Mrs. Chaves's 5th Grade Handbook Stockdale Christian School4901 California AvenueBakersfield, CA 93309
Sincerely, Mrs. Chaves GENERAL INFORMATION A. ARRIVAL TIME:Arriving at school on time is vitally important to a positive start to the day. The morning bell rings at 8:25 am. Students need to immediately line up outside (not in the hallway) and wait for Mrs. Chaves to pick them up and walk them down to the classroom. If you’re not in line your student has 5 minutes (until 8:30 am) to be in the classroom before they are marked tardy. Please have your student at school in plenty of time so they do not miss any of the opening items and activities of the day. B. ATTENDANCE:Regular school attendance is required by law and necessary for good scholarship. The only recognized reasons for excused absences are illness, medical/dental appointments, or death in the family. All other reasons including family trips or outings will be considered unexcused unless previous arrangements are made with the school well in advance. Daily class period attendances will be taken and recorded. Parents will be contacted if a negative pattern of absences is noted. Excessive absences or tardies may result in the dismissal of your student from school. C. CLASS PERIOD SCHEDULE:
* Chapel on Thursdays from 9:40-10:20 am*Music on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30-12:10pm*P.E. on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:50-2:30pm*Computer on Thursdays from 2:15-3pm *Art or Centers on Fridays from 1:30-3pmD. CENTERSEvery other Friday afternoon your student will be involved in academic centers. They will do this by rotating to each of the fifth grade teachers’ classrooms and learning skills in specific academic areas. The reason for center learning is that students learn best when they are actively engaged. Implementing centers in the classroom: promotes group learning, helps students become more responsible, allows students to learn through self-discovery and provides teachers with time to pull students one-on-one or in small groups to target specific academic skills, modify and enrich curriculum, and better meet the needs of individual students. Please try and schedule appointments and vacations around this wonderful time of learning. E. CONTACTING MRS. CHAVESI believe that communication is the key to a great parent-student-teacher relationship. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can send me a note, email me at amandaloves2teach@yahoo.com (I check it 2 times a day) or call me at 661-327-3927. I will also do my part by updating my website http://mrschaves.educatorpages.com/Page.aspx?p=4208 each week to update you on what we have been doing in class as well as things that are coming up. For individual concerns, I will contact you by sending a note home, or email you (if email is provided). If you are requesting a conference or need to chat, I am available Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:50-2:30pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30am-12:10pm; and Fridays from 8:00-8:25am. ***Please do not come in before, during, or after class expecting to have a conference. I am generally involved in a meeting, prepping for my students, teaching/tutoring students or have appointments after school. Thank you. F. HOW PARENTS CAN HELP IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOMThe following list of ideas is given to assist you in helping your student be successful this year: 1. Have positive daily conversations. Example: “What new thing did you learn today?” “Did you do anything to help or uplift someone today?” 2. Set and clarify your expectations: academically, behaviorally, socially, and spiritually. 3. Model behavior you want to see in your student. 4. Set aside daily homework and study time in a quiet and will lit area away from distractions. 5. Stress the importance of daily devotional time for your student. 6. Routinely check your student’s Friday Folder, Mrs. Chaves’s Study Skills Calendar, website, and Weekly Progress Reports for up to date assignments, tests and quizzes, and grades. Please feel free to participate in your student’s fifth grade year as much as you are able to. Helping hands are always needed. Whether it is helping with special projects, grading workbooks, field trips, class parties, or any other participation your student will be greatly impacted. G. CLASS FEEA student fee of $25 is needed to cover most of the classroom activities, parties, holidays, crafts, and community service projects. If there is any money left over it will go towards the end of the year party. Please note you may pay by cask or check, payable to Stockdale Christian School and send it in with your student, as soon as possible. The student fee is due no later than the second week in September. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTA. CLASSROOM RULES 1. Be respectful of your teacher, classmates, and school property. (1 Peter 2:17)2. Bring all your materials to class (i.e. books, binder, folders, pencils, highlighter, homework, etc). (2 Peter 2:15)3. Listen carefully to and follow directions. (Proverbs 8:33)4. Speak only when called on during class. (Proverbs 16:23)5. ALWAYS be on task. (Proverbs 6:6-8)B. DISCIPLINE POLICY:If a student chooses to break a rule…•Once…………….. warning, name on board, and conduct grade lowered to a B.•Twice……………. check added to name on board, write discipline paragraph to be signed by parent, parent notice sent home to be signed, and conduct grade lowered to a C.• Three times……..... second check added to name on board, write discipline paragraph to be signed by parent, plus a parent notice is sent home to be signed, and conduct grade lowered to a D.• Four times………... a parent/teacher conference is scheduled and Mr. Pike is notified of your conduct choices, conduct grade lowered to an F.