Hi!! Welcome to 5th Grade! We are going to have an absolutely FANTASTIC year learning new things, practicing the 8 Habits, learning to be better organized and making new friends. There are a few things that we all must do in order for our classroom to run smoothly and efficiently.
Please take a moment to read over our classroom procedures. If at any time we need to check and see how something is done, we can look back at this handbook and see if we are following procedures.
When students do not follow procedures, we will ask them to look back in the handbook to find out what they should be doing.
We are looking forward to a year full of learning, leadership and laughter!
Procedures / Page NumberArrival at school / 4
Morning Meeting / 4
Pledge of Allegiance / 5
Entering the Classroom / 5
Starting the Day Routine / 5
Pencil Sharpening / 6
Restroom Breaks / 6
Drinks / 7
Asking a Question / 7
When Another Student is Talking / 8
Exiting the classroom / 8
Hallway / 9
Turing Papers In / 9
Entering the Lunchroom / 10
Table Manners / 11
Exiting the Lunchroom / 12
Cleaning Up / 13
Rewards / 13
Classroom Jobs / 14
Adults in Our Building / 14
Assemblies / 15
Recess / 16
Consequences / 17
Packing Up / 18
Dismissal / 18
Arrival at School
1. Morning Meeting begins in the gym at 7:20. If you arrive at school before 7:20, you need to report to the gym, sit in our class’ appointed spot and follow the directions of the staff on duty.
2. If you need breakfast, report to the cafeteria FIRST. You will not be permitted to sit in the gym for morning meeting and then go to the cafeteria for breakfast.
3. NJE’s tardy bell rings at 7:30. You will be counted tardy if you arrive at school after this time.
Morning Meeting
1. Morning Meeting begins in the gym at 7:20.
2. When morning meeting starts, we face forward and show respect to the speaker by making eye contact, placing our empty hands in our laps and being on a voice level “0”. We do not talk to our friends at this time.
3. We have a positive attitude.
4. If appropriate, we clap/cheer for students and staff being recognized for excellent choices or hard work.
5. We enthusiastically participate in activities that occur at morning meeting, including the Pledge of Allegiance and our school song.
Pledge of Allegiance
1. We will stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. We will face forward and look at the U.S. Flag.
3. We will place our right hands over our hearts and say the pledge aloud.
4. If we are wearing hats, we will remove them at this time.
5. We will not talk to our friends at this time.
Entering the Classroom
1. We will enter the classroom quietly and go to our cubbies, then seats (unless your teacher asks you to do otherwise!).
2. Your teacher will give you instructions and/or start an activity when everyone is seated.
Start of the Day Routine
1. Enter the classroom quietly.
2. Hang up backpack/coat/lunchbox in your cubbie.
3. Check mailbox or cubbie for missed work if you’ve been absent.
4. Mark lunch choice on Smartboard.
5. Use the restroom and/or fill up water bottle.
6. Have a seat and begin working on morning work.
Pencil Sharpening
1. You are responsible for having a pencil during all classes. Make sure you carry and extra with you. Remember, no lead pencils.
2. If your pencil needs to be sharpened, you may quickly get up and sharpen it, if there is not another option available.
Restroom Breaks
1. You are free to visit the restroom at any time during transitions. This means in between any class, or on the way to Essentials, Lunch, or Recess. You have a chance to use the restroom at least every hour of the school day, and sometimes more often!
2. Due to frequent opportunities between classes, you are not allowed to leave class to use the restroom unless it is an absolute emergency.
3. While we completely understand emergencies, we also know that they are rare. Please remember what an emergency truly means and don’t over use it!
4. If your teacher is talking , please use the sign language signal for restroom to ask permission instead of interrupting.
5. Use the restroom quickly, wash your hands, and return promptly..
6. If you need to use the restroom and one person is already out of the room, you must wait until that person returns to go to the restroom.
Drinks
1. You may have water (in a bottle, not a cup) at your desk throughout the day.
2. Please make sure your water bottle lid is closed so that it does not leak onto your backpack, coat or books in your cubbie.
3. If it does leak, it is your responsibility to get paper towel and clean it up.
4. Do not share your water bottle with others.
5. You will not be permitted to leave class during instruction to fill up water bottles.
Asking a Question
1. If you have a question or something to share with the class, please raise your hand quietly.
2. When I see your hand, I know you have a question or something to share and I will call on you at an appropriate time for this. Please do not make noises or wave your hand/arm at me. This is distracting to me and to your friends.
3. Your teacher will let you know when it is a “calling out” time or when it is a “raise your hand” time. Please listen and pay attention so you know what “time” it is!
When Another Student Is Talking
1. Everyone wants to be respected and heard! When our friends are talking to the class or asking a question, we are ALL going to look at that friend, be on a voice level “0”, and listen to what he/she says. Everyone has such great questions and ideas and it is important that we hear everyone!
2. We DO NOT play with items in or on our desks when others are talking. We DO NOT talk to our neighbors when others are talking. We are a community of students who know how to make responsible and respectful choices that we can be proud of!
