The ABCs of Fifth Grade (updated for 2015 - 2016 school year)
Absences – We do very important work. Please be here every day that you’re able to! If you are absent you will have 2 days for each day you were out to complete and turn in any assignments you missed. We may need to make special arrangements if you need to make up a test or presentation. It is your responsibility to find out what you missed, get any materials you need, and complete the work within this time frame. If you need additional help, please make an appointment with your teacher.If you know you’re going to be absent, please talk with your teacher ahead of time. We can make arrangements so you know what you need to do to stay on top of your work. Of course, it’s not always possible to make up all presentations and activities you may miss, so please try to miss as few days as you can. Parents/Guardians, please make sure you contact the school office at 351-3901 if your child is absent.
Booker T. Three – The Booker T. Three are the three main guidelines for acceptable behavior at Booker T. Washington: be respectful, be responsible, and be ready. (Image of Booker T. Washington from the Library of Congress)
Communication – We will send out a newsletter almost every Thursday. This will have information about what we’re doing in class, important upcoming dates, and requests. Weekly newsletters will also be available electronically through our website at btw5th.weebly.com. You will also receive a weekly progress report on Thursdays.
The school gets a large number of fliers and notices that are to be passed on to students. These notes will be made available to you as soon as we receive them. Please show your parents all notes and fliers.
We encourage both you and your parents to contact us if you have any questions or comments. You can email, text, or call us! (Call or text anytime before 8:00 PM.) Please see contact information given in class and the contact links on the homepage of this website.
If you like, we are happy to meet with families face-to-face before or after school. Please contact us by phone or email at least 24 hours before to set a time. We often have meetings immediately before and after school. We would really hate to miss meeting with you because we have a prior commitment!
Discipline – Our focus is on learning and protecting a safe, welcoming learning environment. We prefer to recognize positive student behavior and de-emphasize the negative. However, we cannot tolerate student behavior that interferes with learning. Students who choose to disrupt the learning environment for themselves or others are asked to go through the RC2 process as far as they need to get themselves back on track. This process starts over with each new class period and day.
1) Reset: An adult may ask you to “reset” if you misbehave. This is a request to change your behavior, attitude, etc.
2) Chill: If you misbehave again after being given a request to reset, we will ask you to “chill.”
3) Reflect: If your poor behavior continues, we will ask you to “reflect.” You will fill out a reflection form to reflect on your behavior. If you are asked to reflect 5 or more times in one week you will have an additional consequence.
4) Choice: If you continue to disrupt the class or your own learning after reflecting, then the choice portion of the process is entered. Depending on the type and severity of the behaviors, we may choose to keep you for after school detention, make an immediate parent/guardian contact, contact a parent/guardian later, refer you to the office, or apply another consequence appropriate to the situation.
If you choose to bully or be unsafe, you may go right to the choice step without resetting, chilling, or reflecting.
Effort – The biggest factor in your learning and success in 5th grade is the amount of effort you give.
(Image retrieved from http://www.betteboomer.com/2011/03/review-dakim-brainfitness-inc/)
Friends – We know that 5th graders enjoy socializing, and we encourage you to take advantage of times like recess and lunch.
Grading and Report Cards – You will receive quarterly report cards that indicate how you are doing at meeting learning standards. The Common Core learning standards outline academically challenging benchmarks for each grade level of instruction in English language arts and math. On the quarterly report card, your progress in each standard will be marked as beginning (B), developing (D), or secure (S).
Beginning (B) means that you rarely use or apply the standard. A score of beginning is expected and acceptable when a standard has just been introduced because you have not yet had the opportunity to learn and practice.
Developing (D) means that you are making progress towards meeting the standard, but you do not yet meet the requirements.
Secure (S) means that you consistently and independently apply the standard; you meet or exceed the grade level requirements for the material presented so far in the school year.
Practice assignments help you learn and practice skills. Most of your assignments are designed to give you practice opportunities. You will be given time to work on these assignments in class. If you do not complete your assignments at school, you are expected to finish them at home.