• Most of the time Names on the Board & Single Checks are given for: a. Being in an unauthorized area without a pass (hallways, bathrooms, etc) b. Class disruptions (talking, note passing, not having materials, playing games/jokes/pranks, ect.) c. Chewing gum, eating in the classroom, or drinking anything else besides water. (no Gatorade, Starbucks, juices, carbonated drinks, etc) d. Being tardy after P.E. (not lined up with the class or coming into class late) e. Dress code violations (shirt not tucked in, rolling skirt at the top, missing belt, etc.) f. Unauthorized electronic devices (i.e. cell phones, i-pods, games, etc.) g. Damaging school property (i.e. book tubs, textbooks, library books, desks, etc) h. Name calling, spreading rumors, gossiping, basically doing the opposite of uplifting others••Double checks will be issued by Mrs. Chaves for offences occurring outside the classroom area (i.e. Music, Chapel, P.E., Computer, Lunchroom, Playground, etc.)** Please remember students must have a C average in conduct in order to participate in any fun activities or go on any field trips.C. PLAGIARISMThe dictionary definition for plagiarism is stealing and using as one’s own the thoughts, writings, ideas, or works of another; taking and using a passage, plot, etc. from the work of another writer and representing it as one’s own. In the fifth grade students have been caught copying book reports and research papers from internet sources as well as taking paragraphs and direct sentences from internet sources. This is a serious offense and will not be tolerated at Stockdale Christian School. SCS has contracted with Turnitin.com where student work can be submitted to check for plagiarism. Should a plagiarized paper be submitted to a teacher the following consequences will result: A. First Offense: 1. The student will receive a zero on the paper. 2. Parents will be contacted. 3. An automatic referral will be given. B. Second Offense: 1. The student will receive a grade of zero on the assignment/exam/project. 2. Student and parents will meet with the Administration for possible dismissal from SCS.These procedures are cumulative. Any offense and subsequent offense becomes part of the student’s behavioral file for the entire term of his/her enrollment at SCS irrespective of the time period between offenses. D. GROUP LEARNING ENVIORNMENTStudents learn best when they are actively involved in the process. Researchers report that, regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats. Students who work in collaborative groups also appear more satisfied with their classes. Many students have never worked in collaborative learning groups and will need practice in such skills as active and tolerant listening, helping one another in mastering content, giving and receiving constructive criticism, and managing disagreements. The students in a group must perceive that they "sink or swim" together, that each member is responsible to and dependent on all the others, and that one cannot succeed unless all in the group succeed. Knowing that peers are relying on you is a powerful motivator for group work. If several people indicate that an individual did less than their fair share, that person could receive a lower grade than the rest of the group. This system works, when groups I give students the chance in the middle of the project to discuss whether any members are not doing their share. Members who are perceived as uncooperative/not participating then have an opportunity to make amends. As a teacher I devise strategies that promote interdependence this includes me specifying common rewards for the group, encouraging students to divide up the labor, and formulating tasks that compel students to reach a consensus. D. GROUP LEARNING ENVIORNMENT CONTINUED… One of the philosophies of education is not to learn merely to acquire information but rather to bring that learning to bear upon our everyday actions and behaviors. Consistent with this goal, I would argue that collaborative learning in the classroom should prepare my students for the kind of team work and critical interchange that they will need to be effective participants in their communities and workplaces in the future. E. MORNING AND END-OF-THE-DAY ROUTINESThere are a multitude of classroom procedures that quickly become routine for my students. These procedures provide classroom ownership for the students and help the day flow more smoothly. Since we essentially follow the same routine every day, students know what to expect, thereby minimizing disruptive behaviors. I feel the two most important routines in elementary school occur when the students walk in the door and when it is time to leave at the end of the day. In my classroom, students are to immediately come in and begin on their Morning Work. A poster, entitled “When You Come In” which is located in the middle of my white boards states what each student is to beign working on that morning. When You Come In Routine 1. Check in hot or cold lunch and for daycare.2. Unpack backpacks, grab your book tub, and sharpin your pencils.3. Have your assignments from the day before out and ready to collect.4. Begin working on either handwriting book, or journal entry. It switches each day.5.Begin working on the “review” part of your math page. Before You Leave Routine1. Begin packing up to leave. (Secretaries of Interior check areas under desks & book tubs)2. Make sure everything is neat and tidy (area around/under desk and book tub)3. Seated and reading you’re A.R. Book. This signals to Mrs. Chaves you’re ready to go.4. Reminders of things students need to be prepared for in the next few days.5. Dissmissal by our Secretaries of Interior. Establishing routines is important to creating an effective and positive classroom. Routines help Mrs. Chaves manage the busy world of the classroom and they help students to feel comfortable, to know what is expected of them, and to meet those expectations. F. COMMUNITY SERVICE & MISSIONARY PROJECTSEvery class participates in projects that help share the love of Christ with the people of our community. At Stockdale Christian we want our students to be Service Minded Citizens who:
