This is an essential element to our class's success! Please check back during the first few weeks of school when I post a detailed outline of the behavior expectations that we will discuss together. For now, you can find some of our basic routines. Routines are a vital part of our day and it is important that the students get to know them and follow them so that they can stay organized and know what to expect.
Daily routines for students:
MORNING ARRIVAL
1) Come to class promptly, keep socializing to a minimum in the hallways or in the library. If you are late (past 8:45) you need to get a tardy slip from the office before coming to class.
2) Unload your lunch and backpack. Bring your snack to class. Returning to your backpack to retrieve forgotten items is discouraged because it disrupts the library classes. Please come to class with everything you need for the day.
3) Read the morning message, sign in for lunch and begin morning work (usually to correct last nights homework).
4) Turn homework into the homework tray with your name and number on it.
5) Read quietly or work on unfinished work until morning meeting.
CLASS TIME
· LISTENING: Your responsibility as a student is to be an active listener when someone in the room is speaking, whether it be me, another teacher or a classmate. This means, your body is facing the person speaking, your eyes are on them and you are not playing with anything in your desk or whispering to the person next to you. You should be ready to respond or ask questions about what was said.
· WORK: Class work time should be used wisely. Adequate time for assignments will be provided, it is your responsibility to complete your work on time. I will make arrangements for you to finish your work if there are special circumstances preventing you from finishing. Any unfinished work goes into an “unfinished work” folder. This can be worked on anytime during the week when you are finished with other work early, during catch up time, indoor recess or dismissal. Work that is not completed by Friday will go home over the weekend to be completed by Monday.
· TRANSITIONS: When you hear the countdown from 5 or 10 (depending on the clean up time), you are to stop talking immediately and begin listening for directions. You should be fully ready and attentive by the time I get to 1. Switching from one task to another should be done quickly and quietly, this is not a time for talking to your friends. This also applies when going to and from specials and lunch.
LEAVING THE ROOM
· You will only be allowed to leave to use the restroom during your "independent work" time-not during "teaching" time or small group work (unless it is an emergency). Please do not interrupt a lesson to ask to leave the room, wait until the appropriate time.
· There is only one boy and one girl allowed out at the bathroom at a time. You MUST sign out and back in using the bathroom log.
· If you must go to the nurse you, ask first then take the health room pass. You are responsible for catching up on missed work.
DISMISSAL
Dismissal time is not recess. You must get your classroom jobs done, stack your chairs, take your homework folder, agenda and anything else you need, make sure your desk is neat and organized and pick up the floor around your spot. Only then may you talk calmly to other classmates while waiting for announcements and dismissal.
ASSIGNMENTS/HOMEWORK
· Homework will go home in a 2-pocket durable folder of the student’s choice. One side is labeled Homework and the other side labeled Notes/Papers to go home. Please check this folder for important notices. All corrected work from the week will go home on Fridays. Parents, please help clean out the homework folder once a week so as not to collect unneeded papers. Also, this is your opportunity to stay informed on your child's progress, please review their work.
· All assignments are to be neat, complete, and turned in on time with your name, number and date on the top in order to get full credit. Homework is due the day after it is assigned, unless I specify otherwise (science and social studies homework may be assigned on Monday and not due until Friday due to our switching schedule). Students may be asked to re-do homework if I don’t think it is done to the best of his or her ability. This means, using neatest handwriting, proper punctuation and capitalization, complete sentences, and always done in pencil.
· Homework will be approximately 50 minutes per night, including approximately 20 minutes of independent reading. Independent reading must add up to 90 minutes per week, this can be broken up however the student choses. Reading logs are due each Friday. There will be no homework on Fridays UNLESS you have unfinished work or incomplete homework from the week. Sometimes I will ask for tests to be signed over the weekend and returned on Monday.
· If there is a situation in which a student could not complete his/her homework on time, and I realize this may happen occasionally, I must have a note the day the work was due. This note must be written and signed by a parent or guardian ONLY and the assignment is expected to be completed with extra time.
GRADING
Tests, quizzes (mostly in math and science) will be scored on a points system out of 100% and must be signed and returned.
Written responses, reading group work, projects and a few other assignments will be given a letter grade with comments.