Frequently, you will check these assignments before turning them in. Practice assignments that are done, checked, if applicable, and meet the standards for the assignment will be given a score of yes (✓on the paper) to indicate that you practiced the skill as requested.
If you don’t meet the standard on your first attempt at a practice assignment, don’t worry! Some assignments will be marked Not Yet to show that you need additional work. At a teacher’s discretion, you will receive a replacement assignment. Sometimes you may want to get help from a teacher or peer. Other times you just need to put in a little more effort to bring the assignment up to standards.
Receiving a score of Not Yet does not mean you are a poor student. As a matter of fact, we want to give you work that makes you struggle, because that’s the best way to learn! We work really hard to tailor your assignments to what you need, so please let your teachers know if you aren’t being challenged.
Homework is a special kind of practice assignment that you do outside of class. Expect to spend about an hour every school night on homework. We want you to have an opportunity for additional practice on skills and concepts we learn in class. Homework that is turned in on time and shows good effort will receive full credit.
What will you do for homework?
Parents and Guardians, you can help your child with homework by doing the following:
Assessments show what you have learned.
Assessments are often called tests. However, an assessment doesn’t have to look like a traditional test. An assessment is simply a way to gauge your progress on the standards. You will have many, many assessments in this class. You may not always know ahead of time if a particular assignment is given for practice or assessment.
Projects are assessments that are completed over a long period of time. We will discuss these projects in great detail. They will usually be scored with a rubric that will give specific guidelines. Rubrics generally include a score for each of several areas, such as understanding, completeness, etc. Some projects are meant to be collaborative group work and others are designed to be completed individually.
Your scores on your report card will be drawn from your performance on assessments. You will have several opportunities to demonstrate your skills on different standards. You will receive a weekly progress report that will explain how you are doing on a week to week basis. At some point in the year, your weekly progress report will feature grades on an A - F scale to help you prepare for middle school.
Helping Others and Collaborative Work - We encourage you to help each other. As a result, we will often allow you to work with other students. Also, we often ask groups of students to work together to learn a skills or complete a project. Sometimes you will be able to have input about your group; other times we will choose based on our observations and assessments. Remember the B.T. Three as you work with others: Be respectful by choosing kind words and speaking softly so others can work; be responsible by doing your own learning even when you work with others; be ready to work productively and listen when we need your attention.
Individuals – We are all individuals, unique and special. We all have different talents, struggles, and abilities. In 5th grade, we celebrate each other’s successes and help with each other’s difficulties. No one learns quite the way you do, so the assignments you are asked to do might not be the same as others’ assignments.
Judgment – You are encouraged to develop your good judgment in 5th grade. That means we will try to help you make good decisions and be a person of character. We will also ask you to exercise your judgment about the quality of your work. Students often ask if a particular effort is good enough, and we usually refuse to answer. We know this is frustrating; we want you to learn to judge for yourself if you are doing an excellent job.
Kindness – It is vitally important to treat each other with kindness and compassion. This means that we use only kind words and body language and NO PUTDOWNS, PERIOD.
Library – We have a rather extensive collection of books for you to read in our piazza, and even more available in our school library. You are welcome to read these books; you can even take them home. Please treat them well and return them when you’re done. Fifth graders will visit the school library on Fridays.
These books are a fantastic resource, and we want all students to be able to use them. Students who lose or damage books will be asked to pay for them. Excessive overdues from the BTW school library will result in classroom consequences.
Morning Work – When you arrive in the classroom after a good breakfast, you’ll have some important school tasks to set yourself up for a great day. We’ll start morning work as soon as we go to the classroom at 8:45, so don’t be late! (If you do happen to arrive late, you may finish your morning work for extra homework.)
Nuisance Items – Nuisance items are toys or other objects that distract you or others. Some nuisance items that may surprise parents include mechanical pencils, if taken apart and played with; lip gloss; scented body spray; bracelets, if chewed on or noisy; and combs, if used in the classroom. If you choose to bring something that detracts from the learning environment, we will take it away from you. We may return the object to you later or to your parent or guardian.
