Classroom Rules Update (Newsletter 3, September 2007)

We are still working on our classroom rules, but are making good progress and will share them with you soon. (You may have noted that your child did have a homework assignment regarding the big topics of respect and responsibility, which we are using to formulate rules and establish our shared values, as a way of establishing guidelines for behavior.)

Friday Folder (Newsletter 3, September 2007)

All completed work will be sent home on Friday in your child's Friday folder. Please review the folder, sign the attached form, make any comments you desire on the back, and have your child return the folder to school on Monday. It is your child’s responsibility to show you their Friday folder and to return it to class on Monday.

Any work that is not completed will be noted in the student's Friday folder. It is the student's responsibility to complete that work over the weekend and return it in his or her folder on Monday.

Your child will not receive credit for incomplete assignments as homework or class work. However, I do still want them to complete the work for their content grade, i.e. reading, spelling, grammar, math, etc. It is important that they do their work to show me what they are learning. I am teaching them to be responsible, their homework and class work grades, as well teaching them subjects like math and grammar. Even if they don’t get credit for the assignment as homework, it does not have to lower their content grades as well, if they make it up.

Spectrum of Behavior (Newsletter 3, September 2007)

In the Friday folder, you will also note a Behavior Update for the past week. Everyone starts each day at the baseline of Green (0). For each misbehavior, actions that are disrespectful or irresponsible, they move into the negative numbers, from Yellow to Orange to Red. For good behavior, students move into the positive numbers, from Blue to Indigo to Violet.

Communication (Newsletter 3, September 2007)

I have to apologize. Even though I have already given you my e-mail address and the blog address for my classroom, I have not checked or updated either so far this year. I currently do not have Internet access in my new classroom and I have been unsuccessful in getting it fixed. I will try to access the Internet in the school’s computer lab, but please be patient with me until the district technology people can help me fix this problem. Thank you.

Student Responsibilities

These are some of the Student Responsibilities that come from the district’s Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook. I have already discussed these responsibilities with the students and am sharing it with you now for your information.

1. It is your responsibility:

• to be prompt to school and to class.
• not to be absent from school without parent’s knowledge and consent.
• not to leave a classroom without teacher’s permission.
• not to leave campus without school permission.

2. It is your responsibility:

• to be prepared for class with appropriate materials.
• to participate in class activities.
• to follow classroom procedures.
• to complete assignments, including assigned homework.
• to meet proficiency standards.
• to progress toward promotion and/or graduation requirements.

3. It is your responsibility:

• to demonstrate cooperation and responsible behavior in the classroom and at school activities.
• to show respect for staff members, teachers, adult supervisors, classified employees, guest speakers, substitute teachers, and other students.
• to learn and carry out the rules and regulations prescribed in the school handbook.
• to use proper mannerisms and channels of communication to resolve conflicts.
• to respect the property of others.
• to be honest.
• to use acceptable language.
• to show concern for the welfare of the school and student body.
• to have pride in one’s work, and the work of others.
• to have respect for the differences of others.
• not to use rudeness, defiance, or disrespectful words or gestures.

4. It is your responsibility:

• to keep the campus clean and free from litter.
• to keep the restrooms clean.
• to keep the walls of your campus free from writing, carvings, or slogans.
• to keep all equipment, lockers, desks, and books free from being defaced or damaged.
• to keep loiterers away by reporting them to the proper authorities.
• to use school property only when permission is granted.
• to follow check-out procedures for school equipment.
• to safekeep and use school equipment properly.
• to return school equipment promptly and in good condition.

5. It is your responsibility:

• to take home all information sheets and printed material.
• to return to school all requested forms.
• to ask visitors to report to the school office.
• to dress and groom appropriately.
• not to give false identification nor practice forgery.
• not to violate rules and regulations prescribed in the student handbook.

Classroom Rules (Newsletter 2, August 2007)

This year we will be formulating classroom rules together. I have ideas for what our classroom rules should be, but I want to work with my students so that we can decide them together. In order to do this, we will be discussing shared values, what makes a good student, how we want to be treated, our rights, and our responsibilities. When we have formulated our rules, I will share them with you. The students will also have copies for their reference.

Hallway Rules (Newsletter 2, August 2007)

• Always walk quietly.
• Without your class = partner + pass.
• Look at, do not touch, students’ work.
• No detours.

Yard Rules (Newsletter 2, August 2007)

1. Watch out for others.
2. Keep your body parts and hurtful words to yourself.
3. Stay in the yard at all times (except to use the bathroom).
4. Stay away from the bungalow, yard gates, ramps, elevator, and stairs.
5. Do not kick or sock balls.
6. No dodgeball games.
7. Run only in the track area, or the basketball court if you’re playing basketball.
8. Freeze when the bell rings. Walk to your line when the yard teachers ring the handbells.

