Welcome to Fifth Grade

1. Welcometo Fifth Grade

2. Teachers Candi Holt Missy Bailey Tessa Hardiman

3. Welcome! We are so excited that you are going to be in our classrooms this year. A good learning experience is built on the efforts of the child, parents, and teachers, and we hope with your help, that your child will experience significant growth in their academic life this year.

4. 5th Grade Handbookand Notes for Reference

5. Student Rights • To be informed of laws and local board of education and individual school rules and policies regarding rules of conduct. • To be informed as to the specific grounds of the violation (s) of the local board of education’s code of student conduct.

6. Student Responsibilities • To abide by laws and local board of education and individual school rules and policies regarding the right to learn. • To take advantage of opportunities provided for learning. • To avoid hindering the teaching process. • To seek assistance if needed, to aid learning. • To obey rules regarding attendance, conduct, free speech, student publications, assembly, privacy, and participation in school programs and activities.

7. Free Speech, Student Publications, Assembly, School Programs and Activities, and Respect for Person, Privacy, and Property • Students have rights and responsibilities concerning free speech, student publications, assembly, school programs and activities, and respect for persons, privacy, and property as listed on pages 09-10 of the student handbook.

8. Classroom Rules • Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself. • Respect yourself and others. • Follow all directions the first time they are given. • Change tasks quickly and quietly. • Eyes front and mouth closed when the teacher is talking.

9. Consequences • If you choose to break the rules: • First Time: Warning • Second Time: Silent Lunch • Third Time: Parent Contact/Email • Fourth Time: Principal’s Office • Severe Clause: Major problems will result in an immediate visit to the Principal’s office.

10. Consequences Continued…. • If a child chooses to break the rules, he/she will write his/her name on the board. For each subsequent offense the student will then place check marks for every rule broken and serve a consequence. The number of check marks during the nine-week grading period will determine the conduct grade for the period. Students will be rewarded for good behavior. The students who receive 10 or fewer marks during each 9 week period will have the opportunity to watch a movie. Those students receiving more than 10 check marks will be isolated in another room with another teacher for the duration of the movie. • Let’s have a great year!!!!!!

11. Rewards • Praise • Positive Notes Home • Various Other Positive Perks! • The Joy of Learning!!!!

12. Conduct Grades • Conduct Grades: • Good BehaviorA • Needs ImprovementB • Specific Behavior ProblemsC • Serious Behavior Problems D • Major Behavior F

13. Homework • Homework is an important part of your child’s learning experience. It is not given as a form of punishment, and we do not give it as busy work. Homework is given so your child can practice the skills that he/she learned at school on that particular day. It teaches your child how to work on his/her own and is a good way for you as a parent to stay informed and involved with what your child is learning at school. • Homework assignments will be written on the board daily. Class time, if possible, will be given to work on assignments. It is the responsibility of each child to write the assignments in his/her homework planner. It is important for the child to complete as much as possible independently; however we do encourage parental supervision with homework. Please check for understanding and completion of the assignments. • Planners can be purchased for $3.00 on the first day of school.

14. Grades and Tests • Your child will receive at least one grade for every subject area per week. Some grades will come from tests and daily work; some will be from projects or homework assignments. Grades will be weighted this year. • Each Tuesday we will send home your child’s graded papers and a behavior report. When this comes home, please go over the papers with your child and review any items that he/she missed. This will help the students to review the skills on which they need to work. Once you have reviewed these papers - the daily papers and the test papers – please sign the behavior report and return the packet with graded papers on Wednesday to the teacher.

15. Weighted Grades • Reading – 90% - To be broken down in to two major categories: Daily Grades – 60% and Test Grades – 30%. Spelling – 10% to be averaged into Reading. 100% Total • In each subject of Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language – 60% Daily Grades and 40% Test Grades. 100% Total

16. Promotion Requirement • Each child must pass four of the six units which must include language, mathematics, and reading. Language should include satisfactory performance in writing narrative, descriptive, and expository essays. Other courses to be considered are spelling, science, social studies, and physical education.

17. P.E. Attire • Please limit shoes to tennis shoes due to lack of space to store additional items (other than in their backpack). We cannot have items sitting around the students’ desk/floor areas as it would provide the risk of someone tripping/falling.

18. School Supplies

19. Car Riders • Students who ride home with parents or friends will be dismissed from the South exit (near the new gym). If your child is going to go home with a friend or you must make different arrangements for their after school care one day, please send a note stating where he/she is going and who will pick them up. This note must be signed by an administrator. If there is no note, they will be sent home following their usual routine whether it is by bus or car line. This is a safety precaution that is in your child’s best interests.

