Mrs. Campbell's Classroom Information
Schedule
This year your child will be switching classes and have three different teachers throughout the day. They will have me for Social Studies and all Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Grammar and Spelling), Mrs. Paxton for Math and Mrs. Monnette for Science. Social Studies, Math and Science will all be taught in the morning in order to maintain our 90 minute uninterrupted Reading Block in the afternoon.
Parent/Teacher Relationship
I believe that a good parent/teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will be communicating with you through your child’s planner, notes, telephone calls, email, weekly newsletters, parent-teacher conferences and report cards. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can find important information about what your child is learning about on our class website. There you will find links to special projects, spelling lists, copies of worksheets, AR book lists and much more.
Class Website: www.mrscampbell5.weebly.com
School Attendance
Your child’s regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. I can’t emphasize this point enough! Many of our activities in 5th grade will be group oriented and require interaction with classmates. Therefore, it is sometimes impossible to make up work at home. Please view school as a priority, and see to it that your child attends every day except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child is going to be out for an extended period due to emergency or illness please be sure to contact me ahead of time so I have ample time to gather the work your child has missed.
Planners
Every child will receive a planner where they will record the daily objectives from each subject and any assignments given. In order to maintain daily communication between school and home it is imperative that you look over your child’s planner every night, sign it and return it to school the next day. If your child does not finish an assignment in class, it will be circled in his or her planner and thus assigned as homework to be turned in the following day. With this year’s new schedule that requires students to change classes for Math and Science, planners will be a major key to your child’s success. Having a planner will keep your child organized and responsible so they do not fall behind in their different subjects due to missing assignments.
Homework
Work assignments that are not completed during school hours are designated as homework. Occasionally I may assign a specific homework assignment, but generally I try to give the students at least some time to work on the assignment in class so I am available for them to ask questions if needed. If you notice that your child is bringing home excessive amounts of homework then your child may not be using his/her time wisely in class.
Re-Do’s
If a student earns lower than a “C” on any assignment (not including tests) then the student is allowed to re-do the assignment and resubmit it. The student will have one week from the day they got the graded assignment back to re-do the assignment and turn it back in. For example if the student received the graded assignment back on Friday, then they have until the next Friday to re-do the assignment and turn it in again. This is an opportunity for a student to revisit the concepts and improve their grade and it is HIGHLY recommended!
Late Work Policy
I do believe that it is important to hold students accountable for their work, especially at the 5th grade level when they will be entering middle school next year. With that being said, all homework assignments will be due the next day unless otherwise noted. Throughout the year your child will be asked to complete special projects or larger assignments, which will have a specific due date that is given in advance.
I do reduce grades if work is turned in late. Students will lose 10% if the assignment is turned in one day late. If the assignment is two days late, the score will be reduced by 50%. No assignments will be accepted after two late days unless extenuating circumstances are applicable. With that said, it is very important that work is turned in on time. One day late can take an assignment from 100% to 90% and two days late from a 100% to a 50%. All assignments and tests are graded on a point system so all grades will contribute to your child’s averaged report card grade. Scoring a zero on an assignment will quickly reduce your child’s grade. In cases of absences your child will have one day to complete work for each day absent from school.
Power School
At any point in the year, you can access your child’s up-to-date grades on Power School found on the school’s website as well as our classroom website listed above. Missing work will be denoted on Power School as missing. Please check Power School at least twice a week. The Armada Library provides Internet access or please feel free to stop in before or after school to use the computer to check your child’s grades. If you share your password with your student, he or she will be able to check them during class! In addition to your access to Power School, I will also send home periodic progress reports to ensure that you are aware of your child’s grades and assignments.
Spelling
Spelling packets will be given on Monday and due on Friday. All spelling tests will be given on Fridays unless it is a shorten week. If your child scores 96% or better (zero wrong or only 1 wrong) on the pretest on Monday then they will be a “challenge speller” for the week. This means that they will be given an alternative test list with three activities substituted for the packet.
Reading Logs
Your child will be required to keep a daily reading log. On Monday of each week your child will turn in their reading log from the previous week and receive a new reading log to complete for that week. I understand that things will occur where your child is not able to read for a certain amount of time each night, so instead I will be requiring that every student reads for 100 minutes per school week. I do recommend however that they try to read for 15-20 minutes each night and not cram all 100 minutes into one night. To become better readers they need to practice the reading strategies they learn about in class each night.
