Classroom Policies
Tips for Creating Independent and Responsible 5th graders
Along with needing to prepare students academically, another responsibility for parents and teachers is to prepare them for successful social interactions. How can you help?
As you are dropping off or picking up students, please wait in the courtyard or by the playground. This will ensure a level of independence for your child in preparation for middle school.
As your child is developing organizational skills, if they have left a homework assignment, project, binder, etc. at home, please keep it there. You may send an email or note about it but it is important for my students to learn natural consequences.
Misbehavior will be redirected at school and addressed with the student. If misbehavior becomes a problem or it is more serious, parents or guardians will be contacted. If your child is struggling with a peer at school, they need to report to the duty or the teacher when it occurs. This way, the school can address it within the context of the situation. If you hear of any situations that I need to address, please let me know.
Student-Led Conferences
Students will lead both winter and spring conferences to share information about their academic growth, strengths, areas of focus, and goals they have set for themselves. This will prepare them for their student-led conferences in middle school. One conference per student will be scheduled.
Agenda
Your child’s agenda goes home every night and needs to be brought back to school each day. Agendas are used to record classwork assignments, nightly reading, homework, and correspondence between home and school.
Binder
Your child’s data binder is a working portfolio for assignments, assessments, and data records. Binders will assist your child with organizational skills and allow them to be current with how they are doing academically. Binders stay at school and will be used during conferences. *Students will bring home assessments to be signed by parents before going into binders.
Nightly Reading
Students need to read for a minimum of 30 minutes each night. Please make this a priority in your home! 5th graders can check out two books per week from the school library. Students need to write down the book title, number of minutes spent reading, and have it signed by a guardian.
Homework
Daily homework includes any unfinished classwork, re-do assignments, and some home projects. All assignments are written in the agenda at the start of class. I encourage you to view your child’s agenda to see what we are working on. Students that use their time wisely and put forth effort will likely not have homework. All homework is expected to be returned completed the next day. Work not completed results in a fine (from class economy) and a loss of recess to complete it.
Absences and Make-Up Work
In the event that your child misses school, please make sure to call in to avoid unexcused absences. Per the APS handbook, 5 or more absences in a semester are considered excessive. Classwork assignments are posted in class, It is your child’s responsibility to see me to get missed work and explanations. There may be times that recess would be used to make up tests.
Classroom Economy
Our class will use a classroom economy system during this school year. It is an excellent tool for teaching financial, school, and social responsibilities. Students will also learn valuable life skills such as organization, the value of saving, and delayed gratification. Using classroom “currency,” students earn money for jobs, classwork, nightly reading, completed and signed agendas, and positive behavior. Students will also use their funds to pay rent for their desks and fines for missing assignments and negative behaviors.
Class Auctions
After paying rent, students can save money to spend at our semester auctions where they get to bid on items.
Please send new or gently used donations for our auctions. Great items to send are school supplies, books, small toys, gift cards, gum, bookmarks, or small (non-perishable) individually packaged snacks.
Snacks
Your child may bring fresh fruit of vegetables to snack on during class. Any other types of snack may be eaten during recess.
A water bottle in the classroom helps cut down on trips to the water fountain and keeps your child hydrated. Only water is allowed in the classroom.
Communication
I will send updates regularly, which will be emailed, unless you request a hard copy. Another resource is our class website. You can reach our website by going to the John Baker site, click on “Contact Us”, find my name, and click on the link on my page. Contact me if you have questions and if you want to discuss your child, so we can schedule a meeting.
Personal Items
Please keep personal items (including makeup/lip gloss) and toys at home. If a personal item/toy is brought to school I will ask your child to put it in his/her backpack.