Welcome

1. Welcome To 5W

2. Need to Know Information: Homework • Reading Logs will be sent home every Monday. All students are expected to read at least 100 minutes a week. They are also expected to write the title of the book they’re reading, a short comment or question, and log the number of minutes they read each day. Parents/Guardians are asked to sign the book log each week. These book logs should be returned every Monday. • Math: Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Multiplication facts should be practiced daily if they are not mastered. This is very important! Students may want to go to http://www.multiplication.com to help with this. • Spelling or Vocabulary Homework: During most weeks, students will have spelling or vocabulary homework Monday through Thursday nights. • Spelling tests will be on Fridays. • Other: At times other homework will be assigned. Students should have their homework assignments written in their Hall School Planner.

3. Need to Know Information: Communication School & Home • Papers should come home daily in your student’s homework folder. • As you know, fewer handouts are coming home because our school district has adopted the electronic backpack. Please go to our school web site to access the “Backpack.” Hard copies are available for those homes without a computer. • Feel free to call me at 860-429-9391 ext. 200 or e-mail cwilde@willingtonct.org • Contact me with questions or concerns. I believe home/school communications are very important!

4. Need to Know Information: Ongoing Topics • Math Facts: There will be a multiplication and division fact quiz every month. These quizzes will be timed. Students should be practicing their facts at home. They need to know these facts with automaticity in order to be efficient and successful in math. There are website links which will help your student with fact fluency. Multiplication.com is excellent! • States: Students will be expected to be practicing the location of the fifty United States at home. They will be given study guides to help them study the states within their regions, The North Eastern States, Southern States, etc. Students will take quizzes on the different regions throughout the year. I will provide the students with websites to help them learn the state locations.

5. New Math Program:Envisions • You will receive a “home link” letter at the start of each math unit explaining the topic and providing an at-home activity • Students will have textbooks, and they are responsible for taking good care of them • You will have an e-resource at home • All parents with internet access can log in to their students account

6. EnvisionsE-Resource • What does that mean for you? • You can watch the videos explaining concepts and skills that your student has viewed in school • You can access your child’s performance on assignments/assessments • You have access to tools and manipulatives to help with your child’s learning • You can access online games to strengthen math skills

7. ClassroomReading • Book Clubs: Students will be reading books which they’ll choose according to their interests and levels. They will be discussing their books in small groups. They will also have some class work to do pertaining to their selections. When students complete their books, they will share their reading by writing a book report, performing a part of the book, or sharing a “book hook.” • RACES Rubric: This rubric will be used to grade the students when they are asked to answer a question about a book or article. • R= Restate the question being asked • A= Answer the question being asked • C = Cite evidence from the text to support your answer • E = Explain your answer and support it with specific details about your opinions • S = Sentences: Use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation

8. Writing • Students in fifth grade will be taught to write in several genres this year. We have begun to use the writing process to develop writing Personal Narratives. These are stories which happen in our own lives. Other writing genres will include personal essay, expository/informational essay, memoir, and poetry. • We will continue to use the “writing process.” Students will be • Collecting “seed” ideas which include people places, and emotions; then they’ll be choosing a seed idea to expand. • Drafting • Revising • Editing • Publishing • Celebrating  During the writing process, I will conference with some students each day.

9. Science/ Social Studies • Science • Students will work on labs, developing their understanding of the scientific method • Topics: The moon and Sun, Light & Sound, 5 Senses • Social Studies • Map skills • United States Geography and knowledge about states • -Explorers • -Colonial time period

10. Research Projects • Students will work in partnerships and small groups to create different performance projects displaying their understanding of the essential questions from our science or social studies units. • Some materials may need to be purchased and brought in to school in order to complete the projects • Some project work may need to be completed as homework • Sometimes the project takes the place of a written test

11. SEM-RSchool-Wide Enrichment Model - Reading • Independent Reading Program • Students will be guided into choosing a book that is at their appropriate reading level • Students will choose a book of interest to them • Students will conference with a teacher about what they are reading • Students are responsible for answering questions related to a certain reading concept for their book • Teachers will conduct book hooks to introduce a variety of books to the students

12. Our Grading System • 4= outstanding work, above and • beyond what is expected of 5th graders • 3= completes work at a 5th grade level • 2= needs improvement or modified work, approaching a 5th grade level • 1= incomplete, unsatisfactory work

13. Please go to my web page.It is a work in progress.It will provide you with current information on what students are learning. It will also give you helpful, educational website links.Thanks for coming tonight!Mrs. Wilde

14. Gr. 5 Health – Mr. Duffy • Meets 2X in a 6-day rotation for 40 min. • Topics covered: • Fitness/Nutrition • Bones and Muscles • Respiratory system • Fitness Nutrition • Hygiene

15. Gr. 5 PE – Mr. Duffy • Meets 2X in a 6-day rotation for 40 min. • Topics covered: • Fitness Testing • Basketball • Hockey • Net games unit • Outdoor activities

16. General Music – 5th Grade • Students in music meet once every six school days as part of the Unified Arts Cycle • Topics Covered: • Recorder Playing (Add lower notes) • Writing Songs • How to count in 6/8 and more advanced rhythms in 4/4 • Famous Composers

17. 5th/6th Grade Mixed Chorus • Students in 5th/6th Grade Mixed Chorus sing together in a mixed setting of three part music. • Students at this level work on more advanced music and in addition to their rehearsal, which occurs once every six days for about 30 minutes, meet in smaller sectionals to ensure student success in reading and singing music.   • There are several solo opportunities and students will sing music that are in foreign languages including and not limited to Spanish, Russian, Italian and French. • The 5th & 6th Grade Mixed Chorus will perform in two concerts over the course of the school year. • Winter Concert – December 10th at 6:30pm. • Website: www.hmsmusic.weebly.com

18. 5th & 6th Grade Concert Band • Band in 6th grade rehearses once per six-day rotation as a group with the 5th grade (Day 1) • Instrumental classes also meet once per six-day rotation. In most cases, this is a 20-30 minute class that meets during the last period of the day. • Instrumental music here really focuses on fostering independent, real-world, musicianship and musical skills. As such a great deal of small-group work occurs, as well as giving students the opportunity to make music with more traditional large ensembles. • The handbook detailing expectations was sent home with students and is also available on Ms. Quinn’s page of the school’s website. • Concert is December 10th (Wednesday).

19. The six Connecticut state Standards provide the content for art activities • Instruction for art is structured around my ‘Freedom in a framework” concept. • This concept has three parts: • Skill Development : A skill or technique is presented, students practice • Creative art making: Students use what they have learned with options for original expression. • Enrichment: Historical, cultural, academic, and or connections to daily life are introduced. Grade 5 meets for art once in every 6 day rotation for 40 minutes.

20. Spanish • Spanish class is once every 6 days with Señora Peczuh. • We travel around the world, “visiting” various Spanish-speaking countries to learn about their culture, traditions, and the language. • We begin the year tracking the monarch butterfly migration to Mexico and participate in a symbolic migration. We make and send paper butterflies to Mexico, and in the Spring different paper butterflies make their way back to us.

21. Gr. 5 Computers – Mrs. Platt • Meets 1X in a 6-day rotation for 40 min. • Topics covered: • Computer/Network Basics • Keyboarding with Type to Learn • Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel • Internet Research: Reliability of Websites • Digital Presentations with PowerPoint