1. Welcome to 5 th Grade Math 2014 - 2015 Important Dates to Remember: STAAR Math 5 - March 30, 2015 STAAR Reading – March 31, 2015 STAAR Math 6 – April 21, 2015 STAAR Science – April 22, 2015

2. Jennifer Tuhowski Cheryl Sanders 5 th Grade Mathematics email: jtuhowski@dpisd.org csanders@dpisd.org 832.668.8500 ext. 85506 Conference Time: 8:00–8:45 or after schooljtuhowski@dpisd.org  www.dpisd.org/fe www.dpisd.org/fe  www.bigbrainz.com/Schools.php www.bigbrainz.com/Schools.php  www.brainpop.com www.brainpop.com  Username: fairmontes  Password: brainpop

3. Daily Schedule 7:35-7:50Homeroom 7:55-8:45PE/Music – Teacher Conference 8:50-10:201 st Period 10:25-11:552 nd Period 12:00-2:203 rd Period/Recess/Lunch 12:25-12:55 Lunch (Walker/Davis) 12:30-1:00 Lunch (Tuhowski/Freshour) 12:35-1:05 Lunch (Baker/Seymour) 2:20-2:30Homeroom/Prepare to go home

4. Homeroom Expectations: o Conduct sheets are sent home on Friday and must be signed and returned to each homeroom teacher by the following Tuesday or else a warning will be given and the parent will be contacted by the teacher on Thursday of that same week. A signed note will be taken in lieu of a lost conduct sheet.

5. Arrival/Dismissal  Morning Drop-off Reminders:  Drop off in front of school is for Day Care, busses, and special needs students ONLY!  All other students will be dropped off in the side parking lot. If you choose not to wait in line, you MUST park your car and walk your student using the appropriate cross-walks…PLEASE (for your child’s safety) DO NOT allow them to walk alone though the busy parking lot.  Dismissal Reminders:  Please have visor tags showing at every pick-up.  If you don’t have it visible, you will be asked to go to the front office to sign out your student. They will NOT be able to get in the car with you until this is done.

6. PBIS – Positive Behavior Intervention and Support  Please be aware that your child is hearing common everyday language school-wide.  There also is a matrix that goes over our S.O.A.R. expectations for different places across the building.

7. The 5th Grade Math Giving Tree  There are apple cut-outs on our math doors. These are some items that we will be using throughout the course of the year in math. We would appreciate any help with purchasing any of these items that you might be able to help with! Just send them to school with your child.  We APPRECIATE your generosity and support in advance!  For our Classroom Economy Auction, we would GLADLY accept any donations for this monthly activity. Please keep them under a $5 value (i.e. Target dollar section, dollar store, $5 gift card to any retail store, etc.)  Please label these donations with your child’s name and period so that we can ensure that we use it for that period’s auction.

8. Classroom Expectations:  Students are required to keep a Mathematics Binder and an Interactive Notebook. We do our Target Math, daily word problems, take notes and give examples in this binder/notebook. This is to keep them organized and to train them for higher level math classes. Binder/notebook will stay in class unless necessary for homework or to study by. These items MUST be present EVERYDAY in class.  Daily assignments are to be completed in class.  Mathematics homework will be assigned on any given 2-3 days throughout the week (Mon-Thurs, due the next day). Homework will be manageable and it will be over a skill previously mastered.

9. Classroom Expectations:  There will be 1-2 Quizzes per unit given in order to assess knowledge skills taught to ensure that students are staying on par. There will be Unit Tests given at the end of the unit and they will be counted twice.  Please note that each student is allowed to Correct/Sign/&Return (CSR) any paper that is below a 70 only 3 times per nine week grading period. This is a school-wide policy. However, the student will be correcting the paper during class time and once corrections are complete, it will come home for your signature and then must be returned for credit.

10. Things to Help Your Child Be Successful:  Your child NEEDS to be fluent in their multiplication/division facts. Having their facts memorized will greatly benefit them on many different aspects of their math learning.  Have Number Talks with your child to help them see how numbers are flexible and that they can be broken down into more simple terms sometimes. Talk about the EVERYDAY use of math…I am trying to encourage and teach some basic number sense. Encourage your child to be a RISK-TAKER at all times and to always TRY every question!

11. Closing: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with your child my passion for math…hopefully, together, we can encourage a life-long love for mathematics for your child!!! I am looking forward to a successful school year! If I may be of assistance, please feel free to call or e-mail. Jennifer Tuhowski “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.” -S. Gudder