FIFTH GRADE POLICIES - Christian



August 20, 2013

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Fifth Grade! We are looking forward to a great year helping your child mature in all areas of his or her life. Our mission at Mount Paran Christian School is to provide academic excellence in a Christ - centered environment, while we unite home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in Truth.

We hope this handbook will help explain our goals and objectives for your child. You will see that we work as a team in everything we do. All of our field trips, parties, and special activities are done as a whole fifth grade, rather than in homerooms.

We try to make the year fun and exciting, while stressing the importance of academics, responsibility, and accountability. We maintain a structured learning environment so that students always know what to expect.

We are committed to love each child and to help develop them to his or her fullest potential, both as a Christian and as a learner. We promote and encourage each student to develop a healthy relationship with Jesus, as they seek to know the truth of God's Word.

Thank you for supporting us and praying for us daily. Together, with the Holy Spirit, we can attain all of our goals with each child.

In His Service,

Amanda Varner ext. 2255 Judie Ebert ext. 2257

avarner@ jebert@

Shannon Howard ext. 2256 Kaylin Moran ext. 2258

showard@ kmoran@

FIFTH GRADE GOALS

I. SPIRITUAL

A. To help instill a love of God and His Word in the students' hearts

B. To guide and nurture students as they develop and mature as Christians

C. To help students be more Christ-like in what they say, do, and think

II. ACADEMIC

A. To develop students' organizational skills

B. To develop students’ study skills in test-taking, reading comprehension, mathematical concepts, research work, etc…

C. To foster and encourage high order thinking and problem solving skills creating life - long learners.

PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH FIFTH GRADE GOALS

I. Spiritual

A. God's Word

1. Memorize weekly verses appropriate to what we are studying in Bible class

2. Read and study the Old Testament in Bible class

B. Christian Development

1. Apply Biblical principles to our daily walk with God

2. Attend chapel weekly to experience others’ teachings and testimonies

3. Trust God for answered prayers

C. Christ - Like Behavior

1. Encourage and exemplify a Christ - like behavior in the classroom

2. Involve students in projects to help with missions and the homeless of Atlanta

II. ACADEMIC

A. Organizational Skills

1. Students will be expected to have all their assignments completed on time

2. Students will be expected to turn in neat work and to keep their desks, cubbies, binders, and classroom orderly

3. Students will learn and apply study skills such as note taking, outlining, highlighting and summarizing

B. Study Skills

1. We will sometimes give tests that will not include a "study guide." Students will have to read given assignments, go over their notes, listen in class, and get any assignments missed to do well on tests.

2. We will encourage more critical thinking and understanding of what students are reading. Reading comprehension will not always be the obvious "who, what, where, why, and when" questions.

3. Students will learn problem-solving and organizational strategies that can be applied to all areas of mathematics.

FIFTH GRADE POLICIES

PARENT INFORMATION PACKET (PIP)

We strive to have the very best communication with our parents. One of these ways is the weekly Parent Information Packet (PIP). This folder will contain informational papers and your son/daughter’s graded work from the previous week. Each week you will need to sign the inside form and return the following day. There will also be a space for comments if you have any questions or concerns.

CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITY

We are using a behavior management system that is designed to reinforce positive behavior and attitudes. We will inform you daily if there are problems or concerns with your child’s behavior or responsibility. Each conduct mark has been assigned a number. When your child receives a conduct mark, the area of concern will have an X next to the specific number. Please sign the conduct mark, and return it to school on the very next school day.

*If the conduct mark is not returned the next school day, the student will then receive another conduct mark.

Conduct Marks:

1. Did not use self-control

2. Did not follow directions or school rules

3. Did not show respect to authority and/or peers.

4. Does not complete assignments on time.

5. Does not demonstrate organizational skills.

Each conduct mark is tallied and will translate to your child’s report card.

*Each individual teacher gives a conduct grade for her specific academic subject.

Conduct marks will be calculated as follows:

Outstanding: 0 -1 marks

Very Good: 2 marks

Satisfactory: 3-4 marks

Needs Improvement: 5 or more marks

In addition, any assignment turned in late will have five points deducted for each day the assignment is late.

