Curriculum Night s1

FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM NIGHT

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 Mrs. Shana Finkelstein ROOM 117 847-965-6200 ext. 4256 [email protected]

1 September 5, 2012

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Curriculum Night! I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to fifth grade and to a new school year. I am very excited to be your child’s teacher. To ensure that the school year runs smoothly, I put together this packet to explain some of my policies and procedures, our daily classroom routine, and detail our subject areas. Hopefully, this packet will alleviate any questions and/or concerns that you may have.

If you ever have any questions and/or concerns, PLEASE feel free to contact me at any time. I can be reached by either phone at 847-965-6200 ext. 4256, or better yet, via email at [email protected]. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Sincerely,

Shana Finkelstein

2 MORNING WORK First thing every morning, the students will begin their day by completing their “Morning Work.” This morning activity consists of:  Daily Language – grammar or writing activities o Due on Friday for LA grade  Math4Today – mathematical problems o Due Thursday – Quiz on Friday  Daily Geography – geographical questions o Due on Friday in social studies for a grade

LANGUAGE ARTS Spelling, English, Reading, and Writing are integrated.

 Spelling Students Spelling lists and assignment pages will know be found in their Spelling & Vocabulary book. These books are consumable, so students should write in them. Spelling lists will consist of 20 basic words and 5 challenge words. A pretest will be administered on Mondays and the homework assignment for the week will be given. Students are to work on the assigned pages at home and have them completed by Friday. On Friday, the homework will be graded and students will take the final test. Students will take a test only on the words missed from Monday’s pretest.  English and Writing English instruction will take place in the context of the reading text and writing assignments in a workshop style. Students will have a variety of writing experiences varying from journal entries to in–depth essays where the steps of the writing process will be followed in detail. We will again be using the program called the 3 Write Traits. This program focuses on the six traits of effective writing; Ideas, Voice, Sentence Fluency, Organization, Word Choice, and Conventions.  Reading Students will have time throughout the day to read independently towards their AR goals. AR is a part of their reading grade. We use the Houghton Mifflin Reading Series in 5th Grade. The series is organized into themes, and contains authentic literature. At the conclusion of each theme, students will take a multi-part assessment test covering comprehension, vocabulary, spelling skills, grammar, and reading strategies. Novels of various genres will also be read during this class.

 Accelerated Reader Students are expected to participate in this program. Every quarter, each individual is given a goal, and number of points that they must try their best to reach by quarters end. Students are given some independent reading time during class, but reading at home must take place if students are to be successful. This is a proven program that helps to boost comprehension, as well as strengthen writing and spelling skills. There is an online method for you to check your child’s progress, but I will be sending home reports periodically.

SOCIAL STUDIES We will be using the social studies text called History Alive. This series is very interactive and hands-on for the students. Additionally, practice quizzes can be taken on History Alive’s interactive website http://tutorial.teachtci.com at home or at school prior to the test in class. Our studies this year will include the studies of Geography, Native Americans, Explorers, Colonial America, and the American Revolution. Overriding themes include: Why come to America? What makes America special? Our first large unit of study will focus on Explorers coming to the “New World” where 5th graders research and 4 recreate life-size explorers. These projects hang in the halls for the entire school to enjoy.

SCIENCE Students will be going to Mrs. Edelstein’s classroom this year for Science. This year in science, the students will really be getting their hands on a variety of different materials. We have recently received new science kits that will be used to supplement what the students are learning about. Their studies will include Food Chemistry, Magnets and Motors, Microbes, and Ecosystems.

MATH We will be using Everyday Mathematics, which is part of an elementary school mathematics curriculum developed by the University of Chicago. In this series, students will be learning basic skills, problem solving strategies, and the exploration of mathematical concepts that reaches beyond basic arithmetic. Math4Today kicks off every daily lesson with a review of a variety of math skills to keep the students fresh.

***In each curricular area, students will engage in a variety of activities where everyone has the opportunity to learn and succeed. The emphasis is on making learning relevant so students can become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Everyone learns best differently, so my goal is to best reach everyone’s learning strengths.

In class, I present lessons in a variety of ways to keep students involved and engaged. Students will work in groups, in pairs, and independently. This will allow students, who learn in many different ways, to find success in their learning. When appropriate, students will

5 have the opportunity to make choices in their assignments so as to capitalize on their unique talents and learning strategies.

ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK Each student must have the required assignment notebook. This notebook should have been purchased at registration. If it was not purchased, or if it becomes lost, please send money with your child to school and one can be purchased in the school office. Students will record their daily homework assignments in this notebook. Please check to see that assignments have been completed every night.

HOMEWORK To ensure that students develop good study habits, homework will be assigned on a nightly basis. Though most assignments will be due the next day, there will be long-term assignments as well. Some nights the load will be heavier than others, and sometimes it might be necessary to have assignments over the weekend. Please review your child’s assignments every night if possible, and please let me know if he/she is struggling or experiencing any difficulties with his/her homework. Homework will be on my website at www.mgsd70.org

LATE WORK All assignments are due back the next day (unless otherwise noted) or the assignment is considered late. More than three late assignments per subject in a single quarter will lower your child’s grade. Students with late work will also be asked to fill out a “No Homework Slip.” This is a piece of paper where they record the assignment and the reason for it being late. You will need to sign this form and send it back with the completed assignment. Late assignments will not be accepted without a signed form. If the homework is still not completed the following day, another ‘No Homework Slip’ will be issued and the student will have a recess detention. Larger and long-term late 6 assignments will result in a 10% grade reduction every day the assignment is late. If a student has difficulty completing his/her homework on a consistent basis, it may be necessary to send him/her to Opportunity Room for help.

OPPORTUNITY ROOM On most days of the week, Opportunity Room will be offered to 5th grade students. Opportunity Room is designed to meet a variety of needs: some students need a quiet place to complete homework; others might need a teacher’s help on a task; while others might need to stay as a consequence of some kind. It is not intended as a social arena or a babysitting service. Opportunity Room runs from 3:20- 4:00 Monday- Thursday unless otherwise noted. There is no bus service, so transportation must be pre-arranged. A monthly calendar will be posted in all homerooms and on the Park View website.

FRIDAY FOLDERS Every Friday, students will take home their Friday Folders. This folder will contain important information from the school and myself and graded papers. Please look over graded papers and send back any that need to be signed. Friday Folders should be returned with signed papers, Behavior Rubrics, and anything else needed for the following Monday.

BEHAVIOR RUBRIC The Behavior Rubric is an overall performance review. Every Friday, each student will evaluate themselves according to the six criteria on the rubric. This gives them a chance to assess themselves and how they perform week to week. This will also serve as a communication tool between you and your child about what he/she does in school. I ask 7 that you please review this report with your child, sign it, and send it back with the Friday Folder.

GRADING SCALE The 5th Grade Team grading scale is as follows:

A 100%-90% Achieves with excellent progress B 89%-80% Achieves at an above average level C 79%-70% Achieves at a satisfactory level D 69%-60% Achieves at a below grade level U 59%-50% Achieves at an unacceptable level

****If your child should happen to earn a 69% or below, I ask you that you please sign and return the paper in the Friday Folder.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION Fifth graders are very lucky to take part in the exciting program of Outdoor Education. The scheduled dates for this year are April 3rd- 5th. There will be a parent meeting towards the end of February (TBA), and more information will be available regarding this program as it draws nearer.