Welcome to Mrs. Romney’s Class!

1. Welcome to Mrs. Romney’s Class!

2. This is what I believe about SCHOOL: • School is about gaining knowledge, but it is really about developing healthy, happy people. • School is learning what you are good at, and what you really have to work at. • School is about DEVELOPING more than always looking for end products. • School is about learning to understand humor. • School is about learning to see the uniqueness and gifts of others. • School is about learning to see the bigger picture rather than always thinking about what about yourself. • School is about opening your eyes to new ideas that you never knew existed; and knowing that there will always be more new ideas. . .

3. This is my top ten on how I see my role as a teacher: As a communicator to the parents about what we are learning. As a communicator to parents about their children and where I think they are terrific and where they can use some encouragement. As a facilitator for making every school day full of meaningful experiences for the students. As a role model of someone who is learning and growing every day along with the kids. As someone the kids can trust with their feelings and ideas as they learn to share with the class. As a force for a positive outlook no matter what the day brings. As a source of comedy and diversion as kids are in the thick of school every single day. As an orchestrator of lessons to make things as cool, fun and interesting as possible. As a friend for the kids—though a pretty busy and structured one. As a peacemaker, mediator and general all around well-wisher.

4. What is the homework like?? Is this teacher going to make our lives miserable?? Weekly homework: Packet is given on Monday and is due on Friday. It will include various activities, and will always include reading. It is due on Friday. Nightly homework: Most week nights the students will have a page of Math that is due the next day. There is a project calendar which outlines what parents will need to help students with other than checking on weekly and nightly homework.

5. Reward Systems Board Game Friday. If students turn in all their homework and keep “where they live” on green, then they can play board games during lunch till school ends on Fridays. They also get to dig into the candy box for three candies. I’ll be teaching them some fun games, plus they can bring any from home. Extra Friday Treat. This is a class-earned treat that we’ll have on Fridays. They’ll mostly earn this by how they act in rotation classes, how they kept quiet at the right times during the day and how clean they leave the classroom. Kids LOVE to bring these; so please let me know if you are willing or not willing to be a provider. UH-OH!! If your student makes learning difficult for the others, he/she may get “25 sentences.” He’ll need to write the sentence of my choice 25 times and then bring it back with a parent signature on it. He/She will miss morning and afternoon recess until I get the sheet back.

6. LANGUAGE ARTS SKILLS: --How to write a 5 paragraph persuasive essay. --Lots of “functional” vocabulary --How to spell better --How to speak in front of others --How to write a 5 paragraph expository paper. --How to read more words --How to understand the written word better. (By understanding what is NOT written and by understanding figurative language). --How to read and learn from non-fiction text. --How to understand poetry (or at least some poetry) and be familiar with some “classic” poetry. --Learning the stories and characters of several pieces of classic fiction.

7. MATH SKILLS: SO MANY SKILLS THEY ARE HARD TO NAME!! Here are some of them: --Automaticity in MATH FACTS. --Problem Solving! --Understanding and use of PLACE VALUE. --2X2 digit multiplying and up to 3X3 digit. --Dividing with one and two divisors (dividing in numbers up to 4 digits.) or LONG DIVISION --Basic Algebra skills and understanding the concept of Algebra. --Algorithms for adding, subtracting and multiplying with decimals. --Basic Geometry knowledge. --What a fraction is and how to work with fractions (adding, subtracting and reducing them.) --More advanced Geometry: How to determine the volume of a 3-D figure (a rectangular prism only) --The difference between customary and metric measurement and how to use both of them. --How to convert metric measurements. --Learn a few graph types. --Understanding the coordinate plane and how to plot points.

8. Social Studies We will learn a smattering of ideas and general knowledge in these big subject areas: --RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION --THE AGE OF EXPLORATION --THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIES ON THIS CONTINENT. --CAUSES AND EVENTS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. --THE CONSTITUTION AND HOW OUR COUNTRY WAS SET UP. --WESTWARD EXPANSION OF THE UNITED STATES --CAUSES AND EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR OF THE UNITED STATES.

