5th Grade News
(This is the same information that you received on Meet-the-Teacher Night.)
Absences
If your child is ill, please contact me and I will help you arrange to get any missing homework. Obviously, homework should only be done when your child is feeling better and can concentrate on the task at hand. Late assignments due to illness are never "late". We can work together to help make up any missing work.
If you are planning a family trip and would like to take school work with you, please give me at least a three-day notice. Some activities are not easy to send along so these may have to be completed before departure or upon your child’s return to school.
Time with your family is invaluable. So, too, is the experience of traveling and learning about a place first-hand. First-hand experiences are also important in school so, when your child can be in class, he or she will benefit greatly.
Academic Planner
All 5th grade students will have and are expected to maintain an Academic Planner. This is a wonderful tool to help them become more organized and responsible. They copy the assignments in the morning and can check off work that is completed by the end of the day. If an assignment is marked as done, it will not come home. If you wish to look that homework over, please make arrangements with your child.
In the Planner, please sign the bottom of the page every evening. This assures me that you have been shown the book by your child. It will also improve our communication because notes to or from me can be written right on the page. The guidelines for using the Academic Planner will be discussed with the students during our first week of school. If you have further questions about its use, however, please don't hesitate to let me know.
I realize that unforeseen events sometimes occur that may prevent your child from completing homework. When there are circumstances beyond your control, please jot me a note in the Assignment Notebook or email me that morning and the work will not be considered late.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
It has been my privilege to attend training in AVID Elementary Foundations and to be one of the two site AVID Coordinators at Tibbets School for the previous five years. AVID is a proven program that incorporates writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading to help ensure that all students are college and career ready. It coordinates educational “best practices” in all areas. See more information about AVID in a separate letter in this Family Folder and on the Elkhorn Area School District website.
Birthdays
Birthday treats are always welcome, but all treats must be individually wrapped and store-bought. When we get close to your child’s birthdate, I will confirm our class size and any food allergies.
Summer birthdays are usually celebrated in May. These special early birthdays are just like our birthdays during the school year. If your child has a summer birthday, I will send you a note approximately two weeks in advance, letting you know the date we would like to celebrate your child’s early birthday.
Book Orders
I limit our orders to the Scholastic Company as I have been very happy with their quality and professionalism. Book orders will be sent home almost every month. I do not send an order home during the month we have our Tibbets Book Fair. Any money you spend at the school book fair means free books for Mrs. Gillette and our school library, so I’d rather Tibbets benefits that month. The money you spend on the other monthly sales helps supplement our classroom library.
Brain-based Research
I am fascinated by what we are learning every day about the brain and its function. In our classroom, we use the Zones program to help your child understand and regulate a wide range of emotions. We will also use Retrieval Practice, Interleaving, Spacing, Sketch-Noting, and Metacognition in Reading, Writing, and Olweus classes. Fifth graders are developing the ability to think critically about the world around them and we will engage in many activities that I hope will encourage your child to develop a concept of how he or she learns.
We will also practice various strategies with which to deal with stress. While some stress is needed in our lives, abundant stress or an inability to deal with it in a healthy way, creates many health issues. Negative stressors can affect children’s learning so this is an area of great concern in the classroom as we expect more and more from our students. I hope to provide the students with tools that will help them cope with, and control, issues like anxiety and fear. Tapping is one of those stress-release techniques. Students tap on acupressure points to help their bodies calm.
Classes
In preparation for Middle School, all 5th graders at Tibbets School will rotate classes. My homeroom students will have me for Reading, Writing, and Olweus. They will have Mrs. Linda Blackwell for Math. They will learn Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts with Mr. Stephen Brellenthin.
Contact information:
Mr. Brellenthin 742-2585 x1115 [email protected]
Mrs. Blackwell 742-2585 x1113 [email protected]
Ms. Gruber 742-2585 x1112 [email protected]
Communication
I never lose sight of the fact that you are your child's first and foremost teacher. It is my honor this year to be a member of your child's educational team. Together, we can make this the best year for your child!
