5th Grade

 

• Be prepared to learn.
  • Students will come to class with the required materials.  This includes the student charged ChromeBook and charger. 
• Turn all assignments in on time.
  • Students are responsible for documenting assignments daily in their assignment calendar.  Please check your child’s assignment calendar daily to help them stay on top of their assignments.
• ​​​​​​​All assignments are expected to be completed by your child and turned in by the next school day or the specified due date.
  • Part of our teaching method is to utilize assignments as part of the classroom learning experience.  We review assignments in class, and students who do not have the assignment completed miss the opportunity to learn and grow from their mistakes.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to find out what lessons and assignments are missed due to an absence from any class.  It is also the student’s responsibility to get any assignments they have missed from their teacher. 
  •  All video lessons and assignments are posted each day in Canvas.  Students will be held accountable for material that was covered during their absence.
  • Missing work is entered in the gradebook as a zero.  In order to receive late credit for missing assignments, they must be received within 5 school days after the end of the unit of study.
• Respect yourself and others.
  • Students should always do their personal best on tasks and assignments.
  • Students will follow directions the first time they are given.
  • Students will be kind to adults and fellow students.

The following also applies to all students:

• Test Retake Policy
  • Students will be permitted to retake a test within 10 school days (2 weeks) of receiving the original test grade.  
  • Students MUST have all coursework that is related to the skill(s) on the assessment completed.
  • Students MUST complete a Retake Contract that outlines the plan for your student to further practice their skills and earn a retake.  
  • After students retake the test, your student will receive the higher test grade of the two tests (DVUSD policy).
  • All test retakes will be done on Review and Redo Fridays (2:00 dismissal Fridays).
• Cell Phone Policy
  • We understand the need for parents to require a cell phone for their children to stay in contact with them before and after school.  Students who have a cell phone should be advised NOT to share that information with their peers in order to help ensure that their personal property is protected from others.  
  • Phones are to be powered off or silenced and kept in their backpacks at all times during the school day.  
  • Students should never take their phones to the playground or cafeteria.  

Communication Tools

• 5th Grade Accountability Card - The 5th grade team uses this strategy to help students be aware of their work ethic and behavior while at school.  The Highland Lakes 5th Grade Accountability Card is also a great way for us to communicate daily with parents about how your child is doing at school.  Your student is responsible for his/her card, and we expect it to be stored in their school folder.  The card is 2-sided and has 4 different sections:  
  • Minor Behavior Infractions are documented on the top of the front of the card.  If a student misbehaves, we will document the behavior on the card with a few notes.  If there is a major behavior infraction we will use the current Highland Lakes PBIS form and email you to make you aware.
  • The Restroom Log is located on the bottom of the front of the card.  Students are provided with ample time to use the restroom during transition periods, so we will document when students need to leave class to use the restroom. 
  •  Late assignments are documented on the top of the back of the card.  If a student does not turn in their assignments by their due dates, they will be listed here by your student. 
  • Weekly Grade Check is documented on the bottom of the back of the card.  Your student will document their grades, weekly behavior infractions, and missing assignments every Friday in their math class.  Please review this section with your student each Friday and sign or initial the card so we know you have seen it.
• Power School – Power School is our online grade book that gives you access to your student’s grades 24 hours a day.  Simply go to http://ps.dvusd.org/public and enter your login and password to check your student’s progress.  
• 5th grade weekly newsletter - We will email parents the 5th grade newsletter every Friday.  Please take the time to read through it, as it will include important information about what is happening in our classes and on our campus.
• 5th grade FaceBook page - We use this private FaceBook page to share pictures of what we are doing at school and to send important reminders of upcoming events.  
• Remind app - We use this app to send text reminders about important events and due dates.

DreamBox

• ​Students will be using Dreambox this school year to help refine their math skills. Dreambox is a rigorous and highly adaptive math program that students access online from the DVUSD Start page (start.dvusd.org). 
• This year, students are expected to complete a minimum of 5 lessons each week.  These weekly lessons are included as a 5 point assignment for your student’s math coursework grade, and cannot be made up if not completed by the weekly due date.
  • Time is provided for students to work on DreamBox at school.
  • Weekly DreamBox assignments are due every Saturday by 11:59 pm.
  •  If your student is having any issues with the program, please encourage them to message Mrs. Coco through Canvas so that she may assist them.
• Please encourage your student to develop the following habits while working on their DreamBox lessons:
  • Be okay with mistakes. Let your student know that it is okay to get the “Oops, try again!” notification. When students worry about getting wrong answers, they are often hesitant to try new ideas. Mistakes are okay! We learn from mistakes every day. Students should be encouraged to test their own strategies. 
  • Work independently. Helping your student through a lesson can progress them beyond their current abilities. This will cause lessons to be more advanced and will lead to frustration.
• Grading System
  • Your student’s grades are positively affected by doing the assigned classwork and home practice as well as through class participation and tests.  Failing to complete home practice and classwork will have an immediate adverse effect on your child’s grades. 
  • The letter grades below are the district required grades that will be used in 5th grade.

A = Highly Proficient           B = Proficient                         C = Proficient                  

100-98 = A+                    89-88 = B+                            79-78 = C+

  97-93 = A                         87-83 = B                               77-73 = C

  92-90 = A-                       82-80 = B-                              72-70 = C-

 

D= Partially Proficient          F = Minimally Proficient

69-68 = D+                       59 and below = F

67-63 = D

62-60 = D-       

 

• The following is a breakdown of the categories DVUSD requires in each subject area and how they contribute to your child’s overall grade.       

Assessments 80%                  

Coursework 20%

Practice 0%                             

Citizenship

• ​Citizenship grades will be given every quarter; E (Excellent), S (Satisfactory), N (Needs Improvement), U (Unsatisfactory). 
• A good citizen of the classroom consistently follows the classroom rules and expectations, and takes an active part in their classroom community.  They complete their daily home practice assignments, respect the rights of others in their learning community, and treat their peers with kindness. 
• Good citizens of the classroom have responsibilities to their learning community.  These responsibilities include completing classroom assignments, keeping their classroom area organized, working well with others, and being an engaged learner.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of us.  We look forward to an exciting year of learning!

 

If you are looking to access course readings, power points, documents, and assignment submission, remember to log in to Canvas!  If you have any problems - just let us know!

If you have questions about Canvas, check out the Canvas Guides (you can search for your question).

Interested in being an observer of your child's account use this link, parent resources , to set-up your own account.  This is a great way to track progress and view assignment feedback.

Would you like to donate directly to your child's classroom? Here are the 5th grade teacher's Amazon Classroom Wish Lists:

Coco:  https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/QKS4X9AYH333/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2

Heeb:  https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3M90LVG6CUIWA?ref_=wl_share

Vickers:  https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/14N8R9VTQUF68?ref_=wl_share