Exiting the Classroom
1. We will leave our classroom in a line. When it is time to leave the room, your teacher will ask you to line up, or there will be an established cue. Please do not line up until it is appropriate to do so.
2. We stand in line quietly and keep our hands and feet to ourselves. We face forward and are ready to exit the classroom.
3. It does not matter what position you are in in line. Discussions and or disagreements about this trivial issue will not be tolerated.
4. Problems lining up will result in a “do-over.” A “do-over” will happen until we line up as we know we should.
5. When our line is quiet, facing forward and ready, we will leave the room.
Hallway
1. Others in our school are learning and we do not have the right to take that away from them. We will be on a voice level “0” at all times. We will not talk to our friends in the hallway.
2. We will always walk on the right side of the hallway, unless asked to do otherwise by an NJE staff member.
3. We will be facing forward, one student behind another and will keep our hands and feet to ourselves. This means we will not touch our friends or work that others have displayed in the hallway.
4. Remember - we are all going to the same place and there is not a prize for getting there first!! Please do not push or rush to get there.
5. Problems walking in the hall will result in a “do-over”. A “do-over” will happen until we walk appropriately in the hallway.
Turning Papers In
1. All completed papers/work will be placed in the appropriate place in the classroom.
2. Please do not come and hand your papers to me if I am talking to and/or helping others and do not wish to be interrupted.
3. Make sure your NAME, CLASS and the DATE are on the paper before you put it in the basket! I want to know which great work is yours!
Entering the Lunchroom
1. We will enter the lunchroom quietly and walk to the appropriate side of the serving line.
2. While we wait in line, we will keep our hands and feet to ourselves and talk to our friends in a quiet voice.
3. As we pass through the line lunch, we will show respect and love for our lunchroom ladies by using the words “PLEASE”, “THANK YOU”, “NO THANK YOU”, “YES MA’AM” and/or “NO MA’AM”.
4. We will sit at the table assigned to our class.
5. If a visitor comes to NJE to eat with you, you may sit in a booth with that visitor, but may not invite any other NJE student to join you.
6. We may occasionally choose Lunch Leaders to enjoy the booths with friends.
Table Manners
1. We will behave as though we are in a restaurant when we dine in the Jaguar Café.
2. We will sit down at the table and will not stand up until it is our turn to leave. A grown-up will let us know when it is time to leave.
3. We will use our hands to touch our own forks/spoons and food. This means that our hands will not be touching our friends or the food that is on our friends’ trays or in our friends’ lunchboxes.
4. If parts of our lunch fall on the floor, we will pick it up and throw it away when we are dismissed from the table.
5. When we speak to our friends, we will use an inside voice. If we have food in our mouths, we will wait until we have chewed and swallowed before we talk.
6. Our feet will remain on the floor. This means we will not kick our friends under the table or kick the wheels that Mr. Jerry uses to move our table when we are finished eating.
7. If we need something (ketchup, mustard, etc.) we will raise our hands and ask the staff member on duty for help. We will say “thank you” to that staff member when they help us.
8. If we have problems using our best table manners, we will spend some time sitting away from our friends. No one likes to be poked, touched or bothered while they are eating and it is not safe/healthy to have their food touched by others. None of us deserve to be treated that way.
Exiting the Lunchroom
1. When the staff member on duty tells us it is almost time for us to leave the lunchroom, we will close our milk cartons and look at the table and floor around us for trash. If we find some, we will pick it up so that our Jaguar Cafe stays nice and clean for the next people who will eat there.
2. When asked to leave the table, we will walk in a line to the garbage can. This is not a time to push or rush! Again, no prize for getting there first.
3. Trash will be put into the trash can carefully.
4. We will place our forks and spoons in the silverware pan and will not throw them or try to make a splash. If a fork or spoon accidentally falls into the trash, we will tell the staff member on duty. NJE has to pay for these and we don’t want to lose them!
5. Trays will be stacked on the cart at the end of the table. We will say “thank you” as we leave our trays there.
6. We will typically go to recess immediately following lunch. If you have earned recess for the day, you will line up in the back of the NJE Café, and will WALK to the playground when your teacher is there to escort you.
7. If you are staying in from recess, you will line up in the front of the cafeteria and wait quietly for a teacher to lead you into the hall.
Cleaning Up
1. Our classroom is a wonderful and tidy place and we work hard to keep it that way. We have phrases to help us remember how to do this.
2. The first is “a place for everything and everything in its place.” This means that the things in our room each have a place and when we use them, we need to make sure we put them back in their place so that we can find them when we need them.
3. The second is “if you make a mess, you clean it up.” This means we do not walk away and leave things lying around our room. This also means that if you spill or drop things on the desktops or floor, you clean it up.
4. When you hear your teacher say “clean up” or you hear the signal for clean up, you begin cleaning up immediately. It is not okay to continue to work/play and this may lead to a consequence.
Rewards
Learning to make good choices is important. When our class makes good choices such as walking in a nice line, using voice level 0, using good manners, we will recognize those leadership qualities. Our class will work together to determine a goal and a reward. When we meet that goal, we will have earned that reward. We also will reward individual students with Jag Paws or Leader Cards. These can be redeemed for various rewards at the end of each week.