1. Grade 5 An Overview of the Year

2. What is my child doing this year? Building skills in reading, writing and Math Exploring the past as it relates to the present Working with numbers to 1 000 000 Learning about body systems – skeletal, muscular, respiratory Learning about the importance of nutrition and the effect it has on your body

3. Science Topics of study are: – Science 5, Life Science: Meeting Basic Needs and Maintaining a Healthy Body and Health Education 5, My Body, My Self: Body Function, Growth, and Care Skeletal, Muscular, and Nervous Systems Digestive, Excretory, Respiratory, and Circulatory Systems Growth and Development Science and Health will be integrated for this topic. Other Health outcomes will be addressed separately as well as the following Science topics:

4. Earth and Space Science ( Weather ) Physical Sciences: Forces and Simple Machines Physical Science: Properties of and Changes in Material

5. Social Studies Unit One: Introduction - Develop an understanding of how we learn about the past Unit Two: Environment - Explain how environment influenced the development of an ancient society Unit Three: Social Structure - Explain the importance of social structure in a society from the middle ages Unit Four: Decision-Making - Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse societies of First Nations and Inuit, in what later became CanadaAND examine decision-making practices in First Nations and Inuit societies in what later became Atlantic Canada Unit Five: Interactions - Examine interactions between British and French and First Nations and Inuit in what later became Atlantic Canada Unit 6: My Society - Illustrate the similarities and differences of past societies and your society

6. Assessment –there are a variety of ways that students are assessed Informal Conferences with student Anecdotal notes Observation Classwork Self assessment Peer assessment Formal Rubrics – scale 1 to 4 Reading records Tests, quizzes Projects In class assignments

7. Provincial Homework Policy The new policy was created to set clear expectations create consistency among schools across the province Expectations Age and developmentally appropriate homework will be assigned in all classes and all grade levels Every student will not necessarily receive the same homework because not every child can do the same Teachers will use their professional judgement to determine when to assign homework, what to assign, and how much

8. The Purpose of Homework PreparePractice Enrich Gather materials for class Rehearse for a presentation Read an article for a class discussion Read for pleasure Practice basic literacy and math skills Practice an instrument Apply new knowledge to complete a project Research local news about a topic being discussed in class Investigate a science experiment Write personal reflections in a journal Apply a variety of skills to a larger project

9. What could this look like for older students? Reading to prepare for upcoming activities or classroom discussions Practicing a presentation Practicing learned skills (i.e., balancing chemical equations, music or band pieces) Applying a variety of skills to a longer-term project Writing reflections on learning in a journal or blog Researching a topic being studied in class Preparing for a test or exam

10. Feedback and Evaluation Homework is another way for teachers to see if students have understood a new idea or skill Teachers will check homework and provide feedback to students. For example, – acknowledge that a student successfully completed the homework – let students know what they did well and how they could improve Day-to-day homework will not count toward students’ grades. Longer-term projects and assignments will be reviewed to provide feedback to students and may count toward their grades.

11. What can you do as a family? Provide encouragement Help your child develop study skills at home (e.g. getting organized, breaking tasks into smaller parts) Set up a space for homework Help your child balance time spent on homework, extracurricular, and out-of-school activities (e.g. help them to set up a homework schedule) Speak to your child’s teacher if they are struggling with their homework

12. Code of Conduct The new Provincial Code of Conduct can be simplified for Grade 5 students to the following: -Respect others -Keep your hands and feet to yourself -Accept responsibility for your behaviour

13. Remember students are responsible for their homework/homework notebook and remembering what they need Please email me with any questions/concerns/information important to your child’s daily life – mbernard-nauss@hrsb.ca mbernard-nauss@hrsb.ca – Link to website on RRS staff page – click the star by my name Questions?