WELCOME TO
FIFTH GRADE WITH
MRS. LANTZ!
WEDNESDAY
September 9, 2015
TEACHING APPROACH
There are a variety of learning styles and learning needs in every classroom. In light of this fact,
my teaching approach strives to provide numerous means of access to the curriculum at hand.
Primarily, I include a significant amount of hands-on learning experiences for the children in my
classroom. Students may comprehend material by simply reading about it; however, they truly
learn and reflect on that learning when they themselves play an active role in the process. The
research included below provides support to this manner of instruction. Additionally, I believe that
both structure and routine are beneficial to children’s learning. When we have knowledge of
what is expected of us at what time, we are that much closer to fulfilling those expectations.
Finally, I hold all children in my classroom to high expectations, believing that this allows them
to reach their full potential.
How Much We Retain
Lecture – 5%
Reading – 10 %
Audio-Visual – 20%
Demonstration – 30 %
Discussion – 50%
Active Practice – 75%
Teaching Others/ Putting to Immediate Use – 90%
EXTRAS
Notes to School
Please be sure to send in a note everyday when there is a change in your
child’s daily routine. This policy is for the safety and security of your child.
Permanent notes are kept on file, so please inform us of any changes.
Birthday Celebrations
We will celebrate birthdays as they occur in 5L. Please be aware that all
celebrations will be food-free. For those children with summer birthdays,
we work to make their ½ birthday just as special as the real day!
Book Orders
Book order forms will be sent home regularly (about once a month).
Please make all payments in check form directly to Scholastic or Arrow
Books rather than cash. Using the online ordering is an excellent way to
make purchases with credit or debit cards.
DAILY ROUTINE
• Our class schedule can be found on the website at any time. Please
keep this schedule in mind when arranging doctor and dentist visits.
• The Specialist Schedule and Break Schedule are as follows:
Morning Recess: Daily 10:00 – 10:10 (working snack following recess in the classroom)
Lunch Recess: Daily 12:00 – 12:20
Lunch: Daily 12:20 – 12:40
Gym: Wednesday & Friday 10:30 – 11:00
Library: Tuesday 10:30 – 11:15
Health & Wellness: Thursday 2:30 – 3:00
Music: Thursday 10:30 – 11:15
Art: Monday 10:30 – 11:15
Special Note: Please do not send your child with any snack foods containing nuts.
OTHER FAMILIAR FACES
• During the day, your child may work with other staff within the
building.
• In our class, your child may also see or work with:
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Mrs. Hart (classroom instructional assistant)
Miss Osowski (Miss O.) (special education teacher)
Mrs. Ferrenetti (special education teacher)
Ms. Niciewsky (Ms. N.) (special education teacher)
Mrs. Quinn (special education teacher)
Miss Purcurot (behavioral specialist)
Mrs. Lane (behavioral teacher)
Mr. Hogan (school psychologist)
Mrs. Cheever (school nurse)
HOMEWORK
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Homework counts as a portion of the overall grade in each subject and is broken out on the
report card for each subject.
Students with missing assignments will be expected to complete the assignment by the next
day. In the event the assignment is still not done, students will be asked to complete the
assignment at school during the next available free time.
All assignments are posted daily within the classroom and reviewed as a class and added to
the Agenda Books at the beginning of each day.
All students have an Agenda Book and a Homework Folder that travels with them to and
from school that will contain the homework and any materials needed to complete the
assignment.
According to the Topsfield School Committee, homework for 5th grade should be
approximately 40 minutes each night, plus an additional 20 minutes for independent
reading.
Projects and long-term assignments may be incorporated as regular homework
assignments and may require additional time, perhaps time spent over the weekend;
however, this may only occur once or twice during the school year.
Homework is always listed online and may be checked at any time by parents and students.
Any spelling lists and math worksheets will be available to download as often as possible.
All work missed due to absences must be made up in a timely manner (two days for each
missed day of school). Special exceptions may be made with the teacher under
extenuating circumstances.
Work missed due to vacations will be made up upon the student’s return to school. Because
of the changing needs of the class, work cannot be provided before the child goes away.
HOMEWORK
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Please provide a consistent place and time for your child to complete the tasks.
