Dear Parents and Families- Sept. 6, 2015
Whew! Where did summer go? The days are already getting shorter and the nights cooler. I am excited to welcome you back to school! I hope you and your family had a fantastic summer. We have some amazing opportunities this year. Our class is in what used to be the computer lab. Students will be maximizing the technological resources available to us. Google classroom will be the foundation of our school day. Kids will collaborate on assignments, turn in projects, and do homework all from the google classroom environment. Students will use the website opened.com for video lessons, interactive games, and assessments. Kids will also continue to have access to mobymax and ixl as in the past years. Please check out our class website, blogs.district6.org/charles.hadley for information, links, and updates. Working together, I’m sure we’ll have a great school year.
Behavior Expectations-
Fifth grade students are expected to come to class everyday prepared to work hard, give their best effort, and have fun. We also need to be respectful to all students, teachers, and staff here at Central Point Elementary. The three school rules are-
- Be Respectful
- Be Responsible
- Be Safe
In addition to these three school rules we have three classroom rules-
- Keep comments positive
- Bring all books and materials to class
- Participate in class discussions respectfully
During the first few weeks of school we will learn what each of the expectations are and how they look in the classroom. We will also discuss the consequences if we choose to break a rule. These include, but are not limited to-
- a warning
- 5 minutes from recess
- 10 minutes from recess, PBIS visit, parent contact
Homework
We will be using a “flipped classroom” homework model this year. Students will be assigned a instructional video, assessment, or interactive game via google classroom or opened.com. These will be used to set the foundation of the next day’s lesson. Students will watch, play, and complete these assignments at home, allowing me to focus my class instruction on the individual needs of each student. The videos and assessments also allow you to see what is being taught in class and how it is presented. In addition, unfinished work and at home reading (reading log) will be included in daily homework.
Reading Log
Strong reading skills are essential for a strong education. Like riding a bike, reading takes practice, practice, and more practice to become fluent. As part of our nightly homework, students are asked to read 30 minutes per night. They are free to read anything they wish during this time. The key here is that they are engaged in reading and reading well. Please have your child fill out the reading log to document how much they are reading at home and have you initial nightly.
Classroom Website
Nearly everything you need to know about our classroom appears on blogs.district6.org/charles.hadley, our classroom webpage. You can watch tutorials, print forms, watch for special events, and much more. To get to the webpage, go to District6.org and follow the links to schools, CPE, and classrooms, or simply go to blogs.district6.org/charles.hadley. We use the webpage a ton, so check it out tonight and bookmark it!
Major areas of study
Instruction is based on the National Common Core Standards with an emphasis on American history, literature, math, writing, and community service. We’ll work in art and science whenever possible.
I look forward to working with your child and you this school year. Together we can help your child reach his/her fullest potential. Please feel free to contact me by stopping by the classroom, email at Charles.hadley@district6.org, or by phone 541-494-6500.
Take care,
Charles Hadley
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
-W.B. Yeats