Website Updated: 5/8/12
Current News:
All Study Island blue ribbons for Grade 5 Math, Reading and Science may be worked on until the end of the grading period (June 8) to raise grades.
Math Packets of Study Guides and Science Study Notes have been given out and are kept in Math and Science folders for study, in-class and at home. Q3 EOG Benchmarks (corrected, with right answers noted) are in a file folder in your child's backpack - please make sure it is returned to school daily. A 20 minutes session each night will go a long way in helping your child's confidence as he/she takes the EOG. Please do not have your child study the night before an EOG, all this does is cause stress and lower performance!
We have studied all 5th grade topics prior to Spring Break, and will be reviewing all that we have learned this year (in weekly Reviews mirroring each quarter) while working on our Integrated Projects, which will use all of the skills and knowledge from 5th grade. Your child should already have shared with you the National Park he/she has chosen, and taken you on a tour on www.nps.gov. We are currently working on our second terrarium (Ecosystem model), this time a beach habitat or aquarium (student choice).
Junior Achievement Biztown curriculum, integrating all subjects, will be our focus after the EOGs. EOG tests are May 11-17 (Science,
Reading and Math), and our JA Biztown trip is June 4th.
National Park Project: Students are learning to set up livebinders online as a collection/organization point for researched information and sources for the project. These are embedded by the students in a collaboratively edited website www.bindershare5A.com on the page with his/her name on it. Only our students may add to the site, which is ONLY for things useful to students as they work on Integrated Project research and later project completion. No student may delete or change something which another has posted. Please do not edit the site yourself - if your child needs help, talk them through the editing, or have them do it with me in class.
Students' research online must use only the sites posted in teacher-provided Research Livebinders.
Good sites which parents have found with the student can be submitted for approval/posting on our sites to enable the student to use them in research. Email the link, and I'll check it out and post it in a livebinder.
ALL STUDENTS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO STUDY ISLAND (for all four core courses), JOURNEYS READING, AND KHAN ACADEMY. Please see Links instructions for help. If www.ncwiseowl.org asks for a password, it is wiseowl. My "Livebinders" posted above and the sharing site require an access key for use - the key is 5A
Mrs. Honan’s Fifth Grade Policies and Procedures
General Expectations
Students will abide by the school’s core values, the zero-tolerance policy for fighting and bullying, and our classroom rules.
RESPECT
We will respect others and their property at all times.
We will listen to each other, knowing that we have individual differences that make us unique and valuable.
RESPONSIBILITY
We will enter the classroom prepared with homework assignments and appropriate supplies.
We will accept responsibility for our words and actions.
We will treat others as we would like to be treated.
SOLUTIONS
We will create a positive environment where problems are met with creative solutions.
“Don’t agonize, organize.”
SERVICE
We will actively seek ways to help others in our school, our community, and our world.
LAPTOPS and computer usage:
Students are responsible for keeping laptops safe. Students may not share laptops with others, but students may stand behind another's screen to see something being shared. Lunches and water bottles are allowed only on the floor below a child's seat, never in backpacks/bags or on coat hooks. Laptops are kept on the coat hooks in bags, or on a clean table ONLY. Drinking must be done by turning away from the table (back turned to the laptops). My door is locked if we leave. Students may not sit on laptop bags/backpacks. Athletes must keep all bags/laptops with them once dismissal starts at 3:30 and we leave the room.
We abide by the student handbook and laptop contracts for all tech issues.
Communication
One folder from the supply list will be used as the School Communication Folder. All notes/information/completed work sent home will go in this folder, and any papers sent in by parents to school (forms, absence notes).
It is every parent’s responsibility to provide me with the correct telephone number and a working email address (if possible), or notification that email is not the best way for the parent to hear from me, using the contact form below these policies, or via regular email to benjamink@ciscomets.com
We have devised several different lines of communication to keep you informed of what is going on in the classrooms. On www.teacherease.com, all grades/assignments in my courses and Essentials may be viewed as we post them weekly, as well as past periodic announcements sent vial teacherease email to parents. I communicate best via email for most issues, but can also be reached by telephone if time is of the essence (as in, need to speak re. dismissal, child’s needs that day). Please be advised that telephones are not answered during instructional time, but a message left on my phone is the best way to reach me for urgent but non-emergency issues (change of driver for carpool, etc.).
