Elizabeth Mize
Kate Spoon
Robin Weston
This is my eleventh year teaching at Smith.
I have a master’s degree in education from UNCC
along with lots of course work in education and art
from UNCG.
I have a very busy family. Mr. Mize and I
have three children: works as a mechanical engineer
in Seattle. Our other children are both in Boone.
Charlie is a seniot at Appalachian State University,
and Lily is a sophomore.
For fun I enjoy being with friends, traveling,
making pottery, bird watching/walking with Mr.
Mize, and of course, reading great books.
This is my third year teaching fifth grade
science. It is a full and interesting curriculum. Thank
you in advance for supporting me in this exciting
undertaking.
This will be my first full year teaching at
Smith. I was lucky to join the Smith family this past
April, and taught fifth grade Language Arts for the
last quarter of the school year. Before coming to
Smith, I taught sixth grade Language Arts in High
Point for eight years. I recently got married, and I
have been blessed with a loving husband and three
amazing stepchildren! Avery is 13, Riley is 11, and
Grant is 8.
I am originally from Wilmington, North
Carolina. I graduated from Campbell University in
2004 with a degree in Criminal Justice, where I
played soccer for four years. I then returned to
Wilmington to receive my degree in Education from
UNCW. This year will be my ninth year teaching, and
your student will find that I am tough, but fair. I have
high academic and behavioral expectations for my
students, and I expect every student to work hard and
learn to the best of their abilities.
This is my ninth year teaching at Smith
Elementary. I have taught fifth grade math in the
past and I am very excited to be here! I will be
teaching your child Math this year.
I graduated from North Carolina State
University and currently obtaining my Masters of
Education at Elon University. I have previously
taught third and fourth grade and love integrating
technology into our daily lessons. I am looking
forward to sharing my love of math with your
child.
My husband and I have a son who is
attending UNC Charlotte and a daughter who
will be a senior at Williams High School. When
not at school, I like to spend time with my
family, shopping and reading.
I look forward to working with you and
your child this year. Please contact me if you
have any questions or concerns.
Language Arts
During our Language Arts block, we will
work on many things, such as fluency,
comprehension, stamina, vocabulary building, and
more. Students will be working in whole group, small
groups, paired, and independent activities designed to
help them grasp fifth grade Common Core Standards.
You are an integral part of your student’s
education. Taking time to simply ask them what they
have learned at school each day is a great way to help
students review and think about their learning. One of
my requirements for Language Arts is that your
student has a self-selected book on their reading level
that they bring to class each day. Reading with your
student at home is a great way to build their fluency
and comprehension. These self-selected books may
come from home, or may be checked out from our
school or classroom library.
Please feel free to call or e-mail me any time
you have questions. I believe that home-school
communication is vital! Thank you in advance!
Math
While some Social Studies will be integrated in
Language Arts, we will also cover much of Social
Studies in homeroom in the afternoons after recess.
Science
Topics for fifth grade science:
Matter, Properties, and Change
Weather and Climate
Force and Motion
Cells and Human Body Systems
Genetics
Ecosystems
I plan to designate days for particular focus: lab day,
vocabulary day, game day, research day, quiz day,
etc.
Science class will occasionally need donations of
materials. Be on the lookout on the website and in the
planner for these needs.
The Spanish Immersion Class will join the other
fifth grade classes for Science.
Students will participate in a whole
group and small group activities aligned with the
Common Core. We will use a wide variety of
manipulatives, technology resources, and real
world applications to target different learning
styles in the classroom. Students will be
encouraged to discuss the different approaches to
solving math problems as well as explain in
writing their approach.
Students will be expected to complete
math homework each night. They should be able
to complete it on their own or with minimal help
because this is practice of what is being taught in
the classroom. Please let me know if your child is
struggling with their homework assignments.
Topics We Cover:
*Fractions (Add, Subt, Multi ,Divide)
*Long Division (2 digits into 4 digits)
*Measurements (volume)
Planner/Behavior
Fifth graders are expected to come to school
with what they need for the day. They are expected to
listen while others are speaking, be respectful of
teachers, classmates, and the property of others.
School wide expectations include walking quietly in
the halls and using specified voice levels in various
parts of the building. SAIL is the school-wide model
of student expectations: Show Respect, Act
Responsibly, Inspire Others, Listen and Learn.
Consequences for making poor choices will be
reflected in the ClassDojo report and planners. In fifth
grade, students will carry their planners with them to
each class. Planners should be checked over nightly
by a parent or guardian. The parent(s) will also sign
on Fridays indicating that the planners and Friday
folders have been checked by parents that week.
Planners will be checked by homeroom teachers on
the following Monday for parent signatures”. A
“planner party” is offered at the end of each nine
weeks to those students who have met seven out of
nine weeks with the appropriate number of ClassDojo
points per week and parent signatures for the quarter.
Consequences for not meeting expectations:
1: Warning (verbal/nonverbal)
2: Appropriate consequences include: separate
seating, silent lunch, personal reflections, phone
call/email home, working lunch, behavior plan, etc.
3: Referral to office
Homework
Your child will have homework daily. It is
a fifth grade expectation to be actively involved
with the classroom websites. Please take the time
with your child to familiarize yourselves with it.
You will want to frequent each teacher’s site for
subject specific information. The students are
also required to keep track of their homework
assignments in their planners. Assignments will
be written on the board or shown via the
document camera daily in the classrooms so
students can record assignments. We expect the
students to complete all homework assignments.
A working silent lunch is the consequence for
any student who does not complete his/her
homework daily.
Absences
If your child is sick, of course we
understand the need for them to stay home from
school. Please keep in mind that when they are
out, students will be missing important learning
opportunities. We will send home make-up work
when he/she returns to school. Students will have
one week to complete any missing work. Also,
students will need to bring in a note which
explains the reason for the absence within 3 days
of the absence.
Welcome To
5th Grade
2015-2016
Newsletters
Fifth grade newsletters will be sent home
weekly via email.
School/Class Web Page
Please visit our class web pages on the
Smith Elementary School website often. Ask
any teacher if you have questions about
accessing the websites.
Lunch
Mrs. Spoon 12:30-1:00
Mrs. Weston 12:30-1`:00
Mrs. Mize 12:35-1:05
Thank you for supporting our fifth grade
teaching team. We look forward to working
with you and your child.
Mrs. Mize
Mrs. Spoon
Mrs. Weston
elizabeth_mize@abss.k12.nc.us
katherine_spoon@abss.k12.nc.us
robin_weston@abss.k12.nc.us