special skill that you would like to share, I’d also be interested in knowing that! I have, in the past, had architects, engineers, genealogists, fire fighters, artists, and musicians share their skills with the students. We often times need assistance from people who can sew, build things, or make phone calls. Parent / Teacher Conferences: We will be meeting in December to review your child’s first report card together. I’m also happy to meet with parents as individual needs arise.

WeLOVEParentVolunteers!!!

Homework and School Communication: The most important tools for home-to-school communication are the Homework Assignment Sheet and the Planner. I believe that these very simple tools help students keep their ‘ducks in a row’, and maximize their academic success. Please check the planner nightly, as it will include homework, corrected work, and correspondence.

RevisedSept.14,2016

Report Cards: Our report cards are ‘standards based’ and developmentally scaled. Report cards are sent home in December, March and June. We will go over the report card and standards in more depth during the December Parent / Teacher Conference.

School Supplies: I am a very ‘developmental’ teacher. I strive to provide every child with the most appropriate tools for the tasks at hand. I thought you might appreciate a list of the materials needed for this grade. This is not a mandatory purchase list. I will supply materials for any child who does not have their own, and no child will ever be left out. I thank you, in advance, for whatever you can do. These are items we’ll be using daily:

1. Two white, two-inch, three-ring “Presentation” binders with clear area for page insert 2. Clear, glossy, sheet-protectors (25) 3. Lots of No. 2 Pencils 4. Colored Pencils 5. Erasers: handheld-type 6. A pencil sharpener with a lid. (Not battery operated, please) 7. Colored markers, both regular and thin 8. Glue sticks 9. Headphones or Ear Buds compatible with iPads.

Special Projects and Supplies: Throughout the year, I will send home requests for supplies for special projects that we are doing in class. I also have a ‘wish list’ that is available by request. I appreciate whatever you can do to support me in making learning invigorating and experiential. Contact Information: If you wish to contact me, please feel free to place a note in the right hand side of the folder for me. I will make every effort to contact you the same day. Better yet, you can email me at: jaiken@lsusd.net , and my email is linked to the school website. Speaking of the school website, have you checked it out yet? You can find a calendar of events, lunch menus, and links to all kinds of important information at: http://www.lsusd.net From there, go to ‘schools’ then Lakeside Farms. Voicemail messages can be left at: 390-2646, ext. 3009. Please remember that I may not have an opportunity to check voice mail until later in the day, after you child has left.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming! I look forward to the opportunity to educate your child!

Together, we will make a difference!

Johannah Aiken jaiken@lsusd.net