You will receive a “Welcome” email from the the TeacherEase site once I have set up your account, giving you a password (which you can later change) to use for access to your child’s grades/announcements, and allowing you to email us through the site should you forget our email addresses. The welcome/first newsletter home may take a couple of days, as we wait for all parents to provide an updated email address/confirmation of no change since last year. If we do not have an email address for you at the time we send a newsletter, we will send a paper copy with your child.
Posted Classroom Rules
1. Teacher notifies student – as in, “you’re tapping and making noise.”
2. Teacher redirects – as in, “try tapping on your arm instead, so you don’t bother others.”
3. Short private immediate conference – as in, “please come to me so we can figure out how to fix this.”
If student/teacher discussion does not solve the problem, or if student is uninterested in working collaboratively with peers/teacher, walking recess will be assigned.
If a child loses recess three times, a parent/student conference will be called.
Organization of Student Work
Language Arts/Social Studies/Math/Science: Students will use 1 folder and 1 composition book for each class. A fifth composition book is used as a Journal for personal writing.
These materials will be used by the student to maintain homework assignments, class notes, classwork and/or worksheets that we are currently working on, and graded assignments kept year-long for review.
¨ Students are expected to have their folders and composition books in class daily.
¨ It is very important that all of this work remains in the folders until students have been given permission to permanently remove it!
It is essential that no classwork or assignments are removed from folders, or pages removed from composition books, as they may be issued open-note quizzes or need to review a specific concept or skill. Another reason for keeping all of the work is so that the students can reflect on their work at the end of each quarter, and compile end of year scrapbook portfolios, using the books and folders from the year.
Work and Study Policies and Procedures
Absences
-Assignments that were assigned prior to the missed day(s) and that were due on the missed day(s) are due on the day the student returns to school.
Example: Math page 238 problems 1-25 are assigned on Tuesday for homework which is due on Wednesday. Susie stays home with a tummy ache on Wednesday and returns to school on Thursday. Susie will be expected to turn in Math page 238 problems 1-25 on Thursday.
-Assignments given on the day missed are due the next day. If the student is out of school for two or more days in a row, we will work with the student to develop a reasonable schedule for completing the make-up work.
Example: When Susie missed math Wednesday, she was assigned Math page 240 problems 1-15 for classwork and Math Worksheet 62 for Homework. These assignments are due, in addition to Thursday’s homework, on Friday.
-Arrangements can be made to have make-up work sent home with a sibling or a neighbor upon request. Occasionally, arrangements can be made to send missed assignments via fax or e-mail upon request.
Grading
Classwork and Participation
Classwork and participation is worth 40 percent of the students’ overall grade. All classwork is expected to be completed by the students in the classroom. Students are expected to follow directions, working to the best of their ability, and complete the assignment in a timely manner.
Points are earned at the rate of 100 per week.
Homework
Homework is worth 25 percent of the students’ overall grade. Fifth grade students can expect to have no more than 50 minutes of homework per night. Homework provides students with the opportunity to practice new material, review material, and to prepare for quizzes and tests. Math and language arts homework will be assigned daily Monday through Thursday, unless otherwise noted.
Assessments and Projects
Quizzes, tests, and projects and assessments are worth 35 percent of the students’ overall grade. Other forms of assessments will be used throughout the year which may include: observations, student inquiry, group assignments, self-assessments and projects.
Quizzes are typically not announced ahead of time. Quizzes are given to check for understanding and prepare students for assessments. Formal tests are announced at least one week ahead of time. Students will be informed on precisely what to study and how to best prepare for the test.
The majority of projects will be done on a strictly in-class basis. Occasionally, students may receive a project, or portions of a project, to be completed at home. In Science, I often ask for students to bring junk/recycling, or something such as a common household object which can be returned home unharmed (for example, an in-class demonstration of erosion may require a cookie sheet). In this case, you will receive detailed information regarding the students’ responsibilities. It is expected that the student complete the project independently, even if it is assigned for homework, unless otherwise noted. For every project, students will receive a rubric outlining what is expected and a timeline for completion.