If you bring a cell phone to school, keep it in your book bag turned off or in silent mode - Please no buzzing, beeping, or chirping to distract our learning!
Organization – You will need a 2 inch binder and other supplies, as listed on the supply list. You will use your binder in class every day to keep your papers organized. Your homework goes in your binder - bring it home every night!
We will provide you with a planner that should stay in your binder. Your planner is the place where you will write down all of your assignments. This will be your lifeline to keep track of assignments and important dates. We will actively teach organization, note-taking, and study skills.
Pencils – Don’t come to class without one! Or, better yet, two! Plenty of #2 pencils with good erasers are a must. If you need help getting any school supplies, including uniform clothes, please ask us. We will be happy to help you.
Questions – Asking questions helps you learn. We need to know when you don’t understand something. Asking questions tells us what we need to work on together. There are no bad questions; there are, however, better and worse times to ask.
Responsibility – Fifth graders have many opportunities to show responsibility. In addition to staying on top of assignments, tests, and projects, you also need to be responsible for your learning resources. We will provide you with textbooks, workbooks, and other materials such as geometry templates and calculators throughout the year. Of course, these are your responsibility to care for and return in good condition. You will need to pay to replace lost or damaged items.One important learning resource is the Chromebook computer that you will use during the school day. Students in 5th grade use Chromebooks in a variety of ways - to write papers, complete assignments, look up information, and use learning websites. You need to show responsibility by taking care of the Chromebook assigned to you. If you damage your Chromebook (or allow it to become damaged through neglectful treatment) you will be asked to pay for repair or replacement.
STEM – BTW is a STEM magnet school. This means that STEM - science (and social science), technology, engineering, and math - is strongly emphasized. We strive to make STEM instruction engaging and rigorous. We also use STEM class as an opportunity to practice for middle school expectations - we will often switch classes for STEM in a middle-school-like model.
Thinking – Reading, writing, math, science, social studies – all of these really boil down to thinking. Knowing how to think critically is the most important skill. It’s the thinking that really counts!
Uniforms – Students at BTW wear uniforms. Please check the uniform policy that you received at registration so you know exactly what to wear. If you are wearing clothing that does not meet the uniform policy, you will need to call home for replacement clothing. Make sure you have a uniform sweatshirt or sweater to wear when the classroom gets chilly (plain navy blue or white only, no logos, words, or pictures). We will make you take off non-uniform sweaters, sweatshirts, or jackets. If you need assistance purchasing or getting uniform clothing, please contact one of your teachers; we will help!
Visitors – Visitors are always welcome. Visitors, please check in with the office so they know you’re here before coming to our classroom.
Weekly Progress Reports – We will send home weekly progress reports to help you and your family understand how you are doing. These will usually go home on Thursdays, and you will need to have your parent/guardian sign the report and return it to the teacher on the next school day.
eXtra Practice – We all need a little help at times. Sometimes, a bit of extra practice can make all the difference. If you are having difficulty with a particular topic, we may give you some additional classwork or homework to help you master it. If you have already mastered a skill, we may give you extra work to extend your learning.
You – You are a very important part of fifth grade. If there’s anything we can do to help you learn or feel better, please let us know. (See C for contact information.)
Zzz’s – We all need sleep. Getting enough sleep helps protect us from illness, lets our bodies grow and rebuild, and helps us learn more effectively. Most people your age need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night to be at their best. Getting these zzzz’s will make all of the above easier! Make sure you get yours. Please keep this booklet for reference. It’s going to be a great year!
Booker T. Three – The Booker T. Three are the three main guidelines for acceptable behavior at Booker T. Washington: be respectful, be responsible, and be ready. (Image of Booker T. Washington from the Library of Congress)
Communication – We will send out a newsletter almost every Thursday. This will have information about what we’re doing in class, important upcoming dates, and requests. Weekly newsletters will also be available electronically through our website at btw5th.weebly.com. You will also receive a weekly progress report on Thursdays.
