Welcome to 5th Grade!

A day in the life of a 5th grader...

8:30-8:50 Morning Message

8:50-9:35 Specials

9:40-11:10 Literacy

11:15-12:30 Math

12:30-12:50 Recess

12:50-1:20 Lunch

1:25-2:10 Writing

2:10-2:50 Soc./Sci./PBL

2:50-3:20 Intervention

3:20-3:30 Pack Up

After a beginning of the year assessment we will begin Math classes on Wednesday.

We will continue teaching using our spiraling math program this year, EveryDay Math!

Be sure your child shares their EDM login information with you next week so you can support them in accessing homework, playing practice games, and more!

Language Arts

Students will be reading a variety of material this year ranging from short stories, non-fiction articles, to a variety of novels.

A Balanced Literacy approach will be implemented using the guidelines from the Fountas and Pinnell Continuum of Literacy Learning.

Social Studies/Science

Topics to be covered: Science-

Scientific Method, Ecosystems, Space, Physical Matter, Design Process

Social Studies-Native Americans, Explorers, Early Colonies, American Revolution, Economics, and US Regions

PBL

We will continue to teach using the Problem Based Learning model.

Problem Based Learning is open ended; broad questions are posed to students (or developed by the students themselves), and the goal of the learning becomes the development of answers and solutions through information gathering, organization and aggregation of the information, and the synthesis of new information.

This is an approach to learning where students explore real-world problems and challenges!

Students will develop the four C’s: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, and Critical Thinking.

We are a 1:1 Classroom

 What Will This Look Like for Your Child at School? 

• Each student will have an iPad in our classroom.

• The 4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking 

• Differentiated Learning Experiences• Organization and Workflow• Linking students with a Global Audience• Immediate Feedback• Increase in student engagement

 

We are a 1:1 Classroom

 What Will This Look Like for Your Child at Home? 

• Less paper• Access to Information• Additional Responsibility• Homework Assignments can be Exchanged

Electronically• Open Communication with Teacher and Peers

We are a 1:1 Classroom

   What Are the Benefits of a 1:1 Learning Environment?

• 24/7 Access to Information• Supports collaborative learning • Opens the learning environment beyond the 4 classroom walls• Students with learning differences are better able to keep pace

with classmates because they can utilize the technology to meet their individual learning needs.

• Increased motivation to take charge of own learning

We are a 1:1 Classroom

   What Do Parents Need to Do?• Parents listed as the guardian in PowerSchool received an email

from Apple regarding the approval and creation of their student’s AppleID. Please follow the directions given in that e-mail.

• Parent and student will need to sign a copy of the student technology handbook.

• The AppleID and password need to be brought to school on Monday, August 4th. Without the AppleID and signed handbook, your student will not be able to participate.

• Come to our special iPad Classroom Night on Monday, August 11th at 6:30 p.m.

Recess/Lunch/Snacks

Recess is an earned privilege.

We will have recess

everyday, but we will stay inside if the weather is too cold or rainy.

We eat lunch LATE! Please send a healthy snack for the morning!

Water bottles are allowed in the classroom.

Specials

We rotate through four different special classes throughout the year. Students need tennis shoes on P.E. days!

Day One: Music Day Two: Art Day Three: Technology Day Four: P.E. Day Five: Panther Day

Homework

It will be your child’s responsibility to document homework in their assignment notebook! Please check it daily!

You will receive an e-mail if your student does not turn in their homework.

If your child is having problems, please let us know! We want to know if homework is taking your child longer than 40 minutes per night.

Freedom Levels

In conjunction with “Panther Pride”, freedom levels are a privilege for each student to earn! Each child will strive for a freedom

level of 3 or 4. With a freedom level of a 3 or 4, students will be rewarded with many freedoms throughout the school day.

Level 4- Students require no reminders to follow expectations. Restroom, Work time Choice Hallway or in Room, Line Up at Lunch, iPad during free

time, Project FitLevel 3- Students require occasional reminders to follow expectations. Restroom, Work time Choice in the Room, iPad free time, Project FitLevel 2- Students require regular reminders to follow expectations. Permission for Restroom, Sit in Seat for Work time, Assigned Lunch Table, No iPad free

time, Note/Email home to Parents, Recess restrictionsLevel 1- Students require frequent reminders to follow expectations or commit a serious offense. Permission for Restroom, Sit in Seat for Work time, Assigned Lunch Table, No iPad free

time, Note/Email home to Parents, Walk by teacher, Recess restrictions, and More

• I will be using Class Dojo to help build your student’s learning habits and boost classroom engagement.

• ClassDojo allows the teacher, students, and parents to track positive behaviors in the classroom.

• One of the great features of ClassDojo is that it allows me to send you a “behavior and skills report” every Friday by email. My hope is that this will help you better understand the behavior progress of your student on a week to week basis.

• A letter with more information will be coming home the first week of school.

7 Habits of Happy Kids

• We are helping children to:• Be leaders • Identify their own

unique talents and abilities

• To make a positive difference in the world

• Develop essential life skills and characteristics needed for success in the 21st century

Field Trips/Guest Speakers

We hope to have a few guest speakers this year to kick off some of our units of study! We may even be asking some of you to help us out!

In addition, we hope to take a field trip each semester to enhance our studies!

More information TBA!

Medications/Appointments

All medications need to be brought in from home by an adult to the school nurse.

If your child needs cough drops, a note to the teacher will suffice.

Please try to keep any doctor’s appointments to non-academic times of the day!

Communication with Teachers

• If your child is going home from school a different way than they normally do, they need a note from an adult.

• If your child is going home with a friend, write a note explaining who they are going home with.

• Students will not be allowed to change transportation arrangements without notes or contacting the office.

EMAIL is the best way to communicate with teachers…however, if you have something urgent your child needs to know, please contact the office as we may not check our email in time! wendy_penn@nobl.k12.in.us

Wellness Policy

Effective with the 2012-13 school year, schools may not celebrate birthdays with food items on school grounds. Instead, teachers may choose to celebrate birthdays with non-food items or student recognition.

The change follows the council’s mission of promoting healthy lifestyles with a focus on nutrition and fitness and making wellness a way of life for the community of Noblesville. In addition, it addresses an increase in food allergies and other health concerns among students.