REWARDS

4 ½ week mark-

HW passes are given to students who have no more than 1 conduct mark.

End of 9 weeks-

HW passes are given to students who have no more than 2 conduct marks.

Special Reward Day - for all students who have received NO conduct marks all 9 weeks!

End of Semester-

Reward Breakfast - All Students who have received NO conduct marks for the semester!

*Plus their HW pass, and Special Reward Day

***Homework passes may be used on daily assignments only. This pass gives the student one extra day to turn in their assignment without penalty. Students cannot use a homework pass for an assignment given over an extended period of time. (Ex. projects, multiple day assignments, etc…)

5th GRADE BLOG and STUDENT ABSENCES

We expect all students/parents to check the blog when you or your child are not sure about an assignment or they are absent for the day. The address is . Our blog can also be easily accessed from the Mount Paran website. Each teacher will make every effort to have the daily work and assignments posted on the blog by 4:00 p.m. daily. We will be glad to send a student’s books to the office in case of an extended absence. If books need to be sent to the office, please e-mail your child’s homeroom teacher by 9:30 a.m. We will deliver your child’s books to the office by 12:00. Once your child is able to return to school, please try to arrive close to 7:30 a.m. in order for missed tests and quizzes to be administered and allow your child time to gather all missed notes and assignments.

SNACK TIME

Fifth grade students will have a snack and restroom break each day from 10:40 - 10:50 a.m. We encourage students to bring a healthy snack such as sliced fruit, granola bars, carrot sticks, etc. Please avoid “messy” snacks or any snacks containing nuts or nut products. We are” peanut aware” in fifth grade. We do have children who have nut allergies. No drinks, except water will be allowed. Sharing of snacks with friends is not permitted.

UNIFORMS

Please refer to your child’s MPCS student handbook for a complete list of uniform guidelines. All uniform guidelines will be enforced in fifth grade. Listed below are a few helpful reminders:

1. All shoes should be conservative in style and school approved colors.

2. All outer wear worn in the school building must be uniform approved.

3. Pant legs must cover boot tops. Boots may not be worn with skirts.

4. Belts are required.

5. Shirts should be tucked in at all times.

BIBLE MEMORIZATION

We value the memorization of God’s Word! Our goal is for our students to continue “hiding” God’s Word in their hearts. Students will be assigned a weekly Bible verse that corresponds with our Bible curriculum. Students will be given a written quiz each Friday to assess their knowledge of the verse. Bible verse memorization grades are counted as part of the student’s Bible grade. Verses will be posted weekly on our blog.

BIRTHDAYS/SPECIAL LUNCHES

We love birthdays! You are welcome to bring or send a treat to share with the class at lunchtime. Please send enough treats to share with your child’s homeroom class (22 students). If you choose to send in treats on this day, please either send them to your homeroom teacher before school or meet us in the dining hall at 12:00 p.m.  If the birthday treats need to be sliced, we ask parents to do so beforehand or come in to help serve.

If you would like to bring lunch for your child, please do so. However, we ask that you do not bring lunch or treats for any other children.

PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION

Please communicate any problems, questions, or concerns to us as they arise. We welcome your input and feel that communication between parents and teachers is vital! We will respond to notes, phone messages, and emails as soon as possible. Planning time for fifth grade teachers will be 10:00-10:40. We do our best to respond to morning messages during this time. With our busy schedule and teaching right up to 3:00, many phone calls must wait until after school.

GRADING SCALE

90 - 100 = A

80 - 89 = B

74 - 79 = C

70 - 73 = D

69 and below = F

FIFTH GRADE ACADEMIC TOPICS

2013- 2014

I. MATH

A. Whole Numbers - Place Value, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division

B. Two and Three - Digit Multiplication

C. Two and Three - Digit Divisors in Division

D. Decimals - Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division

E. Measurement

F. Geometry

G. Fractions - Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division

H. Probability and Statistics

I. Problem Solving

J. Computation - all fifth grade students will have the following math computation goals:

1.) 25 basic multiplication facts per minute (up to 12 X 12) with 90% accuracy by the end of the school year.