9. SCIENCE We will get a basic understanding of the following AREAS OF SCIENCE: --Genes and Heredity --Matter and Chemistry --Electricity --Magnetism --The Changing of Earth’s Surface by Erosion, Weathering, Volcanoes and Earthquakes CORE KNOWLEDGE ADDITIONS: --The Scientific Classification System --Plants (if we get time!)

10. OTHER CLASSES: --MUSIC. Taught by Marilee Evans which enriches our curriculum, plus gives them more love and knowledge about music. --ART. Taught by Leisha Black which enriches our curriculum, plus gives them more knowledge of Art History and artistic skills. --PHYSICAL EDUCATION. Taught by Melinda Sorenson which provides exercise, athletic skill instruction and a chance to practice Sportsman ship P.E. concepts. --COMPUTER—This is taught by Susan Garrett every other week and me on her off weeks. The kids get keyboarding instruction and a lot of practice. Students will learn to make a blog with content they have learned, make a power point presentation with content they have learned, and have some beginning lessons in Excel and Publisher. Students also learn about educational games they can do at home. Students also spend a lot of time on “Utah Writes”, a website that teaches them how to write effective persuasive essays. --CORE KNOWLEDGE. Taught by Susan Swinicki which uses music and movement to enrich our CORE KNOWLEDGE curriculum. --LIBRARY. Taught by Miss Liz who teaches lessons, inspires kids to read, and almost always shares a terrific piece of literature. Time to peruse the library is a must in every child’s life. --BAND OR ORCHESTRA. Optional. Monday at 2:30 and Thursday after school. Taught by Erin Payne and Grace Edwards. OR --SERVICE CLUB. Leads the 5th Grade in our Service Learning plus lessons on team building and recycling.

11. FIELD TRIPS --The Renaissance Fair at Thanksgiving Point --The Museum of Natural History --Symphony Hall to watch the Utah Symphony (A docent comes in advance to prepare the kids) --Utah Museum of Fine Art (maybe??)

12. WHAT I NEED FROM PARENTS THE SAME STUFF YOU ALREADY DO!! i.e. Love and care for your kids!! Send them well fed and well rested. Read to them and with them. TALK to them a lot about anything. Learn stuff yourself and tell them what you are learning. Ask your student “The Question” on the planner. Check in with them each night to make sure Math is done. If you can, check it and go over the ones they missed. Monitor weekly homework as much as is necessary for your child and help them get the Friday reward! Keep ahead on the projects and work with them to get books and/or ideas depending on the project. Use their ideas while still manhandling it as much as you need to. PRAISE THEIR IDEAS and help them feel creative. I always need wrapped candies. (Talk to me if you’re opposed to this sort of thing.) I occasionally need things that I don’t feel like buying again, so I’ll ask for them on the newsletter. I need one or two FRIDAY CORRECTORS TO come after 10:00 a.m. on Fridays and just do a bunch of clerical-type stuff. I always need Math “fix-it” doctors to help kids individually in the hall with concepts they’re not getting. This could be at arranged to work with your schedule. 10. I can always use a “computer lab” helper every Wednesday at 2:30.

13. DAILY SNACK AND S.P.E. DAILY SNACK: I let the kids have a snack every day at 10:30 (except for Monday—it’s at 11:30). Please send something healthy and not messy. NO DRINKS except for their regular water bottle. NO CANDY!! SPORTSMANSHIP P.E: Outside of Monday’s P.E., we have our own class Sportsmanship P.E. 3 or 4 other times a week. Basically, the kids need to plan on running around every single day. Please send them in good running shoes, hats, sunscreen, sweaters, sunglasses—or whatever they might need.

14. PHILOSPHIES ON GROUPING We don’t trade classes very much if at all. We feel as though the kids get enough time away from us with our rotations. We feel that Fifth Graders really need the “Home Court Advantage” that one teacher who knows them really well can give them. There is some grouping done in CLASS in Language Arts and Math, but it is minimal and shouldn’t cause too much of a ruckus. I try to be stealthy about it and I find that generally kids realize that I’ve tried to make them as comfortable in their learning as possible. But, I WILL make changes if a child feels slighted or needs to go slower or faster. By and large, we are a community of EQUAL learners, but there has to be some differentiation.