Dear Students and Families, Welcome to the 4th and 5th grade aquarium!

Im excited about the opportunity to get to know you, and know some of you better. Im looking forward to a happy and productive school year. Here are some of the different procedures, and policies for the classroom. Classroom Mascot, Mission Statement & Rules: The students voted, discussed, and came up with the following. Class Mascot: Manatee Class Mission Statement: Our goal as a 4th and 5th grade class is to have a safe happy learning environment through following class rules; where we earn good grades, and have fun. Classroom Rules: 1. Treat others how you want to be treated. 2. Respect the classroom, school, & other peoples property. 3. Use equipment & tools appropriately. 4. Respect teachers & classmates. Mrs. Sykes Philosophy of Learning: I believe that students through catching interest in what they are learning, and discovering connections between the classroom and real world will become lifelong learners. I really feel that learning is the lighting of a fire. Once a student develops passion for what they are learning there is no stopping them. I am there to guide and direct their learning so they can progress. Curriculum: This is what your student will be learning this year. Math4th grade http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=5140 5th grade http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=5150 Language Arts4th grade http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=4240 5th grade http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=4250 Science- Water cycle, weather, rocks & minerals, fossils, and physical characteristics of Utah's wetlands, forests, and deserts and identify common organisms for each environment. http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=3040 Social Studies- Utah State History http://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=6040 Keyboarding- Taught by Mrs. Tinker. Students will be participating in a keyboarding program they can practice & use at home. Library- Taught by Mrs. Tinker. Music- Will be taught by Mrs. Draper. Art- We'll learn about different ways to create art as well as learn and implement the elements of art. PE- Learn how to engage in physical activity, and have fun.

Homework: Each night your student will bring home a daily homework tracker for you to sign, and for them to bring back. These are the nightly homework expectations: 1. 2. 3. 4. Read for 20 minutes. Practice spelling words for 5 minutes. Practice times tables 5 minutes a night. Finish any missing/ unfinished assignments.

Assignments for other subjects will vary weekly. Assignments are due by the next Friday. If a student is absent they will have more time to complete their assignment. I have attached a copy of the homework tracker they will be bringing home for you to see. I check each students homework tracker as they leave the classroom, and try to make sure they have the assignments they need to complete. Mail: Mail goes home nightly and is placed in their mail slot. I will make sure to post any mail to watch out for on the classroom website. Grading: Students will be graded on a mastery basis for Language Arts, and Math. 4 means mastery and 1 means the concept is not mastered. For Science, and Social Studies students will be graded according to their work as well as how much they have learned. Students will be given a progress report at least once a month showing how they are doing. Behavior: Students names are on clothes pins that I place where their behavior is at. At the beginning of the day they are just swimming, and if they are fantastic then they are moved to great catch. If they are having a hard time they will move to shark bait which is a warning for them. The second time they do something they know they are not supposed to do they move to belly up. Then they fill out a reflection sheet asking what happened, why, what should they do, and what will they do next time. The student and I each sign the reflection sheet. If a student has received several in a week I will let you know, and talk with you about it. Every day a student is at just swimming or better they receive a sand dollar. When students turn homework in on time, and are caught being good they earn sand dollars. We are going to have a monthly auction where students can bid their money they have earned for things they would like such as toys, turn homework in late pass, etc

Procedures: Bathroom- Students show the sign for bathroom, I nod yes, and they place the boy or girls bathroom pass on their desk (its hand sanitizer). Drink- Student shows the sign for water (w to lips), and I say yes. Students are welcome to keep a water bottle on their desk. Question/ Comment- Raise hand. Birthdays- You are more than welcome to send a treat with your student on their birthday. If it cant be on their birthday feel free to contact me about when would be a good time to bring them.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to visit our classroom, schedule a conference, or volunteer to help out, you can contact me at ksykes@dsdf.org or the classroom website which is http://ksykes.weebly.com/ Please return the information sheet that is attached by next Wednesday September 12th. Once again, welcome to 4th and 5th grade. Lets work together to make this the best year ever! Sincerely, Mrs. Sykes