D. NO NAME PAPERS Oh, those dreaded "No name" papers! A true causal of many headaches for all involved. This must be stopped! Well, these students are now fifth graders and have been in school for 900+ days. That is more than enough time to learn to put your name on something that is yours. To help teach responsibility and accountability, here is Mrs. Chaves’s policy on "No name" assignments: “No name papers will be placed in the "No Name" box until the end of the day, at which time it will be emptied into the trash. You may retrieve your no name paper during a recess or lunch however it only is accepted for half credit, meaning 50%, an F”.E. ASSIGNEMENT ORGANIZATIONIn order to make finding assignments and important papers with ease. Inside your binder you should have folders or dividers labeled accordingly:
F. ABSENT WORKUpon returning to school from an absence, students will have one day for every day they’re absent to complete and submit assignments as well as make up any tests and quizzes they missed. Example: Your student was ill on Monday and Tuesday, and then returned to school on Wednesday. They have until Friday of that week to turn in all assignments and make up all quizzes and or tests. (Band practices, sectionals, lessons, etc. are not considered an absence.) Mrs. Chaves will send assignments to the office on the day(s) the student is absent. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain and complete all the work they have missed. Long projects or writing assignments issued two (2) weeks or longer in advanced do not have the “one day for every day absent” period of time because of absence and must be turned in on the due date(s) for full credit. G.RACING THROUGH ACCERLERATED READER AND BOOK REPORTS The Accelerated Reader is a curriculum-based assessment tool that provides a summary and analysis of results to enable teachers to monitor both the quantity and quality of reading practice engaged in by their students. Students administer comprehension tests voluntarily themselves, and the system is intended specifically to have strong formative effects on subsequent learning.A student who uses the program selects a book from the titles on the AR list. Each book is assigned a point value based on the number of words it contains and its reading difficulty, as derived from a formula based on the well-known Flesch-Kincaid readability index that considers the number of syllables in words and sentence complexity. Point values are calculated thus:AR points = (10 + reading level) x (words in book ÷ 100,000)After reading, the student goes to the computer and takes a multiple-choice comprehension test on the book's content. Tests may have 5, 10, or 20 questions, depending on the length and difficulty of the book. The computer scores the test, awards the student points based on the results, and keeps a complete record. For a book valued at 10 AR points, such as Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, a student would receive 10 points for a score of 100 percent, 9 points for 90 percent, and so on. However, the student must score at least 70 percent on the test to earn any points at all. Beginning in three weeks, students will be required to complete an Accelerated Reader computerized comprehension book test every other Friday. Books should be at least 100 pages or more. If they do not pass the test with a minimum of 70%, then a written book report will be required. You must take the A.R. Test before writing a report on the book you took the test on. The format of book reports is located inside the language book (THIS FORMAT IS MANDATORY IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ANY CREDIT).
A = 93-100% A- = 90-92% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+ = 77-79% C = 73-76% C-= 70-72% D+= 67-69% D = 63-66% D-= 60-62% F=59% & belowJ. EXTRA CREDITMrs. Chaves awards extra credit to students whose parent(s) volunteers or helps out with activities. These activities include: parent driver or chaperone on field trips, donating to class projects (such as our carnival basket) or parties, planning a craft or playing a game with students at a class party, volunteering to grade papers or workbooks, volunteering there time to help with our carnival booth, volunteer as a judge for speech meet, attending the principal’s circle dinner, supporting scholastic book orders, supporting their student in fundraising for the school (Example: Last year I awarded students who sold 10 magazines or more extra credit). The student gets to choose the subject that they would like their extra credit applied to. K.REPORT TO PARENTSIn order to keep you up-to-date on your student’s progress as much as possible, Weekly Progress Reports are sent home each Friday; this report will reflect the students: Missing Assignments (if applicable), Responsibility and Conduct grades. If you would like a detailed printout (dates, assignments, points possible, points received, percentages, overall) of your students individual grades in subjects covered for the week, one is available upon request. The detailed report should be signed and returned with their folder by Monday morning.Each week, individual students start with an A in conduct. Each time a student does not follow a class rule and is told to put their name on the board, they lose 1 letter grade. For instance, if a child puts their name on the board 3 times in the 5 day period, the corresponding letter grade is a "C-" in conduct. The conduct report will be sent home on Fridays. Parents, please sign and have your student return the report along with any corrected "D" or "F" tests the following Monday. Parents and students should use grade reports to address any areas of concern. The following reports will be sent home to parents regarding student grades: 1. Detailed Grades: (a printout of what Mrs. Chaves has recorded in her grade book) can be requested at anytime. This printout includes dates, assignments, points possible, points received, percentages, overall average, rank in the class, etc) Please give Mrs. Chaves a one day notice in advanced to when you would like this printout. 2. Mid-quarter report: All students will receive a mid-quarter report half-way through each of the quarters. A parent signature will be required on the report and is to be returned to Mrs. Chaves in a timely manner.