Bathroom Rules (Newsletter 2, August 2007)

1. Always carry a hall pass with you.
2. Go to the bathroom with a partner and stay together at all times.
3. No playing.
4. Flush the toilet after use.
5. Wash your hands with soap and water.
6. Use paper towels for drying hands only.
7. Walk at all times.

Cafeteria Rules (Newsletter 2, August 2007)

1. Stay seated until dismissed.
2. Clean up after yourself.
3. Keep food in the cafeteria.
4. Talk quietly.
5. Walk. Don’t run.
6. Don’t waste food.
7. Recycle and compost.

Organization and Supplies (Newsletter 1, August 2007)

Option A:
Students may organize their school materials in a binder. This binder must include dividers so that they can organize handouts and notes by subject: language arts, mathematics, history, science, etc. They will have to provide their own binder paper. They must also have a homework folder. This is where they will put any papers for homework and their homework log to take home and then return to school. Students may also provide their own Friday folder if they wish; otherwise, I will provide one.
Required: (1) binder, (2) dividers, (3) binder paper, and (4) homework folder.

Option B:
Students may organize their school materials in folders and notebooks. They will need one notebook for each of the core subjects: language arts, mathematics, history, and science. They will need a folder for each of those subjects to store handouts. They will also need a small supply of binder paper so that they may turn assignments in without turning in their notebooks or ripping pages out of their notebooks. They must also have a homework folder, and they may provide their own Friday folder if they wish.
Required: (1) Four subject notebooks, (2) four subject folders, (3) binder paper, and (4) homework folder.

Other supplies: (1) A backpack is very helpful for carrying binders or notebooks and textbooks from home to school. (2) A box of pencils. If students bring mechanical pencils, they must provide their own lead (graphite). (3) Erasers. We all make mistakes.

Welcome! (Newsletter 1, August 2007)

I am using this blog to communicate information to you regarding what your child is learning in fifth grade. In this blog, I am copying my newsletters, weekly in these early weeks of the school year. They will explain my policies and procedures and set expectations. Later newsletters and posts to this blog, monthly or so, will keep you informed on what the students are learning.

Look for my newsletters either in the Wednesday envelope or the Friday folder. As I said, I will also be posting these newsletters on my classroom blog.

You may also communicate with me via e-mail.

I recently changed classrooms from room 27 to room 23, but I am keeping my existing e-mail address and blog address. I’ll apologize in advance for any confusion.

Ways to Help Your Child with Test-Taking

• Do encourage your child. Praise them for the things they do well. If they feel good about themselves, they will do their best on a test. Children who are afraid of failing are more likely to become anxious when taking tests and more likely to make mistakes.
• Do make sure your child attends school regularly. Remember, tests reflect children’s overall achievement. The more effort and energy your child puts into learning, the more likely he or she will do well on tests.
• Do provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home and make sure that your child is well rested on school days and especially on the day of a test. Children who are tired are less able to pay attention in class or to handle the demands of a test.
• Do make sure your child eats a well-rounded breakfast every morning. A healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.
• Do provide books and magazines for your child to read. By reading new materials, your child will learn new vocabulary words that might appear on a test. Test makers draw on a wide variety of formats when choosing items to evaluate reading comprehension skills, so students should read fiction, non-fiction, poetry, newspapers, recipes, etc.
• Do limit your child’s TV time. Studies show that children who watched fewer than three hours of television a day scored higher on the national reading test than those who watched more.
• Do help your child avoid test anxiety. It’s good for children to be concerned about taking a test. It’s not good for them to develop “text anxiety.” Test anxiety is worrying too much about doing well on a test. It can mean disaster for your child. Students with test anxiety can worry about success in school. They can become very self-critical and lose confidence in their abilities. Instead of feeling challenged by the prospect of success, they become afraid of failure. To help with test anxiety, help your child to do the following: Plan ahead. Start studying well in advance. Make sure you understand what material the test will cover. Review the material more than once. Don’t “cram” the night before. Get a good night’s sleep.
• Don’t get upset because of a single test score. Test scores are not perfect measures of what a child knows or can do. Also, many things can influence how your child does on a test on any particular day. One test is simply one test.
• Don’t place so much emphasis on children’s test scores that you lose sight of their well being. Too much pressure can affect their test performance. Remember, your love and support should not be conditioned on how well they perform on tests.

Fitness Newsletter

Here is the on-line version of the fitness newsletter I sent home in today's Wednesday envelope.

Physical Fitness Test

Physical fitness is comprised of several components: (1) aerobic capacity, (2) body composition, and (3) muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.

This newsletter will provide you with some basic information about what is considered a passing score, that is, what is within the Healthy Fitness Zone, for the fifth-grade fitness test. We will also be measuring the students’ height and weight to determine their Body Mass Index, an estimate of the appropriate weight for their height.

