I've so enjoyed getting to know your amazing 5th graders these first two days!  Please ask how they attempted to save Fred the first day of school!  I have included some brief but hopefully helpful information about the beginning of school below. Please feel free to email me with any questions you or your child may have about fifth grade. I’m looking forward to an exciting year of fun and learning!

                                   

Back to School News and Notes

Contacting me: Throughout the year, please feel free to contact me with any questions you have!

• Wealthy Elementary Phone Number:  235-7550
• My e-mail address is mmiller@egrps.org (this is the BEST way to contact me)

Entry Doors: The fifth grade entry doors are across from the Upper El playground.  Students will be expected to enter those doors at the start of each school day.

Handouts and Graded Work: Graded school work and important handouts will be sent home every Friday (of full school weeks) unless it is an urgent piece of information. In that case, it will come home the day it is received.  Look inside your child’s binder AND check our ONLINE CALENDAR (*new this year--scroll down to view) regularly for information about projects, current events, and graded work in the areas of study. This binder is not only a means for your child to transport his/her work to and from school each day, it is meant as a weekly means for you to monitor your child's progress as well. Please email or call me when a question or concern may arise.

Homework:   As a fifth grader, your child will be expected to complete an increased amount of homework.  The time required will vary depending on units of study and use of classroom time.  Homework is designed as an extension of skills taught in the classroom and students should be able to complete most of the work independently.  On days with little assigned homework, I would encourage independent reading time ~ 2 hours/week is a minimum goal for each fifth grade student, or IXL to review Math Lessons.  Many students find having a set time and place to do schoolwork helps keep them organized and up to date.  Fifth graders often require some parental guidance in budgeting time and organizing tasks.

Assignment Notebooks/ONLINE assignment calendar (*NEW THIS YEAR):   In order to build responsibility and autonomy, each student will be given the choice of using an assignment notebook or the online assignment calendar this year.  I will record all assignments on my blog on our Google calendar (scroll below this blog post to view).  Students can choose to copy notes into their own assignment notebooks or re-check ONLINE when they get home.  We have found that many students are ready to be responsible to check online for their work without parental signatures.  Others need a more directed approach by physically writing their assignments down on paper.  Students are responsible for correctly completing the work. If a student chooses to use the online calendar as a guide, but fails to turn in homework in due time, we will be issuing an assignment book to help guide organization.         

Mrs. Miller’s Fifth Grade Blog: Please visit our class blog often!  You will also be able to access this through the Wealthy Homepage by clicking on “Teacher Directory” and then my name OR by subscribing (see left side bar). My blog will be updated weekly with postings of assignments, classroom news, and reminders.  There are also links to various websites we utilize in our classroom for home use.

Behavior Policy: In order to provide a learning environment in which each of us feels comfortable to try new things, share ideas, make mistakes, and to feel successful, we will be agreeing on a classroom set of T.E.A.M. behaviors. If your child chooses to break this agreement or makes an error in judgment, he/she will experience the natural or logical consequence (sitting out of activity, notes/calls home, etc.).  These consequences will provide an opportunity to learn from mistakes and assume responsibility for actions.  Positive celebrations will occur regularly for students following our agreement.

Social Studies/Science/Investigations: My students will attend Investigations (a rotation of math and language arts lessons) with Mrs. Froehlich and Social Studies with Mrs. Griffith in the afternoons right after lunch. They will receive language arts, math and science with me.  We will be working closely to monitor your child's progress in each of these subject areas.

Book Orders/Software Orders: Order forms will go home monthly in your child’s binder.  This is completely optional. Ordering can be done online by clicking the link on our blog. 

Fine Arts:  We have specials Monday mornings.  Students may leave labeled gym shoes at school or bring them each week.  We will have gym with Mr. Putnam first thing, art with Mrs. denDulk and music with Mr. Woodward.

Other Classes: We will have Spanish from 2:20-2:40 except for Friday.  Senora Lopez will be the long term substitute teacher for Senora Harmon until she returns from maternity leave mid-October.  Reading Buddies and Learning Commons/computer lab time will take place once a week (Monday afternoons).

*** Please recognize that we have 5^th graders with severe food allergies. All classrooms will be peanut and tree nut free.**

Healthy Snack: Your child may choose to bring a healthy snack (fruit, crackers, pretzels, etc.) to eat around 10am or during morning recess . We will try out our 10am time to see if it works out during our writing block.  If it interferes tremendously, we will move to recess snacks only.  Please keep these snacks simple and do not send beverages as part of a snack.  Replenishing those growing bodies with healthy snacks not only gives them more energy, but increases their brain development.  Water bottles are welcome anytime during the day. 

Birthday Treats: We understand that birthdays are an important day. We had a class meeting to decide how to celebrate birthdays.  As a group, we've decided that the 20 minutes of birthday fame can look different for everyone.  Choices include, but are not limited to:

• birthday treats for 27 
• game time (inside or outside)
• reading a thousand books (in 20 minutes) with book talks, etc.

I've asked that our 5th graders tell me a few days in advance of their wishes.  This is a great opportunity to make sure we practice being respectful of everyone's decisions, work together as a TEAM to celebrate and have fun!  Our first birthday celebration is for Clare Backus who has decided to have a kickball game Friday afternoon.  What a fun way to celebrate!  Please, please, please do not send an extra treat or goodies if they chose an activity.  They get to have one choice :).  

Field trip permission slip forms (in office) and Parent Volunteer Consent Forms (link on blog) are due!  Please send them in as soon as possible.  Fifth grade is an exciting year full of many opportunities to learn and grow.  I am looking forward to working with you and your child this school year!  I hope to see you at Parent Night on September 10^th @ 6:00PM in Mrs. Froehlich’s room.