Reading: Our students will use the textbook, novels, word study materials, and participate in daily independent reading. The students may read library books, books from home, and book club books.
Spelling: We will begin each spelling unit on Monday and complete it on Friday with the test. Words will be assigned after the pretest given on Monday, and a test will be given each Friday. Students must complete 3 Spelling Menu activities throughout the week and will turn in the choice assignments on the day of the test. Students will ONLY need to practice, study, and retake the test if they do not earn 100% on Monday’s pretest.
Writing: Students will continue to study parts of speech which they will use in sentences and paragraphs. In addition, students will be asked to do a variety of writing across the curriculum. We will be answering a writing prompt in our writing journal as well.
Math: Our focus this year will be to strengthen our knowledge base of computational facts and to improve at multiplication and long division. In addition, fifth graders work with all operations of fractions and decimals. There will be a strong focus this year on problem solving skills, logic and reasoning.
Science and Health: Science will emphasize using activities to strengthen concepts that include such topics as: Ecology, Matter, Biotechnology, and Space. There will be many hands-on activities, scientific inquiry, and SLED engineering projects to practice the design process.
Social Studies: This year we will learn about American Early History and the geography of the United States. We will have the opportunity to partake in several projects throughout the year, as well as Skype with different classes around the United States.
All work is expected to be completed and turned in by the assigned date. If the student has late work, he/she will be fined and will be communicated to parents if the offense is repeated.
Students will be given adequate notice for all tests so that they can prepare to do their very best. Reading and Language Arts tests will be given every other Friday, while math, science, and social studies tests and quizzes will be given on different days depending on the timing of the units. Some quizzes may be given as “pop quizzes”, but only if the material had been thoroughly covered and discussed, as well as students being allowed to use their notebooks for reference. Test scores will be recorded in Powerschool. If a student would like to make corrections on a test, they may do so to receive half points.
Klondike Intermediate School follows the 5 Golden Rules. This is a school-wide behavior management system that includes positive and negative consequences. Below you will see the Golden Rules listed along with positive and negative rewards. For serious offenses you may be contacted by phone.
We are responsible.
We are cooperative.
We are respectful.
We do what’s right (show integrity).
We do our best (perseverance).
Students can earn “Good as Gold” tickets from any staff member. If a student is caught doing something out of the ordinary, he/she will receive the ticket.
One student every week will receive a classroom “Nugget Reward.” The Nugget winner will take his/her slip to the office to choose something from the Klondike Treasure Box. The class Nugget winner will also have his/her name printed in the following week’s Nugget Newsletter!
Classroom economy money
Good as Gold Tickets
Marble Jar- whole class motivator rewards
Verbal praise and compliments
Math Mystery Reward (specifically for the math students, as we will switch classes)
I focus mostly on redirection with loss of privileges, direct instruction of appropriate behavior, and natural consequences related to the behavior.
Examples:
Redirection- if a student is talking they receive a verbal warning, followed by loss of Nugget card, mini economy fine, etc.
Direct Instruction- if a student is speaking rudely in a disagreement, I will conference with that student about how to handle the conflict next time with appropriate language and tone.
Natural Consequences- if a student has missing work, they will have to complete the assignments during a preferred time (break time in class, or recess).
I believe that both class work and homework are a vital part of a student’s academic success because they allow students to have the opportunity to practice and improve upon skills that they have been working on in the classroom. It also teaches self-discipline and allows for students to develop good study habits. Because I know that students work very hard to complete their work, I do my part to make sure that all assignments are relevant and beneficial for students.
One important factor in my grading is my emphasis on mastering content and skills. The purpose of grading is not to penalize and reward students. Therefore, I will allow students to redo assignments (except projects and any work graded in class) on which they earn lower than a 90%. All tests and quizzes, except spelling tests, regardless of percentage can be corrected and returned with a parent signature for an average grade.
If students are absent or have a valid excuse as to why assignments are not completed on time (confirmed by both parent and teacher) I will allow students to make up the work if the assignment can be feasibly completed on the student’s own. Some activities and learning experiences cannot be easily replicated at home. Because each case is different, I will talk to the student on an individual basis to determine when his or her assignments will be due. Generally, the students will be given the same number of days that they missed school to complete the missed assignments. For example, if a student is absent on Monday and Tuesday, they will be “given” both Wednesday and Thursday to catch up and will be expected to return finished work on Friday. Please notify the school before lunch if you plan to pick up assignments before the end of the day to ensure that materials are ready to go.
Extended absence: I cannot always give work ahead of time when a student will be gone for several days. They will make up that work when they return.
Birthdays: We will recognize each student’s birthday in our classroom. Treats are welcome, and students can celebrate on half birthdays if their birthday falls in the summer. Napkins are also appreciated. We currently have 28 students. TREATS MUST COME IN INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED PACKAGES.
Fifth grade lunch/recess is from 11:00-11:50.
Recess: Please encourage your child to dress appropriately for the weather as students are expected to go out for recess.
Appearance: Students should be dressed appropriately for an active day. Our room temperature varies, so a sweatshirt left at school would be helpful. Shirts must be long enough to go over the tops of pants. No spaghetti strap shirts should be worn.