The school gets a large number of fliers and notices that are to be passed on to students. These notes will be made available to you as soon as we receive them. Please show your parents all notes and fliers.
We encourage both you and your parents to contact us if you have any questions or comments. You can email, text, or call us! (Call or text anytime before 8:00 PM.) Please see contact information given in class and the contact links on the homepage of this website.
If you like, we are happy to meet with families face-to-face before or after school. Please contact us by phone or email at least 24 hours before to set a time. We often have meetings immediately before and after school. We would really hate to miss meeting with you because we have a prior commitment!
Discipline – Our focus is on learning and protecting a safe, welcoming learning environment. We prefer to recognize positive student behavior and de-emphasize the negative. However, we cannot tolerate student behavior that interferes with learning. Students who choose to disrupt the learning environment for themselves or others are asked to go through the RC2 process as far as they need to get themselves back on track. This process starts over with each new class period and day.
1) Reset: An adult may ask you to “reset” if you misbehave. This is a request to change your behavior, attitude, etc.
2) Chill: If you misbehave again after being given a request to reset, we will ask you to “chill.”
3) Reflect: If your poor behavior continues, we will ask you to “reflect.” You will fill out a reflection form to reflect on your behavior. If you are asked to reflect 5 or more times in one week you will have an additional consequence.
4) Choice: If you continue to disrupt the class or your own learning after reflecting, then the choice portion of the process is entered. Depending on the type and severity of the behaviors, we may choose to keep you for after school detention, make an immediate parent/guardian contact, contact a parent/guardian later, refer you to the office, or apply another consequence appropriate to the situation.
If you choose to bully or be unsafe, you may go right to the choice step without resetting, chilling, or reflecting.
Effort – The biggest factor in your learning and success in 5th grade is the amount of effort you give.
(Image retrieved from http://www.betteboomer.com/2011/03/review-dakim-brainfitness-inc/)
Friends – We know that 5th graders enjoy socializing, and we encourage you to take advantage of times like recess and lunch.
Grading and Report Cards – You will receive quarterly report cards that indicate how you are doing at meeting learning standards. The Common Core learning standards outline academically challenging benchmarks for each grade level of instruction in English language arts and math. On the quarterly report card, your progress in each standard will be marked as beginning (B), developing (D), or secure (S).
Beginning (B) means that you rarely use or apply the standard. A score of beginning is expected and acceptable when a standard has just been introduced because you have not yet had the opportunity to learn and practice.
Developing (D) means that you are making progress towards meeting the standard, but you do not yet meet the requirements.
Secure (S) means that you consistently and independently apply the standard; you meet or exceed the grade level requirements for the material presented so far in the school year.
Practice assignments help you learn and practice skills. Most of your assignments are designed to give you practice opportunities. You will be given time to work on these assignments in class. If you do not complete your assignments at school, you are expected to finish them at home.
Frequently, you will check these assignments before turning them in. Practice assignments that are done, checked, if applicable, and meet the standards for the assignment will be given a score of yes (✓on the paper) to indicate that you practiced the skill as requested.
If you don’t meet the standard on your first attempt at a practice assignment, don’t worry! Some assignments will be marked Not Yet to show that you need additional work. At a teacher’s discretion, you will receive a replacement assignment. Sometimes you may want to get help from a teacher or peer. Other times you just need to put in a little more effort to bring the assignment up to standards.
Receiving a score of Not Yet does not mean you are a poor student. As a matter of fact, we want to give you work that makes you struggle, because that’s the best way to learn! We work really hard to tailor your assignments to what you need, so please let your teachers know if you aren’t being challenged.
Homework is a special kind of practice assignment that you do outside of class. Expect to spend about an hour every school night on homework. We want you to have an opportunity for additional practice on skills and concepts we learn in class. Homework that is turned in on time and shows good effort will receive full credit.
