BACK TO SCHOOL THEY GO!!! With Miss. Pezzuti Please click the picture to hear a personal welcome to 5 th grade!

* I believe in working from the idea that all students are different. We will be spending lots of time this year working individually and in small groups based on similar needs and goals. * I love technology, so I use a lot of videos, pictures, and power points, o teach my lessons. * I move around a lot, and I change things up as I teach. I love to dance, so I will try and keep your students as active as possible during class activities *I care about your children, I want the best for them, and I will do everything I can to make school “not so bad”! All About Me Not Actually Me!

Things To Be Aware of *Children are expected to read books of their choice. This is a major part of the reading workshop. I have a vast library for them to choose from, but they may also bring books from home or from the library. *I will be sending a weekly folder with graded work, PTA announcements, and other to go home papers. *Students will be responsible for filling out planners daily. I will stamp them so I know they were signed! Someone at home will need to sign their planner weekly so I am aware that you know of upcoming tests/quizzes/assignments!

Grading *I will be gathering grades in a variety of ways: we will use assessments, a writing portfolio, and science labs *Students will often be given opportunities to test/retest and to write/rewrite *Rubrics will be posted to show criteria for some types of assessments *Clarity is your source for keeping track of student progress. Please let me know if you do not have access.

Ways to help in reading *Read to your child daily, but they also need to practice on their own. There is no shame in letting a kid practice a page over and over to re-read it to you!!! They can feel proud and see what it’s like to read a page with changes in their voice. Kids who read that way are more likely to understand the book, the characters, and make references to real life. They really get thrown into reading so quickly after Kindergarten, so it’s important to work on reading at home even if it’s for 10 minutes a day!

Ways to help with writing *Offer word substitutions to build vocabulary. Maybe offer the words “terrible” or “awful” in place of the word bad. *Encourage your child to expand his/her vocabulary with the use of a thesaurus. Children who write well often use a higher variety of vocabulary. *In fifth grade we are still working to get away from simple sentences such as “John went to the store” and we try to spice it up with complex sentences such as “John went to the store, he noticed he left his wallet at home” Have your child make the grocery list, to-do lists, plan a family party, send thank you letters, ect.

The best way to help with math *Practice all math facts with your child daily! *Flashcards are a great way to practice Students to be fluent in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

Getting Ahold of me! Communication Please feel free to call or me with any questions or concerns. Don’t assume I am at the computer! They are for the students I usually check my between 7 and 8:30am and between 2:30 and 4. *dismissal concerns *Planners are NOT office notes!!! Please send a separate note for the office Availability I have an open door policy! However, please schedule an appointment or time to meet with me! Conferences are not possible during instructional time. I will do my best to schedule times that are convenient for you!

Although we will work hard this year, we will also have a great time!!! Thanks for listening! Please feel free to stop down to Room 11 to ask any questions!