Welcome 5 th Grade Parents

1. Welcome 5th Grade Parents

2. Schedules • Students have been provided a personal copy • A schedule for each teacher can be found on the Highland website.

3. Mrs. Drake’s 5th Grade 2009-2010 Schedule

6. Behavior Expectations • Candid discussion with students about what they think should happen in a classroom setting to establish a community of learners. • We discuss our rules and expectations with our students continually to establish a quiet, productive learning/working environment.

7. Assignment Notebooks • The Assignment Notebook will be used this year every Monday through Thursday. • Parent signatures would be greatly appreciated, but if missing or late work begins to be a problem for your child, expect a phone call to help get him/her back on track.

8. Homework • Homework given on Monday – Thursday nights; may sometimes happen over the weekend if working on a long-term project. • Your child will never have assignments to work on over school vacations, with the exception of nightly reading.

9. Homework • Many students seem to have very busy after-school schedules, so please have your child plan accordingly for those nights. • He/She might benefit from missing recess to work on homework in order to free up an evening full of activities. • We are in the room everyday if students need to stay in to get work done, or for extra help!

10. Homework – Important Points to Consider • Find the right place for your child to work – where is the best environment for your child to work independently? • Have your child gather all the necessary materials to avoid getting up & down many times in the course of an hour; evaluate the actual time on task. • Organize homework & set priorities according to the due dates.

11. Homework – Guide and Assist • You know how much intervention you need to provide your child when it comes to completing homework. • A child should be able to get at least 80% of a homework assignment correct on their own if they are showing an understanding of the skill. • The amount of homework each night may vary, but should not exceed one hour of work time. This may or may not include the 30 minutes of nightly reading.

12. Homework – Reasonable help is great! • Do not allow your child to fall prey to learned helplessness; if too many questions are asked, can’t explain concepts, process, etc.– sent back for direct help from the teacher. • Students will NEVER be penalized for bringing in an incomplete assignment due to the lack of understanding. • It would be helpful to hear from you via a written note or email so the teacher can be most productive in resolving the issue.

13. Checking Homework • From our standpoint checking homework is not necessary. • Children need to learn it is okay to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. • We place more emphasis on student effort, attitude, explanations of process, and participation than on the actual grade.

14. Checking Homework • If you feel the need to check/correct homework, please mark items and have your child go back through an assignment and make corrections while talking you through his/her process. • This will provide you insight on where a problem lies so you can contact the teacher if needed.

15. Missing and/or Late Assignments • Our policy is to deal with each student on an individual basis. • Look for notes in the Assignment Notebook or a phone call from the teacher should the need arise. • If there is a problem, we will contact you.

16. Absences from School • Our Rule: two days to complete work for every one day your child is absent. • The student needs to discuss missing work with the teacher when he/she returns to school as it is not always necessary to make up everything.

17. Absences from School • Please allow your child to be sick and get better without the worry of homework. • Trust we will work with your child to be certain he/she will get missing assignments completed.

18. Missing school due to a family trip -- • Please notify the teacher of the dates your child will be out, but know it is not always possible to send all the work with your child for the days of his/her absence. • The teacher will work with each situation on an individual basis.

19. Language Arts • Recreational Reading – Expectation of reading 30 minutes. • Extremely important to read to your child, with your child, as well as allowing your child time to read independently.

20. Language Arts • There are no reading calendars in 5th grade as we use a different tracking system. • The recording sheet will be handed out and explained to the students on Monday, August 31st. • Independent Reading/Guided Reading/Book Clubs/Written Literature Responses/Word Work

21. Reading Log

22. Standardized and Building Assessments • MAPs: • District Testing Window – August 24th through September 25th and April 5th through May 7th. • Fall Schedule – 5th Grade is testing the week of August 24th and August 31st.

23. Standardized and Building Assessments • CSAP: • Testing in the areas of Reading, Writing, Math & Science • Testing Window – March 8th through April 2nd, which includes make-ups. • Actual testing window for 5th grade is March 8th – 19th; we will test every day.

24. Standardized and Building Assessments • We will send home specific information regarding testing days and times for the CSAP assessments. • Please avoid scheduling appointments during this time as your child will need to make up any of these missed assessments.

25. Standardized and Building Assessments • Students who are currently on an active ILP will be given an Individual Reading Inventory by their classroom teacher. • This assessment will be given three times throughout the year. • Individual Writing Assessment is given three times a year; students write to a specific prompt, which is similar to CSAP.

26. Field Trips • Denver Museum of Science and Nature/Outreach Program – The New Me class focusing on the subjects of puberty and early adolescence. (May 2010) • Adventures in the Performing Arts • Trips to the Middle School – April Music Concert and May school tours of Euclid and Powell.

27. Trimesters • First Trimester ends November 6th / Report Cards go home on November 18th. • Second Trimester ends February 12th / Report Cards go home on February 24th. • Third Trimester ends May 21st / Report Card go home.

28. Conferences Conference will be held: • The evening of October 14th and all day October 15th. • The evening of March 3rd and all day March 4th.

29. Extras • If you wish to bring in birthday treats for your child, please know that he/she will be sharing them during our afternoon Science/Social Studies block. • Both the Halloween and the Valentine’s parties are being held the morning from 9:15 – 10:30.

30. PLEASE keep the lines of communication open. • We are here to work as a team to provide your child with a strong foundation for Middle School and to assure a successful end to his/her elementary years. • It is another transitional year in your child’s life, but we promise to make it a smooth one. • Do not hesitate to contact us. Marlene Drake – mdrake@lps.k12.co.us Deb Franks – dfranks@lps.k12.co.us Krista Williams – klwilliams@lps.k12.co.us

31. Thank you for your time and support! It is truly appreciated  Marlene Drake, Deb Franks and Krista Williams