Welcome to Your Child’s 2014 - 2015 Classroom!

While we are waiting for the video presentation to begin please:

• Walk around and familiarize yourself with your child’s room• Sign attendance sheet on back table and sign-up for a

conference• Volunteer for classroom jobs• Check out your child’s desk/books • Read the Welcome Letter• Please fill out additional forms under the letter

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MR. PATTERSON• Originally from Brooklyn, New York

• Mother and Father were teachers• Acting • Yoga

• Lived in the Cascades since 2007

• Married to Sarah Patterson since 2006

• Love movies and reading

• Interested in fitness• Training for first half marathon• Go to Gold’s and UFC Gym

• Big sports fan• Yankees and Michigan Football• Boxing and MMA

MS. HOLLAND AND MRS. ELFERS

• Resource Teachers• Language Arts• Math• Reading

• Work with all students

MOST IMPORTANTLY

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in English from State University of New York (SUNY)at New Paltz

• Masters of Science in Physical Education Teacher Education from West Virginia University

• Entering 13th year of teaching:• Third Grade Teacher, Pine Plains, New York• Second Grade Teacher, Clinton, Maryland• Third Grade Teacher, McLean, VA• Physical Education Teacher, Reston, VA• Fifth Grade Teacher, Sterling VA

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STYLE• High Standards and Expectations

• Focus on School Rules• Be courteous • Be caring • Be Cooperative

• Accountability:• One on One Conference• Think Sheet• ..\Clerical Items\Think Sheet.docx• Parental Contact

• Positive Reinforcement• Compliment Board• Blue Tickets• Movement Breaks• Friday Fun-Day

SOL TESTS IN 5TH GRADE

• Reading• Science• Math

CURRICULUM MAP

..\Curriculum Guides\Curriculum_Map_1415.docx

READING• 60 minute daily block

• Guided Reading groups• Appropriate Leveled Texts• Small Group Discussion and instruction

• Reader’s Theater

• Read Aloud

• Independent Reading

• Scholastic News• BookE-Readers are OK

• The Reader’s Notebook• Book Letters• Reading Logs

• Goal is to create life-long Readers! Reading Should be FUN!!!

LANGUAGE ARTS AND WRITING

• Writer’s Workshop• 45 - 50 minutes 4-5 days per week• Writing both creatively and informatively• Utilizes 5 Stages of the Writing Process• Prewrite• Draft• Revise • Edit • Publish

• Teaches grammar skills in context• Peer Editing and conferencing

• Word Study

MATH

• Students are Pretested prior to chapters/units

• Differentiation occurs based on student understanding of the concept

• Enrichment will be provided for students that demonstrate mastery of particular skills

• All students will receive instruction addressing the 5th grade SOL objectives

• Problem Solving• Whole number operations and Applications• Number Patterns and Properties• Comparing and Applying Rational Number Concepts• Rational number operations and Measurement Applications• Classifying and Subdividing Plane Geometric Figures• Data and statistics

SCIENCE

• Focus on the Scientific Method

• Concepts covered:• Geology• Oceanography• Living Systems• Matter• Light• Sound

• SOL covers 4th and 5th grade concepts

SOCIAL STUDIES• Geometry Terms

• Geometry Tools

• Study the US regions discuss key tourist sites, economy and geography of each region:• Northeast• Southeast • Midwest• Southwest• Rocky Mountain• Pacific

• Learn all the states and capitals

MIDDLE SCHOOL PREPARATION

• Focus on organizational skills• Agendas• Natural consequences when materials are forgotten

• Time Management• Advanced Test Preparation• Word study assignments• Weekly reading responsibilities• Projects• Reading Journals• Writer’s Notebooks

• Self Advocacy

• Course Selections take place in the spring

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS

• Diagnostic• Before instruction• Not reflected on the report card

• Formative• During instruction• Reflected in progress indicators on the report card (numbers only)

• Summative• After instruction• Reflected in progress indicators and grades on the report card (number

and letter grades)

GRADING

• Graded assignments and report card grades will be on the following scale: Assignments can also graded on a (.5 – scale)• 1 – Below the standard• 2 – Progressing toward the standard• 3 – Meets the standard• 4 – Exceeding the standard

• Course Grades – average of graded assignments for the quarter

• Missing assignments affect the grades

CLARITY PARENT PORTAL

• A secure login for parents to view their child’s grades and upcoming assignments

• For more information go to the CLARITY tab on the Horizon website:

HOMEWORK

• Reading – 20 minutes per night• Recorded in the reading log

• Word Study • New words on Mondays• Assignments Daily• Assessments Fridays

• Math • Most nights, but will depend on the progress

• Long term projects• Science• SOL Preparation• TBD

• Other small assignments as needed

IMPORTANT PAPERS

• Maroon Folder will be sent home on a daily basis with:• All school handouts • Homework• Graded work

• Folder should return to school on a daily basis with:• Homework• Important School Papers: Going home notes, Office

Related• I highly suggest maintaining a filing system at home

for all academic items

SPECIALS

• Monday – P.E. (please wear sneakers) and FUTURA

• Tuesday - Art

• Wednesday – P.E. (please wear sneakers) and DARE (starting in October)

• Thursday – P.E. (please wear sneakers) and Music (1 hour)

• Friday - Computer and Library

LUNCH AND RECESS

• Lunch is Daily at 11;15

• Snack Daily at 9:30 • Healthy• No Nuts

• Recess will normally be right after lunch for a minimum of 15 minutes

CLASSROOM FOOD AND BIRTHDAYS

• Students are encouraged to bring in a Healthy and Nut Free Snack

• In honor of student birthdays it is Horizon Elementary Policy for students NOT to bring in treats for their classmates• This includes lunch time

• Student birthdays will certainly be acknowledged in class and announced on the morning news show

COMMUNICATION

• Email• Best way to communicate with me • william.patterson@lcps.org or wpatters@lcps.org• Please allow 24 hours for me to respond to an email• Will also be used for weekly classroom communications

• Phone• Will be used to discuss specific behavior or academic concerns in

greater detail• Please allow 24 hours to respond to a missed call or message

VOLUNTEERS

• Classroom Volunteer Positions• Word Study• Computer Lab (Friday – 2:00)• Class Party Coordinator• Fall• Winter• Fifth Grade Picnic

• There is a possibility of needing more academic volunteers for specific

classroom activities.

ON A FINAL NOTE!!

• Coming to Horizon was the best move I made in my teaching career

• I am grateful to be part of this school community

• Excited to start another school year

QUESTIONS?