Mrs. Horton Mrs.

Dickson Fraser Valley Elementary School 2013-14

Dear Parent(s), Welcome to the fifth grade! We are delighted to have your child in our classrooms this year. With the teamwork of parents, students, and teachers, it is sure to be a very successful and rewarding year. As we work to prepare your students for the transition to middle school, they will also have the opportunity to participate in several activities and projects as they complete this last year at Fraser Valley Elementary. Field trips, musicals, a science fair, and a talent show are just a few of the exciting aspects of the year the students can look forward to. The fifth grade team has developed this packet of materials which we hope will be of assistance to you. Attached you will find information pertaining to the fifth grade curriculum, parties, field trips, homework policy, behavior expectations, and more. If you have any questions concerning this packet or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact your childs teacher. The best way to contact us is via email. You can also call the office and leave a message. Communication is a vital aspect of your childs success. We look forward to working with you and your child this year! Sincerely, The Fifth Grade Team

Amy Horton Claire Dickson

ahorton@egsd.org cdickson@egsd.org

Mrs. Dicksons Website: http://mrsdicksonsclass.weebly.com Mrs. Hortons Website: http://amyhorto5.wix.com/5thgrwithmrshorton

Typical Daily Schedule 7:30-7:45 7:45-8:10 8:10-8:45 8:45-9:30 9:30-10:15 10:15-11:25 11:25-12:10 12:15 12:45 1-2 2-2:15 2:15-2:30 2:30-3:15 3:15-3:30 Morning Work/Attendance Whole Group Reading Reading Workshop 1 PE/Music Art/Reading Workshop 2 (until 10) Math Recess/Lunch Science/Reading Workshop 2 Grammar/Whole Group Writing Writing Workshop Recess Snack/Read Aloud Social Studies/Health Pack Up/Dismissal

Curriculum
The fifth grade curriculum is based on the newly revised TCAP Frameworks and the Common Core Standards recently adopted by Colorado. Please check the following websites to find the specific standards for each grade and content area: Common Core Standards; http://www.corestandards.org/ TCAP Frameworks: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/CoAssess-FrameworksAndFactSheets.asp Math Our goal is not just for your child to learn how to DO math but also to learn how to THINK mathematically. We will be using various resources to help meet the new Common Core math standards as well as prepare your child for the TCAP test. Scott Foresmans Mathematics, Scott Foresmans Investigations, and Math Talks will be used in addition to interactive games, activities, and assessments. Students will be assessed with a written test every unit, and quizzes will typically be given weekly. Homework will be a spiral review of concepts already covered in previous grades or fifth grade.

Social Studies The fifth grade year in social studies focuses primarily on United States geography and history, covering early explorers, colonization, the Revolutionary War, and government. The Classroom Economy system is also a part of our social studies curriculum (see below). Students will be assigned social studies projects throughout the year that will require time spent at home. Reading We will be using the Reading Street curriculum. If your childs school career has always been at Fraser Elementary, he/she has been using this curriculum since the first grade. We have seen that using this curriculum over the years with fidelity has demonstrated great success. During Reading Workshop, we will marry explicit instruction in reading strategies with opportunities for students to practice each reading strategy independently, with a peer, and in small groups daily. As the year progresses, students will be participating in small group, leveled novel studies where they will have the opportunity to utilize reciprocal reading strategies. Students will be expected to READ, READ, READ independently. Take some time to talk with your child about what he/she is reading and help engage your child in active, frequent independent reading. In class, students will be expected to review books in Book Talks as well as complete online book reviews. The Reading Counts program will continue this school year; the 5th grade goal is 300 points. Spelli ng Students will have weekly spelling tests on Thursdays with custom lists created by the students using a given spelling rule. Writing Our district-wide writing curriculum is National Literacy Coalitions Every Child a Writer. This small-group focused curriculum will focus on different writing targets depending on your childs demonstrated needs. We will be using the Reading Street grammar curriculum during writing as well. Health Our health curriculum will cover physical/personal wellness, social/emotional wellness, and prevention/risk management. Our health studies will include visits from Ski Patrol to discuss risk management, visits from Officer Wright of the Winter Park Police Department for D.A.R.E. (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education), lessons from Common Sense Media (check it out at http://www.commonsensemedia.org!), and visits from local doctors to

discuss the human reproductive system. A permission slip for the lessons on the human reproductive system will be sent home in the spring semester. Science Students will go to science with Mrs. Newberry twice a week. The students will participate in a science fair in the spring semester. Please contact Mrs. Newberry with any questions pertaining to science: knewberry@egsd.org.

Nutrition/Snacks
The school district offers the students a healthy breakfast every morning that we in fifth grade require be consumed by 8:00am. We will have snack every day. Please send a healthy snack with your student for this time. If you are unable to send a snack, please let us know. We will make arrangements to ensure your child has an opportunity to eat a healthy snack.