Accelerated Reader Assignment
All students are required to complete a minimum of 25 accelerated reader points per trimester. The 25 points will be averaged in as one grade for the trimester. On the progress report that is sent home half way through the trimester you will receive a report of how many points your child has earned so far. Students have daily access to their point record. Please feel free to call me at any time if you would like me to look up the current point total for your child.
Graded Papers and Newsletters
Your child will bring home their corrected papers and bi-weekly newsletters on Fridays so please be sure to check your child’s backpack for important papers each week.
P.A.W.S.
Positive incentives will be used to encourage good behavior. Throughout the school year each student will have many opportunities to earn “Paws” for excellent behavior and choices. Student may receive these from me or any other staff member. Student gain “Paws” and become eligible for incentives as they increase the total amount earned.
Snack
We will have a working snack each day. Healthy snacks only please, no junk food or candy will be allowed. As fifth graders, we have the latest lunch time so sending in a small snack for each morning will be important to ensure that your child’s brain stays active and is ready to learn J Also, please only send in water as a drink for inside the classroom.
Volunteers
Parental involvement has been shown to be directly correlated to student achievement! If you would like to volunteer to come into the classroom to help out we would love to have you! I could use parents for copying, working with small groups of students, to help with Accelerated Reader quizzes, to organize holiday parties and more. My highest need at this time is assistance in making copies. Once my schedule is set then I will send home a calendar with time slots that you may sign up for.
Birthdays
Students love to celebrate birthdays! Treats may be sent in for the whole class to enjoy. Due to specific allergies, this year we do have a Peanut-Free Classroom so please avoid any treats that contain peanuts. Summer and holiday birthdays can be celebrated also, please just let me know ahead of time.
The End
In closing, I would like to say that I am truly looking forward to a great year working with your child! Please read over this packet with your child and make sure they understand it. Strong parent teacher communication is important to ensure your child’s success so please do not hesitate if you have any questions throughout the year. Thank you in advance for your concern and support throughout the year!
This year your child will be switching classes and have three different teachers throughout the day. They will have me for Social Studies and all Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Grammar and Spelling), Mrs. Paxton for Math and Mrs. Monnette for Science. Social Studies, Math and Science will all be taught in the morning in order to maintain our 90 minute uninterrupted Reading Block in the afternoon.
Parent/Teacher Relationship
I believe that a good parent/teacher relationship is necessary for maximum school success. Throughout the year I will be communicating with you through your child’s planner, notes, telephone calls, email, weekly newsletters, parent-teacher conferences and report cards. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can find important information about what your child is learning about on our class website. There you will find links to special projects, spelling lists, copies of worksheets, AR book lists and much more.
Class Website: www.mrscampbell5.weebly.com
School Attendance
Your child’s regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. I can’t emphasize this point enough! Many of our activities in 5th grade will be group oriented and require interaction with classmates. Therefore, it is sometimes impossible to make up work at home. Please view school as a priority, and see to it that your child attends every day except in cases of illness or emergency. If your child is going to be out for an extended period due to emergency or illness please be sure to contact me ahead of time so I have ample time to gather the work your child has missed.
Planners
Every child will receive a planner where they will record the daily objectives from each subject and any assignments given. In order to maintain daily communication between school and home it is imperative that you look over your child’s planner every night, sign it and return it to school the next day. If your child does not finish an assignment in class, it will be circled in his or her planner and thus assigned as homework to be turned in the following day. With this year’s new schedule that requires students to change classes for Math and Science, planners will be a major key to your child’s success. Having a planner will keep your child organized and responsible so they do not fall behind in their different subjects due to missing assignments.
Homework
Work assignments that are not completed during school hours are designated as homework. Occasionally I may assign a specific homework assignment, but generally I try to give the students at least some time to work on the assignment in class so I am available for them to ask questions if needed. If you notice that your child is bringing home excessive amounts of homework then your child may not be using his/her time wisely in class.
