I thought I'd share with you a little light reading (ha!) for the weekend. Don't worry though, this will all be coming home on Tuesday with your child in a paper format. :-)
Schedule
Lunch: Daily (12:22-12:52) You are invited to eat lunch with your child in the cafeteria after the first two weeks of school. Please remember that outside food cannot be brought into the cafeteria.
Recess: Daily (2:00-2:30)
P.E.: Monday (11:45-12:15) & Wednesday (1:30-2:00) Please have your child wear appropriate clothing and tennis shoes.
Music: Tuesday (11:45-12:15)
Chorus Tuesday (1:00-1:30)
Art: Friday (11:35-12:15) An art smock (old shirt) is suggested, or you may want to send your child in clothes that paint will not hurt on these days.
Also, this year, we will be switching classes for instruction in different areas. I will be teaching your child math as well as doing small group reading with them. Ms. Powell will be your child’s science teacher. Mrs. Mc.Gee will teach your child whole group reading, writing, and social studies. We are all so excited about this and can’t wait to focus and teach the subjects that we love!
Classwork
Students are expected to complete all assignments they receive from the teacher. Incomplete or missing assignments will be reflected in their grade. Late assignments will have 5 points taken off every day that they are late. (Please note this does not include missing work due to absences.) However, it is asked that students get missing work done in a timely manner when they are absent. Henrico County policy is 3 days to make up the work per day of absence. If they fail to get the work in, it will go in the gradebook as incomplete (50/F). They will not be excused from assignments.
Homework
Homework plays a vital role in strengthening your child’s skills. Your child should be spending approximately an hour on homework per county guidelines for fifth grade. This does not include special projects. Let me know if it is taking your child longer than this. The assignment book that was handed out during open house is expected to be used Monday through Friday. (Homework will not be given on Friday, except for special circumstances.) Each morning, students are expected to copy their homework assignment from the board. I will not be signing the agenda. It is your child’s responsibility to make sure that they are writing it down each day. Please check the agenda nightly to see what homework your child has. This ensures that you have seen the homework and have gone over it with your child to make sure it is complete.
Friday Folders
Every other Friday your student will come home with a folder of current graded work. Please review the papers in this. You may keep the papers at home, and may want to keep old tests and quizzes for review for testing in the spring. The report will need to be signed and returned with the folder. Missing assignments are averaged in as a 50, but the grade will change when I receive the assignment. Also, you may check your child’s grades at any time using PowerSchool. Please try to wait to see the actual assignment before questioning a grade on PowerSchool.
Classroom Website
Nightly Reading
Students should strive to complete at least twenty minutes of nightly reading. This time is on your student’s honor and is highly recommended. If you have a reluctant reader, encourage them to read something that they enjoy, even if it is magazines or sports articles!
Grades
Your student will be graded on the following scale:
A= 100-90
B= 89-80
C= 79-70
D= 69-65
F= Under 65
Student Absences
When a student is absent, their work will be collected and an assignment sheet detailing what was missed will be put together. Parents may pick up the assignments at the front desk at the end of the day, have it sent home with a friend, or have the child bring it home when he/she returns. Please call the office in the morning if you would like for it to be sent to the office or home with a friend. Your child should complete the missed work and return it in a timely manner.
Class Dojo
Class dojo is a fabulous program that I use to record the student's behavior and work habits in the classroom. It is a great tool and allows for you to be an active participant in what is going on in the classroom. Examples of things that I use it to record are: participation in class, helping a classmate, missing homework, or disruptions. Parents can sign up for a weekly message letting them know how their student did at the end of the week and can also check in for a daily report. I highly encourage you to sign up for this as I can text message you with good news and pictures during the day. Instructions on how to set up your child’s account will be coming home with this packet.
Bean Economy
Your students will be participating in the fifth grade Bean Economy this year. The program is an excellent way for students to get real world experience in economics and how our market economy works. Your child will have the opportunity to apply for a class job and then will be paid weekly for doing their job. They will use this “payday” to pay for the “rent” of their space at the table and class supplies. They also use their payday to pay fines for breaking class rules. On the flipside, they will also be given a “bonus” for earning class dojo points.
Water
I strongly encourage all children to bring a small water bottle to school each day. Please make sure your child’s water bottle has their name on it that is easily seen. Also, please do not freeze the water bottle. Frozen water bottles offer a great chance to explain the water cycle, but cause a big mess on desktops. Students should not bring in the powders that can be put into water.
Snack
You may choose to send a snack with your child for them to eat in the morning. Please keep in mind our lunch is at 12:22. They will eat snack around 10:00. Only healthy snacks are allowed, so please send fruit, veggies, crackers, ect. Please do not send in snacks that contain nuts.
Birthdays
Birthdays are very important days for your student! No treats can be brought to class for birthday celebrations. See the Short Pump Handbook for more information. I also ask that any birthday party invitations be sent through the U.S. Mail and not handed out in the classroom, UNLESS the entire class is invited. Children tend to get their feelings hurt when invitations are passed out at school and they are not invited. My school anywhere is a great tool to use to get the address of your child’s friends. Thank you ahead of time for your cooperation in this matter. Make sure that you have signed up on my school anywhere so that your child’s address is included in the directory!
My School Anywhere
Thank you if you have already signed up for My School Anywhere. I will be using this to coordinate volunteers for days that we might have mystery readers or to list any supplies that we might need for upcoming projects in the classroom. If you can sign up to help for any of this, your participation is appreciated more than you know.
Conclusion
I feel strong communication between the school and home is essential for your child’s academic growth. Please feel free to contact me for any reason. You may call the school, or email me, or use the contact me link on the side of this page. I look forward to working together to meet the academic needs of your child. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Katie Gosney