Some process writing pieces are scored on a rubric out of 20 points, if this is the case, the rubric will be attached to the writing when returned.
Daily routines for students:
MORNING ARRIVAL
1) Come to class promptly, keep socializing to a minimum in the hallways or in the library. If you are late (past 8:45) you need to get a tardy slip from the office before coming to class.
2) Unload your lunch and backpack. Bring your snack to class. Returning to your backpack to retrieve forgotten items is discouraged because it disrupts the library classes. Please come to class with everything you need for the day.
3) Read the morning message, sign in for lunch and begin morning work (usually to correct last nights homework).
4) Turn homework into the homework tray with your name and number on it.
5) Read quietly or work on unfinished work until morning meeting.
CLASS TIME
· LISTENING: Your responsibility as a student is to be an active listener when someone in the room is speaking, whether it be me, another teacher or a classmate. This means, your body is facing the person speaking, your eyes are on them and you are not playing with anything in your desk or whispering to the person next to you. You should be ready to respond or ask questions about what was said.
· WORK: Class work time should be used wisely. Adequate time for assignments will be provided, it is your responsibility to complete your work on time. I will make arrangements for you to finish your work if there are special circumstances preventing you from finishing. Any unfinished work goes into an “unfinished work” folder. This can be worked on anytime during the week when you are finished with other work early, during catch up time, indoor recess or dismissal. Work that is not completed by Friday will go home over the weekend to be completed by Monday.
· TRANSITIONS: When you hear the countdown from 5 or 10 (depending on the clean up time), you are to stop talking immediately and begin listening for directions. You should be fully ready and attentive by the time I get to 1. Switching from one task to another should be done quickly and quietly, this is not a time for talking to your friends. This also applies when going to and from specials and lunch.
LEAVING THE ROOM
· You will only be allowed to leave to use the restroom during your "independent work" time-not during "teaching" time or small group work (unless it is an emergency). Please do not interrupt a lesson to ask to leave the room, wait until the appropriate time.
· There is only one boy and one girl allowed out at the bathroom at a time. You MUST sign out and back in using the bathroom log.
· If you must go to the nurse you, ask first then take the health room pass. You are responsible for catching up on missed work.
DISMISSAL
Dismissal time is not recess. You must get your classroom jobs done, stack your chairs, take your homework folder, agenda and anything else you need, make sure your desk is neat and organized and pick up the floor around your spot. Only then may you talk calmly to other classmates while waiting for announcements and dismissal.
ASSIGNMENTS/HOMEWORK
· Homework will go home in a 2-pocket durable folder of the student’s choice. One side is labeled Homework and the other side labeled Notes/Papers to go home. Please check this folder for important notices. All corrected work from the week will go home on Fridays. Parents, please help clean out the homework folder once a week so as not to collect unneeded papers. Also, this is your opportunity to stay informed on your child's progress, please review their work.
· All assignments are to be neat, complete, and turned in on time with your name, number and date on the top in order to get full credit. Homework is due the day after it is assigned, unless I specify otherwise (science and social studies homework may be assigned on Monday and not due until Friday due to our switching schedule). Students may be asked to re-do homework if I don’t think it is done to the best of his or her ability. This means, using neatest handwriting, proper punctuation and capitalization, complete sentences, and always done in pencil.
· Homework will be approximately 50 minutes per night, including approximately 20 minutes of independent reading. Independent reading must add up to 90 minutes per week, this can be broken up however the student choses. Reading logs are due each Friday. There will be no homework on Fridays UNLESS you have unfinished work or incomplete homework from the week. Sometimes I will ask for tests to be signed over the weekend and returned on Monday.
· If there is a situation in which a student could not complete his/her homework on time, and I realize this may happen occasionally, I must have a note the day the work was due. This note must be written and signed by a parent or guardian ONLY and the assignment is expected to be completed with extra time.
GRADING
Tests, quizzes (mostly in math and science) will be scored on a points system out of 100% and must be signed and returned.
Written responses, reading group work, projects and a few other assignments will be given a letter grade with comments.
Some process writing pieces are scored on a rubric out of 20 points, if this is the case, the rubric will be attached to the writing when returned.