I do have access to the student information page you filled in at registration so I have an updated address and phone number for you. At Meet the Teacher Night, you had the opportunity to fill out a more detailed contact sheet. For those of you who could not make Meet the Teacher, that form will be sent home on the first day of school. Please return it at your earliest convenience. If your vital information changes throughout the year, please let me (and the office) know.
Please refer to this handbook frequently for important information. The 5th grade team also puts together a weekly newsletter with a calendar of upcoming events and information on topics your child will study. That newsletter usually gets emailed on Monday or Tuesday. Please let me know if you do not have internet access and I will provide a hard copy for you.
Computers
Fifth graders are responsible for carrying Chromebooks home each night and being sure to return them fully charged each school day. Your child's safety while using the internet is extremely important so the students and I will discuss appropriate use of the Chromebooks (and other devices) within the first few days of school and throughout the year. That being said, your child will be expected to maintain the privilege of possessing the Chromebook by using it only as directed and for academic purposes. Failure to do so might mean loss of access to an individual device and loss of other computer privileges. Because these devices are owned by the school district, any staff member may check your child's Chromebook history at any time. A recently "wiped clean" history completed by a student will, more than likely, cause a suspension of privileges.
All 5th graders will have my trust at the beginning of the year despite any previous infractions in 3rd or 4th grade. It will be the student's responsibility to keep my trust throughout the year. I know they will handle this situation maturely!
Conferences
Your fifth grader's conference will be held with me during the Tibbets School Conference Days on Oct. 27 - 28. You were able to sign up for conferences at Meet the Teacher. If you did not get the chance to sign up, I will be contacting you. If you ever feel an additional need to meet in a formal conference setting, please contact me so we can make arrangements.
Dismissal
According to school policy, you must either send a note or call the office to alert us of a change in your child's dismissal procedure. I am not allowed to accept a change that your child tells me about if it is not accompanied by a note or call. This is in your child's best interest.
Therefore, unless I am notified by you or I receive notification from the office about a change, your child will be dismissed as he or she usually is. End-of-the-day changes can easily be noted by you in the Academic Planner, you can send a separate note, or you can alert the office.
On some days, our schedule is so busy that I do not have time to check my email or voice mail between 8:15 and 3:30. Therefore, if I need to know something before the end of the day, I encourage you to call the office so they can relay the message to me. Thank you!
Grading Scale
All student work is due the next school day, unless otherwise assigned.
Here is the district grading scale:
100%-90%=A 89%-80%=B 79%-70%=C 69%-60%=D 59%-0%=F
If the grade on an assignment is below 70%, it will say “Please Fix” and is due the next school day. The highest score a fixed paper can receive is an 85%. Make-up tests or other opportunities may also be available to improve a poor test score.
Homework
Homework time is a chance for you to support good study habits that will help your child now and in the future. Homework is usually due the following day unless otherwise indicated. Homework is expected to be done neatly and thoroughly. Any unfinished homework will be completed during recess time, if necessary.
If you have a family emergency which prevents the completion of the homework, please call or send a note. I realize that some things are beyond our control (like an unexpected trip to Urgent Care!) and your child can receive more time to complete assignments on those occasions.
These homework guidelines are helpful:
If you have difficulty helping your child with his/her homework, please let me know. I can give helpful hints on various approaches. Also, the terminology of some things has changed since you and I were in school. Let me know if you have questions on any vocabulary, etc. If you don't understand an assignment or its purpose, please ask. I will be happy to explain or direct you to the teacher who can.
Lunch
You can purchase hot lunch for your child for the day, week, month, or entire year. Lunch money can be added at any time to your Family Access account with your credit card. The monthly menu is available on the school district’s website.
Milk and Snack Break
Our milk/snack break is in the morning. Your child may bring an individual snack to eat at this time. To eliminate unwelcome guests (ants), I ask that your child’s snack be sealed or in a zippered plastic bag. Please see the 5th grade water bottle policy in this Family Folder, if your child brings water to school.
Management System
Students in my classroom will be given a lot of responsibility. I try very hard to be fair in my expectations, however, so the students usually handle the responsibility very well.
All 5th grade students will participate in the Credits and Debits management program. Each quarter will see an increase in responsibilities and expectations and our class will discuss those changes as they occur.
