Past Newsletters
Mrs. Hansen’s
Back to School Newsletter
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome back to RSA! I am excited about the new school year and especially looking forward to meeting
my new class. This year will be a little more challenging than last year with more responsibilities and even higher
expectations, but I know my students will be ready for the challenge.
A big part of 5th grade is learning how to be more organized. Students should be at school by 7:55 each day
when the bell rings and be prepared to start working at 8:00. They will be expected to arrive with homework
completed and ready to turn in. There are also a few supplies that I would like students to have.
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A binder (nothing too large) with tabbed dividers (not folders) that we will label together in class.
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Binder paper that is not torn out of spiral notebooks (unless the edges are perforated and do not leave jagged
edges when you tear them out.)
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One pencil box to keep in your desk for supplies to be used in class.
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At least 3 sharpened pencils every day (not just the first day
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Colored pencils
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Thin colored markers
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A pair of scissors
!)
Please make sure that these items as well as jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes, and backpacks are clearly labeled
with your first and last name just in case they are misplaced. (Have you seen our Lost and Found after just two weeks
of school?)
For parents who are looking for volunteer hours, I can always use help in our classroom. I have a list of jobs
posted in my room for parents who are able to schedule a regular time to come in each week. I have listed some of
these jobs below:
Parent Helpers

Tuesday through Friday mornings I need someone to stay a few minutes after school begins to check off
homework.
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I also need a parent to come in one day a week to update Reading Logs and our Reading Chart.
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If you prefer to make phone calls from home, occasionally I need someone I can call to help organize
drivers for field trips and other special events.
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We will also need a parent librarian to come in once a week during library time to help students check
out books.
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I need a parent who can come in on Monday mornings to copy papers.
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There is also a box in the back of the classroom with “things to do” for parents who just want to drop in
and see if there is anything they can help with.
Parents, you are also welcome to visit our classroom at any time. I do not have a problem with parents just
dropping in (as long as I know who you are!), and there is usually an extra chair in the back of the room. If you have a
question or want to schedule a meeting, please email me at jhansen@suhsd.net. I like using email to communicate with
my parents, and I will be asking for email addresses at Back to School Night. If you need to reach me at home, my
number there is 275-2728.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hansen
Back to School Math Newsletter.
August 31, 2009
Dear Math Parents,
Welcome back to RSA! Your child is currently enrolled in Saxon Math 65. I am Mrs.
Hansen, the instructor for this class. I am looking forward to teaching your children this year.
At the beginning of the year I spend a lot of time setting up procedures. Your children will
need to come to class each day with their math book, two sharpened pencils, and a supply of
graph paper. I have assigned each student a math book and have requested that it be covered
right away.
Homework will be assigned each day. It should be completed neatly on a sheet of graph
paper that has been folded into two columns. Their name, date, and the assignment should be
written neatly in three lines in the upper right hand corner of each page. (I have gone over these
procedures in great detail in class!) It is important that their homework be completed each night
and turned in the next day as we will go over it together in class.
Beginning next week, I will be sending home a report each Monday which will indicate
whether all assignments were completed for the prior week. Work for the prior week will be
attached. Please detach the report; sign it, and give it back to your child to return to me the next
day. You may keep all the work that is attached. I urge parents to check over the graded
homework when it is sent home each Monday. This will be a good indication of how your child is
progressing.
Homework assignments will be returned to students so they can correct the problems
they have missed. Therefore, most nights they should have a page to correct in addition to their
regular assignment. Since they have to correct problems they miss, if students work carefully, it
will help to reduce the amount of math homework they will have to do each day.
If you are ever concerned about your child’s progress or just have a question about a
particular assignment, please feel free to email me at jhansen@suhsd.net. Homework
assignments should be written in your child’s daily planner and will also be listed on my webpage
at rsarts.com.
I look forward to meeting you at Back to School Night on September 2. I will outline my
math program in more detail at that time. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hansen
Weekly Report Procedures
September 8, 2009
Dear Parents,
Your child is bringing home his or her first Weekly Report today. You will see a report like this
each Monday (or Tuesday if Monday happens to be a holiday.) The Weekly Report shows all homework
assignments for the prior week and will indicate any missing class assignments as well. If an assignment is
circled on the report, it means that I did not receive it by last Friday or that it was incomplete and needs to be
finished.
