Please read with your child each evening, even if just for a few minutes. Whether it be the story we are reading in class or a chapter book that your student has chosen to read at home on their own, reading fluency is crucial to successful learning in all content areas.

Please study the weekly spelling AND vocabulary words nightly. There are 20 spelling words per week and between usually 7 vocabulary words per week. Develop a routine to study words from each concept nightly since they are all tested. Students always will have at least six evenings (counting weekends) to study their lists of spelling/vocabulary words.

The titles of the six novels we will be covering this school year can be found in the Content Map located under the Class Info and ELA Concepts pages. If you would like to purchase copies of these novels on your own from Amazon or Barnes and Noble to have copies at home to practice with, please feel free to do so. Each week's "Family Times" packet will be linked in our Google Classroom and readily available on this website. These newsletters discuss all the tested material that will be taught that week (the reading comprehension skill, spelling concept, grammar skill, a list of ALL vocabulary words for the entire story, broken down into weeks so you can see what will currently be tested as well as upcoming words in the entire novel).

*** If absent for a test day, students will make up that assessment upon his/her return. No tests will be administered to a student outside of school. If any student earns a 59% or lower, he/she will have an opportunity for ONE retake of that test. The first copy of the test will not be sent home until the retake has been taken and scored.

In order for Birthday invitations to be distributed in class, the student must either invite all students, or in the case of a boy's birthday, invite all the boys, likewise if a girl's birthday she'd have to invite all the girls. School policy does not permit invites to be distributed if any students are excluded. Edible birthday treats are not permitted, but non-edible items are. Please contact me to receive an accurate count of students in our classroom prior to sending any items in.

Please make sure that your child has a healthy snack each day. Keep in mind that snack is only to last 10 minutes and is typically administered while instruction is taking place. Therefore, I request that students should only have one food item and/or one drink item. In the event a student forgets his/her snack or simply cannot bring one in, I will have something on hand for them. Donations of snack items for this purpose are highly encouraged (pretzels, Gold Fish, fruit snacks).

*** Water bottles/thermoses are kept in students' lockers and if he/she needs a drink then I will dismiss the student to their locker to access their water. Since we utilize tables in class rather than desks, and students rotate carrying bins of supplies, we want to limit any spills either en route during rotating or once class has begun. Water bottles easily tip and get knocked over, so it's best they're kept securely in lockers.

If you would like to volunteer for a class party or the yearly field trip, you MUST be a PTA Member and have the following clearances on file in the school office prior to doing so:

1. Federal Criminal History Background Check

2. PA State Criminal History Background Check

3. PA Child Abuse History Clearance

4. (In addition for the field trip possibility, you will also need to have accrued 2 volunteer hours throughout the school year via PTA functions. Please contact PTA board members with any questions).

In the event your child misses school, please send an excuse to verify the absence within 3 days of him/her returning. In addition, if an extended absence is upcoming (such as a vacation), please fill out a Vacation Form in advance (contact the Office if in need of one). Teacher will work with the student/parent on return/completion of make-up work/tests.