Credits and Debits is a program I have used successfully for over 14 years. This is a process that enables students to get “paid” for doing their jobs. They can earn credits for completing homework on time, doing jobs around the classrooms, etc. Students will earn debits, however, for not following through on their responsibilities or behaving in a way that inconveniences others. Because I created the program (after taking ideas from various teachers before me!), I know that there is flexibility in its application. Your child will not be punished for failing to adhere if he/she is not yet capable of such responsibility.
Mistakes
If you feel I have made a mistake in grading something on your child's paper, please have him or her bring it to my attention. Sometimes, there is an explanation for why I did what I did. But, when things get very hectic and there is a lot to correct, I can make a mistake. I want your child to feel that he or she is being treated fairly and that everyone makes mistakes. I'm not afraid of making a mistake and I want your child to see that mistakes can and should be corrected.
Student of the Week (S.T.A.R.)
One student each week will be chosen as our "S.T.A.R: Smart, Talented, Accomplished, and Relevant". We draw our S.T.A.R. names randomly. More information will be sent home before your child's big week!
Trimesters
We divide the school year into trimesters. Here are the dates of the start and end of each trimester:
Trimester 1: September 7 - December 3
Trimester 2: December 7 - March 10
Trimester 3: March 14 - June 8
Website
Keeping my class website up-to-date is very important to me because it is a great communication tool and resource for you. Even more important to me, however, is my teaching time with your child or the background work that goes into meeting the needs of all my students. Therefore, the website may sometimes lag a bit behind. If you have a question that needs answering, please email or call me directly.
Thank you!
Absences
If your child is ill, please contact me and I will help you arrange to get any missing homework. Obviously, homework should only be done when your child is feeling better and can concentrate on the task at hand. Late assignments due to illness are never "late". We can work together to help make up any missing work.
If you are planning a family trip and would like to take school work with you, please give me at least a three-day notice. Some activities are not easy to send along so these may have to be completed before departure or upon your child’s return to school.
Time with your family is invaluable. So, too, is the experience of traveling and learning about a place first-hand. First-hand experiences are also important in school so, when your child can be in class, he or she will benefit greatly.
Academic Planner
All 5th grade students will have and are expected to maintain an Academic Planner. This is a wonderful tool to help them become more organized and responsible. They copy the assignments in the morning and can check off work that is completed by the end of the day. If an assignment is marked as done, it will not come home. If you wish to look that homework over, please make arrangements with your child.
In the Planner, please sign the bottom of the page every evening. This assures me that you have been shown the book by your child. It will also improve our communication because notes to or from me can be written right on the page. The guidelines for using the Academic Planner will be discussed with the students during our first week of school. If you have further questions about its use, however, please don't hesitate to let me know.
I realize that unforeseen events sometimes occur that may prevent your child from completing homework. When there are circumstances beyond your control, please jot me a note in the Assignment Notebook or email me that morning and the work will not be considered late.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
It has been my privilege to attend training in AVID Elementary Foundations and to be one of the two site AVID Coordinators at Tibbets School for the previous five years. AVID is a proven program that incorporates writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading to help ensure that all students are college and career ready. It coordinates educational “best practices” in all areas. See more information about AVID in a separate letter in this Family Folder and on the Elkhorn Area School District website.
Birthdays
Birthday treats are always welcome, but all treats must be individually wrapped and store-bought. When we get close to your child’s birthdate, I will confirm our class size and any food allergies.
Summer birthdays are usually celebrated in May. These special early birthdays are just like our birthdays during the school year. If your child has a summer birthday, I will send you a note approximately two weeks in advance, letting you know the date we would like to celebrate your child’s early birthday.
Book Orders
I limit our orders to the Scholastic Company as I have been very happy with their quality and professionalism. Book orders will be sent home almost every month. I do not send an order home during the month we have our Tibbets Book Fair. Any money you spend at the school book fair means free books for Mrs. Gillette and our school library, so I’d rather Tibbets benefits that month. The money you spend on the other monthly sales helps supplement our classroom library.
