Mrs. Backes

5-2 is ROCKIN'!!!

 

WELCOME ROCK STARS, 5-2 is ROCKIN!!

Mrs. Backes 

 

     Fifth grade offers an exciting transition to MIDDLE SCHOOL~WELCOME to PARKSIDE! This year, you will be in my classroom for homeroom, Reading/Language block, Math, SS and Study hall. For Science, you will switch classes and will be taught by Ms. Wood! In addition to your core academics, you will attend TWO expos a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. One of those expos will be PE and the other will be either music, computer applications, art, or health. PE will be taken all 4 quarters but your other expos will last 9 weeks, or 1 quarter. That means you will have 4 different expos in fifth grade!

 Another exciting element of middle school is having lockers. You will have a locker in the hallway outside of our classroom as well as a locker in PE. DON'T WORRY!! We will spend plenty of time practicing opening your locker, it will become a piece of cake by the end of week one!

    In fifth grade, you also will have many opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities. Some activities available to fifth grade students are: band, choir, spring musical, girls and boy's basketball, girl's volleyball and intramural basketball and volleyball.

    SO,  WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT IN FIFTH GRADE besides a ROCKIN good time??

  Core subjects:

  Reading/Language: 

        ~ STAR reading tests will be given each quarter

        ~AR goals will be individually set quarterly, based on the STAR test and goals reached in the previous quarter. AR GOALS ARE CALCULATED INTO YOUR FINAL QUARTER REPORT CARD GRADE!!!

        ~There will be time in class set aside for AR reading, however students are also encouraged to read 20-30 minutes a night at home as well.

        ~ We will utilize Rigby's Literacy By Design (green textbook) for whole group and small group instruction. Each theme will be studied for approximately TWO weeks and will conclude with a summative THEME TEST. There will be TEN vocabulary words covered in each theme, as well as comprehension strategies, literary devices, language concepts and processes of writing.

        ~6 Minute Solutions will be used during small reading groups to improve fluency.

        ~In small group reading, students will be given assignments to read from a leveled reader or from a novel each day. It is EXTREMELY important that these assigned pages are read prior to small group. Participation scores will be deducted if assignments are not read on time.

    ~Spelling pre tests will be given every MONDAY, or the beginning of a new week when Monday is a holiday. Students will not be given the words prior to a PRE test. If a pre test is passed with a 100%, that student will not have to take the final test on FRIDAY. All final spelling tests will be given on FRIDAY or the last day of a school week. You may practice your spelling words on www.spellingcity.com.

    ~DOL is completed daily in class and is handed in every TWO weeks. DOL quizzes are given every other week.

 

Social Studies:

    ~History Alive! (blue text book) will be used to study geography, branches of government, US Constitution,  Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

  ~History Alive is an interactive, hands on approach to teaching SS. Students will complete the majority of their class work with a partner or in groups as they bring history to life in plays, presentations, songs, debates, or in station work.

 ~ An interactive student notebook will be kept for each chapter studied. Students will be responsible for creating a title page, defining vocabulary and keeping all in class activities and notes glued into this notebook. Notebooks will be collected and grades recorded at the end of each chapter study.

 ~ Culminating tests will be given at the conclusion of each chapter. Students can study for chapter tests by studying their interactive notebook or by accessing an online tutorial at www.tutorial.historyalive.com.

 

Math:

    ~Students will be focusing on the Common Core State Standards in Math by diving deeper into the understanding of each math concept. My Math, by McGraw-Hill will be guiding our instruction this year. 

    ~Consumable workbooks will be used to practice each skill and are the responsibility of the student. 

    ~Assignments will be given daily and  quizzes and unit tests as necessary.

    ~Minute Math will be completed daily in class, as a spiral review.   

 

 

        

 

    

 

Contact information: 

 Email: tbackes@perued.net

Phone: 815-223-7723 ext. 178

 

 

 

 

A little math humor.........lol!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links

To study for SS tests: History Alive

To study for spelling tests:  www.spellingcity.com

To view grades online:  www.teacherease.com

To practice math concepts:  www.mangahigh.com