2.) 15 mixed operation problems (2 digit X 1 digit) per minute with 90% accuracy by the end of the school year.

Please refer to our school wide computation goals near the end of this handbook.

II. READING

A. Vocabulary Building/Latin Roots

B. Increase Comprehension and Critical Thinking Skills

C. Study Skills

D. Literature

E. Book Reports

III. SPELLING

A. Novel based vocabulary

B. 50 most commonly misspelled words

C. Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes

V. LANGUAGE

A. Parts of Speech

B. Sentence Structure

C. Creative Writing

D. Writing Process

IV. BIBLE

A. A complete overview of the Old Testament with a focus on Biblical characters.          

VII. SOCIAL STUDIES

A. Civil War to Present Day

B. Geography Skills

C. Civic and Economic Skills

D. Presidents

VI. SCIENCE

A. Classification: Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Plant Life

B. Cells: Plant and Animals

C. Human Body Systems: Circulatory, Respiratory and Digestive

D. Ecosystems and Biomes

E. Earth’s Structure, Weathering, Constructive and Destructive Processes

F. Protecting Earth’s Resources

G. Matter and Its Properties: Atoms, Mixtures, Solutions, Chemical Changes

H. Electricity: Simple and Complex Circuits, Electromagnets

FIELD TRIPS

1. Team Building – October 4, 2013

2. Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park - October

3. “Happy Birthday Jesus” - Downtown Atlanta - Dec. 6th

a. “Happy Birthday Jesus” party for homeless and needy women and children.

b. We are working with the Feed My Lambs Ministry

c. School wide mission project - collecting donations for all ages of children

5. Poet - Ken Nesbitt - Dec. 13th - In House

6. Marietta Court House – January

7. High Touch/High Tech – In house science program - February

8. Camp Wahsega - Thursday, May 8th - Friday, May 9th

a. Over night trip to a 4-H camp outside of Dahlonega, GA

b. Hands-on science activities

Math Computation Goals

2013-2014

MPCS places value on building a firm foundation in computational skills in order to ensure success in the application of higher level mathematics. As you can see on the chart below we have mapped out goals for each grade level to achieve by the end of the year. These goals have been established to ensure an understanding of computational skills and automaticity of facts (instant recall). Please support your child at home in practicing these skills as they will be assessed each week in class and scores will be sent home in the PIP. Parents need to note that the level of content will increase in difficulty with each grading period.

|Grade Level |Computational Skills by May |

|K |Students will be introduced to and develop addition and subtraction facts through the sum of ten. |

|1 |Students will reach 90% mastery of all addition and subtraction facts through the sum of 12 to a |

| |level of automaticity. 18 problems/minute |

|2 |Students will reach 90% mastery of all addition and subtraction facts through the sum of 18 to a |

| |level of automaticity. 18 problems/minute |

|3 |Students will reach 90% mastery of all addition and subtraction through the sums of 18, |

| |multiplication and division facts through twelve to a level of automaticity. |

| |15 problems/minute (mixed addition/subtraction through 18 and multiplication/division through 12) |

|4 |Students will reach 90% mastery of all addition and subtraction through the sums of 18, |

| |multiplication and division facts through twelve to a level of automaticity. |

| |20 problems/minute (mixed addition/subtraction through 18 and multiplication/division through 12) |

|5 |Students will reach 90% mastery of 25 multiplication facts per minute and 15 mixed operation problems|

| |(double digit) per minute (progressing in difficulty each nine weeks). Students will master the |

| |application of math facts. |

5th Grade Language Arts

Teacher: Amanda Varner

1.Novel Studies

Periods I, II, and III- Shades of Gray, Cricket in Times Square , Where the Red Fern Grows, The Night the Bells Rang, and Number the Stars

Period IV- Shades of Gray, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Night the Bells Rang, and Number the Stars

**Other Novels of choice

2. Projects:

Fall- Biography Report/ 5th Grade Presidential Election

Spring- Poetry Unit

3. Overview :

a. Latin Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

b. Spelling games and activities

c. Novel studies

d. The Six Traits of Writing workshops

e. Non-fiction book studies

f. Vocabulary Studies

g. Book Reports (2)

h. Critical Thinking Skills

i. Parts of Speech

j. Sentence Structure

4. Shurley Gramar and Spelling/Latin Tests

two week on/two week off rotation.

