 My homeroom comes in each morning at 7:30 a.m. and unpacks their things immediately. They may talk quietly as they unpack until the bell rings at 7:45 a.m.  When they are unpacked, they are to work on the morning work power point which has either a Social Studies assignment or a Language review.  None of the morning work is ever for a grade. It is usually just practice or review of a skill we have learned.  Mrs. Johnston’s class will come to me each day at 9:45 and they will also complete the morning work.

 Grades  Point system:  Projects/Cooperative group work/Quizzes  Class work  A=  B=  C=  D=  F= 0-59

 Take Home Folders:  Please sign the left side to let us know you have reviewed their papers.  Folders should be returned on Monday (Tuesday at the latest).  Agenda:  Students should copy assignments from the board daily.  Check agendas for notes about missing work.  Check the newsletter for test/quiz/project dates  Each student’s conduct chart is inside the front of their binder. Please ask to see this every day.  Check classdojo.com for additional behavior if you choose.

 Don’t forget to write a small note of encouragement to your child on the post- it note on their desk. They will see this first thing tomorrow morning!  If you have any further questions, you may me or write them down on a post –it. I will gladly respond to you this week.  Remember to notice: your child’s writing sample, “shelfies” in the hall, and the letter to their parent(this is yours to keep!)  Your child left their journals on their desk for you to see. Please take a moment to look through those. If you’d like to leave a comment for your child to see when they open their journal(s), there are sticky notes on the red bookshelf by the door.

 Your child will receive a “skills mark” based on their class work and reading responses.  These grades are based on certain standards your child must meet each nine weeks. We have a checklist of standards we will teach each nine weeks. We will be sending home a parent copy of these standards for each nine weeks in folders. Your child’s grade will come from meeting those standards. Look for that checklist in Friday folders.  The grading scale is now a 1, 2, or 3 in Reading and Language. Spelling is addressed in a Language standard and is assessed in your child’s writing.

o 3= Meeting the standard o 2= Working toward the standard o 1=Working below grade level standard o The report card will be all on one page this year divided into subjects including behavior/soft skills.

 Fluency in reading WILL be a part of your child’s standards this year. They will receive a 1 or 3 based on how fluently and accurately they read and understand a passage.  We will also record your child’s current reading benchmark level on the report card each nine weeks.  There will not be AR tests this year. I do status of the class every day to see your child’s progress in their independent reading book. They must read every day for about 20 minutes or 10 pages a day. This can be done at school or at home. This is a minimum. Reading= Thinking!  During Status of the class, I also sign 40 book challenge tally sheets each day.

 This year, we have started a class 40 book challenge. The information for this is in your child’s red folder.  Remember, this is a challenge! I may not even make it myself, but I do reward the class for every 10 books they read.  After 10 books, the student receives a coupon to bring a drink and snack of their choice for the day.  After 20 books, I give them a candy bar (full size) and they may bring a drink.  After 30 books, I will provide them with a drink and snack of their choice.  After 40 books, they will be recognized at our 40 books challenge party in May and they will get to choose a brand new book to keep.

 We will begin reading class each day with a whole group skill starting next week. On Mondays, we learn a new comprehension skill or standard, Tuesdays we do the vocabulary, Wednesdays and Thursdays we will do a word study lesson and an activity or graphic organizer to review the weekly standard.  Fridays will be a little different this year. In a few weeks, I would like to start a project based research project called Genius Hour. The students will research any appropriate topic they choose during Reading block and present the information to the class in a format they choose such as a poster, play, multimedia presentation such as Animoto, or Power Point. I will send home information about this in September. We will also be reading our Time for Kids magazines on Friday.

 After our whole group lesson, we will begin a novel study on the book Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This will be our first novel of the year we read as a class. Second semester we will be reading Taking Liberty: The Story of Oney Judge by Ann Rinaldi.  After whole group, we will break into small groups or have independent time to work on response entries or graphic organizers that support the standards we are teaching.  Some examples of activities we do in small group include: review of weekly skill, read small leveled readers, vocabulary review, or enrichment activities based on your child’s level.  Every Friday, your child must write a one page reading response about the book they are reading independently or our class novel. The reading responses will be written in the reading response section of their reading folders along with any mini lesson notes we take in class. The first response will be due September 5, but I send home a schedule of when these are due.

 This is a great source for you to know what is happening in our room!  There are also links related to reading and language class.

 This year, we would love to set aside a few minutes to meet with you about your child’s progress  If you would like to meet with your child’s homeroom teacher, please sign up for a time on the sign up sheet in the hall outside your homeroom teacher’s classroom.  The slots are for 15 minutes and will be offered on two different days. If neither of those times work for you, let us know!