5th Grade Handbook



5th Grade Handbook

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2010 – 2011

Table of Contents

Contact Information………………………...pg. 3

Supporting your Child with Homework

…pgs. 4 - 6

Late/Missing Assignments…………………pg. 7

Grading/Newsletters………………………..pg. 8

Field Lessons………………………….pgs. 9 – 10

Class Procedures and Expectations.........pg. 11

5th Grade Class Schedule…………………pg. 12

Parent Signature Page……………………pg. 13

Contact Information

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Omar D. Blair Office: (303) 371-9570

Maya Brewer

Phone: (303) 371-9570 ext. 3310

Email: maya.brewer@blair.

Amber Hansen

Phone: (303) 371-9570 ext. 3313

Email: amber.hansen@blair.

Raenon Renfroe

Phone: (303) 371-9570 ext. 3312

Email: raenon.renfroe@blair.

Please contact your child’s teacher before or after school by leaving a message that will be returned within 24 hours or during the day through email, which will be returned as soon as we have a break and can reply to you. If you have an emergency during the day, please contact the office.

Supporting Your Child with Homework

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As your child’s teacher, we support them everyday at school and we know you do the same at home. Your child’s education is a partnership between school and home. Your child depends on us both! Below are several ways you can support you child academically.

Reading

Your child is REQUIRED to read at least 20 minutes EACH night. Reading can be completed in a number of ways.

Some ideas to complete practice reading for 20 minutes are:

➢ Oral reading

➢ Partner read with an adult:

o You read a page, they read a page

o You can read at the same time

o The benefit of this method is you can provide the words they miss and help improve their reading ability.

➢ Reading to a younger sibling

➢ Read along to a tape (You can check out books on tape at a public library.)

➢ Read over your child’s work with them after they finish

Each night after reading, you must check your child’s Reading log and sign their log. Reading logs will vary in requirements, length, and style throughout the year.

Keep in mind, your child may read the same book more than one time to improve their fluency and comprehension. Be sure to monitor your child’s choice of reading books to ensure they read new books, repeat books only if necessary, and read books that are not too easy or too hard.

Your child will also be expected to complete a Student Investigation throughout each of the six Reading Units this year. The project will be due with a writing piece, poster, and presentation at the end of each unit. Although they will have several choices of projects, each one is expected to include a writing component. Your child will have time to work on the project in class during workshop time, but they are also expected to be working the majority of the time on them at home. Information including expectations, choices, and rubrics about the projects will be sent home in time for your child to prepare and complete each investigation. Refer to grading and late work policies as they pertain to projects as well.

Writing

Writing homework is also known as Spelling homework. Spelling tests will be given and graded at the end of each week. Spelling homework will be given each night. Spelling homework will be worth a total of 20 points each week. Students may pick a variety of assignments to help them complete the work to total 20 points throughout the week. ALL assignments for the week are due on Friday.

Some ideas to support your child are:

➢ Flashcards for spelling words

➢ Spell words out loud

➢ Encourage your child to use correct capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling (CUPS) in their writing

➢ Read over your child’s work with them after they finish

➢ Check and sign your child’s homework

Keep in mind that the more your child practices their writing skills and using correct spelling the better they will become at this and the more natural it will be used for them on a daily basis. This will really help your child as he/she transitions to middle school next year. Throughout the year, various grammar topics may be included as homework depending on the level of practice needed with that skill. Please see the weekly newsletter for knowledge of whether or not there is Grammar homework that week.

2010-2011 Spelling Contract

This is your spelling contract for each week. It is your choice how many activities you complete. Make sure to spell ALL words correctly on each activity. Keep in mind your work needs to be neat and show effort. The goal is to reach 20 points by Friday using any combination of assignment choices. 20 points is the maximum number of points. No extra credit will be given. This homework is meant to help you study for you test on Fridays. Do not wait until Thursday night to do all of your activities. Waiting will not benefit you in any way.

All contract work will be due on Friday morning. Late spelling homework will not be accepted. If the work is not turned in, you will earn a 0 for the week and you will need to complete a Change your Mood form for not being prepared. If you would like to earn 10 points, you can choose to take a clipboard to recess and write a story using all 20 words that explains why you failed to complete your homework. Remember-you have 4 days and can always work ahead. You may only do each choice one time per week. Please use loose leaf paper. I will provide you with a pack if necessary.

5 Point Assignment Choices

• Write words in ABC order

• Write the words and underline all the consonants

• Divide each word into syllables

• Write the words and cross out the silent letters

• Write the words neatly in cursive

• Write your words using one color for vowels and another color for consonants

• Draw a picture that illustrates each vocabulary word

• Pyramid spell 10 of your words

10 Point Assignment Choices

❖ Write your words 5 times each in cursive

❖ Write your words 3 times each in 3 different colors

❖ Make a word scramble and solve it using your words (Ex. rboenk = broken)

❖ Use all of your spelling words to write 10 or more questions

❖ Write an antonym for each word

❖ Look up 15 of your words in the dictionary and write their meaning

❖ Using your dictionary find 15 of your spelling words and write down the page number along with the two guide words at the top of the dictionary page (Ex. Lone - pg. 514, loge – long)

❖ Classify the words according to their part of speech

❖ Use all 20 words in a separate sentence

❖ Write a newspaper article using 15 or more of the words

❖ Write a great story using at least 15 of your spelling words

❖ Write a poem using at least 10 of your words.

