Welcome to Fifth Grade!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited about having your child in fifth grade this year.  We will have a lot of fun learning various concepts and will be doing some interesting projects.  Fifth grade can be a big transition for many students, and some may need extra time to adjust.  We assure you that we will try to make the transition as smooth as possible for both you and your child.

There are some things we would like to mention in order for this year to go smoothly, which in turn will increase your child’s success.  The information below is important.  Please read carefully and KEEP this information for the school year.

Attendance:  Attendance will be taken by 8:55 AM every school day.  Please have your child in the classroom by this time. If you plan on your child being absent, please notify the office by writing a note or calling prior to the absence.  Unplanned absences must have a written excuse and be turned into the office or teacher, within three days, once the child has returned to the classroom. Research shows that children’s grades improve the more they are in the classroom.  It is important that your child attends class regularly.  Many concepts and skills will be taught this year that are essential to your child’s academic progress.  Please make sure that if your child is absent that make-up work is completed.

Respect:  Respect is held high in fifth grade,  for each other and oneself.  Your child will learn and be expected to take responsibility for his/her own actions and learn to respect other students.

Discipline: Unfortunately, we all have trouble following the rules from time to time, so in order to keep the classroom manageable a behavior plan will be implemented.  This is done so that the students have a chance to correct their behavior.  A set of rules and consequences will be listed in the classroom.  These consequences will be used only as necessary. The goal is to learn from our mistakes and correct them.

Consequences include:

• 1^st time - Teacher Warning (verbal)
• 2^nd time – Thinking Chair (students will write and explain the rule broken)
• 3^rd time – loss of recess and “Notice of Concern” email sent home (this is a 10 minute period)
• 4^th time – referral to the principal’s office and a phone call home

Note: Excessive referrals or Notice of Concerns throughout the school year may result in losing the privilege of participating at the end of the year activities for 5^th grade. Administration will make the final decision as to which privileges will be removed.

Toys/Electronics: Toys and electronics of any kind are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to iPods, toy like erasers, tech deck fingerboards, trading cards, Nintendo DS, Game Boys, fidget spinners, kinesthetic slime/sand, and cell phones. If a toy/electronic is brought to school, it will be confiscated. The toy/electronic will go into a June box. June box items are returned to the students on the last day of school.

Grading Scale:  Your child will earn letter marks for their report card grade.  Class work, homework, projects and tests/quizzes are used to calculate your child’s grade.  The grading scale set by the district is as follows: 

ME - Meets Expectations - 80-100%

AE - Approaching Expectations - 60-79%

PME - Partially Meets Expectations - 25-59%

DME - Does Not Meet Expectations

Some papers your child completes will be assessed but not graded. Please go over these papers with your child and discuss why they may have missed them or congratulate them for doing well.

Daily Schedule:  We will be working with a six-day rotation of resources.

Day One - Music

Day Two - Library

Day Three - Art

Day Four - Physical Education

Day Five - Music

Day Six - Library

This schedule will not change. If we were to miss a day of school, the next day will pick up where we left off. For example, if Tuesday is Day 1 then on Wednesday we have a snow day and miss school, Thursday would then pick up with Day 2. A general idea of our daily schedule is as follows:

8:40 – 8:55               Morning Arrival/Announcements and Procedures

8:55 – 9:20               Morning Grammar/Writing/Mathboxes

9:20 – 10:00             Special Area

10:00 – 11:00           ELA Block (Reading)

11:00 – 11:15           Recess

11:15 – 12:10           ELA Block (Grammar/Writing)

12:10 – 12:40           Lunch

12:40 - 2:00             Mathematics

2:00 - 2:20               Word Study

2:20 - 2:55               Geography/Science

2:55 - 3:10               Read Aloud

3:10                         Dismissal

Volunteering:  We encourage volunteers in our classrooms.  All and any help is welcomed.  It’s always good to see parents getting involved in their child’s development.  If you cannot come into the classroom, but would still like to help out, “behind-the-scene” volunteers are welcomed too.  If you would like to volunteer at any point during the year, please call or write a note letting your child’s teacher know when you are available and/or what you would be interested in doing.  It is mandated by the cstate to have a clearences filled out if you would like to work in the classroom.  If you are at all interested in chaperoning you MUST fill out clearence forms before you can attend the event and have the necessary background checks filed with the Caln Elementary School Office.  Please remember that these checks often take a couple of weeks to complete, so do not wait until a field trip is coming up to complete the application.

Lunches: Please make sure that when lunch money is turned into the cafeteria that your child’s name, ID number, amount enclosed, and teacher’s name is on a sealed envelope. Below is the lunch time for a regular school day. It will change on early closing days. Lunches prices have changed this year.

They are as follows for elementary schools:
Lunch = $2.75, Breakfast = $1.50, Reduced Breakfast = $.**, Reduced Lunch = $.**.

Grade 5 – 12:10 – 12:40

Visitors:  If you plan on coming to the school at any time during the day, please make sure that you go to the office and sign in.  They will give you a sticker badge to wear.  Please wear this so that staff in the school knows that you have signed in at the office.  Anyone who is seen not wearing a badge will be asked to go back to the office to sign in.  Please understand that this is for the safety of your child and others.

School Supplies: Please be sure that your child has supplies throughout the entire year.  Instruction is delayed when students do not have pencils, glue sticks, scissors, etc.  Donated supplies are greatly appreciated.

If there are any books you may want to get rid of that are in still good condition, please let your child’s teacher know.  We can always use books in our classroom library.

Homework:  Homework will be given Monday through Thursday, Friday only if it is a necessity or a long term project.  Homework is given to ensure that the child understands what was taught in class and allows the student to practice the skills learned.  This independent practice is essential to learning the concept and will also teach responsibility.  We will NOT send work home “just because.”  Your child will have approximately 50 minutes of homework nightly. Long term projects will be in addition to this time not a part of it. If you ever have any questions about a particular subject or concept, feel free to contact the teacher.

Agenda: Please make sure that your child brings home their agenda nightly. It will be where their homework is recorded. The agenda may also be used as a communication tool. Please feel free to jot a quick note in the agenda regarding a need to speak with your child’s teacher. At times we may also put a note in it for you. You are encouraged to sign the agenda nightly.

School Website: Please be sure to visit the Coatesville Area School District website (www.casdschools.org ) for information regarding the district as a whole. Through that website you can access Caln's webpage. It will contain information relating specifically to Caln. 

Birthday Treats:  Please inform me in advance when planning on sending in birthday treats.

Dismissal:  Dismissal will begin at 3:10 PM.  We will make sure your child is ready to go by this time.  You will not be permitted come to the classroom to pick up your child.  If you are picking up your child from school, send a note to the office and they will have your child report to the carline for dismissal.  We will make sure your child is there.  If your child’s transportation arrangements change at any point, please write a note or notify the office so that no confusion will occur and your child will arrive home safely. 

I look forward to this school year.  I know it will be great!  If you ever need to contact me, please call (610) 383-3760 and leave a message. I will try to return your call that same day.   If email works better for you, you can reach me at my school email: dehautm@casdschools.org.  I look forward to working with you and your child throughout the rest of the year.

Sincerely,

Mr. DeHaut