With the tremendous variety of skills present in any classroom, it is difficult to issue
one assignment that each child will complete in a given amount of time. Please allow
your child to stop after 15 HONEST minutes for each assigned subject. Simply sign
the paper to indicate your decision. Jot down any specific concerns your child might
have had so we can assist him/her in the morning. You have our permission to
amend or shorten any homework that we assign. An example of a modification might
include having your child print rather than use cursive, or doing just the even
numbered examples. Homework may be done on the computer.
Please encourage your child to check over their homework before it is considered
complete. Circle their errors only after an initial self-check. Ask if they have met an
established criteria - e.g. Are there topic sentences? Have they answered both
questions?
Your assistance may be needed before they begin. Most children are comfortable
verbally. They may need to talk out their answers or stories before they can sit down
with a pencil and paper.
Encourage your child to be reflective, yet to ask for help when needed. Encourage
your child to examine pictures for information. When reading non-fiction, an entirely
new approach is necessary; specifically, stopping and thinking after each paragraph.
Fifth grade means synthesis, often for the first time in your child's life. Skills are not
for isolated mastery. They are tools to unlock an independence and a profound joy for
the learning process.
THE STANDARDS-BASED REPORT CARD
Report cards have been created to align with the
Common Core State Standards and better reflect
the changing curricula of the Tri-Town School
Union elementary schools. The 2012-2013 school
year served as a pilot year for the new report
cards and there have been several opportunities
throughout the year for families to provide
feedback. The newest version of the report card
is available for you to view on the website at your
convenience.
CHALLENGE & ENRICHMENT
WORK
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History Mystery
iXL
Problem of the Week (POW)
Math Grids and Language Arts Grids for Independent Practice of Current Skills
Genre Study Projects
As growth and independence in learning progresses, many children are eager to
complete “challenge work” in the fifth grade. In light of this fact, 5L does have a
challenge system in place. During the beginning weeks of school, I will introduce
these systems (and their corresponding rewards) to the children. Challenge work is
entirely voluntary. The children are to complete the challenges independently during
free time at home or in the classroom.
Extra credit opportunities will be posted throughout the year for different subject
areas. These projects are completely voluntary and should only be attempted if the
daily expectations are being met.
Another opportunity for a challenge is through our Math Olympiad program. Ms.
Steinberg, Proctor’s math specialist, works during the fifth grade lunch time once a
week to prepare the students for the Olympiad contests that are held at several
points throughout the year. Please visit Ms. Steinberg’s link on the Proctor website
for more information.
Using the Website
• Go to www.topsfieldschools.org and click on “Staff” to
reach the list of fifth grade teacher websites
• Choose “Teacher Pages”
• Choose “Mrs. Lantz” in the pull-down menu
• Use the “Click Here” to go directly to the web page
• It may be helpful to bookmark the page for quick access
• Sign up for NewsFlash on the website to receive
constant e-mails and reminders
• Sign and return a blog
picture permission slip
to allow photos of your
child to be posted
STAYING ORGANIZED
We do our best to keep your child organized at school. These are
some suggestions to help your child stay organized at home as well.
 Provide a quiet space with no distractions for your child to work on
homework and projects
 Schedule a consistent time to complete homework each day to help
your child establish a routine
 Clean out and check backpacks daily
 Check the agenda and online for assignments
 Designate a place for materials such as supplies and books needed
for school
 Replenish supplies for school and home regularly to avoid last
minute trips to the store
CLASS INCENTIVES
• Lantz’s Liquidation Center
• Classroom Rewards Chart
• Soaring with Reading
• iXL
PARCC Schedule
ALL ELA AND MATH SESSIONS WILL TAKE
PLACE DURING ONE TESTING SESSION IN MAY
THIS YEAR!
Students in fifth grade must also participate in MCAS
Science which will also take place in May.
** Attendance on these dates is imperative**
MATH
Math in Focus
“Singapore math” is the term used to refer to the
mathematics curriculum used in Singapore. For over
15 years, Singapore has consistently scored at the top
of international mathematics comparison studies. Its
unique approach to teaching math — which focuses on
problem solving, deep understanding, and model
drawing — has helped Singapore students excel. Math
in Focus® is the U.S. edition of Singapore’s most
widely used program. It teaches the same content as
traditional mathematics programs — just in a way that
emphasizes understanding and flexible thinking. Math
in Focus teaches children both how and why math
works. This deep understanding means that they will
be better able to use math in real-life situations.