What will you do for homework?
- Read and/or respond to reading for at least 30 minutes each day. Often, you may read any book that you choose for homework; sometimes we will give you a reading assignment.
- Study math for at least 20 minutes a day by completing Study Links, Review and Preview problems, other assignments, or practicing for upcoming assessments .
- You may receive STEM or writing homework a few times a week. STEM homework will sometimes overlap with reading.
- Finally, you will need to study for tests and quizzes. Your best source for what to study is your class notes.
- Remember, unfinished classwork should always be completed at home!
Parents and Guardians, you can help your child with homework by doing the following:
- Many fifth graders still need a bit of help keeping themselves on track. Please look over your child’s planner every night, ensure that s/he reads, completes math work, and finishes other homework and unfinished classwork.
- Set up a consistent, quiet place for homework to be done. Brain research is very clear: multi-tasking doesn’t work! So this place should be away from distractions, such as TV, playing siblings, etc.
- Establish a schedule for completing homework.
- Encourage, motivate, and prompt your child, but do not sit with him/her and do the homework with him/her.
- Talk with your child frequently to help him/her identify work that is not finished or upcoming projects that may require additional time.
- When bedtime comes, please stop your child, even if s/he is not done. If your child is consistently not able to complete homework in a timely manner, can’t do the work by him- or herself, or can’t talk about the knowledge s/he is practicing, please contact us.
Assessments show what you have learned.
Assessments are often called tests. However, an assessment doesn’t have to look like a traditional test. An assessment is simply a way to gauge your progress on the standards. You will have many, many assessments in this class. You may not always know ahead of time if a particular assignment is given for practice or assessment.
Projects are assessments that are completed over a long period of time. We will discuss these projects in great detail. They will usually be scored with a rubric that will give specific guidelines. Rubrics generally include a score for each of several areas, such as understanding, completeness, etc. Some projects are meant to be collaborative group work and others are designed to be completed individually.
Your scores on your report card will be drawn from your performance on assessments. You will have several opportunities to demonstrate your skills on different standards. You will receive a weekly progress report that will explain how you are doing on a week to week basis. At some point in the year, your weekly progress report will feature grades on an A - F scale to help you prepare for middle school.
Helping Others and Collaborative Work - We encourage you to help each other. As a result, we will often allow you to work with other students. Also, we often ask groups of students to work together to learn a skills or complete a project. Sometimes you will be able to have input about your group; other times we will choose based on our observations and assessments. Remember the B.T. Three as you work with others: Be respectful by choosing kind words and speaking softly so others can work; be responsible by doing your own learning even when you work with others; be ready to work productively and listen when we need your attention.
Individuals – We are all individuals, unique and special. We all have different talents, struggles, and abilities. In 5th grade, we celebrate each other’s successes and help with each other’s difficulties. No one learns quite the way you do, so the assignments you are asked to do might not be the same as others’ assignments.
Judgment – You are encouraged to develop your good judgment in 5th grade. That means we will try to help you make good decisions and be a person of character. We will also ask you to exercise your judgment about the quality of your work. Students often ask if a particular effort is good enough, and we usually refuse to answer. We know this is frustrating; we want you to learn to judge for yourself if you are doing an excellent job.
Kindness – It is vitally important to treat each other with kindness and compassion. This means that we use only kind words and body language and NO PUTDOWNS, PERIOD.
Library – We have a rather extensive collection of books for you to read in our piazza, and even more available in our school library. You are welcome to read these books; you can even take them home. Please treat them well and return them when you’re done. Fifth graders will visit the school library on Fridays.
These books are a fantastic resource, and we want all students to be able to use them. Students who lose or damage books will be asked to pay for them. Excessive overdues from the BTW school library will result in classroom consequences.
Morning Work – When you arrive in the classroom after a good breakfast, you’ll have some important school tasks to set yourself up for a great day. We’ll start morning work as soon as we go to the classroom at 8:45, so don’t be late! (If you do happen to arrive late, you may finish your morning work for extra homework.)
