in Mrs. Shuffield’s Room

“The more that you read,the more things you will know.

The more that you learn,the more places you’ll go.”

-Dr. Seuss

1

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:Our environment is a place where children engage in collaborative interactions with individuals, peers, and adults. The activities and experiences are socially, emotionally, physically, and developmentally appropriate. There are opportunities for active exploration, guided discovery, and first hand experiences. Emphasis is placed on problem solving, good decision-making, independent and creative thinking, plus opportunity for concrete, real, and practical experiences.

CURRICULUM:On the fifth grade home page, you can view the curriculum by accessing the link. I encourage you to read over the standards, so that you know what to expect throughout the year. The curriculum is very extensive. Our main focus is reading, writing, and math, incorporating language arts, spelling, science, and social studies. Language Arts will be conducted as a Reading-Writing Workshop. Children will work extensively through the writing process on Monday and Tuesday. Thursday and Friday will be our reading days – students will also be responsible for completing a literary journal entry once a week. Wednesdays will be our day for Effective Communications – students will work in cooperative groups on a variety of activities. The Reading-Writing Workshop is graded using a point system – daily participation is a must for success.  

ATTENDANCE:Please make sure your child is in school on time, on a regular basis so he/she will not miss out on all the great learning we will be doing this year. Students are allowed to enter the classroom at 7:35 and work begins immediately upon being

2

seated. The tardy bell rings at 7:40. As soon as students arrive in the classroom, they will begin work on a warm-up activity. Reading-Writing Workshop will start at 8 am – students who miss any of this time will be required to make it up at home. If your child is tardy, he/she not only misses valuable instructional time, it disturbs the learning environment. Habitual tardiness will require a conference with the administration.

3

I do understand that sometimes absences are necessary. Generally, all make-up work is left on the child’s desk in a “make-up folder.” You may also make arrangements through the office to pick it up if it is going to be an extended absence. If it is a planned absence, I request that you obtain the make-up work when the child returns. “Please” return all make-up work and the folder within the number of days that the child was absent.

MATH FACTS: Addition and multiplication facts are an important basis for many of the math skills we will address in 5th grade. If your child does not know his/her facts, he/she will have a difficult time with other math skills. Students will take timed tests on the computer several times a week. We will also have weekly written timed tests. I encourage you to work with your child at home on mastering these skills. An excellent website is http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/cathymath.html . Your child may also practice math facts like the computer tests at http://rp.lrsd.org/renaissanceserver/homeconnect/login.aspx  

SPELLING:Students will have spelling test on weeks with at least 4 days. Lists will go home on Monday. Dictation sentences will be written in their assignment book. All lists and dictation sentences are available on my website. We will have a pre-test on Thursdays - those who do not make 100% will be allowed to take the test again on Friday.

HOMEWORK: Generally homework will be given on each school night. At the beginning of each nine week period, your child will be given a homework log for Reading-Writing Workshop – your child will be required to complete 90 minutes (in 30 minute intervals) of reading/writing each week – this will count toward Language

4

Arts grades. Students are strongly encouraged to read a minimum of 30 minutes each night

ALL Homework assignments are due the next day. It is the responsibility of each child to turn in their homework as instructed by the teacher, to insure that they receive credit.

5

E-MAIL:I will be keeping in touch with you by e-mail. E-mails will include reminders and information to help keep you updated on classroom activities. Please complete the e-mail information sheet and return it ASAP. If you do not have e-mail access, you will be notified by hard copy. If both mom and dad have e-mail addresses, please include both. You can reach me at kellylu62@sbcglobal.net

INTERNET ACCESS:Fulbright has a web page that you can access at www.fulbrightelem.org. There is a link to 5th Grade and my homepage, which includes information pertaining to the classroom: our wish list, pictures, weekly spelling lists, links for helpful websites, etc. Please visit our site often to check for changes.

SCHOOL LUNCH and SENDING MONEY:The cost for a school lunch is $2.25 and milk is .35. I encourage you to pay in advance for several lunches. You may pay on-line through the Fulbright webpage or the LRSD webpage. This is a very easy way to make sure your child has money on their account. You can set up the account to send you an e-mail notification when your child’s account balance is low. When sending money to school, please make sure it is in an envelope marked with your child’s name and the purpose of the money.

ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK:Your child should bring their assignment notebook home each night. Stapled in the front is a daily behavior grid that will let you know your child’s behavior for the day. I ask that your child have a 2-pocket portfolio folder (no prongs) to transport papers to and from school. Please check the folder nightly for homework, notes, graded papers, or important information. Please make sure that the folder returns to school each day, so that your child has it to bring home their things the next day.

6

As long as everything is going well, you will not receive information about your child’s behavior – no news is good news. If your child pulls a card during the day, you will receive information in his/her folder that afternoon relating to their behavior. Please sign and return the note on the next school day.

7

SUPPLIES:It is important to your child’s learning that they have the proper supplies in order to complete their assignments at school. Our school supply cart stocks the basic supplies.. You may send money for your child to purchase what they need. Please make sure that you look at the additional supply list for my room and send the items ASAP.

CONFERENCES: The district schedules two conference days per year. I will send home a conference note with your scheduled time prior to the conference. I will be happy to speak with you at anytime during the year if you would like to have an additional conference. You may contact me by school phone or e-mail and we will set up a meeting at your earliest convenience. 