Trunk Lift & Sit-and-Reach

The Trunk Lift is a test of strength and flexibility, and the Sit-and-Reach is a test of flexibility.

For the Trunk Lift, 10 and 11-year-old girls and boys must lift their trunk between 9 and 12 inches.

For the Sit-and-Reach, 10-year-old girls must reach 9 inches, and 11-year-old girls must reach 10 inches. 10 and 11-year-old boys must reach 8 inches. This test is marked as Pass/Fail; students either reach the required length or not.

Mile Walk/Run

The Mile Walk/Run is a test of aerobic capacity and endurance.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10-year-old girls completing a mile is between 9 ½ and 12 ½ minutes, and between 9 and 12 minutes for 11-year-old girls.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10-year-old boys completing a mile is between 9 and 11 ½ minutes, and between 8 ½ and 11 minutes for 11-year-old boys.

Curl-up

The Curl-up is a test of abdominal strength.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10-year-old girls is between 12 and 26 curl-ups, and between 15 and 29 curl-ups for 11-year-old girls.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10-year-old boys is between 12 and 24 curl-ups, and between 15 and 28 curl-ups for 11-year-old boys.

Push-up

The Push-up is a test of upper body strength.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10 and 11-year-old girls is between 7 and 15 push-ups.

The Healthy Fitness Zone for 10-year-old boys is between 7 and 20 push-ups, and between 8 and 20 push-ups for 11-year-old boys.

Newsletter - Issue 6

In today's Wednesday envelope, I sent home my sixth official newsletter. In it, I am informing you about the report card pilot for the last two quarters of this year. I have also included information regarding the fifth grade promotion field trip and activities, Stop, Drop and Go, and the upcoming Spell-a-Thon.

Science Newsletter - December 2006

Rotation

Fifth-grade students rotate four times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for science and social studies. Ms Arios’ students come to my class, Room 27, for science. During this time, I am teaching students the science they are expected to learn this year according to the State of California’s content standards. If you have any questions or concerns about science, please e-mail me or send a note with your child.

Homework

I assign science homework out of the science workbook each time we finish a lesson. Most chapters are comprised of two to four lessons. Students are to complete the page and return it to me the next time we meet. If I assign it on Monday, then it is due Wednesday; if I assign it on Thursday, then it is due Friday. I do not accept late homework. Students are free to use their notes and/or their textbook to help them complete the homework assignments.

Tests

After we finish reading a chapter together in class, the next day is set aside as a review day. We review the last homework assignment, and review any concepts or ideas that the students might have questions about. I strongly encourage students to ask questions, to be actively involved in their own learning. The next time we meet, I give the students the chapter test. All science tests will be strictly “open brain.” Students are not permitted to use their textbooks or notes during tests.

A Day in Mr. Walker's Class

Currently, I am reading the textbook aloud with the students. We stop at the end of each section and students suggest ideas for notes. I then write these ideas down on the board using the Cornell method of note-taking. Ms Arios and I are both modeling and encouraging students to take notes. This is essential for their success in school.

Content Standards

You can see the detailed science standards for fifth grade at http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/scgrade5.asp

In summary, in physical sciences we study matter and energy. In life sciences, we study plant and animal structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal, and transport of materials. In earth sciences, we have three units of study: 1) the water cycle, 2) weather, and 3) the solar system.

All of these may be tested on the STAR test in the spring.

Studying Science

I am assigning homework from the science workbook. I am also assigning homework from the textbook: questions from the lesson reviews and the chapter review. I go over the homework directions when I assign them. But fifth-grade students need to do more than just complete homework assignments, they need to actively study the material. They are especially weak when it comes to vocabulary. They can match terms to definitions, but most cannot use vocabulary terms in sentences with accuracy.

I will continue to remind students what a powerful study tool making flash cards can be. They are easy to make using 3x5 cards, with the term on one side and the definition and/or sentence on the other. Students can test themselves or each other.

Reminder: No student is to leave my room without understanding how to complete the homework assignment. I also always review the homework the next time we meet, including answering any questions the students might have, to clear up any confusions or misunderstandings.

Reteach Worksheets

Many students did poorly on Chapters 2 and 3 of Unit B. Over half of all fifth-graders got an Unsatisfactory or Needs Improvement grade on those two tests. Accordingly, I have given the students an opportunity to improve their grades. If they did not earn a Competent grade or higher, I have given them a Reteach Request form. It informs them of their score, and what worksheets they need to do to improve their grade. This is entirely voluntary, but I hope you will encourage your child to take this second chance, to put forth more effort in improving in science and bettering their science grades.

What Can Parents Do?

Monitor your child’s homework. Is he or she completing the homework? Are they “forgetting” it, or do they complete the assignment correctly and turn it in on time?

Help them learn and refine their study skills. Put the responsibility of studying on your child, but help them become better students.

