Newsletter

7:15-7:30

Homeroom Business/Prep for Transitions/Begin Dailies

7:30-7:45

Language Dailies Review

7:40-8:25

5th Grade Groups attend Specials

*Veleke's Group*
M	T	W	H	F
Art	Computer	Enrichment	Venture	Music
*Webb's Group*
M	T	W	H	F
Computer	Music	Enrichment	Art	Venture

8:30-9:05

Veleke's Homeroom to P.E.

9:05-10:10

5th Grade Groups attend Math Class with assigned 5th Grade teacher

10:10-11:45

Homerooms attend Writing and Science class with assigned 5th Grade teacher

M	T	W	H	F
Science	Writing	Science	Writing	Sc/Wr wrap ups

11:45-12:15

Lunch (in classroom)

12:15-2:10

Reading Workshop/Social Studies in Homerooms *first 10 min daily is Caught Ya practice

M (whole time)	T(half/half)	W(whole time)	H(half/half)	F
Reading Workshop	Reading/Social Studies( GROW )	Reading Workshop	Reading/Social Studies(GROW)	Assessment/SSR

2:10-2:15

Pack up/Clean Up/Prep for next day

2:15-2:30

Dismissal

1st Bell- 2:15 Bus Riders to front--Walkers/Bikers/ASP to multipurpose room.

Car Riders/Daycare Vans will be called individually from the classrooms

3rd Bell-Walkers/Bikers dismissed from multipurpose room.

This week begins a brand new year! We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new fifth graders. As always, the start of a new year holds the promise of new discovery and learning, as well as the prospect of personal growth in all areas. We have put together a handbook of information to help you and your child become familiar with some of our expectations for the school year. Please take a day or two to read through this information then sign your name on the last page. Please turn the signature page in by Monday. We will check each student's take home folder for all signature pages. In this way we can be sure that all parents have seen our class handbook. Please keep the handbook in a special place so that you may refer to it throughout the year. If you need to contact us our email address is hstrickland@auburnschools.org, bveleke@auburnschools.org, or cccope@auburnschools.org . If you have email, please include your email address at the bottom of the signature page. We check our email several times a day and try to respond promptly. If you do not have email, you may call the school and leave a message (887-4940).

We will all be teaching all fifth grade students for Math, Science, and Writing for the first semester and 6 weeks of the second semester. We will each teach our homerooms Reading and Social Studies for the entire school year. After the first 6 weeks of the second semester, we will continue teaching flexible groups of all fifth grade students math, but we will teach our own homerooms Writing and Science. The homerooms will come together for specials each day as the visit Art, Music, Exploratory, Computer, Venture, Physical Education and also for lunch. Each day a 35 min. lunch/recess will be given. The three homerooms will come together during this time as well.

We're looking forward to an exciting year with our classes. Thank you for all your help and enthusiasm in getting this year off to a great start!

We have several methods of communication to inform you regarding your child's academic and social progress. Each day, your child will bring home their binder which will house their assignment pad, behavior folder , and home reading log. Your child will be responsible for writing down their daily and weekly assignments in their assignment pad. Please review their assignment pad and initial it each night. Their behavior folder will be an important communication tool. Everyday your child will receive a stamp to indicate a great day. Your child may be asked throughout the day to record behavior infractions so you will get a picture of their behavior throughout the day. Please discuss this with your child each day and sign in the area for parent signature to indicate you have seen the entries and talked with your child. We will check these each morning. Using this "five-minute" communication tool, you will be kept up-to-date regarding your child's assignments and daily conduct at school. If you have questions or want to discuss anything, attach a note to that page or email us at hstrickland@auburnschools.org, bveleke@auburnschools.org, ccope@auburnschools.org . We will also send home a weekly packet of graded papers on Tuesday in your child's take home section of their binder, and we ask that you sign them and return by Wednesday. Please look over papers and discuss any concerns with your child. When we work together, this daily/weekly progress report system is extremely effective.

Along with the team rewards, each student will receive a daily good conduct stamp if they have not had to sign their behavior journal more than once. Each teacher will use a variety of positive reinforces based upon the daily behavior records. At the end of each 9 weeks, we will have a Positive Choices Celebration. Children who have 9 or less behavior entries in their journal will be allowed to attend these celebrations. One of the 5^th grade teachers will stay behind with those who do not attend.