More Math in Focus
Key Features of Math in Focus
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A focused and coherent syllabus: Math in Focus introduces fewer
topics in each grade, but teaches them to greater depth. Topics are
taught to mastery, so they build from year to year across grade levels
without repetition.
A visual and balanced approach: Math in Focus is highly visual,
following a concrete-to-pictorial-to-abstract progression.
A focus on number and operations: Math in Focus is sequenced in a
way that ensures students develop and maintain strong number sense.
Students spend the majority of the first half of the year studying number.
This provides the foundation necessary to move on to more complex and
abstract thinking.
An emphasis on problem solving using model-drawing: Math in
Focus utilizes model-drawing strategies that help students solve both
routine and non-routine problems.
A recognition of the importance of attitudes and metacognition: The
Singapore Ministry of Education's mathematics framework emphasizes
the importance of attitude and the ability to self-monitor while problem
solving to achieve success in math. Math in Focus provides students with
the tools they need to break down complex concepts and problems,
which in turn develops positive attitudes.
How Can I Help with Math?
Please encourage your child to work through
EVERY problem and try his or her best. One way
you can help your child learn mathematics is by
helping him or her to become an independent
learner. This can best be done by asking questions
and having the child explain solution processes and
what (s)he does or does not understand about the
problem. The following questions might help you to
help your child.
MATH HELP
Ms. Steinberg, our Math Specialist, provides opportunities for extra
help and enrichment with grade-level skills and concepts. This year’s
schedule for fifth graders is as follows:
EXTRA HELP
Mrs. Lantz will hold her own extra help for math in the morning
before tests. There will also be Homework Club in Mrs. Lantz’s room
this year and students are invited to stay for extra help with math and
other homework.
MATH OLYMPIAD
This year Math Olympiad will be held IN THE MORNING 8:00 – 8:45
AM on three different days (Monday, Tuesday, and Friday). Students
are invited to come flex their muscles with math! The same material
will be covered for the three days, so attendance at every session is
not required. Students can arrange to come around other morning
activities.
LANGUAGE ARTS
WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
 6 +1 Traits of Writing (Ideas, Organization, Word Choice,
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Voice, Conventions, Sentence Fluency, and Publishing)
Spelling and Word Study using Classical Roots
Free-Write Journals
Timely Topics (informational writing with research)
Students will study sentence and paragraph structure,
punctuation and capitalization, parts of speech and
vocabulary using a variety of methods.
Children will be exposed to different genres of writing
including essays, narratives, poetry, plays, short stories,
and report writing, to name a few.
WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
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Write 5 – 10 longer composition pieces throughout the year
Vary in length and scope, across all areas of the curriculum
Both fiction and non-fiction pieces assigned
Unit on poetry and create a poetry book and report
Other projects include letters, reports, brochures, stories,
sketches, etc.
• Emphasize specific skills using the 6+1 Traits Writing Model
• Complete written guidelines kept in Writers’ Workshop folders
and notebooks for reference
• Most writing will be completed in school, although any
unfinished work may be sent home
READER’S WORKSHOP
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Guided Reading
Independent Reading
Weekly Reading Logs
Whole Class Reading & Literature Circles
Journals
Oral Presentations
Author Study
QAR (Question and Answer Relationships)
Fifth grade uses a variety of materials such as trade books, short
stories, poetry, and skill-building kits. Reading groups are always
flexible. In addition to the class work, students are also
responsible for occasional book reports beyond the traditional
report, and are encouraged to read for pleasure on a daily basis.
SPELLING & WORD STUDY
• Phonemic and language development program using prefixes and
suffixes with Greek and Latin roots as a foundation for
understanding
• Students will also be given five additional challenge words that are
chosen for them based on individual needs
• Students will be tested on the spelling and understanding (use in
context) of the Key Words and Familiar Words every other week
• Oral and written vocabulary will expand, with the expectation that
newly learned words will be incorporated into their writing where
appropriate
• 15+ lessons to be completed by the end of the school year
• Spelling homework will be assigned to review and understand the
material presented each week
• Students will be asked to complete an assignment addressing the
spelling or meanings of the words each night (Monday –
Thursday). These assignments are outlined on the website.
SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES
TAKE A STEP BACK IN TIME
As outlined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE), fifth grade students study United States history, geography,
economics, and government from Early Exploration through the Westward
Movement.