5. Expectations:

A. Prepared for class

B. Class Participation

C. DO YOUR BEST AND HAVE FUN!

D. Be respectful of others around you

6 . Classwork.

A. Format for heading papers- always include first and last name AND number!

B. Turn papers into designated classroom spot which is in your class period tray. Please do not hand it to me.

C. Check your name off on the clipboard when you have turned in an assignment.

D. Each time you neglect to turn in classwork/homework on time, it is recorded as a conduct mark.

7. Grading Percentages for Language Arts:

A. Tests- 30%

B. Projects/Writing- 30%

C. Daily Work/Quizzes- 25%

D. Homework- 15%

8. Check the blog daily for assignments due for the next day:

Please email me with any questions!

avarner@

phone extension: 2255

Science

Teacher: Judie Ebert

Grade -

Test - 30%

Quizzes, Labs, Workbook pages - 35%

Daily Grades, Worksheets, Lab Participation - 25%

Homework, class note packet - 10%

End of Chapter test – I always give 1 week notice. They will be written in the agenda, and posted on the blog. I use Quizlet for vocabulary review – under search- type in mrsebert no spaces, no period.

Guided Notes are given each day, the packet is turned in on TEST DAY for a grade.

1. Teaches organization and a “baby step” into note taking

2. Provides a study guide for tests

3. Serves as a form of communication for YOU – you can always see exactly what was taught in class, information we are covering.

Written Assignments - I expect capitals, end marks, and complete sentences with all written labs and essays. Points are deducted when these are not used.

Absences: We know students will be absent due to illness or family activities. Please check the blog for assignments. I will post worksheets, notes and daily videos so your child can be prepared for class the next day. It is their responsibility to ask for a copy of the notes upon their return to class. If your child still struggles to understand concepts taught while he was absent - I am happy to meet and provide assistance.

Textbook: Our notes come from the book as well as other sources. If your child is absent you may use the book to fill out their chapter outline (notes) in their binders at home that night. You can access our book online.

– choose the student textbook.

Username: jeber PW: student1

The tests will come from our class notes, but your child will be asked to use the information we have learned to answer the questions. The test questions will not always be your easier recall of facts.

Light Bulbs: Your child has been assigned two dates to present a “Light Bulb” for the entire fifth grade. This will be a graded assignment – completed or did not complete. This “Light Bulb” is a one sentence science fact on anything they are interested in. They have examples in their binders. This is just a way for your child to begin to research topics they are excited about. A sheet went home in today’s PIP giving their dates. I will put the names of the students (first name only) who have a light bulb due that week on the blog.

Topics:

A. Classification: Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Plant Life

B. Cells: Plant and Animals

C. Human Body Systems: Circulatory, Respiratory and Digestive

D. Ecosystems and Biomes

E. Earth’s Structure, Weathering, Constructive and Destructive Processes

F. Protecting Earth’s Resources

G. Matter and Its Properties: Atoms, Mixtures, Solutions, Chemical Changes

H. Electricity: Simple and Complex Circuits, Electromagnets

Projects: We will be completing four projects this year:

An endangered animal report

An article on an inventor/scientist

A procedural paper explaining an experiment

An electronic poster on a volcano or an earthquake

Jebert@

Extension: 2257

5th Grade Social Studies

Ms. Moran

Text

Houghton Mifflin United States History: Civil War to Today

Overview of Chapters

Chapter 1: United States Geography

Chapter 2: Exploration and Settlement

Chapter 3: Creating a New Nation

Chapter 4: A Growing Nation

Chapter 5: Causes of the Civil War

Chapter 6: Civil War and Reconstruction

Chapter 7: Changes on Plains

Chapter 8: Big Business and Big Cities

Chapter 9: A New Role for America

Chapter 10: The 1920’s and 1930’s

Chapter 11: A Time of Conflict

Chapter 12: The 1950’s and 1960’s

Chapter 13: Our Nation and the World

Chapter 14: America Today and Tomorrow

Houghton Mifflin curriculum also includes supplemental readings on important historical topics and people.

