Fifth Grade Expectations
Welcome to fifth grade! I hope you had a very relaxing and enjoyable summer. I am excited for the year of learning, growing, and fun we have ahead of us! Getting to know each of you and how you learn best is very important to me.
Communication
As a teacher and a parent, I truly feel open communication is vital to having a successful school year. Please feel free to email, call, or write a note in your child’s agenda. Email is the most efficient way to communicate with me. I will return your email within the school day, even if it just to verify that I have received it. If you feel more comfortable speaking over the telephone, that is fine too. Depending on the nature of the conversation, it may need to wait until after the students have been dismissed for the day.
I am also going to be using an app known as Remind. Remind is a simple way to send reminders, assignments, homework, and motivational messages through text messaging. All phone numbers will be private. In order to receive text messages you will need to text 81010 to @hjoy.
Agendas
Students will be given an agenda in which they will be responsible to record their assignments. It is important for you to ask to see your child’s agenda each night in order to know what assignments are given and when they are due. Please take the time to review your child’s agenda and weekly evaluation (explained below) each night.
Weekly Evaluations & Take-Home Folders
Stapled in the agenda each cycle week will be your child’s weekly evaluation. The weekly evaluation is a record of any missed assignments, behavior issues, or commendable behavior your child has accrued throughout the cycle week. The weekly evaluation is a valuable communication tool that will remain stapled in the agenda until it is collected each Day 6. On Day 1 your child will receive a new weekly evaluation.
Each Day 1 your child will bring home their take-home folder. On the right-hand side of the folder you will find papers that require a parent signature. Please take the time to review and sign each graded assignment in the folder with your child. Your child’s weekly evaluation will also be in the take-home folder for signature. I ask that you return these assignments in their take-home folder the very next day. The papers on the left-hand side of the folder should be kept at home.
If you have questions or concerns with any of the assignments in the take-home folder, please email me or send a note in the take home folder, so that I may address them as quickly as possible. This form of communication is very important to me, so I greatly appreciate your help with completing this task. It is a wonderful way to track your child’s progress throughout the school year.
Behavior
I have attached the rules and consequences that I follow in my classroom. I will not be using a color system for behavior to start the year unless the need arises. Commendable and unacceptable behaviors will be recorded on your child’s weekly evaluation.
Reading
ð Treasures
o The students have used this program for the past several years. It is my goal to complete a new story each cycle week. Each story will focus on different comprehension skills, reading strategies, vocabulary, and grammar concepts.
o On Day 1 we will begin a new story. On Day 6 the students will complete the weekly assessment and comprehension check-up for a grade.
ð Literature Circles
o Students will participate in literature circles. They will be provided time during school to read their books and work on literature circle paperwork. However, students may need to complete some of the reading and/or paperwork for homework.
o If the reading for the literature circle book is done outside of school, the student can count the reading time towards their Reading Log time.
o As a class, we will be reading The Liberation of Gabriel King as our first literature circle. I will use this book to model and explain what is expected for each component of the literature circle booklet.
o After we have completed The Liberation of Gabriel King, the students will be put into flexible groups according to their reading levels. Each group will have some choice as to which book they will read and discuss for their literature circle for the remainder of the year.
Writing
ð Pennsylvania Core Coach
o We will begin with writing fictional narratives for our first unit.
Spelling
ð Treasures
o The students have used this program for the past several years. They will be given a new spelling list each cycle week. Each list will focus on a different spelling pattern or rule.
o On Day 1 students will be given a pre-test. They will be given the opportunity to test out of the spelling test given on Day 6 if they misspell no more than one word on the pre-test. They will still be required to complete the spelling packet.
o On Day 6 the spelling packet will be reviewed and collected. Students will take their spelling test.
o Within the classroom, students may have different spelling lists to study.
o Spelling is a portion of your child’s writing grade.
Math
ð Envisions
o We will be piloting a new math program called Envisions this year.
o We will not be starting with this program until the end of September. Until then, we will be using a program aligned to the Common Core Standards known as Buckle Down.
ð Front Row
o This is an app students can access at school and home that is aligned to the Common Core Standards. We will use this periodically during math instruction.
ð Xtramath
o This is an app students can access at school and home that provides students with basic fact fluency practice.
