Parent Information Packet

Mrs. Maxon’s Fifth Grade

Parent Packet

2018 - 2019

“We are ONE in Christ”

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

Ephesians 2:19-22

"There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:4-6

Teacher Information

Mrs. Sara Maxon

Phone at Concordia Academy:

 (402) 592-8005

cell phone: (402) 850-8233

E-mail maxons@concordiaomaha.org

The best way to contact me is through e-mail.  

I check this regularly.

In an emergency you can contact me through my cell phone.

Teacher Contacts:

Social Studies: Mrs. Senechal

Music: Mrs. DeBoer

STEM & PE: Mrs. Kuntz

Strings: Mrs. Jay

Band: Mr. Klemp

Classroom Procedures

Welcome to 5th grade!  I am honored to partner with you in the spiritual, emotional, social, physical, and academic growth of your child.  This is a year where your child will transition from mostly teacher-directed learning to much more independent learning.  I will also work hard on teaching the skills needed to help your child  be successful in middle school.

Attendance

·       Make it a family priority to have your child at school on time every day.  

·       Please check the Parent-Student handbook to review our school’s tardy and attendance policy.

·       If a student is absent, his/her assignments may be picked up at the end of the day at the school office or they may be sent home with a sibling or another student in the carpool.  

Make-Up Work

• When a student is absent, all missed work will need to be completed.  One day for every day missed will be given to get all make-up work turned in.  For example, a student who is absent for two days will receive two days after they return to get their work finished and turned in.  This is in addition to the regular assignments.
• If you plan to be absent from school for an extended amount of time, such as vacation, please let me know as soon as possible, so that I can prepare the assignments.

Blog

My classroom blog is maxons-musings.blogspot.com.  This will be the place you go to find out what we are doing in class.  It will be the place where we post special announcements or information, along with spelling and memory verse assignments for the week, and pictures.  Please take time to look at this each week – it is an important tool of communication! Please visit the blog and sign up to follow by e-mail.  This will then notify you by e-mail each time the blog is updated.

Monday Envelopes

All papers will be sent home on Mondays (or the first day of the week) in a white envelope.  Please remove all the papers, look through them with your child, sign the line, and return the empty envelope to school the following day.  Please send items you want to go back to school in a separate envelope, or staple it to the corresponding page in the assignment notebook.  (Notes to me or the office, signed permission slips, etc.)

Assignment Notebook

All assignments that I assign each day are written on the assignment board.  I require all students to write down what I have on the class assignment board before I will sign it at the end of the day.   If a student completes the assignment in class they may turn it in and check the finished box on their assignment notebook.   Please go over the information with your child and make sure he/she has each assignment finished.  Then initial it.  When the parent initials the book I will assume the homework has been completed and returned to school.  I will be checking the notebook each morning for your initials.  This will help your child develop a habit of being prepared for the next day.

Homework

Fifth graders should be able to complete homework on his or her own.  It is appropriate to look over it but not do it with them.  It really is about the process not the product.  

“It’s not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”

Ann Landers

Expandable

Students are expected to keep all assignments in the proper slot inside his or her expandable.   Slots should be labeled as follows:

·       Homework

·       Turn In

·       Resources

·       Safe Place

·       Science

·       Social Studies

·       Extra

The main pocket that you will want to check each night is the "Homework" section.  This is where students will put assignments and anything that needs to be brought home (office note, form to fill out, etc.).  The items in the other pockets might be used as a reference during homework time, but should not be left at home.  Most items in various subject pockets are needed in the classroom as notes, resources, or part of an ongoing project.  Parent assistance in maintaining organization is helpful!

Late Work

All assigned work should be completed and handed in by 8:45 the following school day.   Students who have not completed their homework will lose 10 points off the assignment and be required to complete it during recess or by 8:45 the following school day.

Memory Work

Memory work will be completed on Wednesdays and Fridays.  Memory will be fill in the blank and occasionally oral.  Please practice with your child throughout the week.  We will be learning methods of memorizing in the classroom, as well.  I will send home a copy of the memory work and your child will have a copy in their expandable folder.

Spelling Contract

Each week I will hand out contract for Spelling.  It will lay out what the students will be assigned to work on for the week.  I will correct the whole contract over the weekend and average the grades together for a final contract grade.  We will have a test every Friday.

Math

Homework is averaged each week.  Students are given the opportunity to make corrections on homework assignments that are below an 85%.  Students will be given half the points back for each problem that is corrected and points will be added back to their original grade.

Science Units this year

• Soils, Rocks, and Landforms
• Environments

Reading

For reading class we will use the Wonders series and once a quarter we will read the following books in Literature Circles.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Holes
• Number the Stars
• Where the Red Fern Grows

Book Orders

Book orders will be sent home once a month on Mondays.  Orders and payments may be placed online, or if you prefer the traditional way, payments must be made by check, made out to Scholastic.

Medicine

All medicine (prescriptions and over the counter) must be taken to the office.

Water Bottles

Please send a water bottle with an attached lid to use throughout the day.

Snack

Students are allowed an optional mid-morning healthy snack every day.  Appropriate snack choices may include fruit, vegetables, crackers, granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.

Lunch

We will have lunch from 12:30 – 12:55.  You are welcome to eat lunch with your child.  We will then have recess until 1:20.

Outerwear

Please help your child bring appropriate coats, jackets, hats, gloves, etc. for being outside.  We try to take advantage of the fresh air by going outside to recess as much as possible.

• Indoors, the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit!  I recommend the students plan to “layer” throughout the year – bringing their Mustangs Spirit Sweatshirt is a great choice.

Field Trips

We will go on the following field trips throughout the year and I will be asking for volunteers to help chaperone each.

• Gifford Farm
• Holland Center
• All school bowling in January
• SAC Museum
• Lauritzen Gardens with Kindergarten
• Fishing at Walnut Creek Recreation Area

Birthdays

Birthday treats are welcome.  Please be sure that the treats can be easily passed out rather than something that needs to be cut such as cake.

• Please remember that birthday invitations for parties should be sent through the mail to students’ homes.
• If your child has a summer birthday, let me know if you’d like to celebrate their half-birthday.  Otherwise, we will celebrate summer birthdays in May.

Chapel

Chapel is on Wednesdays at 8:45 and will last about 30 minutes.  You are welcome to come.  Please help your child remember the importance of giving to the Lord by sending offering each week.

Early Dismissal

The first and third Wednesday of each month will be a 2:10 dismissal.

Sycamore

Check here for your students current grades and lunch account.  I will update grades once a week.

Classroom Economy

Just as people are paid in the real world to do jobs and have monetary responsibilities, students in my classroom have a similar experience.  They are assigned individual jobs for which they are paid a “salary” each month.  They are responsible for paying “rent” each month for their workspace and rental fees for their textbooks.  In addition, students can earn bonuses or pay fines depending on behavior choices.  All of these factors are recorded throughout the month.  At regular intervals (weekly or bi-weekly), students will figure out how much money they have and decided weather to “spend” or “save” at our classroom store.