Late Work
Any work turned in late will receive a ten point per day deduction. After three days, the assignment will be recorded as a zero, which is permanent. Day 1 (-10points) is the day that assignment grades are posted on Teacherease. Schooldays only count in the 3 Day rule. Should a student lose an assignment, they may borrow the teacher’s master copy and write out a new copy for themselves (not during instructional time).
Food in the Classroom
Children need nutritious food in order to have the energy to be active throughout the day as well as to focus on what they are being taught. Students will not be allowed to consume candy or sodas during snack time or lunch time. Please send healthy and nutritious food for your child’s snack and lunch. Beverages sent at lunch may include milk/chocolate milk, 100% juices, water etc.. Not Recommended: Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, coffee, iced tea, etc.. At any time during the school day, students are allowed to drink from water bottles containing WATER only. Please try to provide your child with a reusable water bottle. Our goal is to produce less waste as a part of our environmental/international school charter.
Laptop Care in the Classroom
Students are instructed to keep laptops stored in cases or backpacks, hanging on coat hooks flush against the wall. If that is not possible, the case is to be leaned against the wall under the backpack. Laptops must be in a case or backpack to be carried, in or out of the classroom.
Water bottles are never to be on tables, only on the floor. Drinking water is a “turn your back to your laptop first” activity. Water bottles/lunches should not be in backpacks with laptops on the way to school!
Students must follow teacher guidance about site usage on the internet, program usage on laptops, and assignment goals when using the laptops at school and at home. A violation of stated assignment guidelines will result in an alternative assignment which does not include computer use.
I will lock our classroom door whenever our room is empty in order to protect your investment.
Please fill out the form below to confirm you have read and understand our class policies and procedures, and to quickly send me your phone/email for the year, and unique concerns for your child.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have throughout the school year – my policy is to respond same day whenever possible.
Sincerely,
Kate Honan, Language Arts and Social Studies
benjamink@ciscomets.com (704) 455-3847 ext. 5547
All Study Island blue ribbons for Grade 5 Math, Reading and Science may be worked on until the end of the grading period (June 8) to raise grades.
Math Packets of Study Guides and Science Study Notes have been given out and are kept in Math and Science folders for study, in-class and at home. Q3 EOG Benchmarks (corrected, with right answers noted) are in a file folder in your child's backpack - please make sure it is returned to school daily. A 20 minutes session each night will go a long way in helping your child's confidence as he/she takes the EOG. Please do not have your child study the night before an EOG, all this does is cause stress and lower performance!
We have studied all 5th grade topics prior to Spring Break, and will be reviewing all that we have learned this year (in weekly Reviews mirroring each quarter) while working on our Integrated Projects, which will use all of the skills and knowledge from 5th grade. Your child should already have shared with you the National Park he/she has chosen, and taken you on a tour on www.nps.gov. We are currently working on our second terrarium (Ecosystem model), this time a beach habitat or aquarium (student choice).
Junior Achievement Biztown curriculum, integrating all subjects, will be our focus after the EOGs. EOG tests are May 11-17 (Science,
Reading and Math), and our JA Biztown trip is June 4th.
National Park Project: Students are learning to set up livebinders online as a collection/organization point for researched information and sources for the project. These are embedded by the students in a collaboratively edited website www.bindershare5A.com on the page with his/her name on it. Only our students may add to the site, which is ONLY for things useful to students as they work on Integrated Project research and later project completion. No student may delete or change something which another has posted. Please do not edit the site yourself - if your child needs help, talk them through the editing, or have them do it with me in class.
Students' research online must use only the sites posted in teacher-provided Research Livebinders.
Good sites which parents have found with the student can be submitted for approval/posting on our sites to enable the student to use them in research. Email the link, and I'll check it out and post it in a livebinder.
ALL STUDENTS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO STUDY ISLAND (for all four core courses), JOURNEYS READING, AND KHAN ACADEMY. Please see Links instructions for help. If www.ncwiseowl.org asks for a password, it is wiseowl. My "Livebinders" posted above and the sharing site require an access key for use - the key is 5A
Mrs. Honan’s Fifth Grade Policies and Procedures
General Expectations
Students will abide by the school’s core values, the zero-tolerance policy for fighting and bullying, and our classroom rules.
