Helpful tips, Rules, and Procedures

1. St. Francis of Assisi School - Classrooms 5A and 5B 2015-2016 Helpful tips, Rules, and Procedures

2. We are so glad to have you as a student in fifth-grade and look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you! At St. Francis, we use a website called PowerSchool. You will need a log-in and password for it, if you don’t have one already. Once there, you can see assignments given, know that assignments have been turned in but not graded yet, keep track of grades on tests and assignments, and be alerted to any missing assignments. Go to our classroom Weebly Page for more assignment and subject information and important links, as well as a picture of our daily assignment board. 5A’s page is: mrsosullivanspage.weebly.com. Mrs. Verhines’ page is http://verhines5b.weebly.com You can find a link on your PowerSchool homeroom page. Welcome!

3. Upon arrival, hang up any coats and unpack belongings including books and homework. • If boots are worn to school, they should be left in the hall, as no boots are allowed in the classroom. • Lunches and large rolling backpacks need to be kept in the coatroom area. Regular backpacks may be kept on the hook on your desk. • After unpacking, you should “check in” by answering the question on the rolling cart at the front of the room and then return to your desk to work on your Bell Work. • Students should be in their seats when the bell rings, or they will be considered TARDY. Please work quietly and at your own desk. There will be no talking once announcements have begun. • Bell Work is due on the following Monday for a religion grade. Morning Routine

4. One boy and one girl are allowed to go at a time. • Bathroom privileges are not allowed during instruction time, only during class work and transition times. • You do not have to raise your hand. Quietly put the pass on your desktop, and use the restroom. If the pass is being used, you must wait until it returns. • Water bottles are allowed in class. Please bring them to school filled and ready to use throughout the day. Bathroom Policy

5. Therewill be time for a quick snack in the morning. Please bring a simple, healthy, peanut-free/tree-nut free snack in addition to your lunch. Snack Time

6. Some homework will take only 1 day to complete, however that is not always the case. You will have longer assignments too, such as reports and studying for tests. • Homework should be completed and brought to school on the due date. • Homework will then be corrected and usually returned in a packet every week. • Parents should review all packet work and then sign and return the accompanying packet slip. • Late work will be accepted any time during the quarter but cannot earn full points. Homework

7. In order to better care for our classrooms, we have a rotating assortment of classroom jobs. • Students earn “punches” for completing their jobs. Students can also earn punches for turning in homework on time and for various other good deeds. Ten punches = 1 raffle ticket. • About every 2 weeks, there will be a class raffle to reward students’ efforts with trinkets, change of seat coupons, and other fun stuff. Classroom jobs and incentives

8. Our Religion classes will begin with a few prayers. Everyone will have the opportunity to share an intention, petition or prayer of Thanksgiving. After prayers, we go into the exercise of the day. Each chapter of our book will have one or more assignment(s) and a test. Religion:

9. In Spelling class, we cover one chapter a week. • Usually, we introduce the unit on Monday and then have a pretest on Tuesday. • If you get 100% on the pretest, you do not have to take the final test, but you will receive Champion Challenge words for an incentive (to be explained later). • The final test will be on Friday. • Spelling workbook pages are to be worked on during class time or finished at home. They must be completed by Friday and brought to school to be checked. Some people take spelling/vocab. home to work ahead over the weekend. • There will usually be 2 weeks of Spelling followed by one week of Vocabulary. There is no pretest in Vocabulary, only the final test on Friday. The book pages, however, will also be due on Friday. Spelling

10. Social Studies will involve learning about the history of the early United States. • We will learn about migration, the early civilizations, exploration, colonization, and the American Revolution. • We will use the social studies a new SS textbook. • We will also take notes, define vocabulary, create 3D projects, use graphic organizers, create posters, draw maps, complete worksheets, and watch interesting movies. Social Studies/history

