Welcome Back!
Welcome to Barnette Magnet School and to 5th grade! We are looking forward to having an exciting year with all of you.
Things are a little different in 5th grade as your child will now have different classes to attend in the morning. Students will be going to different teachers for Math and Literacy. It might be confusing at first but with a little luck everything will run smoothly after a few days.
With the beginning of the new year we will be doing the traditional handing out of forms for you, the parents, to fill out. They will be coming home (hopefully) during the first few days of school. Please get these done as soon as possible so we all can get down to the business of teaching your student(s).
In this letter there is information that should answer a lot of your questions about the way things will be run this year. If you still have any questions, concerns, or if you would like to volunteer, please feel free to contact us at school.
Thanks and have a great year!
Contact information
School Phone 456-6072
Mr. Marsh (Math) ext. 20271 [email protected]
Mrs. Ward (Literacy) ext. 20260 [email protected]
Scheduling-
This year we are splitting the courses and the classes up to better address the needs of the students. In the first few days of school we will be sending home an individual schedule for your child to better explain what they will be doing in the morning. For the time being the schedule will tentatively work like this:
8:15 – 8:50 Period 1 Writing
8:50 - 10:05 Period 2 Math or Literacy
10:05-11:15 Period 3 Math or Literacy
11:15-11:45 lunch in core classroom
11:45-12:00 SSR/Read Aloud
12:00-3:00 Explorations
Nothing is set in stone as of right now and things might change once all the kids get here so please bear with us as we get everyone settled and into the schedule
Classroom Expectations-
Fifth grade is a time for developing more social skills that will help them become responsible members of the community. We ask all students to be on time (8:00 am) and be prepared for class to begin at 8:15. Classroom rules are to be followed as well as the school rules:
1- Take care of yourself
2- Take care of each other.
3- Take care of our School.
Discipline-
Behavior, for the most part, is a matter of choice. When a child or group of children chooses to do positive things, they will be provided with positive rewards. When a child (or group) is out of line, we use a policy that has logical consequences for their actions. Our goal is making sure students will be in charge of their own actions. Depending upon the situation and severity of a problem, we will use the following interventions:
1- Warning
2- In room time out
3- Out of room time out
4- Phone call home
5- Office referral
Our school has recently implemented a 1, 2, 3 policy as well which basically states that a student gets three warnings to change their behavior before consequences occur. It is proving to be effective and we will be using it as necessary in our classrooms.
Monday Folders
On top of online news and information regarding happenings in 5th grade, we will be providing hard copies of events and information on Mondays every week. Students need to check their mailboxes at the end of the day Monday to make sure they have all things to go home.
You can help your child by:
1. Asking your child for the news and information for the week should they forget to give it to you.
2. Reading notices and returning those needed by the teacher.
Online resources
Each week we will be posting our newsletters online on our websites, see address below, as well as math homework. For those without Internet access we will make hard copies available. We will also post resources and/or directions for any long-term classroom or homework assignments that we are doing so that they can be accessed from home.
Grades can be seen via Power School. If you need assistance getting on your child’s Power School account, please contact the office.
Homework and Class work
Your child is responsible for homework daily. The assignments sent home on Monday should be scheduled out over the course of the week so they do not get overloaded. It is a way to practice what they have worked on in the class and to develop good work/study habits.
Spelling homework will have a test on Friday. During the week students will be able to practice their words on Spelling City, a web site with the words for the week covered in a variety of different methods.
Math homework will be assigned weekly.
Websites
Please enter and bookmark the following sites so you can stay up to date on the assignments and any information we need to get out to you:
Mr. Marsh’s site
http://mrmarshclass.weebly.com
Mrs. Ward’s site
http://mrsrward.weebly.com/
Spelling city- http://www.SpellingCity.com - students will be shown where the words are and will be responsible for showing parents.
Lunch
Lunch is from 11:15 -11:45. They will be eating in their core classroom. If your student is not buying a hot lunch, please make sure they bring utensils if needed. Also, if you send in something that needs to be heated via microwave, please make sure it is something that does not need a large amount of time to cook so others can use the microwave without impeding their lunchtime. Students need to be finished, cleaned up and ready for explorations during this time.
Snacks-
Snacks are at the discretion of the classroom teacher. We do ask that if they are allowed to make sure they are healthy snacks and not junk food.
Students may bring water bottles to class but make sure they only contain water. Positively NO SODA!
Absences/Early Pick-ups
If you will be picking up your child earlier than their dismissal time, you must go to the office and sign him/her out. The classroom teacher cannot release the child until the office has been notified. If your child arrives late, please take them to the office and sign him/her in. Students should bring in a note to notify the office after an absence.
Change in routine/ Parent–Teacher Communication
Please notify us if your child’s plans change from the norm (i.e. transportation change, emotional upsets, etc.) or any educational concerns. Doing so allows us to keep track of their needs.
Grades
The following scale is what we will be using in the classroom in the classroom:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F
When possible especially for more involved assignments or units, scoring rubrics or checklists will be provided to students. The intent is to clearly indicate an understandable basis for the awarding of grades.
Late Assignments
In the beginning of the year assignments that are turned in late will have 10 points deducted from them. This policy may become stricter as the year progresses and students mature.
Volunteers-
If you would like to volunteer to help out in the classroom, help with parties attend field trips, etc., we will be sending home a volunteer form. We are always looking for extra help with projects, listening to students reading, assisting with math facts, guest readers, etc. Just send in a note or call us to let us know what is a good time for you.
Birthdays
If you would like to bring in a treat for your child’s birthday, you are more than welcome. Please let us know so that we can plan for it. If your child has a summer birthday, you can celebrate anytime that you would like. Please do not send party invitations to school to pass out unless you are sending them to invite the entire class.
Parties-
During the school year we will have three parties:
Harvest Party (end of October)
Holiday Party (end of December)
Valentine Party (mid February) Valentine Exchange
Participation by your child in these parties is optional. Please notify us if you would prefer that child partake in another educational activity during this time.
We are excited to be your child’s teachers and look forward to working with you this year!
Welcome Back!
Kevin Marsh
Robyn Ward