5th Grade at
Cotswold
Elementary
Ms. DeBerry
2014-2015
Room MC460
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 All lessons are aligned to the Common Core State
Standards (math, reading, writing) and the NC
Essential Standards (science , social studies, health).
(Click here to see the standards).
 As is appropriate in the IB curriculum, literacy is
integrated into all subjects.
 5th graders take an EOG in science, in addition to math
and reading.
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Math:
 Multiplication
 Division
 Decimals
 Fractions
 Volume of 3D objects
 Geometry (classifying 2D shapes)
 Graphing points on a coordinate plane
 Line plots
 Measurement (standard and metric)
 For a complete list, look at the Common Core State Standards
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Reading:
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Quoting accurately from the text
Determining the meaning of figurative language
Narrator’s point of view
Comparing and contrasting genres
Analyzing multiple accounts of the same topic
Using information from multiple sources to answer or solve a
problem (research)
 Using strategies to define unknown words
 For a complete list, look at the Common Core State
Standards
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Writing:
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Opinion pieces
Narratives
Explanatory Texts
Using evidence to support statements
Recording events in a clear, logical order
Using dialogue
Using descriptive language and details
Proper English conventions
For a complete list, look at the Common Core State
Standards
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Science:
 Forces and Motion (Newton’s Laws)
 The interactions of matter and energy and the changes that
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occur (solids, liquids, gases)
Conservation and transfer of energy (types of heat)
Predicting weather patterns using weather data
Human body systems
Ecosystems
Genetics (inherited traits)
For a complete list, look at the North Carolina Essential
Standards
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Social Studies:
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Native Americans and European Exploration
Colonies
Revolutionary War and Civil War
Positive and negative effects of human activity on the
physical environment of the US
Branches of government
Bill of Rights
How history and culture have affected our lives
For a complete list, look at the North Carolina Essential
Standards
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Programs/curriculum that we use:
 Math- Investigations
 Reading- The Daily Five, Balanced Literacy Reading
Workshop (Lucy Calkins), Making Meaning
 Writing- Being a Writer, Balanced Literacy Writing
Workshop (Lucy Calkins)
 Science- McGraw-Hill “Science” North Carolina
 Social Studies- Social Studies Alive! (America’s Past)
What Your Child Will Be Studying
 Connect (Specials)
 Media
 Technology Lab
 Art
 Music
 P.E.
 Spanish
The IB Program
 PYP (Primary Years Programme)
 Units of Inquiry (Academics), Service/Action (Leadership),
Language (Spanish), Character Education (IMIB Lessons/Learner
Profile)
 For more information on the PYP, please visit the IBO's website.
 Units of Inquiry:
 Who We Are
 Where We Are in Place and Time
 How We Express Ourselves
 How the World Works
 How We Organize Ourselves
 Sharing the Planet
The IB Program/Exhibition
 Exhibition: an inquiry project 5th graders are required to complete as
part of the PYP
 Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry (topic: human body systems)
 Will take place in January/February (TBD)
 Similar to a “Senior Exit” in high school
 Product: Written research paper, visual presentation (video, tri-fold
poster, experiment, etc.), presentation at Exhibition Night
 Group project
 Research-based
 SS/Science/Writing grades
 Work daily in school and at home
 MORE INFO TO COME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR! 
Field Trips
 Liberty Walk field trip
 October 24, 2014
 Students will compete in an “Amazing Race” type
scavenger hunt in uptown Charlotte using clues to find
sites related to the American Revolution that are right
here in Charlotte!
 Chaperones needed (form sent home in Cougar Folders
already)
 More information to come
Field Trips
 Camp Hanes field trip
 November 5-7, 2014
 YMCA camp near Winston-Salem, NC
 Zip Lining, Nature Walks, Group Interaction Course,
Wilderness Survival, Team Building; all activities
have an emphasis in ecology (science)
 Forms in Cougar Folders and meetings very soon!
 Chaperones needed!!!  Please let me know if you
are interested!
Field Trips
 Washington, DC field trip
 April 14-16, 2015
 Informational session held at Curriculum Night
 All activities have a Social Studies emphasis
 Forms and information will be coming home in
Cougar Folders very soon
 Let me know if you’d like to chaperone!!
Special Topics
 RHASE (Reproductive Health and Safety Education)
 Second semester
 This program is for a grade, however, it is optional if parents
do not want students participating. If students opt out of
the program, they must complete an alternate assignment
for a grade.
 Safety Patrol
 Several students from each 5th grade class will be chosen
each quarter for Safety Patrol. It is likely that all students
will be able to participate by the end of the year, however,
students must EARN this opportunity.
 Academics and behavior must be maintained.
 Carowinds field trip for patrols at the end of the year.
Grades
 Grades:
 Class work
 Quizzes/Tests
 IB Projects
 IB unit summative assessments
 Notebook checks
 Math speed drills
 Flocabulary vocabulary packets
 Reading think marks/sticky notes during independent
reading time
Grading System
 Scores: Mastery, Partial Mastery, Does Not Master
 I do not record letter or numerical grades on student papers, but rather
their mastery and understanding of the concept being assessed
 Focuses on mastery of the concept/skill, rather than the number of
questions students miss
 Scores correlate to numerical grades in gradebook and on PowerSchool
*Log in to PowerSchool to view student’s grades & attendance*
 Mastery (A: 100, 93); Partial Mastery (B/C: 92, 85, 77); Does Not Master
(D/F: 76, 70, 69)
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Please see me if you want more explanation on this grading system! 
Behavior
 School-wide behavior system:
 Students must follow the “Essential 20”, Cotswold’s essential rules
 If these rules are broken, students will receive: Reflections, parent
phone calls, office visits (based on offense)
 House Points (positive behavior rewards): More information on
House Points coming next week!
 My classroom:
 We follow the school-wide behavior system for positive and
negative behavior
 Positive reinforcement is also offered in class through rewards and
praise (candy/treasure box, “good behavior tickets”, positive
notes/calls home, star student, IB profile rewards, certificates)
Communication
 Notes in agendas
 Cougar Folders (Mondays)
 Email: kelliem.deberry@cms.k12.nc.us
 Website: kdeberry.weebly.com (updated weekly with
info!)
 Phone: 980-343-6720 (office)
 PowerSchool (grades)
Questions?
 Please email me with any
questions about the
topics presented in this
PowerPoint. As always,
visit our class website
weekly for the most upto-date information!
 This will be a great year!
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