Welcome to Fifth Grade!

1. Welcome to Fifth Grade! “If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.” -Romans 12:7

2. About Mrs. Potter -Connecticut, youngest of 3 girls -Miami of Ohio- B.A.S Education - Manhattanville College, Masters in Special Education and Literacy -9th year teaching, 4th year in fifth grade -New York sports lover (Giants, Rangers, Yankees) - Coached field hockey and lacrosse for 7 years from Varsity through 5th grade - Love being an aunt to my nephew and niece! -Got married this past June to a Winnetka boy

3. Fifth Grade Expectations Fifth grade is a crucial, transitional year for students as they are the “top dogs” of the elementary grades and close to becoming a middle schooler. Therefore, in order to have a successful transition we continue to prepare the fifth graders with increased responsibilities and executive functioning skills. 1. Students are expected to behave in a way that does not prevent themselves or others from learning or the teacher from teaching. 2. Students are expected to write down their homework every night in their assignment notebooks. 3. Students are expected to look over their homework and make sure to pack up their backpacks for school the next day.

4. Fifth Grade Expectations (cont.) 4. Students are expected to face consequences when they forget to complete an assignment. This means no delivering it late, as it won’t be accepted. As I tell the students “Fail Forward.” It is a learning experience and something they need to learn to do. 5. Students are expected to walk in the hall in a respective manner without being guided by a teacher. 6. We encourage students to be self-advocates in their learning. If they don’t understand an assignment, encourage them to speak to the teacher and ask for help!!! AUTONOMY!!

5. Homework Meant to serve as practice from the day’s lesson or involves studying for a quiz or test on a topic they’ve been learning with exception to vocab/spelling. Expected: 45 minutes of work; 15-30min of reading/ math facts • W.W. assigned Monday of each week and due Thursday • Math 1 (double-sided) page given every night • Reading 1-2 comprehension questions given Monday through Thursday • Studying for test/ quizzes in all subject areas • Students will know about quizzes 2+ days in advance and tests 4+ days in advance • Projects will be assigned 2+ weeks in advance Overall my goal is for the students to have evenings to do extracurricular activities and relax from a long day of hard work! :) I strive to have no homework on weekends besides studying or working on long term assignments.

6. Homework Late Policy/ Absent Work 1st Day- 25% deduction 2nd day- 50% deduction 3rd day- 75% deduction 4th day- Zero If your child is absent from school all work is to be completed within 2 days following the absence, unless lengthy absence in which case special arrangements will be made.

7. Grades *Every test, project, and paper will be sent home for you to look over and sign. I keep them all in your child’s school file. * At the end of every week, grades will be posted in powerschool. *Although your child is still receiving number scale this year, I do put a percentage and letter grade on their assignments for them to see what it represents. We strive for 80% and above in 5th grade. *Math and Science grades are important as they are a factor of placement for next year’s classes. Along with their grade, Aspire Test scores, and teacher recommendation are all factored in as our protocol for determining placement.

8. Character Education “Character is like a muscle...it needs constant exercise” I believe that along with teaching academic skills, it is equally, if not more important, to instill values of character and leadership. We will be incorporating those values through the Catholic religion and 5P’s Character Continuum which addresses the core values of courage, honor, truth, self-control, adaptability, inquisitiveness, and positive outlook. Some ways we do this are: setting goals for ourselves each trimester, reflecting on our strengths and areas of improvement, Quote of the Week, Honor Roll System, through discussions or short video clips on people who demonstrate these skills in literature, history, religion, and our everyday lives, and team building challenges.

9. Language Arts Curriculum Reading: Students will read an assortment of books and genres as whole class, small group, and independently. They will be able to build upon their fluency, comprehension, responding to short answer questions using the text, and identify story elements, figurative language, and literary devices. Spelling: Students will develop their phonetic skills, spelling, and vocabulary through the use of Wordly Wise and novel study vocabulary. Writing: Students will be writing a lot this year...narrative pieces, persuasive writing, poetry, creative writing, and ending with a research paper! *READO Challenge!

10. Math Curriculum Students NEED to know their math facts! Fifth grade math is a big jump from fourth grade. If students don’t know their multiplication facts it is going to make for a very hard year for them. Please practice with them! IXL is also very beneficial! Fractions ( +, -, x, ÷) Algebra, Patterns, and Coordinate Graphs Decimals (+, -, x, ÷) Measurement and Geometry Order of Operations and Word Problems Ratios and Probability

11. Science Students will continue from where they left off in 4th grade science… this includes learning about Earth and Space, Properties of Matter, Forces and Motion, Human Body, Forms of Energy, and Design and Function. *Students will perform many experiments, projects, and have unit tests. *Students will also read science articles to develop inquiry skills and comprehend science literature. *Students will be using our Makerspace Carts to enhance their learning.

12. Social Studies Students will continue to learn about early American History ending with the Oregon Trail. Throughout the year they will have many group projects, discussions, and assignments. Mrs. Sullivan and I have agreed on consistent homework policies, expectations, and management within both of our classes.

13. Religion We use the Finding God textbook series as a base to our Catholic teaching, while supplementing the students with their very own Bible, and other primary sources. In addition to our daily religious education, students participate in weekly mass and monthly Prayer Families. The fifth graders are reinforcing the lessons of the Sacraments they have already performed and preparing to complete the others yet to come. We also focus on learning the Rosary and Liturgical year.

14. Behavior and Management I hold the students to high expectations and help them achieve those goals. *AUTONOMY! If they get off track they get a friendly reminder, the second time is a warning, and the third time they are asked to leave the room. If they leave the room more than once in a week, parents will be notified. If I see a consistent behavior pattern, parents will be contacted to set up a conference to discuss further steps necessary to help the child make better choices. Discipline will never result in loss of recess, as students need time to run around and get fresh air.

15. Communication Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. The best way to contact me is by email: mpotter@shwschool.org and then we can set-up a time to talk on the phone or schedule a conference. I thank you in advance for handing over your children and look forward to working with you in making it a successful, fun, and positive school year!