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Beginning of Year PARENT PACKET

                 
                               WORKING  HAND  IN  HAND
                                              
                       
      MRS.  PATTERSON’S 5TH GRADE CLASSROOM

Dear Parents,
    Welcome to the new school year.  I am looking forward to working with you and your child.  I hope this year will be a special year of learning for your child.  Please let me know when you have something to share, when you don’t understand something that has occurred at school, or when you have a question or concern.
    I know that all children can learn, and I realize that children learn at different rates of speed and in a variety of ways.  I teach in a variety of methods to reach students who have different learning styles.  I will present information and concepts visually for those who learn best by seeing.  I will also share information orally for those who learn best by hearing.  Whenever possible, hands-on activities will be used for those who learn by “doing.”
    Please read this parent information packet and keep it to refer to when you have a question about classroom rules or procedures.  Read carefully the section on planners and review the procedures with your child at home.  A big key to success in school is organization and responsibility.  If the planners are filled out correctly, everyone should know what work needs to be completed at home on a daily basis.  Students are given time to complete their planners each day.  It is up to the students to use that time wisely.
    Equally as important as the planner is the work folder.  Each student should have a pocket folder with one side labeled “DO”  and the other side labeled “DONE.”  Unfinished work and study sheets should be put on the side that says “Do.”  Notes and graded papers should go on the side that says “done.”  Papers on the side that says “DONE” should be taken out of the work folder each day at home.  This helps students stay organized, especially those who have difficulty completing work, misplacing papers and notes, and those who forget to study for tests.
    Students should repack their book bags in the evening before they go to bed.  This helps avoid forgetting necessary materials in the morning rush to get to school.  It truly does help if students pack their bags before they go to bed.
   Written homework in my classroom is almost always simply work that students did not finish during the day at school.  I rarely give assignments that are only to be worked on at home.  Daily homework will include:  reading a library book, striving to meet the AR goal, studying any study guides that have been given to students in various subject areas, and finishing any work that was not completed at school that day.
     I tell students that they need to complete Monday’s work on Monday, Tuesday’s work on Tuesday, and so on.  It gets tough to try to do Monday and Tuesday’s work on Tuesday.  That is when some students may complain that they have too much work.  It is because they have gotten behind.  It is difficult to catch up then.
    Students MUST write names on papers.  I remind students to write their names on every assignment that I give.  Writing names on papers is part of the assignment, and this is not something new.  I have even asked students to highlight their names as a reminder to check to see that names have been written.  I have made reminders and posted them by the trays for handing in papers.
    Each student has a mailbox in the classroom, and they should empty it daily.  Papers and notes should be put in their work folder to take home.  Please ask your child to give notes to you.
    Please sign your child’s planner each day.  You can see if your child has unfinished work, and you can see if I have written a note to you in the planner.  Sometimes I have students write a note to parents or even to themselves.
    I ask students to go home and visit about their day in school.  I ask them to be sure to tell the WHOLE story about incidents that may occur.  Part of my job as a teacher is to talk to students who aren’t following procedures, who break rules, or who aren’t completing work.  Hopefully those situations will be few so that time isn’t taken away from teaching, learning, and the education of other students.
    I am looking forward to a successful school year.  I welcome and encourage you to be actively involved in the education of your child.  

Sincerely,
Mrs. Patterson

                 Please keep in touch.  Thank you.
                              

I feel that one of the most important things students will learn is how to get along with others.  I expect that from the students.  I also expect them to be responsible and accountable for their actions and behavior.
By this age, I feel that students should also be responsible for seeing that they complete their school work on time.  I will constantly review and remind them of the procedures for completing the daily planner that lists the assignments.  I will ask for students to look at the planner before they go home to know what needs to be taken home to be finished, studied, or read.  I will also remind students to use their work folders.
Children need to treat people with respect and courtesy.  Social skills such as “Following Instructions, Greeting Others, Listening, Getting the Teacher’s Attention, Appropriate Voice Tone,” and others will be taught throughout the school year.  Children will be encouraged and reminded to treat other people in the manner in which they would want to be treated.

1. Demonstrate respect.
2. Accept responsibility.
3. Strive to learn.
4. Help others.
These rules are posted in the room and will be reviewed throughout the year.
           
                       

 Keep desks clean.
 Help students stay organized.
 Keep students from losing papers.
 Keep unfinished work in one place.
 Improve chances for success.
 Help get graded papers home.
 REMIND STUDENTS TO FINISH WORK DAILY.
Organization and responsibility are two areas that I stress daily in the classroom.  I believe these are keys to experiencing success in education.  Students MUST use their work folders for some of the reasons listed above.  Unfinished work goes on the side that says DO.  Notes, graded papers, and papers that no longer need to stay at school go on the side that says DONE.
Students should remove ALL paperwork DAILY from the side that says DONE each day at home.  This prevents the folder from getting too full, and it helps eliminate clutter.
Any unfinished work on the “DO” side should be completed at home each day in order for children to go to school the next day prepared to start the day caught up and ready to learn.  The best way to get rid of work is to do it.
DO                                                                                                           DONE
Remove papers at home on the “done” side.