Class Format

Each class period is 50 minutes long. My class follows the following structure:

Power Up-Introduction to the lesson/activity

Plug into the Text-Refer to our text

Pull it Together-Why? What is the big picture?

Practice-Assignment that encourages students to apply what was taught. This may be in class work or homework.

Grade Percentages

Tests/Quizzes (30%)

Tests in Social Studies account for 20% of student’s grade. Tests will be given at the end of each chapter. To assess students understanding as we progress through the chapter, quizzes will periodically be given.

Projects (25%)

Students will complete several projects throughout the year. The intention behind projects is to allow students to dive in deeper! Details for each project will come at the appropriate time.

Study Groups (20%)

5th grade is a critical year in developing study skills. To best develop these skills, we will implement study skills into our day-to-day assignments. Study skills include homework

assignments, note taking, study groups, organization, creating flashcards, as well as reader’s response activities and literature circles. “Study groups” assignments are dual purpose in that they support students in better understanding the material presented, while simultaneously enforcing productive study habits.

Current Events (15%)

Every two weeks, students are required to turn in their current event. Students should refer to reputable internet sites, magazines, and newspapers. Along with their article, students will turn in one paragraph addressing the focus of the month. Each month, students will focus on a specific topic as a way of considering their current event.

For instance, during the month of August students will be asked to focus on national news only. The purpose behind this is to consider events in new and different ways. Our goal for the month of August is to find news occurring all over our country, in each and every state! Please staple cut out article to paragraph. Each month’s focus will be posted on the 5th grade blog.

Participation/ Class Involvement (10%)

Students’ involvement in class is recognized! Involvement includes paying attention, following directions, sharing in class, ticket out the door (a couple of key questions that allow the teacher to assess students’ understanding of the days’ lesson), and working together with classmates when appropriate.

***Please be aware that spelling, grammar, punctuation count on all assignments.

Communication

Please refer to the 5th Grade Blog daily for assignments and important notices. Additionally, students will daily record in their agendas what is due the following day. The fifth grade teachers also maintain a calendar in the hallway outside of our classrooms where due dates for major projects and tests are written.

Absence

In the event of absence, please contact me. I would be happy to send work to the office and make arrangements for make-up tests/quizzes. Additionally, I have asked students to come to my room their first day back after being out so that makeup tests, quizzes, and/or assignments can be scheduled and given and questions can be answered.

Phone: Kaylin Moran:-578-0182, Ext. 2258

E-mail:kmoran@

Conduct

In order to maintain consistency, each 5th grade teacher follows the same behavior plan. Students will receive a conduct card for the following:

1. Did not use self-control.

2. Did not follow directions/school rules.

3. Did not show respect to authority and/or peers.

4. Does not complete assignments on time.

5. Does not demonstrate organizational skills.

If your child receives a conduct card, please sign the conduct card. Students will return the signed conduct card to me first thing the following morning. Unsigned conduct cards result in an additional conduct card.

MATH

Shannon Howard

• Grading categories and percentages are as follows:

Tests/application projects – 35%

Quizzes – 25%

Daily work (chapter notes, computation drills, POTW, select workbook pages) – 40%

• Chapter notes and quizzes – Note sheets will be completed each week. There will be a quiz the following week (usually on Tuesday) and note sheets will be checked for a grade.

• Computation goals – We will work on computation drills each week. These drills will be graded but will not be timed the first semester of school. By the second semester, drills will begin to be timed, with the intention of reaching the fifth grade computation goals by the end of the year.

• Application projects – These are simply at-home assignments designed to help students make real-world connections with our math concepts. There will be one-two application projects assigned each chapter.

• Problem of the Week (POTW) – These will be assigned on Monday of each regular five-day week (beginning after Labor Day). These are to be completed by the student and turned in by Friday morning.

• Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as the year progresses. I am here to help your child succeed in math! – showard@

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