(661) 327-3927
Table of Contentsi. Welcome Letter ………………………………………………………………………………….3 1. GENERAL INFORMATION: a. Arrival Time …………………………………………………………………………….4 b. Attendance ……………………………………………………………………………...4 c. Class Period Schedule……………………………………………………………………4 d. Centers ………………………………………………………………………………….5 e. Contacting Mrs. Chaves …………………………………………………………………5 f. How You Can Help Your Student ………………………………………………………5 g. Student Fee……………………………………………………………………………....5 h. Birthdays ………………………………………………………………………………..6 2. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: a. Classroom Rules ………………………………………………………………………...7 b. Discipline Policy ………………………………………………………………………...7 c. Plagiarism Policy………………………………………………………………………....8 d. Group Learning Environment ………………………………………………………...8-9 e. Morning and End of the Day Routines…………………………………………………..9 f. Community Service & Missionary Projects……………………………………………...10 g. Classroom Government……………………………………………………………..10-11 3. ACADEMIC: a. Necessary Supplies ……………………………………………………………………..12 b. Assignments and Homework………………………………………………………..12-13 c. Proper Assignment Headings…………………………………………………………...13 d. No Name Papers……………………………………………………………………….13 e. Assignment Organization……………………………………………………………….13 f. Absent Work…...……………………………………………………………………….14 g. Racing through Accelerated Reader & Book Reports………………………………..14-15 h. Book Buckets and Textbooks…………………………………………………………..15 i. Grading Scale…………………………………………………………………………....16 j. Extra Credit……………………………………………………………………………..16 k. Report to Parents……………………………………………………………………16-17 l. Quarter Grade Point Averages (GPA’s)…………………………………………………17 m. Eligibility for Field Trips & Sports……………………………………………………..17 n. Monthly Poems………………………………………………………………………....18 o. Mrs. Chaves’ Study Skills Calendar (This is a student/parent lifesaver to surviving the 5th grade!)……………………...18 p. Fantastically Fun Fifth Grade Things…………………………………………………...19 q. Agreement that Student & Parent have read Mrs. Chaves’ Handbook…………………..20 Dear Parents, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Mrs. Chaves and I am honored to be your child’s fifth grade teacher for the 2008-2009 school year at Stockdale Christian School. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was in the fifth grade among the almond orchards in my hometown of Modesto, CA a town 75 miles south of Sacramento. I had many wonderful elementary school teachers all who inspired me to want to become a teacher. So, here I am ready to begin my third year of teaching. My mission is to live a Christ-centered life and allow His teachings to guide me in all that I do. My eternal relationship with Him is the most treasured dimension of my life, and is the only thing that imparts meaning and significance to me. I take my Lord's commands to heart, and wish to model my life around what He asks of me. My life is not my own, but proceeds according to His unique plan for me. Though I cannot see around the corner, I am confident that He is the One writing the script, and that in the end it will tell a beautiful story. As a teacher I want to be able to witness to each individual child. I pray that they might see a glimpse of Jesus in me everyday. I want to help students understand and accept the gift of grace as the basis for their salvation and to encourage them to accept Jesus as a Friend and Savior. I wish to create a climate for academic excellence and physical wellness that enables students to participate in active Christian service to their churches and communities. My hope is for students to leave my classroom as better people, having learned many lessons that they can use for a lifetime. I am confident that my professional hands-on experience and formal university education qualifications will contribute to the excellent education Stockdale Christian School provides. I have a tremendous love for children and I am looking forward to a wonderful & exciting year with you & your student!