❖ Write a letter to a friend using all of your spelling words

❖ Type your spelling list four times; with each list typed in a different font (Print it out)

❖ Write each word using special letters (squiggly, bubble, block etc)

❖ Write a rhyming word for 15 of your spelling words

❖ Make a word search with all 20 of your words

15 Point Assignment Choices

• Cut all 20 words out of magazines and newspapers and make a collage on construction paper

• Create a cartoon strip using at least 10 spelling words with 8 pictures that tell a story. (You may use loose leaf or construction paper)

• Cut out a picture from a newspaper or a magazine and use all 20 of your spelling words to write a story about the picture. Story should be at least 10 sentences.

• Write a movie review using all 20 of your spelling words. Review should be at least 10 sentences.

Math

Math homework will typically be from the Everyday Math Study Link book. However, it is subject to change based on what students need to practice from our lesson or checking previous homework. This Study Link book MUST stay in your child’s binder/backpack in order to receive credit for work each day! Please see your child’s daily planner so you are aware of what is to be completed on a nightly basis. Do NOT allow your child to work ahead in the Study Link book as we have not learned the material yet and it will hinder them later. It is also possible that we do certain lessons out of order or skip Study Links. In order to receive credit, all work must be shown for each problem. Your child may do their work on the back of the paper or staple their work to the paper. Typically, there will be 10 – 20 practice problems a night.

Some ideas to support your child are:

➢ Keep and refer to the family letter from each unit

➢ Make and use flashcards for basic facts

➢ Check over your child’s homework with them and sign their Study Link

➢ Use your child’s SRB to practice difficult work, find examples, or practice more problems

➢ There are a variety of math games online that your child can use to practice math skills. Refer to the Everyday Math website to find games that match our lessons or use other websites to practice necessary skills.

Keep in mind that multiplication and division facts are a third and fourth grade mastery skill for leaving those grade levels. We will briefly review facts at the beginning of the year, but your child is required to know them by memory by the end of first quarter. Knowing these facts will make math easier for your child as many skills in fifth grade use multiplication as their foundation.

Social Science and Science

Daily homework is not a part of our curriculum in these subjects; although, your child may bring home occasional assignments. End of unit tests are a part of both subjects and students can bring their materials home to study for these tests. Please refer to your student’s planner for homework assignments. All information and requirements for required assignments will be handed out in ample time so your child will be able to plan, work on, and complete the project.

Some homework expectations are:

➢ Science Fair

➢ Social Science Personal History project in August

➢ Social Science Project in the Spring

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Late and Missing Assignments

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Responsibility is one of our core values at Blair. As a reinforcement of our character education, your child is expected to turn in all assignments completed to the set expectations listed in the previous section and on time.

Our expectations are:

✓ Homework is considered on time only if it is in the correct homework basket upon arrival.

✓ Homework is considered complete when it is done at home and all problems and questions have been answered. Work must be shown for math.

✓ All Reading Logs and Math Study Links are due EACH day. Reading Logs will be checked daily for completion but graded on Friday’s for accuracy of reading comprehension and skills.

✓ Spelling homework is due on Friday with ALL assignments for the week for the total of 20 points worth of work.

✓ Even though parents support and work with their child during homework time at home, it is important that the homework reflects your child’s answers and thought process.

✓ Please make sure to sign your child’s planner and Reading Log each night. (These are both weekly grades for your child.)

✓ If your child is absent, they will have time to make up assignments. For each excused absence, your child will have two days to make up work. For further explanation of the make-up work policy, refer to the student handbook.

✓ One weeks notice needs to be given for work needed during planned absences.

✓ There will be no homework on a Friday, unless your child fails to complete work during class, has missing work, or is in the middle of a project that has a due date after the weekend.

Keep in mind that homework is a way for your child to review and reinforce skills taught that day. Your child’s grade will be adversely affected if they do not turn in homework on a daily basis and on time.

Grading/Newsletters

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Grading Policies

All homework will be graded on a weekly basis and will be worth at least one point for each night in math. In Reading, all homework will be worth two points for each night: one for the student written portion and one for parent signature and is graded on a weekly basis. Spelling homework is worth one point for each night and is also graded on a weekly basis.

All tests, projects, etc. will be graded within a week of the assignment and will be returned in the Thursday Folder the following week.

Newsletters

Newsletters will contain homework, spelling words, grade level announcements, and school-wide reminders as needed. These “Weekly Reporters” will be sent out each Monday with the Reading Log for the week so students have their homework in one spot. This should come home in their Binder/Planner on Monday and will be posted on our websites for each teacher on a weekly bassis.

Graded Work

All graded work will be returned in Thursday Folders. Please look for these assignments on Thursdays from each teacher.