STAR Test

Fifth-grade students have a science component of the STAR test that will be given in the spring. Those science questions are 60% from fifth-grade science content and 40% from fourth-grade science content. Which means we not only need to finish all of the fifth-grade units of study, but also review all of the fourth grade science content.

Fourth-grade science includes units on: 1) Electricity and Magnetism, 2) Rocks and Minerals, 3) Waves, Wind, Water, and Ice, and 4) Organisms.

Newsletter - Issue 5

Homework Policy

I routinely assign homework five times a week. The homework I assign reinforces what I am teaching, and gives the students an opportunity to practice what they are learning in the classroom. Students should be able to complete their homework independently. Of course, it is always helpful if you check your child's homework to support and encourage their good work and study habits.

The Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook states that homework should not exceed “30 minutes per day at grades 4 – 5.” I try to keep the amount of homework reasonable and a good use of student time. Students should also regularly set aside time to study and review what they are learning.

I thoroughly explain all homework assignments. Students are responsible for asking me questions about the homework before they leave school. They must pay attention in class and understand how to do the assignment once they get home.

Audubon Canyon Ranch

Thank you to the families that have made donations to our fund raiser. Unfortunately, we have run out of time to raise money for our field trip to Audubon Canyon Ranch on Wednesday, October 18, 2006.

Ms Arios and I are asking each family to donate $5 to offset the cost of this extended day field trip that requires us to rent a bus.

We will reschedule our fundraiser and put those proceeds towards the fifth-grade promotion ceremony and field trip.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

This is just to remind you that Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday, October 30 through Friday, November 3, 2006. I will be sending a form home in the Wednesday envelope for October 18, 2006. I schedule appointments on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure your child returns the form to me promptly. I have a very tight schedule to fit in 35 conferences, but I will do my best to give you one of your three choices.

Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook

In a recent Wednesday envelope, you received the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook for this year. Please return page i (Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Agreement Form) and page v and vi (Acceptable Use Agreement). Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the information included, notably the Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities on pages 53 to 55.

Newsletter - Issue 4

Back-to-School Night

Thank you to all the parents who came to Back-to-School Night. I only had parents of 15 of my 35 students who attended, so I am a little disappointed in the turn-out. I do appreciate the parents who did contact me about not being able to attend.

I appreciate all of you who made the time to attend. This shows your child that their education is important and sets a positive tone for the rest of the school year.

If you did not attend, please be sure to read these newsletters and/or my blog regularly. If you have any questions regarding my procedures, policies, or practices, contact me before the first Parent/Teacher Conference. That time is reserved for talking about your child’s progress and not for general concerns that were addressed at Back-to-School Night. I want to be able to spend our twenty minutes discussing your child and how they are doing in fifth grade. General concerns need to be addressed in the first few weeks of school to help students form good study habits.

Parent Information

This year I put together a Parent Information Form to gather more information about your child. I passed them out at Back-to-School Night. I’m including them in today’s Wednesday envelope. It is entirely optional, but if you’d like to share some information with me about your child before Parent-Teacher Conferences, you might find this helpful.

I’m also including a content standards overview that was also available at Back-to-School Night. Some of you will also be getting a Volunteer Information Sheet from the PTA. I’m also including Your Arrow Reader Now for September.

Leap Sand Castle Classic

In today’s Wednesday envelope, you should also find a Parent Consent Form for the 22nd Annual Leap Sand Castle Classic. It is scheduled for Saturday, October 7, 2006 (the day after the narrative is due [hint, hint]). Ms. Arios and her class participated last year, and this year our class and Ms Arios’ class will be working together as a team representing Lafayette Elementary against other San Francisco elementary schools in a sand castle building event. Please fill out the form if your child will be participating. Hope to see you there!

Absences

Please call the school at 750-8483 if your child is absent. If you do not call, someone from the school will be calling you.

When your child comes back to school from being absent, please send them with a written note explaining the absence. I must have a written note for each absence. Our school funding depends on student attendance.

Newsletter Issue 3

You should receive my Learning Notes newsletter, issue 3, in today's Wednesday envelope. In it are some topics already discussed here in my blog: Narrative, Grammar - Theme One, and Problem Solving. The only new topic is the Wish List, which came up at Back-to-School Night.

Audubon Canyon

Ms Arios and I have scheduled a field trip to Audubon Canyon for Wednesday, October 18, 2006. It will be an extended day field trip, arriving back here at Lafayette around 3:30.

We need to raise funds for this field trip. Please help by contributing used books and toys that we can sell to other students on the yard.

Once we have arranged a time for our fundraising sale, we would also like to ask for baked goods and items like otter pops that are perennial favorites with students. We will have our sale on the school yard after school. I will let you know when we have scheduled a time for our bake sale with Mrs. Brown.

Of course, we’ll later send home a field trip permission slip and see which parents would be willing to go with us as chaperones.