Welcome to 5 th grade Parent Information Night

Welcome to 5 th grade Parent Information Night! Mrs. Kerry Cowell Dale Street School 2013 -2014

Agenda • • About Mrs. Cowell Average day in the shoes of a 5 th grader – look in folder for individual schedule Goals for the year Curriculum highlights Communication Expectations, homework, Other? • • CSA is still looking for room parents Have you signed up for my weekly updates? If not, let me know! I send out conference preference sheets in late October e. Readers in the classroom- I am okay with it-- if you are!

Mrs. Cowell & family… - husband: Sam “Monsieur” Cowell - children: Eli (5 years), & Olive (will be 3 in December) - from Ashland, MA/ live in Bellingham - in-laws: Tom Cowell (former Medfield PE teacher/ Medfield AD), Susan Cowell (current Health district content specialist & teacher at Blake), brother-in-law Michael Cowell (new Physics/Biology teacher at Medfield High School) - Bridgewater State College, Undergraduate Degree (Elementary Education, Special Education, & English) - UMASS Boston, Graduate Degree in Elementary Ed. - Teaching in Medfield since 2002 - taught grades 2 -5 (began at Wheelock) - tutored in NYC for 6 months in 2002– inner city outreach program - Taught 4 th grade, so I am familiar with where the kids are coming from & where they need to be in order to be prepared for Middle School - My husband’s diagnosis of lymphoma in 2012 (which he is in complete remission of!) has opened my eyes even more to the importance of family. I promise to keep you up on news from my house. Please let me know of anything that may be going on at your home too. I have dinner with my family every night, so I hope that homework will never come in the way of this essential time. Always let me know if there is an issue! Thank you!!

Objectives & Goals • • We will create a classroom environment which is safe and helps each student set high expectations for him/herself. By using the quote “Enthusiasm is the electricity of life. ” (Gordon Parks) - I will keep my outlook positive and energetic both in school and at home by “being there” every day. I will continue to maintain my class website weekly and my parent email every other week. I will also continue to implement useful technological tools-- from my Teaching for the 21 st Century course. THE MOST IMPORTANT GOAL: Every child likes coming to school. If your child is apprehensive about ANYthing, please contact me! We are on the same team. Our common interest is that your child loves school, feels safe, and will be challenged academically according to his/her own needs.

Mrs. Cowell’s Philosophy of Education • I believe that every child is capable of learning. The degree of learning will vary for each child, but differentiated instruction ensures that every student’s needs can be met. The key to inspiring a desire to learn stems from fostering each child’s confidence and faith in the possibilities of his/her own future. Every child has a right to gain knowledge. I believe that it is my responsibility and duty as a teacher to help each child strive for his/her own success. The following thoughts illustrate some of my beliefs in children. – I believe that all children need to like themselves first before envisioning their purpose in life. – I believe that all children are impressionable, and the tools that are instilled within them as children will follow them throughout the rest of their lives. – I believe that every child is a link to the success of the future. – I believe that all children are capable of learning- if they are taught according to their individual needs appropriately. – I believe… “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about. ” (~ Angela Schwindt)

Curriculum Highlights MATH: Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley with supplemental materials to address the Common Core Standards. *New math for 2013 -14… STAR math program. I was trained over the summer to help implement this new program. It is an exciting opportunity to gather specific data 3 times a year so I can see what your child needs more help in (broken down by each standard) and where your child is ready to access new material. th 5 grade Common Core Domains: - Operations and algebraic thinking - Number and operations in Base ten - Number and operations—fractions Measurement and data Supplemental websites I will use this year: Learning. Farm & Sum. Dog Writing Workshop: 6+1 Traits of Writing • Use the following 6 traits to teach writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence, fluency, conventions, and presentation • Use picture books to teach writing through each individual trait Reading Workshop • • • Children are exposed to text that they relate to/ care about Discussing, listening, and sharing ideas in literature circles and the whole class Writing responses to literature RUSH- must be turned in last day of month/ first day of new month… 5 th graders should be reading AT LEAST 15 minutes every night! Our class goal- 40 books in 5 th grade! Remember to be a good role model reader at home. I keep telling the class that if there is time for television, there is enough time to read. I model my own reading by posting it!

Curriculum highlights continued… • • SCIENCE (Mr. Mason) Scott-Foresman Science Textbook • Topics: Scientific Method • Atoms and Molecules • States of Matter • Water Cycle • Weather • Electricity and Magnetism • Space • • • SPELLING Zaner Bloser Ready-made, research-based, differentiated word lists for on, below, and above level students Analogies Last year to learn spelling patternstherefore the lists will be teachergenerated & differentiated by 3 levels We will use the website for homework & study practice SOCIAL STUDIES (Mrs. Cowell) Text: Mc. Millan Mc. Graw Hill Timelinks series Topics: American People, American Lives Early Life: East and West Colonial Life in North American Revolution A Growing Nation Geography of the U. S.