Students study:
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the major pre-Columbian civilizations in the New World
the15th and 16th century European explorations around the world, in the
western hemisphere, and in North America in particular the earliest
settlements in North America
• the political, economic, and social development of the English colonies in
the 17th and 18th centuries.
• the early development of democratic institutions and ideas, including the
ideas and events that led to the independence of the original thirteen
colonies and the formation of a national government under the U.S.
Constitution.
The purpose of the grade 5 curriculum is to give students their first
concentrated study of the formative years of U.S. history.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
 Assigned once or twice during the school year
 Either group or individual projects that will vary in length
 Gives students opportunities to express understanding
and creatively interpret information covered in class
 Will require research skills
 Students will be given clear outlines of expectations
with segmented due dates and grading rubric
 Most work will be completed in school, although some
work may need to be done at home
Summing Up Science
“Lifelong learners are able to use methods of inquiry to participate
in scientific investigations and technological problem-solving.”
We will work toward developing scientific attitudes such as
curiosity, respect for evidence, flexibility, and sensitivity to living
things, as students develop scientific reasoning and problemsolving skills.
Students will learn to apply the scientific method and use the
Engineering Design Process to solve problems and apply critical
thinking skills.
All activities encourage hands-on inquiry-based learning.
Therefore, it is imperative that students are present for all
investigations.
SCIENCE COURSE OUTLINE
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Technology and Engineering (carried throughout)
Use of the Scientific Method
Plate Tectonics, Landforms, and Erosion
Heredity
Astronomy, Phases of the Moon, the Planets
Weather and the Water Cycle
Color and Light
Materials:
Teacher will employ various strategies, texts, and materials
throughout the year to develop scientific thinking, as well as to
introduce and support inquiry-based learning.
Projects:
Assigned the same as projects done in social studies.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
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Students will be involved in monthly school-wide assemblies in addition to weekly meetings
organized by the principal which will address the importance of safety, respect, and responsibility
of all students.
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Fifth grade students are involved with the DASH Program where students will learn about physical
disabilities. A sign-up sheet for parent volunteers is available this evening.
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The health curriculum includes lessons in self-esteem, refusal skills, pro-social skills and
appropriate assertiveness.
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The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is a school-wide program designed to prevent or reduce
bullying throughout the school setting. The multi-component approach involves individuals,
classrooms, entire schools, as well as parents and communities, to successfully address bullying
in schools.
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Statistics show how successful implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program can
reduce school bullying. Outcomes have included:
– Fifty percent or more reductions in student reports of being bullied and bullying others. Peer
and teacher ratings of bullying problems have yielded similar results.
– Significant reductions in student reports of general antisocial behavior such as: school
bullying, vandalism, school violence, fighting, theft, and truancy.
– Significant improvements in the classroom social climate as reflected in students' reports of
improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and more positive attitudes
toward schoolwork and school.
– Greater support for students who are bullied, and stronger, more effective interventions for
students who bully.
C.L.I.C. LAB
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Collaborating with grade level teams, the CLIC teacher designs creative
extension units based on what is being taught that month in the classrooms.
Classes come to the CLIC classroom to work on integration projects. CLIC
gives students immediate opportunities to actively learn curriculum in new
and exciting ways.
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We will have time built into our schedule to work in the CLIC Lab on a
project-by-project basis. Because of my firm belief in hands-on learning, we
make it part of our routine. I work closely with Mrs. LaRussa to plan
meaningful lessons that invite students to explore, investigate, and invent
during our units of study throughout the year.
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CLIC may also have a before-school session as it has in the past.
Traditionally, all students may participate Monday – Friday 8:00 – 8:40 each
morning. You must have a permission slip to visit the Lab by signing up for
the various clubs that are offered throughout the year. There is NO open
CLIC time in the morning this year!
For more information visit www.clicprogram.org
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Questions?
• I am always available to answer any questions or
address any concerns that you may have
throughout the year.
• I may be reached by telephone at the school, or
preferably by e-mail.
• llantz@topsfieldps.org
BEFORE YOU GO…
• Please sign up for the Class Photographer at the
side table, if you are interested.
• Please consider volunteering for the DASH program
to be offered to fifth graders at the end of October.
Sign up on the side table.
• Please complete BOTH forms that are on your
child’s table. We need the most current information
on both sheets EVEN IF YOU HAVE FILLED THEM
OUT IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN YOUR
CHILD’S EDUCATION!
HAVE A GREAT EVENING AND DRIVE SAFELY!