20. Weather/Emergency Plans • Students and parents need to have a weather/emergency situation plan. This plan should include who will pick your child up and where he/she will go pending early dismissal due to weather/emergency situations. Please be sure to include this information on the student information sheets (Emergency Contacts). We will be developing a school Weather Alert/Emergency Contact e-mail list that will allow us to contact you and provide you with information about early dismissals, etc. if and when the need arises.

21. Attendance • Students are tardy after 7:50 a.m. this year. After four tardies, the student will be referred to the School Attendance Officer. When and if this were to occur, you will receive a note that will require your signature. You may also receive a phone call from school personnel or the resource officer to notify of the procedures to follow to take care of this issue. Please refer to the Limestone County Handbook for all attendance policies.

22. Attendance • “Mama” Notes or notes from parents – limited to ten days per year. • Medical/Dental – documentation from the doctor is required. • Death in the Immediate Family • Quarantine • Religious Holidays – Prior Approval of Principal Required • Court Summons • Principal Merit Days - Prior Approval of Principal Required • Educational Value Days - Prior Approval of Principal Required

23. In School Suspension (ISS) • This is another behavior/discipline option that may be used during the school year. Students assigned to ISS will simply be in a designated classroom near the library where they will complete their schoolwork in isolation. They will go to the lunchroom as a group, get their meals, and bring them back to the room to eat in isolation. Hopefully, the student(s) will learn from their mistake.

24. Suspension • When a child is suspended, he/she remains at home, and is not allowed on school property for any reason. The parent would receive a discipline notice signed by an administrator when and if his/her child is suspended, and chances are that the parent would also be notified by phone as well. The students suspended receive zeroes for the grades taken in their absence. They are not allowed to receive grades for the schoolwork; however, we will send work home with those students as the practice/assignments will help them keep up with the class and hopefully will reduce the consequences of lost instruction time. This discipline option is used in extreme behavior cases and is also used as a last resort.

25. Lunch • Students can pay for lunches weekly or daily. If you send a check, please make it payable to Elkmont High School. Can drinks are not permitted in the lunchroom, and you cannot bring in food packaged and labeled from outside food establishments. (In addition, parents cannot bring the food in packaged this way.) Menus for the lunchroom are provided monthly and are also posted on our school website. Please check the student handbook on prices as they change from year to year.

26. Break • Students will have 10 minutes for break each day. Please send CORRECTsnack money if you are going to allow your child to purchase snacks at school. We do not have the time to make change on a daily basis. Chips, drinks, and snacks will be priced anywhere from $0.50 to $0.75 and juice will be $0. 75 a day.

27. Planning Time • Parent conferences will be held during P.E. classes or if necessary after school. All conferences will need to be scheduled ahead of time, and all parents must sign in at the office upon arriving to school and as they depart from the school.

28. Make -Up Work • When a student is absent, it is his/her responsibly to obtain assignments missed, complete them, and turn in the make-up work within three days upon their return to school. In extreme cases where there are multiple absences, additional time for completion may be permitted. PLEASE call and request make-up work to be sent to the office by the end of the day. You or your designee make pick up the work in the office at the end of the day

29. Donation Items • Pencils, Loose-Leaf Paper, Blue Pens, Red Pens, Highlighters, Paper Towels, Wet Wipes, Kleenex, Air Fresheners, and Any Cleaning Supply – Febreze, Pine Sol Wipes, Germex, Clorox Wipes, Etc…Any of these items donated to my classroom will be greatly appreciated!!!!!

30. Classroom Procedures

31. Pencil Sharpeners, Lockers, etc… • You will receive sharpened pencils in the morning before school. If your pencil breaks, I will assign you another pencil during the day.  If your pencil needs sharpened, I will need to give you permission to go to the pencil sharpener! • You may only go to your cubbies when given permission to do so or when you are asked to change out materials. • You may not get out of your seat unless you are given permission while the teacher is in front of the class teaching.

32. Bathroom Procedures • Only allowed if it is an emergency. (We will go to the rest room at designated times.) • One person may leave at a time. • Take the hall pass/bathroom pass. • No, absolutely, no detours allowed!

33. Hallway Procedures • No talking in the hallways. • Single file in the hallway. • Go straight to and return straight from destination.

34. Computer Lab Procedures • Sit in assigned seat. • Follow log in/log out procedures as posted. • Participate in the assigned lesson. • Do not “surf” the internet or go to any unapproved web sites. Everyone completes assigned project only! • Everyone works independently unless assigned. No talking. Raise your hand for permission to speak or leave your seat. (If you are working with a partner, keep talking to an absolute minimum.) • Follow all computer lab rules as posted.

35. Lunchroom Procedures • Sit in assigned section. Do not sit at another table or wander around the lunchroom. • Once you are seated, do not trade seats or move around unnecessarily. • Wait until you are signaled to go and dump your tray. • Keep noise to a minimum. (The first ten minutes of lunch is silent.) If your noise level is excessive, this will result in silent lunches.