A missing assignment is zero points. A zero can make a big difference when it comes time for
grades, so please encourage your child to turn in any assignments that are circled. Partial credit will usually
be given if work is turned in by Friday, and some credit is always better than a zero!
If your child insists that the work was turned in, we have a Lost and Found box in our classroom for
papers without a name. This is the second place your child should look if an assignment is circled that they
think they have turned in! (The first place is in their binder or backpack.) Your child has also been asked to
complete a Homework Excuse form for missing work explaining why the work was not turned in. This
should be attached to the Weekly Report when it comes home. It does not excuse the missing work. It
merely explains to me (and also to you!) why the work was not turned in.
Please look for your child’s Weekly Report each Monday and check over the work that is attached.
This will be a good indication of your child’s progress. The report should be in the Homework Section of
their binder. Please congratulate your child if all work has been turned in and if work is complete and neatly
done. Your child will ask you to sign the Weekly Report. The page should then be placed back into the
Homework Section of his or her binder. (The attached work should stay at home.)
We organized our binders and labeled the index tabs last week. (If your child does not already
have labeled index tabs in his or her binder, please make sure they are purchased as soon as possible.) I
have asked that all papers going to and from school be placed in the Homework Section where it is easy to
retrieve them in the morning. (Other sections will contain things we are working on in class.) If assignments
are missing, work is messy, or you find things stuffed in backpacks rather than placed in the appropriate
section of their binder, please take some time to help them reorganize their work and discuss the value of
being organized and responsible. A little work with organization at the beginning of the year will save a lot of
stress later on!
Thank you for your help. I am pleased with the class and the progress they have made already. I
enjoyed seeing many of you at Back to School Night last week and greatly appreciate your attendance.
Homework is listed on the RSA website at rsarts.org on my classroom page.
Please feel free to email me at jhansen@suhsd.net if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hansen
Weekly Math Report Procedures
September 8, 2009
Dear Math Parents,
Welcome to Math 65! We spent the first week of math going through some of the review
chapters of the book and setting up procedures for doing homework. I have asked them all to get
a supply of graph paper for homework. They should fold the paper in half vertically and do their
homework in two columns working down the left column first. Numbers should be written neatly
inside the graph squares, and they should skip two lines between each problem. When there is
no room in the left column, they should move to the right column. They may also use the back of
the page. All work must be shown or the problem will be marked wrong.
Other procedures I have been working on in class:
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Full name, date, and problem set # should be neatly written in 3 lines in the upper right
hand corner of the paper.
Answers to story problems must be labeled to answer the question (i.e. 30 apples).
If the answer should be in dollars, the problem will be wrong if the $ sign is missing.
Numbers written in words must be spelled correctly.
If it is difficult to read an answer, it will be marked wrong.
I sent home the first Weekly Math Report this week. You will receive a report like this
each Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday.) The report should have work attached, and
any missing or incomplete work for the previous week will be listed. Missing or incomplete work
should be completed by Friday for half credit. Some credit is always better than a zero!
Homework assignments will be graded and returned to your child to correct, so most
nights they should have a page to correct in addition to their regular assignment. If I have not
received the corrected assignments, they will also be listed as missing on the student’s Weekly
Report. Encourage your child to work carefully on homework assignments. Since they have to
correct problems they miss, it might help to reduce the amount of math homework they will have
to do each day. I will change the grade for any assignment turned in on time with all missed
problems corrected
Please check over the work that is attached to the Weekly Report. This will be a good
indication of how your child is doing in math. If all work has been turned in and work is complete
and neatly done, be sure to commend your child for his or her efforts. If assignments are missing
or work is messy, discuss the importance of organization and neatness. If your child insists that
work indicated as missing was turned in, we have a Lost and Found box in our classroom for
papers without a name.
Please feel free to email or stop by after school if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hansen