Missing Work

All homework is due on a daily basis. If it is not complete or turned in, it is due the following day for half credit. If it is turned after this, we will check it for understanding but it will not be given a grade. Students who consistently do not do their homework will be asked to complete at recess on the playground with a clipboard by themselves.

Notification of missing work will be given out as needed. Please check your child’s planner for lists of missing work or notes concerning assignments.

Absences

You are responsible for seeing your teacher to find out your missing work from an absence. You are also responsible to collect the work and take it home for completion. Please remember that excused absences have two days to complete missing work.

Field Lessons

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Field lessons are an earned privilege, not a right. In other words, students must display the core values, maintain at least C’s or higher, and have no office referrals three weeks prior to the trip.

Basic field trip policies and rule are:

❖ All students are required to ride the bus to and from all field lessons. You may not drive your child.

❖ Because field lessons are a regular part of our curriculum, students are required to wear their regular uniforms.

❖ No siblings or friends (of your family or child) are allowed to attend field lessons. The only chaperones we can accept are those who are legal guardians or grandparents of the student for safety and responsibility reasons. Our field lessons are organized and planned for fifth graders.

❖ No electronics are to be taken on any field lessons. This includes cell phones. If there is an emergency, you will be contacted by a teacher from their cell phone. Your child is more than welcome to bring a camera, but they are responsible for it! Disposable cameras are recommended.

❖ Students will bring their lunch on all field lessons, so no extra spending money is necessary.

❖ All field lessons are planned based on our Edison curriculum. Students will be expected to apply classroom knowledge to field experience. Upon returning to school, students will apply what they learned in the field to classroom assignments.

❖ If your student chooses to not follow behavior expectations, a call will be placed to the school and Mrs. Blair-Minter or Mr. Wilson will come and pick them up. You will be contacted immediately, so please keep your contact information updated in the office.

❖ In case of emergency, please contact the school directly and not your child’s teacher. The school will be able to contact the teacher if necessary.

❖ There is a fee for all field lessons. The only form of payment accepted for all field lessons is CASH or a MONEY ORDER. All money is due by the individual field lesson deadlines with no exceptions.

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A fifth grade tradition is to go skiing at Eldora Mountain in late spring, after Spring Break. Students come to school early (before 8:00am), head up to the mountains in a bus, and take ski lessons from an instructor. Lunch is eaten at the lodge and we arrive back at the school at dismissal. The cost of the trip is between $40 and $50.

Here is some basic information about the trip:

• The ski pass is free and applications will be sent home before Christmas. The passes will be mailed back to the school and will be kept here for the trip.

• Parent chaperones are welcome, but they must provide their own transportation due to limited space on the bus. Any student who attends the trip must ride on the bus as this is school and district policy!

• Eldora does limit the number of students in each lesson; therefore, the trip is on a first come, first serve basis.

• All rules and expectations for all field trips also apply to this trip.

More information will be sent home as the trip approaches. There will also be an information session before the trip where more questions will be answered and information will be reviewed (

Class Procedures and Expectations

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Student Planners

Each student receives a brand new student planner, which is used daily for recording all homework and any important information. It is also used as a communication device between the parent and the teacher. Please take the time each night to check your student’s planner for homework and any other important messages. Please note that if this planner is lost or destroyed, the replacement cost is $15.00. It is to be treated like a regular school book and be taken care of responsibly. It will be used and graded daily.

Tardies

All students should enter through the academy doors. These doors close at 8:00. If you arrive after this time, you MUST enter through the main door and receive a tardy pass to be accepted to class. Please remember school starts at 8:00am with a Morning Assignment that is graded every day. Also, please remember that multiple tardies will result in notification to your family about missing school time.

Supplies

You are responsible to bring the supplies that were listed on your school supply list. These supplies are necessary to complete your assignments throughout the day and need to be here at the start of school to prepare for your lessons. If you have missing supplies from the school throughout the year or lose supplies from the school, you will be responsible to pay for them. Also, if you have broken, torn, or completely used notebooks or folders throughout the year, you may be asked to bring in new ones based on if there are any supplies still in the classroom.

Birthdays

For your birthday, your parents need to call at least 24 hours in advance to notify your teacher that you would like to celebrate at school and will be bringing in treats to share. Please bring in enough treats for 30 students to celebrate your day. All celebrations will happen from 3:00 – 3:15 during our Afternoon Meeting.

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Morning Meeting 8:00 – 8:15

Reading 8:15 – 9:45

Math 9:45 – 11:15

Science 11:15 – 12:05

Lunch/Recess 12:05 – 12:55

Writing 1:00 – 1:50

Specials 1:53 – 2:33

Social Science 2:35 – 3:10

Afternoon Meeting 3:10 – 3:15

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We, ___________________________________________, the parents/guardians of __________________________ have read and understand the fifth grade policies in the fifth grade handbook from 2010 – 2011. We agree that our child will abide by these expectations to the best of our ability throughout this school year.

____________________ ____________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

____________________ ____________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

____________________ ____________________

Student Signature Date[pic]

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