Welcome to Fifth Grade

Questions and Comments  Feel free to ask anything along the way.  I’d love to meet you after the PP. That would be a good time to share with me, anything you think will help make your child’s year the best it can be. Communication needs to be open and honest in the best interest of your child.

Communication  The easiest way to reach me is via .   You may me during school hours, but I may not have the opportunity to read your and/or respond right away  The best times to reach me are before or after school : , Voice Mail : If you need immediate attention, please call the school office If you need immediate attention, please call the school office

Classroom Information  Students may bring a healthy snack and a water bottle to school each day.  Birthdays will be recognized over the loud speaker and in the classroom.  Brain Gym -We as a class will be doing Brain Gym exercises as a way to get our brain in focus.  I will be sending a newsletter bi-monthly via my webpage or electronically if you so wish.  D’s and U’s need to be signed by a parent when it comes home.

Classroom Management  Our overall goal is for the children to be responsible, respectful and safe.  We as a fifth grade team have created a management system “Fix It Plan”.  Students will be given 2 warnings, teachers will give students every effort to “fix it”.  Fix it plan, and evaluation in school. If their behavior continues the “fix it” goes home to sign  Two “fix-it” sheets in one week will warrant an or phone call home.

Homework  All homework will be recorded in the assignment book. Materials needed will be placed in the expandable folder. This will go home daily and return the following day.  A punch on the H.O.T. ticket is also given each day when all assignments are turned in, along with their expandable folder and assignment notebook on their desks.  Please check your student’s assignment notebook and sign it daily.  Homework will be included in their participation grade and is still a requirement.

Homework Expectations  Reading –read at least 20 minutes every night.  Math – nightly assignments & study math facts as needed  Occasional word work, science, social studies, and writing assignments

Expandable Folder  The students will bring an expandable folder home each night. This folder will contain any notes from the office or me, and your child’s homework.  The front tab of the folder will contain all homework for that night.  The second tab will contain everything that your child needed to bring home from school, including school notes and your child’s homework. This is where you will place any other school related papers that you need to return. This is also the pocket where notes to me or the office may be placed (or their assignment books).  The other tabs are for school (notes, current work, etc). Please do not take anything out of their folder, your student will be responsible for doing that. These papers are ongoing assignments.

Literacy During this morning block, we will follow the workshop model for literacy instruction. Components of a workshop model include read alouds, direct instruction mini-lessons, small group instruction, time for independent practice, writing about reading, conferring with the teacher and time for collaborative conversations. Students will read and work with a wide variety of authentic literature and trade books. Reading Fundamentals is the series K-5 classrooms will use to guide reading instruction. Each Unit of Study includes mentor texts, a variety of leveled books for guided reading and independent reading, and a selection of digital shared teaching resources that systematically integrate reading skill/strategy instruction with the study of genre. For more information visit

Reading  Schoolwide is the district 95 curriculum we will be using during our reading literacy block.  Reader’s Workshop Model - Components include guided small group reading, interactive read aloud, shared reading, and independent reading.  5 th Grade Genre Units – Fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Math The implementation of the Illinois Common Core State Standards brought shifts to math instruction.   Greater focus on fewer topics   Coherence: Linking topics and thinking across grades   Rigor: Pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application with equal intensity For more information about the shifts to the Common Core, please visit: mathematics/

Math Continued We will be using Stepping Stones by Origo to guide our math instruction. Stepping Stones is an online teaching resource that is fully aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Students have print journals, but there will not be a printed mathematics textbook. The focus of the Stepping Stones series is an emphasis on conceptual development of mathematics. You can expect your student to have many hands-on experiences with manipulatives and visual representations in addition to traditional computation. Number sense and fact fluency will continue to be emphasized. For more information visit

Writing The writing curriculum emphasizes the three writing genres mentioned in the standards, informative/explanatory, narrative, and opinion, as well as poetry and creative writing. Write Source is the textbook series used to support the writing curriculum in our elementary schools. Resources for parents and guardians:   For more information about the Common Core State Standards visit:   To see resources compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education visit:   To view resource guides created by the Illinois PTA for parents visit:

Word Study/Phonics/ Spelling  We will provide direct instruction of word study as it is developmentally appropriate for our students and in the context of literacy instruction. Word Study is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing words. We will be learning and implementing the program, Words Their Way to support a developmental approach to word study.  Full implementation of Words Their Way will begin this school year.  For more information visit y.pdf y.pdf y.pdf

Science In Fifth grade we will study units on earth, life, and physical science topics over the course of the school year. The current text resource for science instruction is National Geographic Science. The series offers a broad range of print and digital resources as students engage in science study and inquiry.

Social Studies   Fifth grade students learn about the building of our nation. A variety of textbook resources are used.  It will be integrated with reading and writing.  Students will practice research skills and note taking.

ASSESSMENTS ASSESSMENTS  The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)  Computer-based K–12 assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy  April 4 th – May 3 rd  MAP Testing:  Fall: September 8 th -September 23 rd  Spring: May 15 th -May 27 th  Fountas and Pinnell:  October 13 th -November 13 th and in April  Cogat:  December 7 th – December 11th

TAFT  Our outdoor education takes place at Lorado Taft Campus in Oregon Illinois on the NIU owned campus. It’s a 3 day, 2 night learning fun-filled extravaganza that is one of the highlights of your child’s 5 th grade year.  Dates this year are February 22 nd -24 th (Mon- Wed)  There will be in informative parent meeting in the upcoming months. The cost is roughly $ We will be fundraising to offset that cost if interested.

Human Growth and Reproduction  In the spring of 5 th grade, the science curriculum includes a two week study on human growth and reproduction.  More on that as the time approaches.  You may want to consider having “the talk” sometime before May, 2016.

Hallway Duties  If you did not sign up for a fall conference in the hall, please do so before you leave.  Room Parent volunteer sign up is now online, please take a blue slip for the website. Please consider helping out.  Please take a minute to fill out the T-shirt order form for your child, return tonight or in their expandable folder. Due September 9 th.

Check It Out  Before you leave you feel free to check out the following:  Classroom  Math pie chart  Your child’s job  Hallway  Your child’s locker (feel free to peek inside)

Carol Dweck- Growth Mindset =NWv1VdDeoRY =NWv1VdDeoRY