Brain-based Research
I am fascinated by what we are learning every day about the brain and its function. In our classroom, we use the Zones program to help your child understand and regulate a wide range of emotions. We will also use Retrieval Practice, Interleaving, Spacing, Sketch-Noting, and Metacognition in Reading, Writing, and Olweus classes. Fifth graders are developing the ability to think critically about the world around them and we will engage in many activities that I hope will encourage your child to develop a concept of how he or she learns.
We will also practice various strategies with which to deal with stress. While some stress is needed in our lives, abundant stress or an inability to deal with it in a healthy way, creates many health issues. Negative stressors can affect children’s learning so this is an area of great concern in the classroom as we expect more and more from our students. I hope to provide the students with tools that will help them cope with, and control, issues like anxiety and fear. Tapping is one of those stress-release techniques. Students tap on acupressure points to help their bodies calm.
Classes
In preparation for Middle School, all 5th graders at Tibbets School will rotate classes. My homeroom students will have me for Reading, Writing, and Olweus. They will have Mrs. Linda Blackwell for Math. They will learn Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts with Mr. Stephen Brellenthin.
Contact information:
Mr. Brellenthin 742-2585 x1115 [email protected]
Mrs. Blackwell 742-2585 x1113 [email protected]
Ms. Gruber 742-2585 x1112 [email protected]
Communication
I never lose sight of the fact that you are your child's first and foremost teacher. It is my honor this year to be a member of your child's educational team. Together, we can make this the best year for your child!
I do have access to the student information page you filled in at registration so I have an updated address and phone number for you. At Meet the Teacher Night, you had the opportunity to fill out a more detailed contact sheet. For those of you who could not make Meet the Teacher, that form will be sent home on the first day of school. Please return it at your earliest convenience. If your vital information changes throughout the year, please let me (and the office) know.
Please refer to this handbook frequently for important information. The 5th grade team also puts together a weekly newsletter with a calendar of upcoming events and information on topics your child will study. That newsletter usually gets emailed on Monday or Tuesday. Please let me know if you do not have internet access and I will provide a hard copy for you.
Computers
Fifth graders are responsible for carrying Chromebooks home each night and being sure to return them fully charged each school day. Your child's safety while using the internet is extremely important so the students and I will discuss appropriate use of the Chromebooks (and other devices) within the first few days of school and throughout the year. That being said, your child will be expected to maintain the privilege of possessing the Chromebook by using it only as directed and for academic purposes. Failure to do so might mean loss of access to an individual device and loss of other computer privileges. Because these devices are owned by the school district, any staff member may check your child's Chromebook history at any time. A recently "wiped clean" history completed by a student will, more than likely, cause a suspension of privileges.
All 5th graders will have my trust at the beginning of the year despite any previous infractions in 3rd or 4th grade. It will be the student's responsibility to keep my trust throughout the year. I know they will handle this situation maturely!
Conferences
Your fifth grader's conference will be held with me during the Tibbets School Conference Days on Oct. 27 - 28. You were able to sign up for conferences at Meet the Teacher. If you did not get the chance to sign up, I will be contacting you. If you ever feel an additional need to meet in a formal conference setting, please contact me so we can make arrangements.
Dismissal
According to school policy, you must either send a note or call the office to alert us of a change in your child's dismissal procedure. I am not allowed to accept a change that your child tells me about if it is not accompanied by a note or call. This is in your child's best interest.
Therefore, unless I am notified by you or I receive notification from the office about a change, your child will be dismissed as he or she usually is. End-of-the-day changes can easily be noted by you in the Academic Planner, you can send a separate note, or you can alert the office.
On some days, our schedule is so busy that I do not have time to check my email or voice mail between 8:15 and 3:30. Therefore, if I need to know something before the end of the day, I encourage you to call the office so they can relay the message to me. Thank you!
Grading Scale
All student work is due the next school day, unless otherwise assigned.
Here is the district grading scale:
100%-90%=A 89%-80%=B 79%-70%=C 69%-60%=D 59%-0%=F
If the grade on an assignment is below 70%, it will say “Please Fix” and is due the next school day. The highest score a fixed paper can receive is an 85%. Make-up tests or other opportunities may also be available to improve a poor test score.
