Daily Schedule

Daily Schedule

Parents! We are team teaching this year, so that your child gets the best education we can offer. This allows your child to have additional time in each subject, and a "study hall" time. Here is how our schedule lays out:

Ackiss
8:05 -8:30 Arrive/prepare/get ahead on math work
8:30 - 8:40 Westfall Rising
8:40 - 9:20 PE/Music
9:20 - 9:55 Specials (Monday-Wednesday Only)
10:00-11:05 Reading/ELA (Mrs. Ackiss)
11:05 - 11:55 Social Studies (Mrs. Ackiss)
11:55-12:55 Lunch/Recess
1:00-2:10 Math (Mrs. Reis)
2:10-3:00 Science (Mrs. Reis)

Davis
8:05 -8:30 Arrive/prepare/get ahead on math work
8:30 - 8:40 Westfall Rising
8:40 - 9:20 PE/Music
9:20 - 9:55 Specials (Monday-Wednesday Only)
10:00-11:05 Reading/ELA (Mrs. Davis)
11:05 - 11:55 Social Studies (Mrs. Davis)
11:55-12:55 Lunch/Recess
1:00-2:10 Math (Mrs. Pherigo)
2:10-3:00 Science (Mrs. Pherigo)

Pherigo
8:05 -8:30 Arrive/prepare/get ahead on math work
8:30 - 8:40 Westfall Rising
8:40-9:20 Specials (Monday-Wednesday Only)
9:20 - 9:55 PE/Music
10:00-11:05 Math (Mrs. Pherigo)
11:05 - 11:55 Science (Mrs. Pherigo)
11:55-12:55 Lunch/Recess
1:00-2:10 Reading/ELA (Mrs. Davis)
2:10-3:00 Social Studies (Mrs. Davis)

Reis
8:05 -8:30 Arrive/prepare/get ahead on math work
8:30 - 8:40 Westfall Rising
8:40-9:20 Specials (Monday-Wednesday Only)
9:20 - 9:55 PE/Music
10:00-11:05 Math (Mrs. Reis)
11:05 - 11:55 Science (Mrs. Reis)
11:55-12:55 Lunch/Recess
1:00-2:10 Reading/ELA (Mrs. Pherigo)
2:10-3:00 Social Studies (Mrs. Pherigo)

Welcome Back!

This is a year of excitement, important transitions, and one in which acquisition of new skills are accelerated. They will complete their Colonial Day research project, write interesting stories that are fun to read, learn about the struggles and triumphs of the early settlers of our country,  and so much more! During this time it is important to keep in mind that we all build on small successes. Each child will progress at his/her own rate. Maintaining each child’s growth mindset and building a secure foundation for future growth will always remain a priority.

        We want your child to enjoy the learning process, and we want to help them develop their own motivation for learning. We hope to do our best to encourage your child to succeed in his/her attempts to learn. However, you the parent/guardian, have more influence in their lives. Please speak positively about school work as your child looks up to and adores you, and they will reflect and mimic your opinion in their classwork.

Math Expectations

5th Grade Math covers a wide span of mathematical areas and goes by fast. In order to refresh their brains on these many topics, your child will be doing graded morning work that consists of the same skills, format, and directions throughout the year. A few of these topics include:

*Basic Facts

*Algorithms

*Problem Solving

*Metric Measures

*Customary Measures

*Decimals, Fractions, Percents

*Probability and Statistics

*Graphing

*Number Sense and Operations

*Algebraic Patterns and Reasoning

*Perimeter, Area, Volume, Surface Area

*Geometry

*Math Vocabulary

Your child *should* not have "hours" of homework each night. As parents ourselves, we understand balancing home and school life. However, your child may bring work home from school to complete if they were unable to finish the assignment during class and study hall. There will also be times where they will need to study information, but more details will follow with those assignments. Please encourage them to use their time wisely.

Lastly, it is recommended that your child work in USATestPrep on their yellow or red dots for 15 minutes every night. However, math will be much easier if your student is fluent in their multiplication facts. Please make sure you work on these with either flash cards, apps, or the Math Magician link found on the homepage.

Science

Science is taught through a combination of written text, multimedia sources, and activities to help students develop a basic understanding of the world around them.  