Re-Do’s
If a student earns lower than a “C” on any assignment (not including tests) then the student is allowed to re-do the assignment and resubmit it. The student will have one week from the day they got the graded assignment back to re-do the assignment and turn it back in. For example if the student received the graded assignment back on Friday, then they have until the next Friday to re-do the assignment and turn it in again. This is an opportunity for a student to revisit the concepts and improve their grade and it is HIGHLY recommended!
Late Work Policy
I do believe that it is important to hold students accountable for their work, especially at the 5th grade level when they will be entering middle school next year. With that being said, all homework assignments will be due the next day unless otherwise noted. Throughout the year your child will be asked to complete special projects or larger assignments, which will have a specific due date that is given in advance.
I do reduce grades if work is turned in late. Students will lose 10% if the assignment is turned in one day late. If the assignment is two days late, the score will be reduced by 50%. No assignments will be accepted after two late days unless extenuating circumstances are applicable. With that said, it is very important that work is turned in on time. One day late can take an assignment from 100% to 90% and two days late from a 100% to a 50%. All assignments and tests are graded on a point system so all grades will contribute to your child’s averaged report card grade. Scoring a zero on an assignment will quickly reduce your child’s grade. In cases of absences your child will have one day to complete work for each day absent from school.
Power School
At any point in the year, you can access your child’s up-to-date grades on Power School found on the school’s website as well as our classroom website listed above. Missing work will be denoted on Power School as missing. Please check Power School at least twice a week. The Armada Library provides Internet access or please feel free to stop in before or after school to use the computer to check your child’s grades. If you share your password with your student, he or she will be able to check them during class! In addition to your access to Power School, I will also send home periodic progress reports to ensure that you are aware of your child’s grades and assignments.
Spelling
Spelling packets will be given on Monday and due on Friday. All spelling tests will be given on Fridays unless it is a shorten week. If your child scores 96% or better (zero wrong or only 1 wrong) on the pretest on Monday then they will be a “challenge speller” for the week. This means that they will be given an alternative test list with three activities substituted for the packet.
Reading Logs
Your child will be required to keep a daily reading log. On Monday of each week your child will turn in their reading log from the previous week and receive a new reading log to complete for that week. I understand that things will occur where your child is not able to read for a certain amount of time each night, so instead I will be requiring that every student reads for 100 minutes per school week. I do recommend however that they try to read for 15-20 minutes each night and not cram all 100 minutes into one night. To become better readers they need to practice the reading strategies they learn about in class each night.
Accelerated Reader Assignment
All students are required to complete a minimum of 25 accelerated reader points per trimester. The 25 points will be averaged in as one grade for the trimester. On the progress report that is sent home half way through the trimester you will receive a report of how many points your child has earned so far. Students have daily access to their point record. Please feel free to call me at any time if you would like me to look up the current point total for your child.
Graded Papers and Newsletters
Your child will bring home their corrected papers and bi-weekly newsletters on Fridays so please be sure to check your child’s backpack for important papers each week.
P.A.W.S.
Positive incentives will be used to encourage good behavior. Throughout the school year each student will have many opportunities to earn “Paws” for excellent behavior and choices. Student may receive these from me or any other staff member. Student gain “Paws” and become eligible for incentives as they increase the total amount earned.
Snack
We will have a working snack each day. Healthy snacks only please, no junk food or candy will be allowed. As fifth graders, we have the latest lunch time so sending in a small snack for each morning will be important to ensure that your child’s brain stays active and is ready to learn J Also, please only send in water as a drink for inside the classroom.
Volunteers
Parental involvement has been shown to be directly correlated to student achievement! If you would like to volunteer to come into the classroom to help out we would love to have you! I could use parents for copying, working with small groups of students, to help with Accelerated Reader quizzes, to organize holiday parties and more. My highest need at this time is assistance in making copies. Once my schedule is set then I will send home a calendar with time slots that you may sign up for.
Birthdays
Students love to celebrate birthdays! Treats may be sent in for the whole class to enjoy. Due to specific allergies, this year we do have a Peanut-Free Classroom so please avoid any treats that contain peanuts. Summer and holiday birthdays can be celebrated also, please just let me know ahead of time.
The End
In closing, I would like to say that I am truly looking forward to a great year working with your child! Please read over this packet with your child and make sure they understand it. Strong parent teacher communication is important to ensure your child’s success so please do not hesitate if you have any questions throughout the year. Thank you in advance for your concern and support throughout the year!