Science & Social Studies
Students will be switching classes for Science and Social Studies. Mrs. Joy will be teaching Science, and Mr. Boltz will be teaching Social Studies. The rotation will be done on a weekly basis. We will begin Science and Social Studies the second week of school.
ð Science
o We will be studying levers and pulleys for our first Science unit.
ð Social Studies
o We will be studying Age of Exploration for our first Social Studies unit.
Homework
Helping your child set up a daily homework time and a quiet study environment will instill a sense of responsibility and pride for completing their work. In fifth grade, students will be assigned homework. I believe homework is important. It is helpful in reinforcing what has been learned throughout the day, teaches responsibility, and helps students develop positive study habits.
ð Reading Log
o Each student is required to read for a minimum of 100 minutes each cycle week (Day 1 through Day 6). Each quarter the number of required minutes will increase 20 minutes. For the second quarter students will be required to read 120 minutes, for the third quarter students will be required to read 140 minutes, and for the fourth quarter students will be required to read 160 minutes.
o Reading logs will be collected and distributed on Day 6, with the exception of the first reading log, which students will receive on the first day of school, Day 1.
o The weekly reading logs are worth 10-16 points (each quarter the point value will increase). In order to earn full credit, parent initials must accompany each entry and the number of minutes recorded must equal or exceed the requirement for the quarter.
o Students may select reading material of their choice to read for their Reading Log. Reading materials could include: fiction texts, non-fiction texts, newspapers, magazines, etc. I will be encouraging the students to read a variety of genres over the course of a marking period for their Reading Logs as well. I may have students bring in their selected reading materials to share with the class periodically.
o The first Reading Log will be due on Monday, August 31st (which is our first Day 6).
ð Book Responses to Reading Log Texts
o For the first marking period students will be required to complete three Book Responses for a text they have recorded in their Reading Logs. They will need to complete a Book Response for a fiction and non-fiction text. The third response will be the student’s choice.
o The Book Responses will be collected on the following dates:
§ September 15th – fiction
§ October 6th – non-fiction
§ October 28th – student choice
o Each Book Response will receive a writing grade worth 5 points and a reading grade worth 10 points.
o Books used for Book Responses must be at your child’s reading level and have a minimum of 150 pages. If your child has a book that has fewer or significantly more than 150 pages that they would like to do a Book Response for, please check with me, so that your child and I can come up with a plan.
o For fictional text, the students will select one of the following choices and write 1-2 paragraphs (approximately 12-15 sentences total) as their Book Response:
§ Make two inferences from the text using evidence to support your ideas (RL 5.1).
§ Identify the theme of the text using evidence to support your ideas (RL 5.2).
§ Compare and contrast two characters in the text using details to support your comparison (RL 5.3).
§ Share three examples of figurative language from the text. Explain why the figurative language is important to the text (RL 5.4).
o For nonfiction text, the students will select one of the following choices and write 1-2 paragraphs (approximately 12-15 sentences total) as their Book Response:
§ Make two inferences from the text using evidence to support your ideas (RI 5.1).
§ Discuss two main ideas from the text (RI 5.2).
§ Explain the relationship between two individuals or events (historical), two ideas or concepts (science or technical) (RI 5.3).
§ Discuss your opinions (two) of the information presented in the text. Support your opinions (two) using reasons given in the text (W 5.1)
o Copies of the Book Response rubrics are attached.
o Extra Credit
§ Students can earn extra credit by completing a Book Response for a text they recorded on their Reading Log. If the student has an idea of their own, please check with me to have the idea approved before completing the written response.
ð Spelling Homework
o Students will be given a spelling packet on Day 1. The spelling packet will be collected on Day 6.
ð Math Homework
o Students will typically be given math homework Monday through Thursday evenings. Occasionally, homework may need to be given over the weekend.
ð Tests
o For all tests, students will be given a study guide or outline at least three nights prior to the test day.
ð Miscellaneous Homework
o Periodically students may be asked to complete an assignment that was started in class. These assignments will ALWAYS be written in their agenda.
Thank you so much for taking time to read over the expectations with your child. Please sign and return the last page once you and your child are comfortable and understand the fifth grade expectations. If you have any questions, please contact me. I am excited to begin our year together!
I have read and understand the expectations for fifth grade.
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Student signature Date
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Parent signature Date