Sincerely, Mrs. Chaves GENERAL INFORMATION A. ARRIVAL TIME:Arriving at school on time is vitally important to a positive start to the day. The morning bell rings at 8:25 am. Students need to immediately line up outside (not in the hallway) and wait for Mrs. Chaves to pick them up and walk them down to the classroom. If you’re not in line your student has 5 minutes (until 8:30 am) to be in the classroom before they are marked tardy. Please have your student at school in plenty of time so they do not miss any of the opening items and activities of the day. B. ATTENDANCE:Regular school attendance is required by law and necessary for good scholarship. The only recognized reasons for excused absences are illness, medical/dental appointments, or death in the family. All other reasons including family trips or outings will be considered unexcused unless previous arrangements are made with the school well in advance. Daily class period attendances will be taken and recorded. Parents will be contacted if a negative pattern of absences is noted. Excessive absences or tardies may result in the dismissal of your student from school. C. CLASS PERIOD SCHEDULE:
| 8:30-8:45 am | Pledges, Devotions, Prayer & Morning Work |
| 8:45-9:45 am | Math |
| 9:30-10:20 am | Language Arts & Spelling |
| 10:20-10:40 am | Recess |
| 10:40-11:30 am | Reading |
| 11:30-12:10 pm | Writing |
| 12:10-12:45 pm | Bible |
| 12:45-1:25pm | Lunch |
| 1:25-2:10pm | Social Studies |
| 2:10-2:50pm | Science/Health |
| 2:50-3:00pm | Weekly Assignment Sheet and Clean-up |
| 3:00pm | Dismissal |
1. Understand that success in life is based on service to others
2. Are involved in community service projects
3. Understand the biblical mandate that to whom much is given, much is required 4. Demonstrate the compassion of Christ by meeting the needs of the less fortunate Mrs. Chaves’s class participates in Thanksgiving Baskets, Operation Christmas Child, Stockdale Christian’s Can Food Drive (we took 1st place last year), senior citizens food drive, coat drive, and other various community service projects. L.A.C.C. (Latin America Child Care)Students are challenged to give monthly to benefit children less fortunate than themselves. Currently, our students sponsor 24 children to attend Christian school in Bolivia through Latin American Child Care. Students also donate funds to a variety of organizations such as the Association of Christian Schools International Missions Fund, R.O.C.K., which is an outreach to Romanian street kids, and the Bakersfield Rescue Mission. Each month students receive one sticker on the L.A.C.C. board for bringing in one dollar. At the end of the year I reward students who have been faithful in giving to the Lord’s work each month. G. CLASSROOM GOVERNMENTThis is the easiest way I've found to do classroom jobs. If we want to teach children to be responsible, we have to trust them with responsibilities. Classroom jobs are an effective way to enlist students in the duties of running a classroom. When I first started working with children, I was most surprised by their enthusiasm for helping. If I need assistance with any little thing, every hand shoots up into the air, volunteering to perform whatever tasks I need accomplished. This is one of the most wonderful things about elementary school students. For the most part, they love their teachers and will do anything they ask! Students love this system because they will be responsible for a certain task that helps the classroom as a whole. On the following page you will see positions and how you can be elected for that position. I have one government from August-December, then another from January-May. CLASSROOM GOVERNEMNT POSITIONS The Candidates running for office must… •Give a 1-2 minute speech, the better the speech the better your chances are of winning! •Each candidate may display one poster in the classroom (no larger than 30" x 40")•Flyers are ok to pass out to their classmates; however they can only be handed out in the classroom and no more than 30 flyers total. • Candidates may not have buttons, pins, extra posters, etc. Stickers, ribbons, brochures, & 3D desk topers are fine!• Candidates must not give out candy, gum, etc. Candidate ScheduleCandidates may begin campaigning on August 25, 2008 and will give their presentation on August 28, 2008
Voting will be on Friday, August 29, 2008 and the announcement of candidates will be announced as soon as all ballots are collected and counted.