Nuisance Items – Nuisance items are toys or other objects that distract you or others. Some nuisance items that may surprise parents include mechanical pencils, if taken apart and played with; lip gloss; scented body spray; bracelets, if chewed on or noisy; and combs, if used in the classroom. If you choose to bring something that detracts from the learning environment, we will take it away from you. We may return the object to you later or to your parent or guardian.
If you bring a cell phone to school, keep it in your book bag turned off or in silent mode - Please no buzzing, beeping, or chirping to distract our learning!
Organization – You will need a 2 inch binder and other supplies, as listed on the supply list. You will use your binder in class every day to keep your papers organized. Your homework goes in your binder - bring it home every night!
We will provide you with a planner that should stay in your binder. Your planner is the place where you will write down all of your assignments. This will be your lifeline to keep track of assignments and important dates. We will actively teach organization, note-taking, and study skills.
Pencils – Don’t come to class without one! Or, better yet, two! Plenty of #2 pencils with good erasers are a must. If you need help getting any school supplies, including uniform clothes, please ask us. We will be happy to help you.
Questions – Asking questions helps you learn. We need to know when you don’t understand something. Asking questions tells us what we need to work on together. There are no bad questions; there are, however, better and worse times to ask.
Responsibility – Fifth graders have many opportunities to show responsibility. In addition to staying on top of assignments, tests, and projects, you also need to be responsible for your learning resources. We will provide you with textbooks, workbooks, and other materials such as geometry templates and calculators throughout the year. Of course, these are your responsibility to care for and return in good condition. You will need to pay to replace lost or damaged items.One important learning resource is the Chromebook computer that you will use during the school day. Students in 5th grade use Chromebooks in a variety of ways - to write papers, complete assignments, look up information, and use learning websites. You need to show responsibility by taking care of the Chromebook assigned to you. If you damage your Chromebook (or allow it to become damaged through neglectful treatment) you will be asked to pay for repair or replacement.
STEM – BTW is a STEM magnet school. This means that STEM - science (and social science), technology, engineering, and math - is strongly emphasized. We strive to make STEM instruction engaging and rigorous. We also use STEM class as an opportunity to practice for middle school expectations - we will often switch classes for STEM in a middle-school-like model.
Thinking – Reading, writing, math, science, social studies – all of these really boil down to thinking. Knowing how to think critically is the most important skill. It’s the thinking that really counts!
Uniforms – Students at BTW wear uniforms. Please check the uniform policy that you received at registration so you know exactly what to wear. If you are wearing clothing that does not meet the uniform policy, you will need to call home for replacement clothing. Make sure you have a uniform sweatshirt or sweater to wear when the classroom gets chilly (plain navy blue or white only, no logos, words, or pictures). We will make you take off non-uniform sweaters, sweatshirts, or jackets. If you need assistance purchasing or getting uniform clothing, please contact one of your teachers; we will help!
Visitors – Visitors are always welcome. Visitors, please check in with the office so they know you’re here before coming to our classroom.
Weekly Progress Reports – We will send home weekly progress reports to help you and your family understand how you are doing. These will usually go home on Thursdays, and you will need to have your parent/guardian sign the report and return it to the teacher on the next school day.
eXtra Practice – We all need a little help at times. Sometimes, a bit of extra practice can make all the difference. If you are having difficulty with a particular topic, we may give you some additional classwork or homework to help you master it. If you have already mastered a skill, we may give you extra work to extend your learning.
You – You are a very important part of fifth grade. If there’s anything we can do to help you learn or feel better, please let us know. (See C for contact information.)
Zzz’s – We all need sleep. Getting enough sleep helps protect us from illness, lets our bodies grow and rebuild, and helps us learn more effectively. Most people your age need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night to be at their best. Getting these zzzz’s will make all of the above easier! Make sure you get yours. Please keep this booklet for reference. It’s going to be a great year!