11. Sciencetopics covered this year are the life, physical, and earth sciences. • We will start talking about living things and classification and growth of organisms. • Lab work and hands-on activities are important, and we go to Science Lab about once a week. • Chapter vocabulary will be put on note cards or kept in a journal for study. • There will be worksheets, a vocabulary test and content test at the end of each chapter. Science

12. Math class will consist of a discussion, modeled work, class work, and homework. • Class and homework should be completed before the next class period. • Quizzes will be given, and some are unannounced. • We will review all material before each test. • Homework is graded on a 1-5 point scale. • Math must be done in pencil! Math

13. It is expected that students will know/learn cursive handwriting. We will practice cursive handwriting at the beginning of the year. Cursive must be used for some assignments. Cursive alphabet are available for use at your desk if needed. Cursive Handwriting

14. During Reading class, we will READ We will read as a whole class, in groups, and independently. You will also listen to reading, discuss what you are reading, and write about what you have read. In English class we will study grammar, such as types of sentences and parts of speech. We will also review mechanics, such as punctuation and capitalization. There will be many opportunities to write this year. We will learn how to brainstorm ideas and organize them into a draft. We will revise and edit our drafts and, finally, publish our finished product. Students are required to take at least 2 Accelerated Reader quizzes EACH quarter. About half-way through the quarter, 1 quiz will be due with the remaining quiz due closer to the end of the quarter. More information on how to do this will be given in class soon. Language arts

15. Once a day, you will switch classrooms with 5A. • During Read-Aloud time, the classroom supervisor will ask Mrs. O’Sullivan what materials are needed for Reading and English. • They will then write those items on the board. When called, your table will gather the needed supplies quietly and sit back down. • When it is time to switch classes, you will line up completely prepared with all homework, reading/English materials, pencil case, and punch ticket. It is helpful to also bring your binder and planner as well. You will not be allowed to run back and forth to get your supplies. Stick to the right side and switch Exchanging Classrooms:

16. If you carefully finish your classwork and there is still time available, you may do the following: • READ – have a book handy and in your desk at all times. • DRAW/COLOR – there is some scratch paper available, but if you REALLY like to draw, you may want to bring in a sketch book to keep in your desk. • CLEAN YOUR DESK – take a moment to reorganize your things. • FINISH ASSIGNMENTS – independently work on some of your other assignments. • PRACTICE HANDWRITING – grab a piece of paper and practice writing the cursive alphabet. • STUDY FLASHCARDS – quiz yourself on vocabulary flashcards or spelling words. What to do if you finish your work

17. I will make a new seating chart about every month. • Look above your table group to see what table number you have. • Your group can earn Table Points for keeping your tables neat, behaving well at specials, coming in quietly from reading and English, and from having the MYSTERY WALKER when traveling to specials. Sadly, you can lose table points, too • At the end of the month, the winning table group will receive a prize. The seating arrangement

18. These are posted in class on the lockers, but here are the BIG ones: • Eat at YOUR desk. Even if the lunch parent is your mom or dad, and says it is okay, it isn’t. • If you have anything with peanuts or tree-nuts, or if you aren’t sure if they are safe, you need to let the teacher or lunch parent know and go over to eat in the 5B classroom. Also, do not leave a mess in our neighbor’s classroom; clean up after yourself! • After you are done eating, please dispose of all trash, including anything that fell on the floor. Lunch room and recessrules

19. At the end of each day, everyone must take out their planner. • We will go over all homework assignments and review what is needed to complete them. You need to make sure everything is written down. • Check to be sure your table group’s floor space is clean while I am checking other students. You can earn a point if it is clean. • After everyone’s planner has been checked, we will say a prayer together and then tables will be dismissed to gather textbooks, coats, and lunches and pack everything up to go. • Some students will have end-of-school jobs, and these should be completed at this time. • When all packed, you need to put your chair up and stand at your desk until the bell rings. The door will not open until all this is done Dismissal:

20. Here’s to a great year! That is it for now…