Welcome to 5 th Grade!

1. Welcome to 5th Grade!

2. A day in the life of a 5th grader... 8:30-8:50 Morning Message 8:50-9:35 Specials 9:40-11:10 Literacy 11:15-12:30 Math 12:30-12:50 Recess 12:50-1:20 Lunch 1:25-2:10 Writing 2:10-2:45 Soc./Sci./PBL 2:45-3:20 RTI 3:20-3:30 Pack Up

3. Math Classes • We will continue teaching using our new, spiraling math program this year, EveryDay Math! Be sure your child shares their EDM login information with you so you can support them in accessing homework, playing practice games and more! • I will also send home parent letters for each unit…most of them have homework answers in them so you can check your child’s work at home! (Unit 1 does not include answers).

4. Language Arts • Students will be reading a variety of material this year ranging from short stories to a variety of novels. • A Balanced Literacy approach will be implemented using the guidelines from the Fountas and Pinnell Continuum of Literacy Learning.

5. PBL/UNIT(Science and Social Studies) • We will continue to teach using the project based learning model. This is an approach to teaching where students explore real-world problems and challenges! • Students will work in collaborative groups.

6. What is PBL? Problem-Based Learning (PBL) deals less with the acquisition of basic skills and more with the application of those skills to real life situations. PBL is open ended; broad questions are posed to students (or developed by the students themselves), and the goal of the learning becomes the development of answers and solutions through information gathering, organization and aggregation of the information, and the synthesis of new information.

7. Benefits of PBL… • An emphasis on meaning, not just memorization of facts  • Increased self direction and self motivation as students take on more responsibility for their education  • Higher comprehension and skill development, with a subsequent improvement in the transferability of those skills to a work environment  • Better interpersonal skills because of the collaborative nature of PBL • Increased technical skills because of the research and presentation skills required

8. Recess and Lunch • Recess is an earned privilege. • We will have recess everyday, but we will stay inside if the weather is too cold or rainy. • We eat lunch LATE! Please send a healthy snack for the morning!

9. Specials We rotate through four different special classes throughout the year. Students need tennis shoes on P.E. days and to be safe…all day 5’s in our schedule! • Art • Technology • Physical Education • Music

10. Homework • It will be your child’s responsibility to document homework in their assignment notebook! Please check it daily! • If your child is having problems, please let us know! We want to know if homework is taking your child longer than 40 minutes per night.

11. Freedom Levels • In conjunction with “Panther Pride”, freedom levels are a privilege for each student to earn! Each child will strive for a freedom level of 3 or 4. With a freedom level of a 3 or 4, students will be rewarded with many freedoms throughout the school day. There is a chart in the back of your child’s notebook that will come home each Friday to be signed. • Level 1 • Student demonstrates major noncompliant behaviors. • Level 2 • Student who struggles to demonstrate what is expected. • Level 3 • Student who mostly demonstrates what is expected may need a few • reminders • Level 4 • Student who ALWAYS demonstrates what is expected! Does not • need reminders.

12. Field Trips/Guest Speakers • We hope to have a few guest speakers this year to kick off some of our units of study! We may even be asking some of you to help us out! • In addition, we hope to take a field trip each semester to enhance our studies! • More information TBA!

13. Medications/Appointments • All medications need to be brought in from home by an adult to the school nurse. • If your child needs cough drops, a note to the teacher will suffice. • Please try to keep any doctor’s appointments to non-academic times of the day (if possible)!

14. Communication with Teachers • If your child is going home from school a different way than they normally do, they need a note from an adult. • If your child is going home with a friend, write a note explaining who they are going home with. • EMAIL is the best way to communicate with teachers…however, if you have something urgent your child needs to know, please contact the office as we may not check our email in time!

15. Wellness Policy • Effective with the 2012-13 school year, schools may not celebrate birthdays with food items on school grounds. Instead, teachers may choose to celebrate birthdays with non-food items or student recognition. • The change follows the council’s mission of promoting healthy lifestyles with a focus on nutrition and fitness and making wellness a way of life for the community of Noblesville. In addition, it addresses an increase in food allergies and other health concerns among students. *This was not an issue last year, so hopefully it will not be this year. Let me know if you have questions!

16. Together we will explore the curriculum through inquiry and teamwork for all assigned disciplines. Although I will assess your child for each academic standard, I believe that a student’s true success is measured by their effort and progress. • Email me any questions! 