Back to School Night

1. Back to School Night Miss Mazzaro – 5th grade – Room 3

2. loving language arts • Language Arts • Reading Groups 2 times a week - 4 groups – groups are differentiated and change often. • Include Language Arts skills in all subjects • Higher Level thinking skills – step up from 4th grade • Homework will be Reading Comprehension worksheets • See example of RC worksheet • We are working on proving answers and supporting our reasons for choosing answers. • This is how the homework sheets should look.

3. We will be Writing • Writing • Writing Training for new genre • Narrative • Response to Literature • Persuasive • Common Core • Students must write in complete sentences and in paragraphs. There are multiple paragraph answers on the new Common Core assessments. We will be spending time in 5th grade working on these skills.

4. Speleng and vokabularee • Spelling and Vocabulary • Wordly Wise 3000 • The books are not replenished every year so please do not write in them! • We will work on specific skills throughout the week (packet) • 5xs each – NO TYPING!  • Vocabuary Sketch – students write the definition in their words and draw a quick sketch to help remind them of the word. • Assessments on Friday – Spelling Tests were created to look like STAR testing types of questions. Vocabulary tests are multiple choice and require a solid understanding of the word.

5. Noteworthy NOVELS • Novels • In addition to Language Arts skills we read six novels in 5th grade. Five of these novels are whole class novels and one is based on reading group placement. • Sign of the Beaver • Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler • Tale of Despereaux • Fever 1793 • Boston Jane • ** Holes, Rats of NIMH, Esperanza Rising, Dear Mr. Henshaw, Chocolate Fever, Because of Winn Dixie, Shiloh **

6. Oh yes there are Oral presentations • October 2013 – Biography Report • Students chose 1 famous American from our S.S. book and do a report and poster on them. The reports are worked on in class. The poster is done at home. • February 2014 – Poetry Report • Students will chose a poem (at least 20 lines long) to memorize and analyze. The analyzing will be done in class. The memorizing should be done at home • May 2014 – State Report • Students will chose a state to do a power point presentation on. This power point will be taught at school and worked on at home and in the classroom.

7. Lots of Language arts homework • THE FOLLOWING ARE GIVEN ON MONDAY MORNINGS: • Wordly Wise assignment (A, B, C, or D) • Weekly Reader – Mon, Tues, Wed. Thurs. • 5xs each – no typing • Vocabulary Sketch • VARIES NIGHTLY: • RC worksheets – students are handed a worksheet (often complimenting our science or social studies topics) to work on every night. EXAMPLE • Grammar worksheet – Every Tuesday we will focus on a new grammar skill. That nights homework will be more practice on that specific skill.

8. Math, math, and yes, even more math! • Math Notebook • Students take notes every morning on the concept or skill they are learning. • These notes are provided during math time and include rules to follow to solve the problem and examples of how to do it. • These notebooks DO NOT have to stay at school. • They will DEFINITELY help with homework to make your life easier.  • I will provide challenge opportunities to those students that show solid understanding of the math skills taught.

9. MATH HOMEWORK • There will be nightly math assignments • WB – workbook pages • or • Math worksheets • There needs to be work shown on the assignment!! • Students can show work on the actual page or use an extra lined paper. • Please do not do work on whiteboards I need to see proof of working out the problems.

10. Spectacular science • Water Cycle • Weather • Solar System • Life Science (Human/Plant Life) • Physical Science (Chemistry) • Science and Social Studies will alternate in the afternoons. Once we finish a Science unit we will start a S.S. unit. • Both subjects will NOT be done at the same time. • Science Lab / Science Experiments

11. Super Social Studies • Native Americans • Explorers • Settling Colonies • American Revolution • Government • Westward Movement • During each unit there will be folder that will have a rubric for all assignments that will be due the day of the test. • After every unit there will be an assessment. • During some of the units there will be a project (poster, book, icon sheet)

12. Science & Social Studies homework • Science and Social Studies homework is rarely given. • It will be a worksheet from the science lesson or an alternative science sheet • Sometime students will have time to complete these sheets in class. • --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Social Studies homework is usually a project that they have 1-2 weeks to complete • Sometimes students will have a sheet out of the workbook

13. Perfect Physical education • We will have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:05-11:45 • PE with the PE teachers will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd • Students will have a State PE test in March 2014: • Mile Run • Sit ups • Push ups • Sit and Reach • Trunk Lift • Students need to be in PE clothes on Tuesdays and Thursdays … (HW) • NO - boots, UGGS, tight jeans, loosely tied shoes

14. Cool clustering • Clustering is based on specific hand picked skills chosen by the 5th grade team from the formative and trimester assessments. • The clustering cycles will be 5 weeks long / 1 hour a week • Students will be placed in groups based on there performance in that specific area on the assessments. They will stay in that group for the duration of the clustering. • A Post test will be given to see growth in that area after clustering is over. • When a new clustering cycle begins a new pre-test will be given and new groups will be formed for the next cycle. • EX. A student can be in the Enrichment group for a reading comprehension standard and then in the Reteach group for a specific math skill.

