Welcome to 5 th grade!!

1. Welcome to 5th grade!! Mrs. McKay, Language Arts

2. CONTACT INFORMATION • E-mail: emily.mckay@acboe.net • (This is the best way for me to communicate!) • Website: www.dpeseagles.com • - “School Staff” • - “Emily McKay” • School Phone: (334)361-6400

3. LANGUAGE ARTS • All tests will be given on Fridays, unless otherwise told. For more information, check the “Calendar” section of my website. • We will be giving a weekly skills test instead of the usual, story comprehension test. • They will be tested on story vocabulary. • I will give you more information on our updated language arts standards as I am given.

4. GRADING • The grading policy for Autauga County has changed this year. Your student will receive two nine weeks grades from my class; one for reading and one for language (which includes grammar, spelling, and writing). • READING: • 50% Daily Grades (includes but not limited to vocabulary and/or word study) • 50% Tests (includes but limited to weekly skills tests, comprehension tests, and/or nine weeks tests) • **UNIT/9 WEEKS TESTS WILL COUNT TWICE!!**

5. GRADING (cont.) • LANGUAGE: • 30% Writing • 20% Daily Grades • 50% Tests (includes but not limited to weekly spelling and grammar tests) • **Includes handwriting: Handwriting will receive “Satisfactory/S”, “Needs Improvement/N”, or “Unsatisfactory/U”.

6. SOAR • ALL infractions are worth 10 points! • Must attend 2 consecutive days of detention in order to receive points back. • A child must have 90 points at the end of the 9 weeks to attend the SOAR celebration. • 80 points – parent contact • 70 points OR 3 SOAR notes – 3 days ISS!

7. TIME FOR KIDS • A weekly, cross-curricular magazine that we will use throughout the year. • Please send in a check or cash of $5.42 in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on it to Mrs. McKay the first week of school. • This will pay for their Time for Kids subscription for the year.

8. THURSDAY FOLDERS • The folder will contain notes and memos from the school as well as graded papers from the previous week. • Graded papers will be stapled together with a parent note on top indicating how many papers are to be in that week’s packet. If your student is missing a paper, please know that they did not turn that in, and have received a zero. • PLEASE return all of Mrs. McKay’s signed, graded papers to her on Friday!!

9. READING LOGS • Reading logs will be given out every two weeks. • Your child is required to read a minimum of 15 minutes each night, complete/fill in the appropriate boxes on the log, and then you (the parent/guardian) initial that they did read the required time for that day. They may read textbooks, A.R. books/library books, magazines, newspapers, etc. • I just want them to read!! • This is an easy 100!!!

10. “POSSIBLE” FIELD TRIPS • DECEMBER 10 -- “A Christmas Carol” at the Children’s Theater in Birmingham, approximately $20. (Includes play, lunch at CiCi’s pizza, and transportation) • MARCH 7 -- American Village in Montevallo, approximately $15. (Includes attraction and transportation. Lunch from home or school will need to be provided.) • MAY 2 -- ATLANTA, GEORGIA!! Georgia Aquarium and the dolphin show, The World of Coke, lunch at The Varsity. Approximately $98 for students, $111 for chaperones. (Includes charter bus transportation, admission to both attractions, and lunch. • VERY IMPORTANT!! We cannot take field trip payments in installments.

11. Any questions???