Homework
Homework time is a chance for you to support good study habits that will help your child now and in the future. Homework is usually due the following day unless otherwise indicated. Homework is expected to be done neatly and thoroughly. Any unfinished homework will be completed during recess time, if necessary.
If you have a family emergency which prevents the completion of the homework, please call or send a note. I realize that some things are beyond our control (like an unexpected trip to Urgent Care!) and your child can receive more time to complete assignments on those occasions.
These homework guidelines are helpful:
- Check the Academic Planner for any work on the daily page that is not marked as finished. These are assignments your child is expected to complete at home.
- Be sure your child understands the directions. If not, feel free to help him/her reread the expectations and review any examples already done together in class.
- Let your child complete the work on his or her own, if possible. If your child is struggling, offer help only after he or she has made an attempt at the work. This is a great way to foster independence and perseverance.
- Check to ensure that the assignments are finished. Some parents choose to point out errors that can then be corrected, but your child should be able to finish most homework independently.
- Students are expected to read at home daily. Please let me know if your child needs assistance accessing appropriate reading materials.
- Sign the Academic Planner when all the work is completed. Please DO NOT sign the Notebook page if your child refuses to complete the homework. (And, if he/she gets upset with you over your refusal, just let me know! :-)
- Encourage your child to pack everything back into his/her AVID binder and/or backpack upon completing all assignments. Having the necessary materials and homework when and where your child needs them will lead to success!
If you have difficulty helping your child with his/her homework, please let me know. I can give helpful hints on various approaches. Also, the terminology of some things has changed since you and I were in school. Let me know if you have questions on any vocabulary, etc. If you don't understand an assignment or its purpose, please ask. I will be happy to explain or direct you to the teacher who can.
Lunch
You can purchase hot lunch for your child for the day, week, month, or entire year. Lunch money can be added at any time to your Family Access account with your credit card. The monthly menu is available on the school district’s website.
Milk and Snack Break
Our milk/snack break is in the morning. Your child may bring an individual snack to eat at this time. To eliminate unwelcome guests (ants), I ask that your child’s snack be sealed or in a zippered plastic bag. Please see the 5th grade water bottle policy in this Family Folder, if your child brings water to school.
Management System
Students in my classroom will be given a lot of responsibility. I try very hard to be fair in my expectations, however, so the students usually handle the responsibility very well.
All 5th grade students will participate in the Credits and Debits management program. Each quarter will see an increase in responsibilities and expectations and our class will discuss those changes as they occur.
Credits and Debits is a program I have used successfully for over 14 years. This is a process that enables students to get “paid” for doing their jobs. They can earn credits for completing homework on time, doing jobs around the classrooms, etc. Students will earn debits, however, for not following through on their responsibilities or behaving in a way that inconveniences others. Because I created the program (after taking ideas from various teachers before me!), I know that there is flexibility in its application. Your child will not be punished for failing to adhere if he/she is not yet capable of such responsibility.
Mistakes
If you feel I have made a mistake in grading something on your child's paper, please have him or her bring it to my attention. Sometimes, there is an explanation for why I did what I did. But, when things get very hectic and there is a lot to correct, I can make a mistake. I want your child to feel that he or she is being treated fairly and that everyone makes mistakes. I'm not afraid of making a mistake and I want your child to see that mistakes can and should be corrected.
Student of the Week (S.T.A.R.)
One student each week will be chosen as our "S.T.A.R: Smart, Talented, Accomplished, and Relevant". We draw our S.T.A.R. names randomly. More information will be sent home before your child's big week!
Trimesters
We divide the school year into trimesters. Here are the dates of the start and end of each trimester:
Trimester 1: September 7 - December 3
Trimester 2: December 7 - March 10
Trimester 3: March 14 - June 8
Website
Keeping my class website up-to-date is very important to me because it is a great communication tool and resource for you. Even more important to me, however, is my teaching time with your child or the background work that goes into meeting the needs of all my students. Therefore, the website may sometimes lag a bit behind. If you have a question that needs answering, please email or call me directly.
Thank you!