Parent Partnership - Mrs. Curtis' 5th Grade Class Room 21

1. *Parents as Partners* 2016 Mrs. Curtis’ Fifth Grade Class Room 21

2. Contact Information Phone … 298-5290 (I will try to return calls within 24 hours) Email … clare.curtis@wcsdny.org (best way to contact me) Send a note in with your child … I will try to respond that day. Sign Up for important updates! Get push notifications … remnd.at/8g7f3c Get text notifications … text the message @8g7f3c to the number 81010

3. Become independent thinkers • Learn how to work as a community and as individuals • Develop personal responsibility for learning • Develop self regulation and self assessment • Read a variety of text genres • Prepare the students to be successful for sixth grade Goals

4. Recording assignments Students record assignments daily on their assignment sheet. You do not have to sign off on their work each night, but please look over it so you know what the student is responsible for. Assignment sheets should come to school every day in their homework folders.

5. Homework Students will be given homework Monday-Thursday to practice and review the skills that are being taught. On most days, students will have a study hall to begin their homework. If homework is completed in study hall, students should keep it in their folder until the following school day. It will not be collected early in case you want to review it at home. If homework is not completed on time, students will be asked to work on it during snack the following school day. It is important that students complete work on time so that they don’t fall behind academically. If several assignments are late/missing during the week, I will call or make a note to parents on the Friday letter. Frequently missing homework will be reflected on report cards.

6. Friday Folders Rather than send work and notices home every day, they will be sent home in a Friday folder at the end of the week. This minimizes the chances that papers will get lost/misplaced allowing you to see what your child has been doing all week in class. Tests and quizzes will be sent home on Fridays as well. I will write a weekly letter to the parents highlighting what we did in class that week and informing you of what may be coming up. Please read the letter and look at the papers. Sign and return the bottom of the letter so that I know that you have seen the Friday folder. The signed slip and folder should be returned to school on Monday, and everything else should be removed from the folder. Occasionally notices will be sent home during the week if there is information on them that you need to be aware of before Friday.

7. Reading Log Every Friday, students will receive a reading log. Students will be required to read a minimum of 100 minutes at home per week, at least 5 days per week. They should be reading books that are at their “just right” level as discussed in class. On Thursday, please sign the reading log and return to school on Friday. Students should reflect on their week as a reader and check off whether or not they met the reading goal for the week. The log must be returned signed whether the goal was met or not. At the end of the month, students who were successful in meeting their goals will receive a coupon for a free slice of pizza and drink from Antonella’sin Wappingers.

9. We are a PBIS school which means we recognize and celebrate students who are meeting our expectations which I discussed with the students on the first day of school. We want students to be Safe, Responsible, and Respectful. (matrix on wall) • Tickets are given to individuals who meet the expectations … winner at end of week receives a prize. • Popcorn jar … class earns popcorn for the jar when they meet the expectations as a group. When the jar is full, we have a popcorn party. • Bingo – If a student turns in his/her homework, he/she can put their number on the bingo chart located in the back of the room. One winner will be chosen each week. • Mystery Walker – Rewards students for following hallway expectations. Behavior Policy

10. Curriculum Math ~ Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Fractions, Measurement and Data, and Geometry (Math In-Focus Textbook and workbook) ELA ~ Readers Workshop: mini-lessons, conferring, strategy reading groups, independent reading time, readers’ notebook Writers Workshop: mini-lessons, conferring, narrative writing, argumentative/persuasive writing, research writing Individualized spelling lists Elements of Reading Vocabulary: 8 Words per Unit

11. Social Studies ~ The Western Hemisphere: Canada, the United States, and Latin America * The Election * Westward Expansion Science ~ Science 21 curriculum which includes controlled studies, microscopes, and systems of the human body (skeletal, circulatory, muscular, respiratory).

12. 4 – “I got it and I can teach it or apply it in new ways.” • 3– “I get it! I can show I understand it. I am on target with my learning objectives.” • 2 – “I almost have it. I just need a little more practice.” • 1– “I am trying to get it. I need some more practice.” Grading Scale

13. Schedule Our Schedule

14. Chorus, Band, and Orchestra Chorus: Students who are in chorus do not miss out on and new academic instruction. Students who do not join chorus are required to complete enrichment work assigned by teacher. Band and Orchestra: Students who play instruments will be pulled three times per 6-day cycle during recess and academic instruction time. They are responsible for finding out what they missed and making up necessary assignments.

15. Snack Studies have proven that when chosen properly, snacks can provide children with an extra boost to their mental skills. For this reason, students will have a daily snack in the afternoon in which they will be able to eat a healthy snack. I encourage you to send a small snack every day that can be eaten in approximately 15 minutes. Also, please keep in mind that we will be eating in the classroom. Therefore, healthy snacks with minimal cleanup are best! Acceptable morning snacks include crackers, pretzels, string cheese, raisins, fruits, veggies, etc. Please note that candy, soda, cakes, and greasy or finger-coloring chips are not permitted. Thank you for your continued assistance! Students are allowed to keep a water bottle on their desk. No juice or sports drinks will be allowed in the classroom.

16. Celebrations Students may bring in a treat to share with the class to celebrate their birthdays if they desire. We will celebrate during snack time. In addition to birthdays, we will be celebrating various special occasions throughout the year. Notification of these celebrations will be sent home if you would like to volunteer to send something in. We are encouraging healthy choices for all celebrations.

18. Exams and Assessments i Ready – Assess students’ strengths and weaknesses and creates an individualized curriculum for students. It is given multiple times throughout the year and measures student growth. We have two state tests in the spring this year as well ~ Math and ELA.

19. Xtra Math Computer program designed to increase speed and accuracy in arithmetic. Student will have opportunity to log into their account in school during flex time. Can be completed at home, too! Please see the letter to see how to log in.

20. Class Website • Go to the Website to find …. • Our daily schedule • Upcoming events • Useful links • Attachment of our weekly reading log (just in case!) • Copy of this Power Point To access the class website: Go to Sheafe Road Website Click on “teachers” up top. Click on “Clare Curtis”. Bookmark site on your computer for easy access.

21. What you can do to help … Ask to see your child’s assignment sheet daily so you know what they have been learning and what they have for homework. Go through the Friday folder over the weekend. Sign and review the letter from me. Remove everything else from the folder. Sign off on your child’s reading log and encourage them to read, read, read! Help your child study for upcoming tests. New vocabulary words will be coming home often. Challenge the family to use those words at home to help students become more familiar with them. Have conversations with your child about what they are learning about in school.

22. Any questions ?