Mrs. Emmaly Nielson Burton Elementary School 2013-2014

1. Mrs. Emmaly Nielson Burton Elementary School 2013-2014

2. Classroom Procedures

3. Planners •  Planners are very important. The students will use a planner to keep track of assignments and activities each day in class. These will be sent home Monday through Friday with a yellow “homework folder.” This is an excellent way for you to know what is happening during the school day. Please encourage your child to completely fill out their planner each day in class. I will check planners each Monday for a parent's signature.

4. Classroom Management Positive reinforcement, praise, and consistency will be stressed this year. I will maintain a productive and safe learning environment in my classroom. Each student in my classroom is expected to follow the guidelines and rules established school wide as well as in the classroom. Our classroom rules are: 1. Follow directions the first time. 2. Show respect to yourself and others. 3. Come to class prepared and ready to learn. 4. Let yourself shine- always do your personal best. 5. Obey all other school rules. Minor problems with these guidelines will be handled verbally and as privately as possible. Burton Citations will be used to handle major problems.

5. Check Book Classroom management will be handled by using a “Check” system. Checks will be used to track behavior issues. Those students who have less than 3 checks and all of their work turned in will be able to participate in “Friday Free Time”, extra recess on Friday afternoon. Students cannot attended “Friday Free Time” if they have missing assignments or 3 behavior checks.

6. Class Tickets Students will have the opportunity to earn class tickets for positive behavior and assignment completion. There will be a drawing each Friday for a special prize or coupon.

7. Marbles Students will have the opportunity to work as a class to earn marbles for our jar. Once the jar of marbles is filled, we will participate in an activity decided upon by our classmates. Examples of past activities: a read-a-thon, short movie, extra recess, treats, etc. Marbles will be taken out of the jar for disruptive behavior and not being on task.

8. Homework Davis School District recommends 50 minutes of homework each night for fifth graders.

9. Reading(20 minutes) Students will be expected to read 20 minutes each night. Please keep track of reading minutes on their reading logs which should be sent back to school signed the following Monday.

10. Spelling and Vocabulary(5 minutes) A weekly spelling and vocabulary list will be sent home each Monday. Spelling tests, reading tests, and vocabulary tests will be on Fridays.

11. Math(15 minutes) A math activity will usually be sent home each night, due the following morning.

12. Keyboarding(10 minutes) Students are expected to practice keyboarding for 10 minutes each night. They will bring home an assignment that needs to be completed, signed and returned to school

13. Additional Assignments There will be a few additional special projects throughout the year that will correlate to our language arts, science and social studies curriculum. Also, if a student is unable to finish an assignment at school, it will be sent home to be finished and due the next day.

14. Late Work Students need to turn their work in on time! If an assignment is late, points will be deducted. Students have until Friday to get all of their work in. If there are still missing assignments by the end of school on Friday, the student will miss “Friday Free Time.”   All missing assignments will be changed to a zero at each Mid-Term and End of Term.

15. Sample Schedule Reading: 20 minutes Math: 15 minutes Keyboarding: 10 Minutes Spelling/Vocabulary: 5 minutes

16. “The brain that does the work does the learning!”

17. Grades I use the SMART grading program provided by the district.  Grades will be given based on test scores, daily assignments, homework and special projects.  Your student will receive Mid-Term and Term reports, based on the following scale:   3= Student meets or exceeds grade level standards                       2= Student is slightly below grade level standards                       1= Student is far below grade level standards The District cut off percentages for these benchmarks are as follows:  3 is equivalent to 85% and above                        2 is equivalent to 60%-84%                        1 is below 60% SMARTS REPORTS: I highly encourage you to frequently check your child’s grades online through http://mydsd.davis.k12.ut.us/studentinformationsystem as it is instantly updated when I input assignment scores.

18. Volunteering Parents and volunteers are always welcome in our classroom! Volunteering can range from reading with students, grading papers, designing bulletin boards, teaching in your area of expertise, working with small groups/individual students, working on projects at home, etc.

19. Birthdays Birthdays are a special day and are celebrated in our classroom. If your student’s birthday falls in the summer, their half birthday will be celebrated. On a student’s birthday, the class will get the opportunity to sign a card, ask questions, and sing to them. They will also receive a present from their teacher.

20. Student of the Week Each student in our classroom will have the opportunity to be the “Student of the Week”. They will be our class leader for the week. They will lead the class in the Pledge of Allegiance each day, help pass out papers, be first in line, and enforce good behavior by being a good example.

21. 5th grade Curriculum LANGUAGE ARTS: We will be using the Houghton Mifflin text that integrates reading, writing, and spelling. We will work on fluency through daily reading/timings. MATHEMATICS:  Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten, Fractions, Measurement and Data, and Geometry SCIENCE: In science we will study changes of the earth, electricity, magnetism, heredity, and chemistry. Students will be required to participate in individual and small group assignments, assessments, and complete unit packets. SOCIAL STUDIES: Fifth grade social studies curriculum focuses on American history. We use US Studies Weekly as our text. Students will be required to participate in individual and small group assignments, assessments, and complete unit packets. HEALTH:Developing healthy habits and making wise decisions regarding our health will be stressed this year. Students will gain knowledge in basic first aid and safety, drug and alcohol prevention, nutrition, and body systems.

22. Teaming Students will have the opportunity to rotate to the different fifth grade teachers for computers (Mrs. Farnes), science (Mrs. Kristensen) and math (Mrs. Nielson).

23. Parent’s Homework Daily: Sign Keyboarding, check planner, look in your student’s yellow folder for any paperwork that needs to be returned. Monday: Signed Planner and Reading Log is due, Read Weekly Email Wednesday: Check your student’s scores on MyDSD. I will email a Missing/Congratulations letter for the first few weeks. Friday: Look over your child’s progress report and assignments

24. Contact Information If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me- email is best. I am looking forward to a great year! Email: emnielson@dsdmail.net