VISITORS: All visitors entering the building should report to the office before going to the classroom. You will be given a visitors tag for the safety and security for everyone in the building. I have an open door policy and encourage you to visit whenever possible. However, visitors are asked not to interfere with the teaching process, nor request a conference while the students are in the classroom.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS:If you would like to help out in the classroom on a regular basis, please let me know. Keeping parents involved is important. If I know you are coming, I can have things for you to do to make sure we take advantage of the time you are offering. I would love to have a volunteer on Wednesdays at 8:00 to help with our effective communications lessons. This could be done with several parents on a rotating basis. Remember to sign in at the front office before coming down to the room to volunteer. If you have any ideas for special activities, guests, etc., I would love to hear about them.

8

PTA: I encourage everyone to join PTA and be involved in the many activities. Our PTA does many great things for our school, children, and teachers. Students’ relatives may join the PTA also. Please make sure that your memberships get credited to our classroom. Our goal is to have 100% in our room.

9

DISCIPLINEWe have 5 basic rules in our classroom:

1. Be Kind, Don’t Hurt2. Have Good Manners3. Come Prepared to Work and Learn4. Be Respectful5. Keep Your Hands and Feet to Yourself

Students will be expected to follow the rules of our classroom. They are informed of all the rules, rewards, and consequences. Students that do not follow the rules will pull a card from the conduct chart. Each student will start the day with a green card.

Green Card – Great Day!Yellow Card – One WarningOrange Card – Two WarningsRed Card – Behavior Document

I will note the initial of your child’s color for the day on the behavior chart in the home folder. If your child pulls a card, you will also get a report that day in the parent folder – please make sure to return it signed on the next school day. Remember – no news is good news.

An administrative visit may be required depending upon the severity of the offense. If problems continue to arise after the document, it will result in the need for a parent/teacher/administrator conference.

Various individual and group incentives are used throughout the year. We can always use small items for our treasure box – new or like new.

10

11

Assignment Notebook** Wide Ruled Notebook Paper Loose Leaf * 2 - #2 pencils * 1 plastic three-hole pencil pouch (optional) 1 glue stick * Crayola Crayons/markers/colored pencils (Twistables

- prefered) 1 Highlighter – NOT yellow 2 boxes tissues 1 small bottle antibacterial hand sanitizer (optional) 1 Mead Composition Book (9 3/4 x 7 1/2” wide ruled) 1 “D” tablet ** $5.50 for Time Magazine For Kids/ Around the World 5 Folders with prongs and pockets No bottled glue, scissors, or rulers are allowed.

* May be purchased at school store ** MUST be purchased at school store

1 pkg. eraser caps 2 dry erase markers Letter-size clipboard 2 pocket portfolio (no prongs) Pens and pencils –  pens and pencils - student preference for

writing drafts, at least 2 different colored pens for editing, and black ink for final drafts

12

There are so many things I would like to have for our room. Items we need or would like to have are listed on our website - www.fulbrightelem.org. Please let me know if you plan to get something, so I can delete it from the list to prevent duplications.

We are also growing a classroom library. We would gladly accept used books that are no longer in use in your home. Please check www.arbookfind.com to ensure that it is an Accelerated Reader book.

Thanks so much for your help!

13

14

Accelerated Reader, or AR, is an integral part of the reading program at Fulbright. This program encourages your child to read a book then complete a computerized quiz. The tests are on computers throughout the school. By answering 60% or more of the questions correctly, your child will receive points based on the reading level of the book.

The children are “STAR” tested at the beginning of the year to determine their “independent” AR reading level. All the tests are done “independently.” They will retest at the beginning of each nine weeks. PLEASE NOTE, this program is not part of the grade in reading. It is a supplement to encourage reading.

Questions on the AR quizzes help with reading comprehension. Encourage your child to read in their reading range so that their reading skills will grow.

AR tests may be taken from books in the classroom library and the school library. The students may also take tests from books they have in your home library and from the public library. You may check AR book levels by going to www.arbookfind.com

At the beginning of each 9 weeks I will set a point goal for your child. This information will be sent home with a grid to chart your child’s progress at home. Students who keep the required 85% average and achieve their point goal will get to shop at the AR store.

Students may practice taking quizzes on books at www.bookadventure.org – they can earn points on this site

15

(not toward AR goal) – consider a reward at home once a goal has been set. You may also visit the AR website at http://rp.lrsd.org/renaissanceserver/homeconnect/login.aspx  to check your child’s progress on current AR quizzes.

16

Book Orders

Each month I will send home an order form from the Scholastic Book Club. I encourage you to order books for your child to read at home. We order from SeeSaw, Lucky , and Arrow which provide a variety of books at different levels. Please feel free to order from more than one flyer.

If you choose to order, please follow one of two methods below:

1. Order Online Go to www.scholastic.com/parentordering Username: Shuffield Password: Fulbright Order from any or all flyers available. You will be

able to charge your order and will receive a printed receipt of your order.

2. Send the order form and payment to school Mark your book choices on the order form and

make sure to include your child's name on the form.

Enclose a check or money order made out to Scholastic.

Please do not send cash. Place your order form(s) and CHECK in an

envelope and print “Book Order” and your child’s name on the front.

17

I also plan to send a classroom wish list home with each set of flyers. If you plan to order for the class, please let me know so orders don’t get duplicated.

18