FUTURA
September 2011
Mrs. Lisa Schmidt
Sycolin Creek Elem. School
Welcometo our new FUTURA students and welcome back to the returning fifth grade FUTURA students! Our weekly schedule is:
Mondays: Evergreen Mill 4th graders
Tuesdays: Leesburg Elem. 4thgraders
Wednesdays: Leesburg Elem. 5th
Thursdays: Sycolin Creek 5thgraders
Fridays: Sycolin Creek 4th graders
Curriculum: Systems!
Our theme for FUTURA this year is Systems. We will look at systems as a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole. Our units will incorporate these essential understandings of systems
1)Systems can change.
2)Systems have boundaries.
3)Systems have parts that interact.
4)Systems have design.
5)Systems have a function.
To begin the year we will study the nervous system, particularly how the brain learns. Also in the 1st semester, we will explore inventions that changed the world and the invention process.
Snack and Lunch
Our lunch time is 12:15-12:45 each day. We will have snack time at approximately 10:00 each day. Due to peanut allergies in our classroom, I am requesting that snacks be peanut free products to avoid any possible risk.
Supplies
New FUTURA students are supplied with a binder, dividers and a composition notebook. Returning 5th grade FUTURA students are asked to use the same binder and dividers for the second year. If possible, I would like each student to bring in 2 glue sticks and a set of colored pencils. Our classroom could use donations of tissues, baby wipes, zip lock baggies and old tennis balls.
Clinic and Medications
Sycolin Creek’s nurse is Lisa Kelsey. If your child has significant medical needs, please contact Mrs. Kelsey at 571-252-2910. Please remember that a physician completed and signed “Medication Form” must be provided before any medicine can be administered. Students are not allowed to deliver any medication (prescription or nonprescription) to school or return medication home. Parents or guardians must deliver the medicine to the clinic. All FUTURA students have an emergency form on file at Sycolin Creek Elem. Please notify us of any phone number changes as soon as possible.
Communication
Students are asked to bring their binders with them to class each week. Please review your child’s binder and initial the communication log each week. There will be some homework in FUTURA. The students will bring home beginning of the year forms to be completed after the first FUTURA class meeting. Please complete and send the informational forms back the following week with your child.
Moveable Mondays
In order to offset the number of Mondays missed during the school year, the county has implemented the “Moveable Monday” plan. Monday students, Evergreen Mill 4th graders, will attend FUTURA on the following dates instead of the group assigned to that day:
Tuesday, October 11
Wednesday, January 4
Thursday, January 19
Friday, February 24
Tuesday, May 29
Absences/Questions?
Please let me know via email or a phone call if your child will be absent from FUTURA.
Feel free to call or email me anytime with your questions or concerns. I look forward to working with you this year!
Sycolin Creek Elementary phone 571-252-2910