15. SCHEDULE • WEBSITE • Pg. 5 in packet

16. Groovy Grading • We use grading homework assignments as a way to review skills and concepts we learned during the week. • Informal grading: • Homework and some classwork will be recorded as a grade toward effort and citizenship (homework and classwork competition) • Formal grading: • 3 – at grade level • 2 – partial grade level mastery • 1 – below grade level • 4s will be given to students who perform ABOVE grade level consistently.

17. Heavenly Homework • Homework will be about 60 minutes a night. • If your student works at a slower pace then homework will take longer. • Try to designate a homework spot with no distractions (no TV, radio etc.) • Often students need to play for a little bit before tackling the homework • If your student has worked consistently for over an hour / an hour and a half you can write a note. • Homework assignments will be posted on the website every night. • They are also written in the homework planners the PTA provided. • Homework is due at 7:55 in the morning when I check off the homework on the clipboard.

18. Weekly take home slips • ACADEMIC • S no late or missing assignments • S- 1 or 2 late assignments • N 3 late or 1 missing assignments • ** If a student does not have the entire assignment completed in the morning it will become a missing until it is turned in, then it will become a late • BEHAVIOR • S good behavior all week • S- talking, distraction issues, not following directions (more than one warning) • N white slip from the yard, fights, being defiant, multiple warnings

19. Parent Weekend Homework • Yup I said it  • Please Please look through your child’s Friday Folder. There is A LOT of work in there that they did throughout the week. There are also notes from the principal, PTA, and various organizations around town. • Your job is to look through the papers and SIGN the Weekly Take Home Slip!! • I give students two nights for this (weekend and Monday) if it is not handed in by Tuesday morning the student now has a missing assignment. • You will see this sheet EVERY week. Unless otherwise noted in Mazzaro Minutes

20. Bikes and Scooters and Cars … OH MY!! • If your child rides a bike or scooter to work please make sure they have a helmet on! • Their bike/scooter may be confiscated if they are seen without the proper safety gear. • Students need to walk their bikes on campus and can ride them as soon as they reach the Paseos. • PLEASE PLEASE do not have your child run across the parking lot to get to you after school!! We have buses, cars, and vans picking up for after school care that need to maneuver through that lot without hitting children!

21. Extra extra read all about it!!! • Absences: • It is extremely hard to catch up on all work when a student is absent. They not only miss the assigned work, they miss the discussion and teacher demonstration for the subjects. • Students will receive a blue folder with all the information/sheets they missed. They will have the same about of days they were absent to make up all the work. • (Ex. If they miss one day of school they have one day to make it up) • Tardies: • Please have your child here on time in the morning. It is very distracting when kids are tardy.

22. The Daily Life of Room 3 • There is a 2 hour and 25 minute interval from the start of school until Brunch. Please remind your student to use the bathroom!! • There is a 2 hour interval from Recess to Lunch. They are reminded to use the restroom at recess. • On Minimum Days we go for 3 hours and 10 minutes before a break!! (AHHHHH!!) • There is no sink or running water out here, please provide a water bottle for your student, especially on PE days.

23. Hmmm good to know!!! • I will never only give ONE night for a writing assignment!! • They usually have a full week (4 nights maybe 3 nights) • Yes, there is a possibility your child may finish all homework in class. • Students that are focused on their classwork will have class time to work on homework • They are not allowed to type 5xs each anymore. • The computer skills are great however the purpose is to practice spelling the word not having autocorrect do it for you. • I will always allow a student to use the restroom. However, I will ask if they can wait until the next break first. If they cant wait then they are allowed to go.

24. Email me or call me maybe! • missmazzaro@gmail.com • 661 291-4060 ext. 240 • Mazzaro Minutes – come home every Monday • Website: “teacher web miss mazzaro”