RESPECT
We will respect others and their property at all times.
We will listen to each other, knowing that we have individual differences that make us unique and valuable.
RESPONSIBILITY
We will enter the classroom prepared with homework assignments and appropriate supplies.
We will accept responsibility for our words and actions.
We will treat others as we would like to be treated.
SOLUTIONS
We will create a positive environment where problems are met with creative solutions.
“Don’t agonize, organize.”
SERVICE
We will actively seek ways to help others in our school, our community, and our world.
LAPTOPS and computer usage:
Students are responsible for keeping laptops safe. Students may not share laptops with others, but students may stand behind another's screen to see something being shared. Lunches and water bottles are allowed only on the floor below a child's seat, never in backpacks/bags or on coat hooks. Laptops are kept on the coat hooks in bags, or on a clean table ONLY. Drinking must be done by turning away from the table (back turned to the laptops). My door is locked if we leave. Students may not sit on laptop bags/backpacks. Athletes must keep all bags/laptops with them once dismissal starts at 3:30 and we leave the room.
We abide by the student handbook and laptop contracts for all tech issues.
Communication
One folder from the supply list will be used as the School Communication Folder. All notes/information/completed work sent home will go in this folder, and any papers sent in by parents to school (forms, absence notes).
It is every parent’s responsibility to provide me with the correct telephone number and a working email address (if possible), or notification that email is not the best way for the parent to hear from me, using the contact form below these policies, or via regular email to benjamink@ciscomets.com
We have devised several different lines of communication to keep you informed of what is going on in the classrooms. On www.teacherease.com, all grades/assignments in my courses and Essentials may be viewed as we post them weekly, as well as past periodic announcements sent vial teacherease email to parents. I communicate best via email for most issues, but can also be reached by telephone if time is of the essence (as in, need to speak re. dismissal, child’s needs that day). Please be advised that telephones are not answered during instructional time, but a message left on my phone is the best way to reach me for urgent but non-emergency issues (change of driver for carpool, etc.).
You will receive a “Welcome” email from the the TeacherEase site once I have set up your account, giving you a password (which you can later change) to use for access to your child’s grades/announcements, and allowing you to email us through the site should you forget our email addresses. The welcome/first newsletter home may take a couple of days, as we wait for all parents to provide an updated email address/confirmation of no change since last year. If we do not have an email address for you at the time we send a newsletter, we will send a paper copy with your child.
Posted Classroom Rules
- Keep a quiet learning environment.
- We raise our hand when we want to speak.
- Write all “Planner Notes” in planner every day.
- Complete all homework on time.
- Show respect to all.
- Be kind to our equipment and buildings/grounds.
1. Teacher notifies student – as in, “you’re tapping and making noise.”
2. Teacher redirects – as in, “try tapping on your arm instead, so you don’t bother others.”
3. Short private immediate conference – as in, “please come to me so we can figure out how to fix this.”
If student/teacher discussion does not solve the problem, or if student is uninterested in working collaboratively with peers/teacher, walking recess will be assigned.
If a child loses recess three times, a parent/student conference will be called.
Organization of Student Work
Language Arts/Social Studies/Math/Science: Students will use 1 folder and 1 composition book for each class. A fifth composition book is used as a Journal for personal writing.
These materials will be used by the student to maintain homework assignments, class notes, classwork and/or worksheets that we are currently working on, and graded assignments kept year-long for review.
¨ Students are expected to have their folders and composition books in class daily.
¨ It is very important that all of this work remains in the folders until students have been given permission to permanently remove it!
It is essential that no classwork or assignments are removed from folders, or pages removed from composition books, as they may be issued open-note quizzes or need to review a specific concept or skill. Another reason for keeping all of the work is so that the students can reflect on their work at the end of each quarter, and compile end of year scrapbook portfolios, using the books and folders from the year.
Work and Study Policies and Procedures
Absences
-Assignments that were assigned prior to the missed day(s) and that were due on the missed day(s) are due on the day the student returns to school.
