Welcome to Meet the Teacher Night

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Welcome to Meet the Teacher Night!

• August 13, 2009

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About Me

• I attended Olivet Nazarene University and
  received my degree in Elementary Education.
• This is my sixth year teaching fifth grade. I
  taught fifth grade for three years in Rochester,
  IN before I came to Cardinal.
• This summer my husband and I celebrated our
  second anniversary. We also moved from Carmel to
  Brownsburg.

3
Community Expectations

• Follow directions quickly.
• Raise your hand for permission to speak.
• Raise your hand for permission to leave your
  seat.
• Make smart choices.
• Keep your dear teacher happy.

4
Mini-Economy

• Since the fifth grade social studies standards
  include personal finance, our classroom
  management will be a mini-economy.
• Students will earn money for completing their
  work as a student and a classroom job.
• Students will be fined money for choosing not to
  follow our classroom expectations or complete
  their work.

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Our Class Goals

• We will track our academic progress as a class on
  our data wall and individually in our data
  notebooks.
• We will be tracking
• Attendance
• NWEA Math, Reading, Language
• Scholastic Reading Inventory
• DIBELS
• Weekly Quizzes

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We Are a No Bully Zone!

• Bullying, making threats, and dangerous
  behaviors are not tolerated in our community or
  at our school.
• Any of these behaviors will result in a phone
  call home and the student being sent to the
  office.
• Please take time to review this part of the
  handbook with your student.
• The student handbook can be found online.

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Homework

• Homework will vary from night to night.
• Students will complete math homework almost every
  night.
• Students will have a spelling/vocabulary contract
  weekly.
• Students should read nightly at home.

8
Projects

• Homework may be daily work or a long term
  project.
• There will be hands-on projects in all subject
  areas.
• All projects will be given well in advance and
  parent notification slips will be sent home when
  projects are assigned.

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Assignment Notebooks

• Students are expected to keep an assignment
  notebook.
• I will stamp each students assignment notebook
  before they leave school.
• Each evening after homework is complete, a parent
  or guardian needs to sign the notebook as well.
• It is the students responsibility to get their
  book signed every night.

10
Grading Policy

• Completing work on time is a fifth grade
  expectation.
• According to school policy, an assignment will
  lose 10 of the grade for each day it is late.
• Students who do not turn in work will participate
  in Study Hall during recess.

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Grading Scale

• 98 100 A
• 97 93 A
• 90 - 92 A-
• 88 89 B
• 83 87 B
• 80 82 B-

78 79 C 73 77 C 70 72 C- 68 69
D 63 67 D 60 62 D- 59 or below F
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Corrections

• Students who receive a 69 or below on an
  assignment may correct it for a higher score.
  The new score and the original score will be
  averaged together.
• Students may not correct true/false assignments,
  or assignments with only two options.
• Corrections must be made on a separate sheet of
  paper and stapled to the original assignment.
  Students should label the paper Corrections and
  put the assignment name and page number on the
  page.
• Assignments will be sent home in the students
  Friday Folders, and should be returned corrected
  by the following Monday.

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Parentlink

• Parents can keep up to date on their students
  grades by checking them online through
  Parentlink.
• The grade book will be updated at least once a
  week, and those papers will be sent home in the
  Friday Folder.
• http//powerschool.brownsburg.k12.in.us/public/

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Friday Folders

• Every Friday students will bring home their
  Friday Folder.
• Please review the papers in the folder with your
  student.
• There will also be a weekly check-up sheet in the
  folder to update you on your students progress.
  
• Please sign and return the check-up sheet with
  the Friday Folder on Monday.

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Newsletters

• Every week an edition of the Redbird Reader as
  well as our classroom newsletter will be posted
  online.
• Parents can subscribe to the Redbird Reader at
  the Cardinal Website.
• Please send me an e-mail to subscribe to our
  classroom newsletter.
• If you need to receive a paper copy of either,
  please write a note to let me know.

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Math

• The fifth grade will be using flexible grouping
  to best meet the needs of all math students.
• Students will be pre-tested on each unit to
  determine their group.
• Groups and teachers will change with each new
  unit.

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Reading

• Students will participate in a variety of reading
  activities.
• Each nine weeks students will need to earn 12
  points on the Reading Counts program.
• Students will choose Lexile appropriate books to
  read.
• Students earn points as they pass a comprehension
  quiz for each book.
• Twelve points is roughly one book a month.

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Writing

• Students will be expected to write every day in
  their Writers Notebooks.
• Students will write pieces in many different
  genres.
• Writing every day helps prepare students for
  success on the ISTEP.

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Social Studies

• Students will be taking virtual field trips
  across the U.S. to learn about the different
  regions. If you have any pictures to share or
  would like to speak to our class about a
  particular location, please let me know.
• Students will be expected to learn regions and
  states. Students will have weekly map quizzes to
  help chart their progress.
• Students will be expected to study at home for
  these quizzes.

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Science

• We will be studying a variety of scientific
  topics.
• Students will be expected to keep a science data
  journal.
• We will be visiting the Challenger Learning
  Center in March to fly a mission to Mars.

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Spelling Vocabulary

• Students will have a spelling contract every
  week.
• Students will earn their grade based on the
  number of assignments they choose to complete.
• Students will study vocabulary words daily and
  will be tested on these during their Friday
  spelling test.

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Specials

• Our specials schedule is
• Monday Music
• Tuesday P.E. (Dont forget your shoes!)
• Wednesday Art
• Thursday Chinese
• Our library day is Wednesday.
• In addition to our regular specials, students
  will be participating in a choice special on
  Fridays.

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Nutritional Guidelines

• There have been many changes in the nutritional
  guidelines for schools. Brownsburg has amended
  the policy on birthday celebrations to reflect
  these changes.
• Students may no longer bring in treats from home
  to celebrate birthdays. We will still do things
  in class to make birthdays special, but it will
  not include food.

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Volunteers

• Brownsburg has a policy regarding classroom and
  field trip volunteers.
• Before being permitted to volunteer at school in
  any way, you must first fill out a corporation
  volunteer form.
• If you would like to fill one out tonight, you
  may get a copy from me or the front office.

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Transportation

• Please make sure your child has a consistent
  transportation plan.
• School policy requires communication from a
  guardian if a transportation change is needed.
• If you need to pick up your child early, please
  do so by coming into our school office.

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Crossing Guards

• A crossing guard schedule has been established to
  help children get to school safely.
• Copies of the crossing guard schedule are
  available here and in the front office.
• Please plan your childs trip to school
  accordingly.

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Reminders

• Please label the inside of your childs backpack
  with their name, phone number, and address.
• Please fill out the paperwork on the desk and
  return it tonight or with your child on the first
  day of school.
• Please keep us aware of any changes in addresses
  or phone numbers.

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Ways to Help Your Student

• Devote 30 minutes a night to school, even if
  there is no assigned homework.
• Read with your child every single day.
• Practice math facts at home. Try fun computer
  websites that provide great math games!

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Keep in Touch!

• Please feel free to contact me if you have any
  questions or concerns throughout the year!
• [phone] ext. 1542
• mandrews_at_brownburg.k12.in.us
• Visit our classroom on the web at
• http//staffweb.brownsburg.k12.in.us/mandrews

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Questions

• Are there any questions I can answer?

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• Thank you so much for taking time out of your
  busy schedule to come to Meet the Teacher Night!
  
• I am looking forward to a great year with our
  new class!