Graded papers go in the work folder on the side that says, “DONE.”  They should be taken out of the work folder each day, so the folder doesn’t get too full and disorganized.

Sometimes we will check papers together in class, and when we do this, the students check their own papers with a green marker.  This lets the students have instant feedback on how they did on the assignment.  If some students need to correct the paper, they can start correcting it immediately instead of waiting until I have had the time to grade, record, and hand them back to the students.
When students are supposed to correct a paper, I will write or stamp “CORRECT” on the paper.  Students should write in their planners that they need to correct the assignment.  If the problems have been corrected, I will put a large “C” on the checkmark.  That means the problem is now correct.  If ALL the problems have been corrected, the students grade will be raised to a 70%.  I don’t raise grades that were above a 70% originally.
Sometimes we will do an assignment together in class.  I have students write the word “TOGETHER” on the assignment, and then I don’t grade it since I helped them with it.  The students should just put the paper in the “DONE” side of the work folder and take it home.
It is so important for students to look over papers that have been handed back to them.  Students truly learn when they look at what they have missed (and what was correct).  Hopefully students won’t make the same mistakes again.
 Look at graded papers.        

                            
Certain assignments take longer to grade than other assignments.  I won’t enter grades in the computer daily due to the time it takes to plan and teach lessons, grade papers, check corrected papers, work with students, and then enter the grades in the computer.  Please keep that in mind when you check your child’s grades on-line.  Each day I give new assignments, and students are handing in current work or corrected assignments.  It is not possible to immediately grade, record, and enter grades in the computer.
The BEST way to know at any time of the day or time of the week if your child has completed all work is to look in your child’s planner and work folder.  Assignments that have a checkmark have been completed. Of course, students must have written their names on the papers and put the finished work in the paper trays.
Some assignments are what I consider “skill-building” assignments.  I don’t enter those grades in the computer.  I keep track in a notebook, but I don’t count those papers towards the grade average.  They are simply practice sheets for improving skills and concepts.  Then when I do enter grades, the grades should be higher.  Keep that in mind when looking at grades on-line.  Your child could be missing some skill-building papers that don’t show up on the computer.

              Look at grades on-line.         

When regular daily assignments are given, they should be finished that same day.  They will be due the next morning when students come to school.  We will only have a few special, long-term projects that we will work on for an extended period of time.  Students will be given directions when projects are assigned.
If work is not completed at school, it should be put in the work folder and taken home to be finished that same day.  If procedures are followed and time is used wisely, most students should not have to spend much time on “homework” other than reading AR books and studying study sheets.  The study sheets are located in the 3-ring binder (or will be in the work folder as a reminder to study).
The 3-ring binders are organized with the subject areas printed on the index tabs.  The study sheets will be behind the appropriate subject areas.

Some children have a more difficult time achieving in school.  In many cases, these children are “late bloomers,” who will have success in the future.  Many important people have had rough beginnings, yet persevered and went on to greatness.  The following are outstanding examples of “late bloomers”:

1. Beethoven’s music teacher said, “As a composer, he is hopeless.”
2. Isaac Newton’s work in the elementary school was rather poor.
3. Einstein couldn’t speak until the age of 4, and he couldn’t read until
age 7.
4. Edison’s teacher told him he was unable to learn.
5. F.W. Woolworth’s employers refused to allow him to wait on              
customers because he didn’t have enough sense.”
6. Louisa May Alcott was told by an editor that her writings would never  
appeal to the public.
7. Caruso’s music teacher told him that he had “no voice at all.”
8. Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college.
9. Louis Pasteur was given a rating of “mediocre” in chemistry at Royal
College.
10. Admiral Byrd was deemed “unfit for service” before he flew over
both poles.
11. Winston Churchill failed 6th grade.
12. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he had “no good
ideas.”
13. Henry Ford was evaluated as “showing no promise.”

*Look at the planner with your child.
*Go through the work folder with your child
*Discuss graded papers with your child.
*See what problems your child has been missing.  Point out those things to your child.  Ask him/her to improve in those areas.

*See what your child has done correctly.  Praise him/her.

*Ask your child to show you the study sheets in the 3-ring binder or pocket folders.
*Study with your child.  Remind him/her to also study individually.
*Remind your child to complete work daily by using the planner and work folder.
*Remind your child to read AR books in order to reach the goal.
*Ask your child about his/her AR goal and how many points have been earned.  Check the 3-       ring binder for AR information.  Ask about your child’s reading level and see if it is improving.
*Check to see if there are any notes from school and if they need to be returned (See the “DO” side of the work folder).
*Send your child to school rested and ready to learn.
*See that your child gets extra rest during testing weeks.
*Ask to see your child’s “Learning from Mistakes” sheet in the 3-ring binder behind “language.”
*Provide a quiet place to study and complete work.
Thanks for your help in the education of your child.  It takes the student, the home, and the school working together in order for children to reach their full potential.  It makes a difference!