Homework Policy/Planner
Fifth grade is a big transition year, and our goal is for your child to gain independence. Your child is responsible for bringing home and completing the weekly homework distributed every week. The thinking behind weekly homework is that it helps teach the students time management, allows for flexibility in after school schedules, and gives the students the opportunity to ask any questions about the work during the week before it is due. The homework we send will be reinforcement of skills learned and practiced in class. Students should be able to complete this work independently. While every child completes work at his/her own pace, homework is designed to take an average of 30 minutes a night in addition to independent reading. PLEASE contact your childs teacher if you feel he/she is having difficulty completing homework independently. We ask that you sign your childs homework before they return it to school Thursday morning. This verifies that you have seen the assignments and can guarantee that your child read the recorded amount. We will also send home a daily planner. This planner will keep a record of upcoming tests, events, and project due dates as well as communicate important information with you. Please sign this planner nightly as well. If homework is not completed and turned in Thursday morning, students will be fined in the classroom economy system. It will then be due the following Monday (no exceptions). After the second offense, the student will be fined and will also have to use his/her recess time to complete the work.

Tips for homework that will relieve stress!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Help your child see homework as a valuable and important activity. Set up a homework place or office for your child. Set a homework time, and try to stick to it. Reinforce the students personal responsibility. Parents should be consultants only it is student work.

Attendance/Absent Work
It is vital that your child be involved in daily classroom instruction. Although there will be days missed for a variety of reasons, it is important that work be made up. Please check with your childs teacher about any make-up work. Weekly homework is also posted on the class website. The absent work should be completed and returned within three days of the childs return to school. If an extended absence is unavoidable (five or more days), we will need a months notice. In that case, an independent study contract will be completed. Please know that the work your child will be assigned will pertain to the concepts we are covering but may not be identical to the work he/she is missing in the classroom. PLEASE let the office of any absences ahead of time!

Classroom Economy
The Colorado State Standards for Social Studies in fifth grade include economics. Our classroom economy system will give the students experience managing money and using banks in accordance with the standards. Students will have classroom jobs, pay rent and utilities, earn class money, and may receive classroom fines and bonuses. Students will have a banking account, and they will learn to balance this account in order to pay for things such as rent or buy classroom prizes. Your childs bank account is viewable online through the link to My Kids Bank on your class website. It is our hope that by the end of the year, all students will have a sense of what it means to manage money, maintain jobs, and understand fines and bonuses. Each student will apply for a job; new jobs will be assigned monthly.

Classroom Behavior Expectations/Social Skills

Students are expected to behave in a manner that allows the teacher to teach and students to learn. All students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner both inside and outside the classroom. Fraser Valley Elementary emphasizes making good choices and decisions. The first few weeks of school we will be exploring and practicing the expected behaviors of fifth graders. Fifth graders are viewed as the leaders of the school and should be the model of positive behavior. We will continue the use of SOAR as well as utilize the classroom economy as behavior motivation. SOAR is our school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program. SOAR stands for Safety, Ownership, Attitude, and Respect. Students are rewarded in various ways for demonstrating these behaviors.

Discipline Plan
1st Offense 2nd Offense Verbal warning Correct and redirect behavior (We will use one or a combination of the following choices: private conference, student moved to refocus area within the classroom, and/or complete behavior reflection sheet.) Note in planner or email sent to parent Loss of recess or privileges Parent phone call/conference Office referral

3rd Offense 4th Offense 5th Offense 6th Offense

If a students actions make the classroom an unsafe environment, they will immediately be sent to the office.

Birthdays
If your child wishes to celebrate a birthday at school, you are welcome to send a snack to school with them. Please let use know (or have your child let us know) a few days in advance so that we can plan accordingly. Each class has about 20 students, so please send enough for everyone in your childs class!

Conferences
Our first parent-teacher conferences will be in late September or the beginning of October. This will be a goal-setting time where you will have the opportunity to share specific concerns and goals for your child. Student-led conferences will be scheduled mid-year. The second parentteacher conference will be close to Spring Break. If you would like to have an additional conference, please contact your childs teacher to set up a time.

Communication
How should I get in touch with my childs teacher? If you have a question, please check our websites FIRST. You will find all kinds of fun information and answers to your questions about calendars, field trips, class work, and homework. The best way to contact your childs teacher is via email. We will check our emails both before and after school. You can expect a response within 24 hours. Information that you would like to communicate with your childs teacher can be written in your childs planner as well. We will reserve our morning time before school to prepare for the day. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to come by after school between 3:30 and 4 on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. (We have staff meetings on Tuesdays.)

Parent Involvement
Parties! The students will plan the three class parties we will have this year. The decorations, activities, and refreshment committees may ask for contributions (supplies, snacks, etc.) as they plan each party. Each party will go from 2:30-3:15 at the end of the school day.

Halloween (Thursday, October 31) Holiday Party (Thursday, December 19) Valentines (Thursday, February 13)
We would love to see you for these festive occasions! Field Trips: We will need parent volunteers as chaperones for field trips. The following field trips are planned (dates and times not yet confirmed for all trips.). Monarch LakeThursday, September 19 Water Festival Late October Denver Musical/Art Museum Law DayWednesday, May 7 Field DayLate May Copies/Organizational Help: We make plenty of copies and could always use an extra hand! In-Class Small Group Volunteer: We would love to have parents come in and work with small writing, reading or math groups. Parents will be required to sign an academic confidentiality form when working with students in the classroom. Parent Speaker: Come share your area of expertise with the fifth graders!

Please fill out the volunteer form on the class website or contact your childs teacher if you are interested in volunteering!

Thank you!!
Thank you so much for your support. Were looking forward to our year together!