Welcome Parents!
Mrs. Watson's 5th Grade
Contact Information
• The best way to reach us during the day is through email.
mwatson@shelbyed.k12.al.us ,
jduncan@shelbyed.k12.al.us
• Phone calls will be returned as soon as possible.
• Conferences can be scheduled by sending an e-mail or
phone call. Our conference days are Tues. –Thurs. from
8:20-8:55.
• Your child will also have a space in my room to place
notes you might send.
All About Me
• My background
– Home town is Vidalia, Georgia.
– I earned my Bachelors of Science from the University
of Montevallo.
– I earned my Masters from UAB.
– I am National Board Certified Teacher.
– I have lived in Alabama for 20 years now. It has
definitely become my home.
• My experience
– I’ve been teaching for 12 years.
MY FAMILY
Husband –Tim
Children –Grey, Bethan , and Marianna
Our Class Goals
• Create a community of learners that include
students, teachers, and parents
• Create life-long learners, readers, and writers
• Grow students toward becoming responsible,
independent and cooperative learners who are
accountable for their actions
• Relate subject areas to real-life experiences
Items For Discussion:
• Shelby County Code of Conduct is available to you to take
home.
• If you feel that your child is being bullied, there is a form that
you can find online. It is to be filled out by parents and
submitted to the counselors.
http://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/doclibrary/StudentServ/HarassBully-IncidentReportingForm.pdf
• Cell Phones: cannot be audible or visible
– First Violation: device taken and student may be given in
school detention
– Second Violation: device taken and student may be given
out of school suspension.
• Kindles, Nooks are allowed for reading. The school is not
responsible for lost or stolen items.
Homework Policy
• Assignments that are late by 1 day receive ½ credit.
• Homework that is 2 days late received no credit.
The Code of Conduct indicates that for assignments
that were due on the day in which the student was
absent, provided that the due date was previously
communicated prior to the students’ absence, the
student should be prepared to turn in the
assignment upon returning to school.
• Homework/Planner: Please review nightly
• No Homework will result in a working lunch and a
Responsibility Form for you to sign.
Discussion:
• You may drop off your children no earlier than
7:05. There is no supervision available until
after that time.
• Please don’t let your children out in the parking
lot. If you are not in carpool, please walk them
to the door.
• Students are not permitted to bring rolling
backpacks to school.
• No carbonated drinks or food from restaurants in
the lunchroom.
Attendance/Absences
Excuses should be turned in within 3 days in
order to receive make up work.
For planned absences, there is a form that
should be filled out and submitted to Dr.
LeQuier prior to the absence.
Make up work will not be given until a student
returns to school.
You will need to provide ID for checking out
your child.
Items For Discussion
• Phone Calls: sick, transportation, lunch money
• Birthdays: snacks are welcome and served at
lunch time
• Students may not return to the classroom for
forgotten items after leaving for the day.
• Weekly Progress Folders generally go home on
Friday
• Dress Code: skirts, shirts, and dresses must be
mid-thigh or longer in front and back. No flip
flops allowed.
Class Subjects
• The subjects we cover during 5th grade are:
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Reading
Math
Science
Social studies
Language
Writing
Reading – Taught by Mrs. Wood
Our reading block:
• Daily SSR time-The district leadership has
recommended against the use of AR and its companion
product, STAR, so that we can make room in our
classrooms for better instruction and assessment.
• Vocabulary Study
• Reading Skills and Phonemic Awareness
• Small Groups
• Fluency Building
• Nonfiction Comprehension
• 40 Book Goal
Writing – Taught by Mrs. Wood
Our Writing Block:
• Built in Grammar and Convention lessons directly focused on
the needs of students
• Answering a range of questions using evidence and
inferences drawn from the text itself.
• Individual Conferencing
• Writing across the curriculum
• Modes we will cover:
• Narrative
• Descriptive
• Argumentative/Opinion
Math
• Mrs. Watson teaches math using the AMSTI program adopted by
OMIS last year. It is designed to support students in making sense of
mathematics and becoming mathematical thinkers. The investigations
give students time to develop a strong conceptual foundation before
moving into the more abstract algorithms.
• Resources available include:
Math journals created in class
Student resource pages available through Pearson SuccessNet
"Parent Roadmap: Supporting Your Child in Grade Five Mathematics"
link under Students and Parents on OMIS site
Science
• Ms. Watson will teach your child science this year.
• Your child will visit the science lab twice a month for
hands-on experiences and reinforcement of objectives.
• Topics to cover:
Cells , Human Body Systems, Plants, Ecosystems,
Water Cycle, Weather Patterns, Earth’s Surface,
Natural Resources, Matter, Motion, Forms of Energy, and
Space
Social Studies
Mrs. Watson will teach your child Social Studies.
5th Grade focus is Early American History:
• Native Americans of North America
• Eastern Hemisphere
• Explorers
• Colonies
• Revolutionary War
• Forming of our government
• Westward Expansion
• Civil War
Grades will come from tests and school projects.
Homework
• We will assign about 45-60 minutes of
homework every night. This includes 120
minutes of reading each week. It is
recommended to read 4 nights for 30 minutes in
order to achieve this.
• Your child will have math homework nightly and
periodic tests in other subject areas. Tests will
always be announced ahead of time in order to
give you ample time to study.
Reminders:
• Please write legibly when sending in a parent excuse for
your child’s absence. It also needs to have the child’s
first and last name on the excuse.
• Vacations are not excused absences. Preplanned
absences should be submitted and approved by the
administration in order to receive make up work.
• One lane of traffic in the morning –or you may park in a
space and walk your child across the cross walk. Two
lanes for pick up
Tardiness/Absence
• School starts at 7:50 a.m.-your child will be tardy
if not in the classroom when the bell rings.
• When your child is absent, they will need to
check with me for their make up work. It is their
responsibility to complete that work and ask
questions if help is needed.
• Be sure to send an excuse from home or doctor
upon returning to school.
Attendance Policy:
• The Shelby County Board of Education
recommends a minimum attendance standard of
180 days per year. Therefore, a student who
accumulates more than 12 absences during a
school year is subject to loss of credit and /or
retention. Absences beyond 12 must be
accompanied with a doctor’s or court excuse or
permission of the principal to be excused.
Field Trips
• We have lots of fun field trips planned for this
year!
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American Village (Spring)
OMHS musical (Spring)
OMMS 6th grade tour (End of Year)
Huntsville Space and Rocket Center
Chaperones will be required for two field trips. Names
will be drawn from the sign up list. Please sign up if
you have not done so already.
These are the things that happen during the
week:
P.E. - 8:20-8:55 daily
Lunch -10:48-11:26
Music 2:00-2:45 Friday
Art 2:00-2:45 Tuesday
Computer Lab/Science Lab –Alternating weeks
GRC 12:45 – 1:45 Monday
11:45 – 2:45 Wednesday
Class Involvement
• Parties: Christmas, Valentines, and End of Year
• Field Trip Chaperones -5 chaperones for each
field trip
• Door Decorations!!
What Can You Do?
• Sign all forms and leave them on your child’s desk.
• Take the information packet and the Code of Conduct
home for your reference.
• Write your Who Am I? and return it in a sealed
envelope by September 6th. Please put your child’s
name on the envelope.
• Please make sure to sign up for door decorator, room
mom, chaperones, party helpers, Back to School
Splash.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVT2m21Iecg&edufilter=v
H8ntV7keCE-ZLl5wRMzNg
Looking forward to a
wonderful year!!