Example: Math page 238 problems 1-25 are assigned on Tuesday for homework which is due on Wednesday. Susie stays home with a tummy ache on Wednesday and returns to school on Thursday. Susie will be expected to turn in Math page 238 problems 1-25 on Thursday.
-Assignments given on the day missed are due the next day. If the student is out of school for two or more days in a row, we will work with the student to develop a reasonable schedule for completing the make-up work.
Example: When Susie missed math Wednesday, she was assigned Math page 240 problems 1-15 for classwork and Math Worksheet 62 for Homework. These assignments are due, in addition to Thursday’s homework, on Friday.
-Arrangements can be made to have make-up work sent home with a sibling or a neighbor upon request. Occasionally, arrangements can be made to send missed assignments via fax or e-mail upon request.
Grading
Classwork and Participation
Classwork and participation is worth 40 percent of the students’ overall grade. All classwork is expected to be completed by the students in the classroom. Students are expected to follow directions, working to the best of their ability, and complete the assignment in a timely manner.
Points are earned at the rate of 100 per week.
Homework
Homework is worth 25 percent of the students’ overall grade. Fifth grade students can expect to have no more than 50 minutes of homework per night. Homework provides students with the opportunity to practice new material, review material, and to prepare for quizzes and tests. Math and language arts homework will be assigned daily Monday through Thursday, unless otherwise noted.
Assessments and Projects
Quizzes, tests, and projects and assessments are worth 35 percent of the students’ overall grade. Other forms of assessments will be used throughout the year which may include: observations, student inquiry, group assignments, self-assessments and projects.
Quizzes are typically not announced ahead of time. Quizzes are given to check for understanding and prepare students for assessments. Formal tests are announced at least one week ahead of time. Students will be informed on precisely what to study and how to best prepare for the test.
The majority of projects will be done on a strictly in-class basis. Occasionally, students may receive a project, or portions of a project, to be completed at home. In Science, I often ask for students to bring junk/recycling, or something such as a common household object which can be returned home unharmed (for example, an in-class demonstration of erosion may require a cookie sheet). In this case, you will receive detailed information regarding the students’ responsibilities. It is expected that the student complete the project independently, even if it is assigned for homework, unless otherwise noted. For every project, students will receive a rubric outlining what is expected and a timeline for completion.
Late Work
Any work turned in late will receive a ten point per day deduction. After three days, the assignment will be recorded as a zero, which is permanent. Day 1 (-10points) is the day that assignment grades are posted on Teacherease. Schooldays only count in the 3 Day rule. Should a student lose an assignment, they may borrow the teacher’s master copy and write out a new copy for themselves (not during instructional time).
Food in the Classroom
Children need nutritious food in order to have the energy to be active throughout the day as well as to focus on what they are being taught. Students will not be allowed to consume candy or sodas during snack time or lunch time. Please send healthy and nutritious food for your child’s snack and lunch. Beverages sent at lunch may include milk/chocolate milk, 100% juices, water etc.. Not Recommended: Crystal Light, Kool-Aid, coffee, iced tea, etc.. At any time during the school day, students are allowed to drink from water bottles containing WATER only. Please try to provide your child with a reusable water bottle. Our goal is to produce less waste as a part of our environmental/international school charter.
Laptop Care in the Classroom
Students are instructed to keep laptops stored in cases or backpacks, hanging on coat hooks flush against the wall. If that is not possible, the case is to be leaned against the wall under the backpack. Laptops must be in a case or backpack to be carried, in or out of the classroom.
Water bottles are never to be on tables, only on the floor. Drinking water is a “turn your back to your laptop first” activity. Water bottles/lunches should not be in backpacks with laptops on the way to school!
Students must follow teacher guidance about site usage on the internet, program usage on laptops, and assignment goals when using the laptops at school and at home. A violation of stated assignment guidelines will result in an alternative assignment which does not include computer use.
I will lock our classroom door whenever our room is empty in order to protect your investment.
Please fill out the form below to confirm you have read and understand our class policies and procedures, and to quickly send me your phone/email for the year, and unique concerns for your child.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have throughout the school year – my policy is to respond same day whenever possible.
Sincerely,
Kate Honan, Language Arts and Social Studies
benjamink@ciscomets.com (704) 455-3847 ext. 5547