36. Emergency Drills • We have fire drills and tornado drills once a month. • We consider these drills to be a very important part of our school safety plan. • Do not talk during these drills.

37. Announcements • When someone is making an announcement, mouths are automatically closed. There is no talking allowed during announcement times.

38. Phone Use • Office Phone – The office telephones at each school within the System are not for student use except in emergency situations as determined by the principal. • Cell Phones – As of right now, cell phones may be carried on school grounds by students, but they must not be on during instructional times. These must stay in your backpacks during the instructional day.

39. Student Academic Honesty • A student who cheats will not receive credit for the work in question. If any other student has cooperated in the cheating, that student is also considered to have cheated and will not receive credit. Cheating students will also be subject to the consequences in the disciplinary consequences listed in the student handbook.

40. Student Academic Honesty • Cheating is defined to include, but is not limited to: • Copying someone else’s work in or out of class and identifying and submitting it as your own. • Failing to quote and/or list appropriate citations for material derived from published sources (including the Internet) and identifying and submitting it as your own. • The use of unauthorized notes, other materials, or assistance during the accomplishment of graded work in or out of class. • Any other situation in which the student attempts to or accepts credit for work not his or her own.

41. Codes of Conduct • Dress Codes • Weapons Policy

42. Dress Code • Jewelry and Body Piercing • Except for piercing of the ear and wearing of earrings, wearing of other body piercing items on any part of the body is allowed. • Students will not wear or have in their possession any jewelry, ornaments, or accessories that distract from the educational process or that might be used as a weapon. Includes but is not limited to: wallet chains, oversized chains and/or clothing.

43. Dress Code • Pants, Shorts, Dresses and Skirts • Appropriate dress for students must be worn that does not reveal the body in an inappropriate manner, e/g clothing must not be too tight, bare at the midriff, or sides. • Shorts, skirts, and dresses too short in length are not allowed. A general guide to the length is that the item should fall below the tips of the fingers when arms are fully extended to the side; however, due to physical differences in some students, this guide may mean that some items are still too short. • Pants or shorts worn below the waistline or those that display what is or appears to be an undergarment are not allowed. No pajamas. • Pants should not be oversized, too tight, sagging, or revealing. Pants legs must be worn at the same length. • Undergarments or undergarment areas are not to be exposed at any time.

44. Dress Code • Shirts, Blouses, and Tops • Shirts or tops must cover the stomach, back area and chest area completely at all times. • A student’s attire must cover all undergarments or undergarment areas. • Strapless, off the shoulder tops, spaghetti straps, tops with strap areas less than three inches wide, sheet or see-through clothing are not allowed. • Tops with large arm holes or cutout sleeves are not allowed. • Clothing must not include pictures, writings, symbols, etc., promoting, acknowledging or suggesting drugs, tobacco products, alcohol, sexual activities, gangs, groups, individuals, or activities that would be considered potentially dangerous, disruptive, or hazardous to the student, to other students, or to the school environment.

45. Dress Code • Footwear • Shoes or sandals must be worn at all times. No hard cleated shoes, house slippers, or foot apparel determined to be dangerous or a safety hazard may be worn.

46. Dress Code • Head Coverings and Sunglasses • Except for religious purposes, hats and head coverings may not be worn in school buildings. Includes but is not limited to: caps or hats, bandanas, headbands/sweatbands, combs, or picks in the hair that can be construed as weapons. • The wearing of nonprescription sunglasses is not allowed.

47. Dress Code • Additional • All belts must be fastened. Suspenders must be worn over the shoulder and fastened. • No compression type apparel must be worn as outer garments. • Holes in all clothing items must fall below the tips of the fingers when arms are fully extended to the sides. • Students, who for religious reasons, do not choose to dress in the prescribed physical education attire shall be given the opportunity to choose alternate attire in keeping with religious beliefs and the goals and objectives of said class. • Personal appearance or attire that interferes with or distracts from the instructional program or that creates a health hazard is not allowed. • The Principal may allow exceptions in dress for a specific activity, e.g., athletic events, drama productions, celebrations, etc., but exceptions are only for those activities.

48. Weapons Policy • Knives, guns, or lethal or dangerous weapons are not allowed in the students’ possession.

49. Other • Private party invitations such as birthday parties, etc…, may not be distributed at the local school. • Cannot accept gift deliveries. • Cannot bring in foods in containers with names on them such as Subway, etc…, for to be consumed in the lunchroom. • You lose a book, you must pay for it. (This includes workbooks assigned.) • 4-H Forms all must be signed and returned. Everyone in 5th grade is in 4-H. 

50. The End! • We are looking forward to having a great year!