Welcome to Curriculum Night!

2009-2010

Thank you for coming!  We are ready for a wonderful and productive year. 

The Fifth Grade Team

Ashley Drew

Lauren Friedrichs

Christy LeBlanc

Heather Pullen

Amanda Swift

Agenda

I.  Background Information

II.  Expectations

          A.  Class work

          B.  Homework/ Agenda/ Due Dates

          C.  Grading Scale

          D.  Discipline

          E.  Rules and Consequences

          F.  Rewards

III.  Curriculum

          A.  Science

          B.  Social Studies

          C.  Language Arts

                   1.  Reading/Grammar/Writing/Language/Spelling

                   2.  Read to Achieve

          D.  Math

          E.  Health

IV.  Special Programs

          A.  Guidance and Counseling

          B.  Media Center

          C.  Computer Lab

          D.  Special Areas

                   1.  Art

                   2.  Music

                   3.  Physical Education

V.  Home- School Communication

          A.  Weekly Signed Papers

          B.  Monthly Newsletter

          C.  Snacks/ Meals

          D.  Bus Information

          E.  Visitor passes

VI.  PTA Volunteers

VII.  Conference Sign up

Fifth Grade Science/ Social Studies Curriculum

2009 – 2010

August

Civil War

Features of the Earth

September

Features of the Earth

Reconstruction

October

Cells

Turn of the Century

November

Classification

WW I

December

WW I

Human Growth and Development

January

Micro-organisms

Heredity

The Great Depression

February

The Great Depression

Matter

WW II

March

WW II

Physical and Chemical Changes

Cold War

April

Electricity/Magnetism

May

America Since 1975

Personal Finance

Science

Science is knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomenon.  It is our objective to teach students general truths and laws of Science relating to physical and life Science.

While using a “hands on” and “minds on” approach to discovery, students will learn about the Scientific Process through experimentation.  Our Science program is based on the Georgia Performance Standards.  We use the new traditional Science (Harcourt) textbook, and apply AIMS activities to enhance our units of study.  A variety of multi-media materials will also be used. 

Social Studies

Social Studies is based on the Fulton County’s character focused Social Studies Curriculum.  We will use the textbook and workbook, Social Studies: United States History (Houghton Miffin).  Students will learn about The Civil War, Reconstruction, the Turn of the Century, WW I, the Great Depression, and WW II.  They will also discover important facts about America since 1975 and personal finance.

** Science and Social Studies are taught in separate units to provide continuity of the same subject matter.**

Expectations

Students are expected to complete both class work and homework assignments.  Both are major factors in computing student grades.

Homework Policy

Homework is assigned Monday- Thursday.  Students are expected to spend approximately 30-60 minutes on homework each night.  This time does not include time spent on incomplete class work assignments or long term projects.  Homework is work that the student should be able to do without assistance; however, parents are encouraged to help with their child’s organization of assignments.

Agenda/ Due Dates

As each assignment is given, the due date is announced and written on the board.  It is the student’s responsibility to record it in his/her agenda daily.  Grade level projects and reports will also be listed in the agenda.  Each student is expected to turn in his/her assignments and projects on the given due date.  If a homework/ class work assignment is turned in one day late the student will receive partial credit, after that it will be zero.  Projects and long term assignments will lose one letter grade per day that the project is late.  Accommodations will be made due to illness and extenuating circumstances. 

Report of Student Progress

Grading Scale:

A   100-90     Excellent

B   89-80       Good

C   79-70       Average

F   below 69  Failing

Each student will receive a report card in addition to a Progress Skills Checklist.  A Progress Skills Checklist will be sent home with the students during the Fall, Winter, and Spring.  Additionally, electronically generated reports will be sent home:  October, January , March, and June.

Numerical grades are not given.  Plus and minus signs will not be used with letter grades.  The students will simply receive a letter grade or symbol to represent his/her progress.

The non-academic symbols to be used in the areas of Work, Study Habits, and Social Skills are:

S  Satisfactory

N  Needs Improvement

U  Unsatisfactory

Discipline

It is our goal to provide a basic skills program which is differentiated, yet challenging to each student.  In order to provide a well-disciplined environment conducive to academic development, Fulton County and New Prospect have developed the following discipline plan:

Class Rules:

    1.  Listen carefully and follow directions.

                 2.  Be prepared with assignments and materials. 

 3.  Begin and complete work on time.

           4.  Respect the rights and property of others.

Consequences:

                   Step 1: a verbal reminder from the teacher

                   Step 2- Step 4:  going to time-out in the classroom for                                      increasing time limits or sent to another classroom

** Parents will be notified by phone if the student has consistent problems.  You will also receive a weekly conduct report in Thursday papers.**

**Repeated misbehavior or severe problems will result in an office referral to our assistant principal, Adam Maroney.  Students may receive in-school suspension and, eventually, out-of-school suspension if further steps continue.  You will be notified immediately and a time will be set up for a conference.

Rewards

Students who follow these rules may be given leadership roles, special privileges, incentives, and extra time at centers or interest activities. 

Language Arts Curriculum

The Fulton County English Language Arts Curriculum (ELA)  emphasizes all facets of the communication process: receptive language, which is reading and listening; and expressive language, which is writing and speaking with critical thinking as the basis of the process. 

The curriculum is standards based and offers comprehensive instruction for the 21^st century.  Grade Level standards address: reading, writing, media, and technology, oral language, and research.  To support the standards, the new elementary language arts series includes a stronger writing and grammar component; the reading instruction places a stronger emphasis on phonics instruction, vocabulary, and spelling study.  Within a grade level, students will have instructional materials that provide support for all students.

