MRS. VERMETTE'S
FIFTH GRADE CLASS
Sunrise Elementary
2016-2017 School Year
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the fifth grade! I am very excited to be working with you and your child this year. With a very busy year ahead of us, I have compiled the following guidelines and expectations to make our classroom run smoothly. Please review them carefully, discuss them with your child, and sign and return the bottom portion of the last page to me as soon as possible. O.K., here we go...
SUPPLIES
Listed below are the required items for this school year:
1 Composition Book: This 100 page spiral bound composition book will be used for grammar notes.
1 package of three-hole binder paper: college or wide rule (place only small amounts in binder as needed)
2 highlighters: one for school and one for home
Personal Pencil Sharpener: Please get on that has a holding tank for the shavings.
1-2 glue sticks: We have a few, but they run out quickly.
1-2 red/green/purplepens: used for self-editing and correcting
Extra Expo dry erase markers: low odor
Extra #2 pencils: Mechanical pencils are encouraged, but they will be taken if they become toys.
1 Fine Tip Sharpie (black only)
1 Extra Fine Tip Sharpie (black only)
The following are not required, but are highly recommended:
Eraser: Get a good one - the white kind is better than the pink kind.
1 mini stapler
1 package of crayons or colored pencils
1 ruler with both inches and centimeters
COMMUNICATION
I have two major forms of weekly communication. The first is the Class Website. YOU NEED TO SUBSCRIBE! Once you subscribe, you will receive email links each time I update (typically on Fridays). This site will inform you of the homework and curriculum focus for the coming week, remind you of upcoming events and due dates, and pass along personal messages and/or requests. Reading this website is the most effective way to keep up on our many classroom and school-wide activities.
My second form of weekly communication is the Weekly Report. This paper will also be sent home every Friday in your child’s Friday Folder. Please sign and return the Weekly Report in the Friday Folderevery Monday morning.
I will notify you of your child’s academic progress approximately once a month with individual progress reports. Contact will be more frequent if necessary. “Making the Grade” is the program I will be using to calculate grades.
If you need to contact me during the day, I am most easily reached through email: . In most cases, you can expect a response by lunch or right after school at the latest. I can also be reached by phone after school, (916) 985-4350, between 2:30-3:15. Please feel free to call or email for any reason.
HOMEWORK
Our school’s policy states that fifth grade students should have between 45 minutes and one hour of homework each Monday through Thursday evening. This will fluctuate depending on the amount of work they complete in class. An additional 20-30 minutes of reading is required nightly. If your child completes his/her assigned homework quickly, the remaining time should be spent reading or practicing math facts.
In class, each student will be required to record nightly assignments in their Agenda. I ask that you sign your child's Agenda nightly to attest to the fact that you are aware of, and have reviewed, your child’s completed assignments. The Agenda, along with all necessary homework pages, will be contained in their Homework Binder. This binder needs to be transported between school and home every day. To receive credit, assignments must be neat, complete, and ready to turn in by 8:20 a.m. on the due date. As a general rule, late work is not accepted.
During the course of the year, if your child misses a day of school due to illness, he/she will have five class days from the date of absence to make up all assigned work. Missed tests will be made up on the day of return in most cases. If it is necessary for your child to be absent longer than a day (for a reason other than illness) please notify me as soon as possible so an independent study packet can be compiled. I ask that you please limit planned absences, however. Class instruction is very difficult to replace, and concepts are often not understood when attempted independently.
TESTS, PROJECTS, AND GENERAL ASSESSMENTS
Throughout the year, tests/quizzes will be given as one way to assess student learning. In order to be completely fair, I give several days notice and review all of the material for which they will be responsible. In most cases, the students will be given a study guide or “practice test” that closely matches the test format. Several large projects will also be assigned throughout the year. Specific information about project requirements and due dates (requiring a parent signature) will be sent home prior to the onset of those projects. Class work and homework assignments will also be used to assess whether or not students are meeting or exceeding the fifth grade standards and benchmarks.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
I have high expectations for behavior. I believe that all students can behave appropriately in our classroom community. All students are expected to respect themselves and others, and take responsibility for their actions. The following is our Bill of Rights and Responsibilities:
Our RightsOur Responsibilities
1. To learn1. To come prepared for class (pencil, paper, books, and assignments)
2. To be safe2. To respect others and their property (watch what we do and say)
3. To be heard and respected3. To complete class assignments and homework (on time & neatly)
4. To make mistakes4. To learn from our mistakes (trust ourselves and don’t be afraid to try)
5. To be healthy and happy5. To behave appropriately at all times (talk when called on, work cooperatively, follow all school-wide rules)
I will not tolerate any behavior that prevents me from teaching and/or others from learning. If a child chooses to violate someone else’s rights, he/she will first be made aware of the correct behavior verbally. If the violation continues, the child will be instructed to “Log-In”. When a child logs-in to the designated binder, a formal record is created of the incident, and you are notified. Beyond that, the consequences progressively increase, from a “Time Out” (removal from the classroom), to an office referral, etc. Weekly class meetings, with the application of conflict resolution and respectful communication, serve as a forum for students (and teacher) to address problem situations and solve them proactively.
I am looking forward to working with you in the months to come. With our common goal of providing the best possible education for your child, I know this will be an exciting and successful year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jana Vermette