ACADEMIC
A. NECESSARY SUPPLIES:It is very important for each student to have their necessary school supplies and they should be checked on a regular basis by the parents. The following supplies are necessary everyday in 5th grade: 1. Student Binder with divided and labeled folders/tabs. 2. White loose-leaf college ruled binder paper (no spiral notebook paper) 3. Pencils with erasers 4. Red, Black, and Blue correcting pens 5. Pencil Box with extra pencils and easers, colored pencils, scissors, pencil shaper, and clear tape inside. B. ASSIGNMENTS AND HOMEWORK: Students will have a Daily Assignment Sheet with all daily assignments, spelling and vocabulary words, and memory verse on it. Please make sure your parents’ sign every night as you are completing your assignments. This will keep you and your parents up to speed on what he or she should be completing for the next day. Daily Assignments are due the following day they are assigned. Each assignment not completed by the due date may be turned in one day after the due date for an at-best grade of "50%" After the "1 day exception" they will no longer be accepted for credit. Work that is not completed in school may be taken home to be finished. Every morning Mrs. Chaves will collect all the in-class assignments from the day before. It is crucial that you have all your assignments ready to turn in each morning. Mrs. Chaves will not wait for you to find/locate you assignments. Remember, late work may only receive an at-best grade of "50%" All “D” or “F” papers will be sent home and must be signed by a parent and brought back to school. Homework will be assigned 3 nights a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) for a period of 50 minutes. Homework consists of unfinished in-class assignments that were not completed during the allotted independent work time provided in class and studying for future quizzes and tests. Students in the past have a few (5-6) math problems to complete, outside reading, as well as studying for upcoming quizzes and tests. Mrs. Chaves views the purposes of homework as: 1. To extend the classroom learning into a richer understanding of the material presented. 2. To develop sound work-study habits in preparation for adult life. 3. To reinforce materials and drills done in class. 4. To acquaint parents with the student's curriculum. 5. To motivate the desire to do creative work and independent thinking. C. PROPER ASSIGNEMENT HEADINGSIt is essential that each student head their paper correctly. The reason for having your paper headed correctly is that it takes Mrs. Chaves and her assistant less time to grade, record, and file each student’s assignments. For each improper heading 10% will be taken off the final grade of the assignment. Also all student work is to be in cursive unless otherwise stated in the directions or they will need to completely redo the page during their recess for credit. The following is a sample of how each paper should be headed:
Name (ex. Amanda Chaves)__________________________________________________________Date (ex. July 7, 2007)_____________________________________________________________Subject (ex. Social Studies)__________________________________________________________Assignment ( ex. Comp. Check 1A on pg.7 #1-5)________________________________________________________________________ Assignment Title _____________________________________ |
Folder/Divider | Labeled |
| #1 | Morning Work |
| #2 | Math |
| #3 | Language |
| #4 | Reading/Vocabulary |
| #5 | Writing |
| #6 | Bible |
| #7 | Social Studies |
| #8 | Health/Science |
G.RACING THROUGH ACCERLERATED READER AND BOOK REPORTS CONT….Mrs. Chaves will go over the format with students in explicit detail 1-2 weeks before your report is due. Students will be given time in-class each week for silent reading, which should give them enough time to complete most of the reading during class. Do not wait until the day before or due date to take these tests. It’s almost impossible to write a fabulous book report on the playground! Racers, start your engines! And get ready to read!Located in the classroom is a racetrack and every student has their own car that they move around the track with. Students are able to move their race car based on the amount of points they have earned through reading A.R. books. Students are also given punch cards (that they are responsible to hold onto, no extras given) to keep track of all the points Mrs. Chaves will give you one punch for every A.R. point earned. For every 20 points earned on the punch card, a student receives an award and a gift card of their choice. For students who get to 100 points a grand prize (it’s a huge prize pack!) will be awarded. H. BOOK BUCKETS AND TEXTBOOKS Students are held responsible for their assigned books and book tub. Fees will be assessed for lost and/or damaged books and tubs. Books may be left in the cubby boxes (located under the “Discovering America” bulletin board in the back of the classroom) at the end of the day if they do not need to go home for homework or study time. Students will be financially responsible for any books lost or damaged as well as damaged book tubs. The student’s report card will be held until all fees are paid. You’ll be receiving your book tub with your books and workbooks located inside. You will also receive a form that you will fill out informing Mrs. Chaves what type of condition your books were in when you received them. You will also need to cover the following books (underlined books only) by Thursday of this week:1) Penmanship Book (soft back) 2) Math Book (Soft back) 3) Language Book (soft back)4) Spelling Book (soft back) 5) Reading book (hardback) 6) Reading Work text (soft)7) Social Studies book (soft back) 8) Science (soft back) 9) Health (soft back) 10) God’s Holy Word your Bible (Hardback)Lastly, your books need to stay in a proper order while inside your book tub. This will ensure that you’ll be able to easily locate and retrieve your books throughout the day. The order is: Penmanship book, Math workbook, Language workbook, Spelling Book, Reading book, Reading work text, Bible workbook, Social Studies book, Science book, Health book, and the Bible. **Mrs. Chaves does daily checks of all book buckets, if not in proper order and clean your name or check added to your name will be on the board. I. GRADING SCALEGrades in all subjects will be based on test scores, class work, projects, and homework. In all subjects, test scores will be weighted as 60% and daily work will be weighted at 40%. I will use a standard grading scale to assess assignments and tests as explained below:
A = 93-100% A- = 90-92% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+ = 77-79% C = 73-76% C-= 70-72% D+= 67-69% D = 63-66% D-= 60-62% F=59% & belowJ. EXTRA CREDITMrs. Chaves awards extra credit to students whose parent(s) volunteers or helps out with activities. These activities include: parent driver or chaperone on field trips, donating to class projects (such as our carnival basket) or parties, planning a craft or playing a game with students at a class party, volunteering to grade papers or workbooks, volunteering there time to help with our carnival booth, volunteer as a judge for speech meet, attending the principal’s circle dinner, supporting scholastic book orders, supporting their student in fundraising for the school (Example: Last year I awarded students who sold 10 magazines or more extra credit). The student gets to choose the subject that they would like their extra credit applied to. K.REPORT TO PARENTSIn order to keep you up-to-date on your student’s progress as much as possible, Weekly Progress Reports are sent home each Friday; this report will reflect the students: Missing Assignments (if applicable), Responsibility and Conduct grades. If you would like a detailed printout (dates, assignments, points possible, points received, percentages, overall) of your students individual grades in subjects covered for the week, one is available upon request. The detailed report should be signed and returned with their folder by Monday morning.Each week, individual students start with an A in conduct. Each time a student does not follow a class rule and is told to put their name on the board, they lose 1 letter grade. For instance, if a child puts their name on the board 3 times in the 5 day period, the corresponding letter grade is a "C-" in conduct. The conduct report will be sent home on Fridays. Parents, please sign and have your student return the report along with any corrected "D" or "F" tests the following Monday. Parents and students should use grade reports to address any areas of concern. The following reports will be sent home to parents regarding student grades: 1. Detailed Grades: (a printout of what Mrs. Chaves has recorded in her grade book) can be requested at anytime. This printout includes dates, assignments, points possible, points received, percentages, overall average, rank in the class, etc) Please give Mrs. Chaves a one day notice in advanced to when you would like this printout. 2. Mid-quarter report: All students will receive a mid-quarter report half-way through each of the quarters. A parent signature will be required on the report and is to be returned to Mrs. Chaves in a timely manner.
3. Report Card: All students will receive a quarterly report card. Parents are required to meet with Mrs. Chaves at the end of the first quarter to discuss their student’s progress. First quarter report cards will be given to the parent(s) at this time. A quarterly report card will be sent home for the remaining quarters. Parents or Mrs. Chaves may request additional conferences if they feel special circumstances (behavior, academic, emotional, social, or spiritual) warrant it. A parent signature is required on the report card and is to be returned to Mrs. Chaves is a timely manner.
L. QUARTER GRADE POINT AVERAGES (GPA’s)Quarterly GPA (Grade Point Average) determinations include calculations of grades in all subjects (including P.E., band/music, art, etc.). Mrs. Chaves’ takes the average of all the student’s points they have earned through assigned work including tests and quizzes and divides it by the total points possible to determine their overall grade point average. Located in the heading of each grade report (you will receive these as mid-quarter reports, and quarterly report cards) is your student’s average grade point average. Physical Education, Computer, Music, and Art grades are averaged as one letter grade due to the fact they are only one day a week and do not generally, with the exception of art, have assigned work. M. ELIGIBILTY FOR EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITES
Students must have a quarterly overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 (C) to participate in all extra-curricular activities. This is defined as activities other than normal graded classroom responsibilities. Students may attend practice sessions, but may not wear uniforms or participate in a competition or game. Quarterly report cards and mid-quarter evaluations will be used to determine eligibility or ineligibility. Once the student meets the academic requirement, the student and parents will be notified by a letter and the student will be reinstated.