October Behavior Celebration Walking downtown to eat lunch at McDonalds or Chik-fil-A

December Behavior Celebration - Along with our Holiday Party, we will order lunch in from an eatery voted upon by the class.

We believe that homework is necessary for practicing skills that have been learned and to communicate with parents the curriculum that is taking place in the classroom. In order to help students get their homework assignments done, students will take home their assignment pad each night with their written instruction for items to complete. Please check the assignment pad each night.

We expect all homework and class work to be turned in on time. Students will not be allowed to call home if they forget their work. Organization is the key to success! We do understand certain family obligations may arise that may prevent your child from getting their homework done. In these cases, please email, call, or send a note explaining the situation and additional time will be allowed. Extra-curricular activities are not valid excuses for homework not being completed.

A fifth grader should never have more than 50 min. of homework each night unless they have procrastinated during the day and did not finish their class work. In these cases, your child may have more than 50 min. of work due to choices they made during class time. Above and beyond the 50 min. of homework, we expect each student to read for 20 min. each evening. This can be quiet reading of any material, reading to a sibling, reading to you, or being read to by you or a sibling. Any of these activities provide practice in reading skills and listening skills. Students will be required to keep a reading log each day. This will be checked every morning for part of their reading grade and will be kept in their binder. Any day that your child has textbook work from Science or Social Studies or studying for a test in these areas, this can count towards their 20 minutes on HRL (home reading log).

Research has shown that the way to become a good reader is to simply READ! We will be using the Reader's Workshop model to encourage reading success. We will also be integrating our Social Studies curriculum with the Language Arts curriculum to guide our study. We will also use Guided Reading groups to expose children to a wide range of literature, teach comprehension and teach children how to read with selections that become increasingly harder.

We will be using the Writer's Workshop model to encourage writing success. The Writing Workshop will be devoted to preparing for our state writing test for fifth graders, The Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing, as well as creative writing used in a variety of social-studies themes.

Working with Words will utilize the program- Caught'ya: Grammar with a Giggle by Jane Bell Kiester. Using the "Caught'ya" program, students will practice correcting a new sentence each day and will be introduced to a variety of vocabulary, punctuation, and grammar usage skills. Students will keep a pocket folder divided into a "Caught'ya" pocket for recording and correcting a sentence and gathering grammar notes, and a Wild Word section where they record and define strong vocabulary used in the "Caught'ya" sentence. Children will be given 2 vocabulary test every six weeks. The words for the tests will be comprised from the vocabulary words learned through the "Caught'ya" program. Students will turn in a "Caught'ya" sheet each week for one language classwork grade. Students will also practice daily skills in analogies, spelling, and reference skills thorough our Daily Language for Fifth Grade series.

In fifth grade the Alabama Course of Study for Social Studies is devoted the to study of American History from Native inhabitants of the Americans through Reconstruction after the Civil War. The study also includes geography and map skills. Our Social Studies curriculum will be woven into our Language Arts curriculum. We will be reading historical accounts from primary sources, textbooks, historical fiction, non-fiction articles and magazines, and biographies.

Students will be engaged in mathematical facts, procedures, and problem solving. The goal is to apply knowledge to solve problems in mathematics and in real life. Students need to understand not just how to do mathematics, but why it works. TEAM MATH approaches will be used to help students become more autonomous learners of math through the use of engaging problems including reading and writing in the math classroom and working cooperatively. The use of Math Investigations helps students to discover the “why” of math and not just the “how.” Homework participation grades will be given.

8-9 “weekly review” assessments given each Friday of the nine weeks period (this is a cumulative review) to include vocabulary terminology

8-9 Multiplication fact speed drills given each Friday during the nine weeks period

The 5^th grade Science Curriculum will be delivered primarily through the use of Science kits which provide a wealth of hands-on experimentations. In addition to the kits, the students will study the Human Body Systems, Solar System, and Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. The three kits to be used are on the topics of:

Fruit Break -Fruit break time will be held every morning at an appropriate time before lunch. Please send nutritious snacks!! Crackers, cheese, yogurt and fruit are acceptable snacks. No candy, chips, or sodas. NO CANNED DRINKS!!

Birthdays- Birthday treats are welcome. Please notify us ahead of time and we can plan a time to celebrate.

School Biz -Be sure to check our school/class web site for updated information related to school/class events and information.

I have thoroughly read this handbook and understand Mrs. Strickland's, Mrs. Veleke's, and Mrs. Cope's expectations and procedures.