St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy

2700 O Street, S.E.Washington, D.C.20020

Telephone (202) 581- 2010 Fax (202) 581-1142

Harold L. Thomas, PrincipalRev. Jim Boccabella, Pastor

5th Grade Class Syllabus for 2016-2017

Teacher K. McKinleyE-mail

Overall Goals and Objectives for the School Year: Our overall goal this year is to provide students with a positive and enriching learning experience. Instruction will be differentiated to meet the individual needs of all students. It is my expectation that all students will demonstrate adequate growth in all content areas.
Reading Skills to be Attained / Math Skills to be Attained / Science Skills to be Attained / Social Studies Skills to be Attained
Assessment:
Recognize main ideas presented in texts, identifying and assessing evidence that supports those ideas.
Identify and analyze the characteristics of poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction and explain the appropriateness of the literary forms chosen by an author for a specific purpose.
Discuss ideas for writing, keep a list or notebook of ideas, and use graphic organizers to plan writing.
Write narratives (stories) that: establish a plot, point of view, setting, and conflict; show, rather than tell, the events of the story.
Identify and correctly use appropriate tense (present, past, present participle, past participle) for verbs that are often misused (lie/lay, sit/set).
Understand unknown words by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning. / Assessment:
Convert between numbers in words and numbers in figures, for numbers up to millions and decimals to thousandths.
Round whole numbers and decimals to any place value.
Solve problems involving multiplication and division of any whole numbers.
Add and subtract fractions (including mixed numbers) with different denominators.
Write simple algebraic expressions in one or two variables and evaluate them by substitution.
Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, triangles, and circles by using appropriate tools.
Understand and apply the formulas for the area of a triangle and parallelogram. / Assessment:
Explain how the solution to one problem, such as the use of pesticides in agriculture or the use of dumps for waste disposal, may create other problems.
Choose appropriate common materials for making simple mechanical constructions and repairing things.
Observe and explain that clouds and fog are made of tiny droplets of water.
Explain that for offspring to resemble their parents there must be a reliable way to transfer information at the cellular level from one generation to the next.
Explain how changes in an organism’s habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.
Explain that predictions can be based on what is known about the past, assuming that conditions are similar. / Assessment:
Give examples of early cultures and settlements that existed in North America prior to contact with Europeans.
Identify and explain key ideas about government as noted in founding documents of the United States, such as the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Northwest Ordinance, United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Demonstrate civic responsibility in group and individual actions, including civic dispositions — such as civility, cooperation, respect, and responsible participation.
Name and locate states, major cities, major regions, major rivers, and mountain ranges in the United States.
Describe the economic activities within and among American Indian cultures prior to contact with Europeans. Examine the economic factors that helped motivate European exploration and colonization.
Projects:
Oral Presentation on Student-chosen Text
Book Reports / Projects:
Math in Our World Project
Measurement Project / Projects:
Science Experiments
Environment Project / Projects:
My Community Project
Black History Month Project
Geography Project
Classroom Rules and Expectations
Rules:
Be respectful of oneself and others
Take care of each other and our environment
Stay in your seat and raise your hand to be called on
Keep your hands and your feet to yourself at all times
Listen actively and attentively / Student Responsibilities:
Be at school on time daily
Be prepared for learning
Listen carefully to your teachers
Participate in class
Ask for help when needed
Complete all assignments
Take care of all textbooks and any other materials that are borrowed from the school
Serve as a positive representation of your home / Parent Responsibilities:
Have students in school and on time
Check your child’s work daily
Check Rediker Weekly
Support your child’s learning
Participate in meetings with the teacher and HSA
Foster a positive relationship with all school stakeholders
Ensure that your child follows all school rules
Textbooks/ Resources: Reading Street/Scott Foresman, Envision Mathematics, Harcourt Social Studies United StatesStudents will also need to access the internet, use newspapers, books and other research materials that are secured outside of the classroom.
Grading Scale: E= Excellent 93-100 G= Above Average 85-92 S= Average 77-84 I= Below Average Passing 70-76
U= Unsatisfactory Below 70
Homework = 10% of grade.
Participation = 10% of grade.
Projects = 10% of grade.
Classwork = 25% of grade.
Quizzes = 20% of grade.
Test = 25% of grade.
Parental Communication: I communicate with parents using several different modes. I can be reached by e-mail; my address is . The office telephone number is (202)581-2010. Please allow 24 hours for my response. Additionally I can hold meetings by appointment during my planning periods or after school. I update Rediker weekly and you can feel free to message me on Rediker. Class Dojo also allows us to communicate daily.