O. MRS. CHAVES’ STUDY SKILLS CALENDAR The Study Skills Calendar was designed by Mrs. Chaves in order to inform her students of all the tests, quizzes, and important assignment due dates for the month. The calendar also aids students in managing their time wisely in order to prepare themselves for upcoming projects. At the beginning of every month two laminated copies of the Study Skills Calendar go home. One is to stay at the beginning of the student’s binder and the other is for the parents. Mrs. Chaves suggests you place the parent copy on the refrigerator or in a location that it is easily accessible and will not be accidentally thrown away. Most parents check the calendar daily and help their student study days or a week in advance for upcoming tests. They also use the calendar to stay ahead of the class in the event they need to take their student out of school. In addition to providing students a calendar, Mrs. Chaves also hands out flashcards for every test in science and social studies. For Bible, Mrs. Chaves has students highlight the important things they will need to know in order to be successful on the quiz. In Language, Mrs. Chaves gives students a study guide for each test. Parents I highly suggest that you quiz your student for all tests and quizzes that way they are confident and feel prepared for all assessments. P. FANTISTICALLY FUN FIFTH GRADE THINGSThis year, as we study American history, students can look forward to fun state projects that are all completed using Microsoft PowerPoint and as always the fabulous event entitled, “Walk Thru the American Revolution” on ________________ inside the FMC. Students participate as teams and as individuals as they travel together on an imaginary Walk through the American Revolution as they take on roles of famous men and women from our unique history. They accumulate points by answering questions, acting out parts and taking notes. This is not a passive spectator event. It is not a traditional school assembly. It is a program that involves active participation by every student. Teams recreate famous battles from Lexington to Yorktown. Authentic full-size historical flags are displayed and used by students to fix chronology in the students’ minds. A large puzzle of the 13 Colonies is put together in a race against the clock. Students are encouraged to create costumes that bring to life their character. Paul Revere rides sounding the alarm, Patrick Henry makes his famous speech and Benedict Arnold sells his secrets. Betsy Ross sews the stars on the flag and Deborah Samson goes into battle. The centerpiece of the program involves the Declaration of Independence as students recreate the signing. Teams take notes during the program on The Liberty Bell Game Sheets and play an exciting Lightning Round by answering questions in a fast paced competition. Teams compete for points with a Yankee Doodle Sing Off. Throughout the program special music, skits, sound effects, dance, and humor help the students’ imagination capture the Spirit of ‘76. You won’t want to miss it! We are also planning two field trips; the first is to the Ronald Reagan Museum in Simi Valley. Artifacts from President Reagan’s childhood and professional career provide physical evidence of his extraordinary life. We also get to step through a model of the Dixon Arch in Illinois to experience Reagan’s youth, while his Eureka College letter sweater recalls his student years. A recreated studio booth highlights his early radio broadcasting career, which led to an acting contract with Warner Bros. Film clips. Original costumes and movie posters trace his days in the movies, the Screen Actors Guild, and on television, as host of GE Theater and Death Valley Days. Glimpse into Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s devoted marriage, a love story straight out of a Hollywood script. Learn about Reagan’s growing involvement in politics. Witness his presidency, from reviving the economy, reducing the size of the federal government, and ending the threat of nuclear war. See a piece of the Berlin Wall, immerse yourself in Camp David and Rancho del Cielo. And walk through the Air Force One that President Reagan used throughout his eight years in office! The last field trip we take is to The Black Gold Exhibit at the Kern County Museum. The 9,640-square foot exhibition and surrounding 2.3 acres, presents a complete overview of how oil is created, different methods of discovery and extraction throughout history, and the changing role of industry workers and their families. This is a participatory exhibit, featuring a variety of learning environments for audiences of all ages. Highlights include a simulated travel under the sea in a diving bell to learn how oil is formed, an exploration into oil discovery, recovery and its transformation into many products we use today, and the many dangers of asphaltum mining straight from the mouth of an old-timer. With Kern County providing 64% of California’s oil production, oil production has been a crucial component of the local economy since 1895.INCENTIVES AND REWARDSPizza and a Movie! For all the students’ who have no missing assignments at the end of each quarter receive a pizza lunch and watch a movie with Mrs. Chaves!Ice Cream, Ice Cream, we’re all screaming for ice cream! Mrs. Chaves throws an ice cream party for the students who receives no more than one name on the board that quarter. Q. AGREEMENT THAT PARENT AND STUDENT HAVE READ HANDBOOK My student and I have carefully read all of the information given in Mrs. Chaves’s Handbook and agree to the following: 1. I (parents) will sign Weekly Progress Report and my student will return the report with their folder by Monday morning. 2. I (parents) will sign Weekly Assignment Sheet sign every night to make sure my student is doing their assignments. 3. All “D” or “F” papers will be sent home and will be signed by a me(the parent) and brought back to school by the student. 4. Student will be required to complete an A.R. book every other Friday. Student will have the option of taking a computerized comprehension test in lieu if a written book report. If they do not pass the test, then a written report will still be required. Do not wait until the due date to take these tests. 5. Student is expected to memorize and recite a poem in front of their peers at the end of each month. The monthly poem is worth one test grade. So if a student decides not to recite the poem, it’s the same as taking a zero on a test. 6. To stay informed or upcoming tests, quizzes and special projects I will refer to Mrs. Chaves Study Skills Calendar which is handed out at the beginning of each month. 7. For extra information regarding classroom procedures, monthly poems, book reports, classroom projects, and extra handouts. I will check Mrs. Chaves’s website http://mrschaves.educatorpages.com/Page.aspx?p=4208 or email Mrs. Chaves at amandaloves2teach@yahoo.com to set up a conference time. ______________________ ___________Student Signature Date ______________________ ___________Mother’s Signature Date ______________________ ___________Father’s Signature DatePLEASE SIGN AND RETURN A.S.A.P.