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”

Dear Parents,
Please look in your child’s 3-ring binder.  On the first day of school, we organized our binders by writing the subject areas (language, math, reading, science, and social studies) on index tabs.  As the year progresses, I will give students study guides to place in the binder behind the appropriate tabs.  These study guides cover information that I have already taught or will be teaching, and it is just another way for students to learn and remember skills and concepts.
During some class periods, I will ask students to study a certain study guide.  At times they will study individually, and at times they may study with a partner.  The guides will stay in their binders so that students may also spend time studying and reviewing at home.  If a student has difficulty finishing work at home, he/she can refer to a study guide that may help in understanding the work.
Some students need extra help and extra time in learning and remembering concepts, vocabulary words, and procedures.  These study guides will be helpful for those students.  The guides will be helpful for all students when a test is approaching and vocabulary words and concepts need to be learned.
When students study from packets that are in the 3-ring binder, they need to remember to put the packets back in the binder behind the correct tab so that they can find the packet the next time they need to use it.  The packets should NOT be left at home.  We use them at school, also.
If students do not have homework, they may read AR books at home and study spelling words, daily language sentences, reading vocabulary words, or other information that is found in the 3-ring binders.

ITEMS INCLUDED IN BINDERS
 Study guides- These are found behind the subject area tabs.
 AR packet
o Book log for recording books read
o Reading range for the grading period
o Point goal for the grading period
o Points earned
o Percent of goal met at end of the  grading period

If you want to know how your child is doing towards meeting the AR goal, ask your child to show you the AR packet in the 3-ring binder.  It is up to the student to keep track of books read and points earned.  At the end of the grading period, I will have students write the percent of the goal earned for the entire nine weeks period.

 Spelling dictionary
o This spelling dictionary is for students to use when they have misspelled words in daily work or when they want to ask me how to spell a word.  They just bring the packet to me, and I will spell the word for them.

 Learning from mistakes packet
o Please ask your child to show this to you.  This is for students to record errors they make when they are writing sentences, paragraphs, or entire papers.  There is a place for capitalization errors, punctuation errors, or usage errors.  Students can see the kinds of mistakes they have been making, and they can make an effort to improve their writing skills.  We will be working on 6-trait writing, and this will help students improve their writing for the trait called CONVENTIONS.

 Spelling units packet
o The spelling units are stapled in a packet for students to study.  Each Monday students practice writing the words by printing each word and then by writing each word in cursive.  
o Students will be given a pre-test for each unit.  This pre-test does NOT count towards the student’s grade; however, if a student goes 100% on the pre-test, he/she will not have to take the final test on Friday.  He/she will have earned a 100% already.
o Students should study words that are missed on the pre-test so that the same words will not be missed on Friday.  Students will also have a copy of the regular spelling words list in the packet.
o Students must learn to copy words correctly when copying words for practice.  Cursive letters must   be written correctly.

 Daily Language (DL) Sentences packet
o We will have ten sentences weekly (unless I announce to the students that we won’t be doing DL sentences one week due to it being a short week, a testing week, or a week that I have chosen not to do the DL sentences for some other reason.  Just check planners to see for sure.
o We will practice editing sentences for mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, or usage.  Students will “fix” the mistakes and will learn the rule for correcting the errors.  Then students will write the sentence correctly for practice.

 Steps in writing a paper- packet
o This packet explains HOW to organize and write a paper.  One trait in 6-Trait Writing is called “Organization.”  Students need to learn how to brainstorm ideas, make a web including ideas that will be used in the paper, and then organize the ideas into paragraph form.
o In 5th grade we take a state writing assessment every other year.  If a checkmark follows this sentence, then this IS a year that we take the test.   

 Word Choice sheets
o Another trait in 6-Trait Writing is word choice.  Students will learn to use “powerful” words instead of plain, boring words.  I have given students some examples of excellent words to use when writing.

 Sequential counting packet
o This is especially helpful for students who don’t know the basic multiplication facts with speed and accuracy.  We “chant” and say the multiples of numbers using rhymes or rhythm.  This will be quite helpful when we do greatest common factors and least common multiples in math.  It is also good for learning how to write fractions in lowest terms.

 Vocabulary words
o Vocabulary words for different subject areas will be located in the 3-ring binder behind the subject area tabs.  Please remind your child to study.  (Look in the planner to see what vocabulary should be studied).

More study guides and packets will be added as we go throughout the year.  Your child WILL do better on tests, assessments, and on daily work if he/she studies and uses these guides.  I want to remind you that I teach these skills in class, but most students also need to spend time reviewing and studying in order to REALLY understand and remember the skills.  Then the concept is learned well and will be remembered over time.

Students need to return 3-ring binders to school daily (with all the necessary papers in them).