Each unit is concluded with a study guide, review, and assessment to insure mastery of key concepts and vocabulary and to promote good study skills for Middle School and beyond.

In Science, we cover the following units:

Physical Science

   *Matter & Its Interactions

   *Motion & Stability / Forces & Interactions

Life Science

   *Energy

   *Molecules to Organisms

   *Ecosystems / Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Earth & Space

   *Earth’s Place in the Universe

   *Earth’s Systems                                                                                                            

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein

Social Studies

During the first semester of Social Studies, we begin with a review of European exploration and quickly dive into the fascinating colonial period of American history. The first standard stresses the importance of the foundations of American culture and society at Jamestown and Plymouth. Next, we study the development of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies and compare/contrast the economy, natural resources, settlement patterns, culture, and self-government of those regions. 

Next, we learn about the events leading up to and through the American Revolution. We then continue with the foundations of our democratic government and the U.S. Constitution. During the third 9 weeks, students will also participate in our annual 5th Grade Colonial Day. 

To end the school year, we complete a unit over the American Civil War and the abolitionist movement!

English and Language Arts

Writing and Grammar

Every Tuesday and Thursday will be our Writer's Workshop. We will have 5 minutes dedicated to a quick write, followed my a mini grammar lesson, and a lesson that helps develop their writing. They will be given time in class to work on their essays and the essays will remain in class.

Spelling

In 5th Grade, your student will be expected to do their best, or use their resources to spell correctly on their assignments. In addition, they will be learning Latin and Greek root words and word parts. Their is a heavy emphasis placed on understanding the word and not just how to spell it correctly.

Every Monday, your child will be receiving a vocabulary packet containing 10 vocabulary words. This packet will need to be finished and turned in on Tuesday morning to their homeroom teacher.  To help them study, please check out: www.quizlet.com and search ackiss5.  You will find all the lesson words there and your child can practice their vocabulary! They will test on the 10 vocabulary words on Friday.

Reading Information

Reading

The ultimate goal is for your child to become a lifelong reader; whether this means getting them hooked into reading or nurturing the love they already have for it. Through a wide range of strategies, your child will understand, interpret, evaluate, appreciate, and respond to various  themes and genres. The different genres that will be covered are:  Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Traditional Literature.

AR is an acronym for Accelerated Reader. Our district implements this program through High School. The program is not new for the majority of our students, but how we execute the program is a bit different. Each student will take a STAR Reading Test that will generate a ZPD (zone of proximal development) that will inform Mrs. Ackiss (the reading teacher) on where they currently stand in their reading abilities. From here, Mrs. Ackiss will conference with each student to set their goals and expectations. At each mid-term, a progress report will be sent home that shows how far they are in completing their goals. It is HIGHLY encouraged that your child use the time given in class and time after school to read. Many students try to wait until the last minute to complete their goals; however, we are encouraging students to complete their AR goal earlier in the term so reading isn't seen as a burden or in a negative light.

Weekly Homework Expectations

Your 5th grader will be learning many new things every day. There are many factors that play in to whether or not your student will have homework. As a collective, 5th grade does not have a "homework packet" that needs to be completed by a particular date. Your student will be rotating to many different classes and depending on the content/lesson will determine if homework is assigned. Your child is highly encouraged to make use of any down time they may have to complete their work. The 5th grade teachers strive to incorporate time in class to complete any and all assignments. This is a year of learning self-accountability, responsibility and time management to prepare them for Middle School. 

It is imperative that you view your students agenda as any homework assignments will be listed there.  Your child's agenda should never be blank, because we learn every day and we review/ record in it as a class at the end of each day. Thank you so much for being active in your child's academic life!  

40 Book Challenge!

Our school uses the Accelerated Reader program to help get the right level of books into the hands of our students. I have noticed that many students stop reading once they make their AR goal! I want each 5th grader to develop a love for reading that extends past a general requirement and the 40 Book Challenge has a track record of success! This challenge is NOT a requirement. The students track various genres that they read throughout the year that exposes them to non-fiction, poetry, comic books and more. The ground rules for the challenge can be found on their tracker located in their Reading tab in their binders. The more we get our children reading, the better they do academically! I want to ignite a passion for reading and hear the reluctant complaints when I require the students to stop reading!