This is some of the information I will share at Curriculum Night, minus the cute clip art, which did not import into the blog.
Curriculum Night—5th grade
September 12th, 2013
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year. We are excited to be working with your family this year. In this letter you will find an outline of fifth grade curriculum, an overview of our classroom expectations, avenues of communication between school and home, and homework responsibilities. We are looking forward to a great year together!
General Overview and Expectations
During the first week of school we discussed and worked on creating classroom agreements that all students considered essential to a positive, fun, learning environment. We expect students to be active participants in their education by engaging in classroom activities and discussions, to appreciate each other’s differences, treat each other with respect, and to take pride in their work.
Homework
Nightly your child will read a book that is appropriate for his/her reading level for 30 minutes. There will be a math assignment almost every night. Other homework will vary depending on the day. To keep the homework organized, we use a planner book and an expandable file folder. Please check this planner daily until your child can use it independently. We do not usually send homework on weekends.
Communication
We are most easily reached by email and try to check this throughout the day. Please also feel free to contact us by phone after school. We have blogs to keep parents up to date on classroom happenings.
Science
This year Sexton Mountain fifth graders have the opportunity again to work with the new science program, Interactive Science. Last year our students enjoyed the digital activities, the in-class inquiry and engineering design, and the textbook.
Social Studies
Oregon has revised its state standards so that fifth graders focus on explorers, colonies, the Revolution, and our US Constitution. An end of the year highlight will be the “We the People” hearings at school, and hopefully also in the Capitol Building in Salem.
Math
To address the Beaverton School District's math learning targets, as well as the state’s requirements for 5th grade we will be using the “Everyday Math” program.
Every Friday we will also be focus on math vocabulary and include the words in our end of chapter assessment.
Reading
Fifth grade students are becoming fluent readers, and will read many non-fiction and fiction books, including their science and social studies textbooks, novels, and some selections from Storytown. We also have the National Geographic subscription at school. Our goal is for our students to leave Sexton Mountain for middle school with excellent reading skills and a love of reading.
Writing
Learning to write well is difficult for many children. Writing is not so much one skill, as a bundle of skills that include sequencing, spelling, re-reading, and supporting big ideas with examples. Common Core standards ask students to use writing in the “content areas” such as science and social studies. They are asked to support their opinions and assertions with evidence from the text. Regular writing will be integrated into all our studies. Please remember children’s writing is not expected to be perfect. As much as possible, children’s writing should be their own. If you have specific questions about how to support your child at home, please ask us!
Snack
We have found that students often need a healthy mid-morning snack. Our snack time is at 9:45 a.m.
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