Language Arts

Trophies (Harcourt), our textbook series for reading and Language (Harcourt), our textbook for grammar are both part of an integrated English language arts program.  The word integrated means that in addition to reading skills and strategies, the program also includes writing, phonics, word skills, spelling, grammar, and communication skills.  The reading selections will be the springboard for writing. 

Students will complete book reports throughout the year.  The format for each book report will vary across the grade level. 

Spelling

By using the language arts series, students will learn various strategies for spelling.  The words are studied for their pattern, not just for rote memorization.  Spelling words will be studied daily and a quiz will be given weekly.

Read to Achieve

The Georgia Performance Standards set a requirement of reading 25 books or book equivalents.  This program allows the students to meet the requirement and be able to choose books that they enjoy reading that may not be Accelerated Reading books. Incentives are in place to reward the students for their great effort toward meeting this Georgia Performance Standard.

Mathematics

In order to meet the needs of each individual student, fifth grade has grouped mathematics instruction across the grade level.  Grouping promotes student confidence in his/her own mathematical abilities by allowing him/her to create, construct, and discover mathematics at his/her own pace in order to experience success and continued progress.  The curriculum is supported by two resources, the Georgia Mathematics (Scott Foresman) and Investigations (Scott Foresman).

The placement of students within a group is always flexible with on-going assessment.  The teachers considered a number of factors for placement including: CRCT scores, 18 week assessments, and checkpoints. 

Health

The textbook used for our health curriculum is, Your Health (Harcourt).  Second Step is also used to support our health instruction.  Topics of study will include:

Bus Safety

Mental Health/ Violence

Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs

Safety

Personal Health

Nutrition

Communicable and Chronic Diseases

Family Living

Human Growth and Development

Special Programs

There are many special programs offered at New Prospect. 

Our students will meet with Amy Levin, for classroom counseling lessons, small group counseling when needed, and individual counseling of students when needed. 

Students are also exposed to media skills.  Each fifth grade class will meet in the Media Center to learn more about using the Media Center through researching, how to find appropriate books needed to complete projects, and other important skills. 

We are also extremely committed to teaching fifth grade students better typing and research skills with the use of computers.  Fifth grade students have Computer Lab once a week. 

Here at New Prospect, we value art, music, and physical education.  Therefore, our fifth graders have exposure to these classes weekly as a part of his or her schedule. 

Weekly Signed Papers

Communication between home and school is vital to your child’s success in the classroom.  To keep you informed and aware of what we are doing, we will be sending home a folder with graded work enclosed every Thursday.  Please take time to review and discuss this work with your child.  The cover sheet will inform you of your child’s discipline and weekly assignments.  Please sign the cover sheet and return the folder and all weekly assignments.  Your cooperation and support is greatly appreciated.

Binders

Fifth grade implemented an organization system three years ago.  The binders will enable a smooth transition to middle school.  The students are required to keep all classwork and homework in their binder.  It should also contain their agenda and any other important information.  Please check their binders nightly.

Monthly Newsletter

The fifth grade teachers will send home a monthly grade level newsletter describing units of study and important reminders. 

Snacks and Meals

A nutritious snack may be brought to school daily.  We prefer it to be fruit or vegetables (no candy, cupcakes, or highly “sugared” snacks).  A scheduled snack break is given; however, students are allowed to eat a snack while working independently.

Breakfast is served daily at a cost of $1.00.  Lunch costs $2.00.  Additional items can range from $0.30 to $0.75.  Orange juice is $0.50 and an extra milk or fruit punch is $0.50 each.  You may prepay for any length of time you choose.  Any unused meals will be carried over in the following weeks. 

Bus Information

Please remember that you must receive approval from the Transportation Department to ride a school bus to a different location other than your regular bus stop area.  Teachers also need to be notified in writing of any change in transportation.  Please submit transportation changes several days in advance.

Visitor Passes

For the safety of the children, all parents and visitors MUST check in through the front office before entering a classroom (no matter how brief the visit may be).  Please do not just drop-in.  Please check with our P.T.A. about this procedure if more information is needed.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this safety issue.   

Parent Communication

Please send a note to your child’s teacher following any absence.  Dated notes and excuses from parents for absenteeism are necessary in keeping state and county legal registers.  If the teacher does not receive a note, the absence will be recorded as unexcused.

If your child is absent and you would like to receive his/her class and homework assignments, please notify the office by 9 a.m., and we will make every effort to have the materials ready for pickup at the office at the end of the school day or sent home by another student, if requested.  Some absences, such as family trips, are not excused.  We will make every effort for the student to make up this work upon his/her return.  Please be aware, however, that much of our class work is conducted in small groups with hands-on activities and materials.  The material and objectives covered during class cannot always be sent home as makeup, yet your child will be responsible for the material covered.

We would also appreciate your sending a note if your child:

·        cannot participate in physical education

·        will not be taking the usual transportation home at dismissal

·        will be checked out of school before the 2:20 dismissal time

·        is on medication which needs to be taken at school

·        has a change in his/her home or your work number

Tardies

School begins at 7:50 a.m. and ends at 2:20 p.m.  If your child is late to school, he/she is missing part or all of Math instruction for the day.

Missed Classroom Assignments

If your child is out of the classroom for school services such as counseling, resources, TAG, or speech; the assignments are both recorded and modified.  Tests and review for tests are usually not scheduled during these times.  The student will be responsible for the modified work assigned during this time.

Conferences

A fall conference day is scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2009.  Additional conferences may be scheduled before or after school hours.  Please send a note with your child or call the office and leave a message if you would like to schedule additional conferences.  We will make every effort to get back in touch with you within twenty-four hours after receiving the message.