Communication… Home-school communication is a must in order to promote a successful academic year. Please feel free to contact me for ANY questions/ comments via email. • I update my new website daily, so check here first! – www. medfield. net (Dale Street, 5 th grade, Mrs. Cowell) • For a quicker response from me, please use email: – kcowell@medfield. mec. edu – If you do not hear back from me in 24 hours, re-send the email. Field Trips Wheelock Children’s Theater Christa Mc. Auliffe Space Center Special Events - Global Giving month Barbara O’Connor biography writing project - Discovery Museum hands-on workshop about Properties of Matter - Adolescent changes, January/ February - Grade 5 Celebration- June - Egg Drop- June

5 th Grade Expectations • • • As fifth graders, the students are role models to the 4 th grade students and each other. I expect each student will demonstrate respect for the Dale Street community at all times. All Dale Street School policies can be found online in the student handbook. Mrs. Cowell’s classroom expectations… – No flip-chart! My goal is for the children to feel that I trust them to make smart decisions within the classroom. In the case a child does not follow my rules there will be a “three strikes and you’re out” policy. #1 - verbal warning, #2 miss recess/ meet with me to discuss behavior, #3 note home to parent and 3 missed recesses, anything further will result in parent phone call and detention. – Missing homework: Students are expected to bring their homework & agenda EVERY day and on time. If not, he/she must sign the homework book (there is a space for the reason why the homework is missing. I believe that it is important for the students to understand the reason why in hopes that they will not make the same mistake twice). If a students misses homework 2+ times in one week, they must sign the book and stay in for recess to complete the assignment. **If the assignment has been completed at home, they will still re-do the assignment. Please do not bring in the assignment during the day as it is each student’s responsibility to pack it. Thank you!** • Missing 3 assignments in a row= teacher detention (parents will be notified in writing before the detention is held)

– – – HOMEWORK! EEK!! *** It is the student’s responsibility- not the parents. Mom/Dad already passed 5 th grade . STUDENT-ATHLETE (insert any word here: actor, musician, etc. )… the word “student” comes first for a reason. It is a privilege to do an extra curricular activity after school. Why give homework? ? • Reinforces what is learned in class • Prepares students for upcoming lessons • Extends & generalizes concepts • Teaches responsibility • Helps students develop positive study/ work habits When is it given? Monday-Thursday • Homework should not take longer than 50 -60 minutes (on average) each night- This does not include studying for tests and long-range projects. • Spelling tests- Friday What is expected? • Best work! I expect homework to be neat and complete. • I would much rather a child get a page wrong and try rather than skip! • Students should try on their own FIRST, and only ask for help once they have given their best effort. Parent involvement? • Parents are the KEY to making homework a positive experience. Please make homework a top priority, provide the necessary supplies, maintain a quiet environment free of distractions (TV. , siblings, etc…), set daily homework times and expectations, and contact me should there be any problems. • Help your child if a problem arises, but only if your child has tried his/her best to solve it on his/her own first. Make sure that your child has read the directions prior to completing the assignment. • Parents should never do the homework for the child. It is important for me to see where he/she may be having problems. If you do help- jot down a note for me so I know too .

Positive Reinforcement I use a 3 -tier approach to positive reinforcement. Each tier is imperative to building our community/ family of tolerant & compassionate individuals. • “The Year of the Balloon”- individual & whole class • “Cluster of the Week”- small group • “Star of the Week”- individual – Lunch with me, positive attention, finding things in common with one another Promote a safe and positive learning environment: *Non-discriminatory tactics used to call on students (popsicle sticks) *Student-generated rules and consequences *Every student is an intricate piece of our classroom family *I am honored to work with this uniquely exceptional group of children!

• • 2013 -2014 Important “Buzz Words” @ Dale Street Each student will have an account set up for them with Google for the use of Google docs… this will allow for us to complete assignments in school and at home without worrying about using a flash drive. You will have access to everything the students do on the computer for writer’s workshop. Bullying/Harassment Policy according to Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2010 signed into law May 30, 2010… includes cyberbullying! RTI= Response to Intervention… every student will have RTI on his/her schedule during 2 nd period on Tuesdays at least once. This is a time for me to work with other teachers in discovering what each child needs more work on/ extension activities in. I’m excited to have this time with each child! MCAS: Student Growth Model Online usernames/ passwords that will be distributed to your child: Pearson Success- online math textbook/ science textbook Zaner Bloser spelling website (will be used for homework assignments, games to help practice studying) Learning Farm Sum. Dog Keeping track of online passwords/ usernames ideas (as this is becoming a necessary life skill for the academic future): student agenda, list on the fridge/ near the computer, rolodex, address book, use an online site, etc…

Thank you for coming to 2013 -2014 P. I. N. ! I am so excited to work with you and your family this year!