Parents,

Welcome to Open
House!
from Mrs. Squires

Welcome to Fifth Grade!
Im delighted to see you here!
We have 26 wonderful students in
our class.
We will be collaborating with Mrs.
Wilkerson and Mrs. Kollar this
year.
We look forward to a wonderful
year of learning!


Mrs. Squires
Educational Background:

I am a graduate of:
Manatee High School (Bradenton, FL)
The University of South Florida (Sarasota,
FL)
I received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary
Education in 2003
I am ESOL and Special Ed certified
I taught in Florida for two years, stayed home
with my two boys and now Im back!


Philosophy of Education:
It is my belief that all students can
learn when given the opportunities and
experiences of hands-on/minds-on
activities and cooperative learning to
grow academically.

I hold high, but achievable,
expectations for all of my students.

It is our classroom philosophy that
while we begin our school year as a
community of individual learners, we
will become a team of high achievers.
About Our Learning Style
Hands on approach utilizing the
multiple intelligences

Students learn by doing: read by
reading and write by writing

Large group instruction, small
group instruction and
individualized instruction daily

Differentiated Instruction through
small groups
What Will We Learn in 5
th
Grade?
Language Arts Skills
Students will acquire reading skills
such as comprehension and fluency,
through Reading Workshop.
In writing we will focus on
informational, persuasive, and
narrative writing.
We will focus on responses to
literature.
Grammar will be addressed as well.
Reading Levels
Grade Level Beginning of the
Year
End of the Year
K Level A Level D
1 Level D Level J
2 Level J Level M
3 Level M Level P
4 Level P Level T
5 Level T Level V



Math Skills
Order of operations
Division
Decimals
Fractions
Geometry and coordinate planes
2D figures
Volume
Measurement
**It is very important that students
master their multiplication facts NOW!

Spelling
We will have weekly spelling words
that go along with the fifth grade
curriculum.
The students will receive their word
list every Monday. They are
responsible for attaching it to their
agenda and studying the words at
home.
Test will be every Friday.
Social Studies
Civil War
Reconstruction
Turn of the Century
WWI
The Great Depression
WWII
The Cold War
America since 1975
Personal finance

Science
Classification of animals and plants
Cells
Learned behavior vs. inherited
traits
Harmful/beneficial microorganisms
Changes in the Earths surface
Matter (physical/chemical changes)
Electricity and magnetism

Class Rules

1. Act responsibly
2. Behave respectfully
3. Follow instructions
4. Be prepared (materials and homework)
PBIS School Expectations
Be Ready
use class time effectively, come to class with necessary materials and
completed assignments.
Be Respectful
raise your hand, refrain from talking at inappropriate times, stay in your seat,
and remember that please and thank you are MAGIC. Treat yourself, others,
and property as you would want to be treated. Listen and follow directions
Be Responsible
push yourself to do your best and set an example. Show your talents
everyday!









How Does It Work?
Our students carry agenda books to
assist them in taking responsibility for
their behavior.

The expectations are school wide.

All staff members are on board and can
give stamps for positive behaviors.
Behavior
Levels E and S are appropriate
levels of behavior.

During inappropriate behavior, a
guidance approach is employed using
these concepts to foster self-
evaluation.

N- Needs Improvement
I need to make Better Choices

1. Needs to think about my behavior
2. Needs to show my teacher that I can
make good choices
3. Needs to treat others with respect

U- Unsatisfactory
My behavior is Unacceptable

1. Needs to follow rules and directions
2. Needs to respect others
3. Need to accept responsibility for choices

Individual Consequences
A verbal warning
Short conference with teacher
Loss of Privilege to participate
A note or phone call home
Buddy Teacher- 15-20 minutes or until
work is done
Call on an administrator to intervene
when additional support is needed

Incentives
Stamps will be counted on Fridays.
The top ten students get a weekly
award.
Awards will be given as coupons.
Stamps will also be counted for a
monthly reward. The top 15
students will be able to participate
in the monthly reward.
Our Goals:
To give your child the academic and
social skills he or she needs to progress
to sixth grade.

To provide a supportive and fun
classroom environment.

To help your child make new friends and
discover new interests.
Goals for Our Classroom
Leadership skills are a main focus in our classroom (along
with AKS Curriculum). Teaching responsibility that
will be engrained in your child for years to come is very
important to the routines in our learning environment.
-Students are given MANY opportunities to take leadership
roles.

Students have choices that they can make to positively
thrive in our classroom.

Students will learn how to push themselves to create high-
quality, personal best work.

Students will leave our classroom knowing how to set goals,
follow through on responsibilities, and love to learn for a
lifetime.

What Can You Do As
Parents To Help?
Please practice the multiplication facts with your
child every night.
Ensure your child reads every night for 30 or
more minutes.
Practice spelling and vocabulary words weekly.
Sign your childs Agenda and reading log.
Support our efforts to promote student
achievement through positive behavior
Remind students to respect teachers and peers
Talk to your child about behaving in all areas
(bus, hallways, lunchroom, etc.)


Procedures:
Announcements begin at 8:50 a.m. daily.
Students arriving after 8:50 must report to
the office to get a tardy slip in order to
enter the classroom. Students are not
allowed to enter the classroom prior to
8:20 a.m.

All students leaving before dismissal must
be signed out before 2:30 p.m.

A written note must be sent for all
transportation changes.

Please send in a written or doctors excuse
for any absences.
Testing:
We are no longer taking the CRCT.
Our new assessment is called the
Georgia Milestones.
single program an assessment system
not series of tests
Grades 3 8 End of Grade (EOG) in
language arts, mathematics, science,
social studies
Combine reading, language arts, and
writing into a single measure to align to
the standards




Selected-Response [aka, multiple-choices] all
content areas

evidence-based selected response in ELA (go back
to find evidence in the text/reading passage to find
the answer)

Constructed-Response in ELA and mathematics
(forming their own opinions and writing about it)

Extended-Response ELA and mathematics
(extending on a topic)



What will the Milestones Test consist of?

More Procedures:
You are welcome to join us for lunch
(12:20-12:50). Please stop by the office
first to sign in before meeting us at the
cafeteria. Adult lunches: $3.00.
Snacks are optional; you may send in a
healthy snack, as long as it is not a
distraction to your child or others
Ice cream is sold after lunch daily.
Cost: $1.00 (please send exact change).

Communication:
Class website
Friday Folders
Student Planner/Agenda (check/review
nightly)
The Husky Happenings (weekly
newsletter)
Progress Reports (midway through each
nine week period)
Report Cards (every nine weeks)
Conferences (Early Release Dates:
September 24 & 25, 2014 February 25 & 26, 2015

BYOD- Bring Your Own Device
Todays students are not the same
learners that we were. These digital
natives have grown up surrounded by
computing technology as a natural part
of their everyday lives. As students utilize
their personal technology devices in
school, they can learn new ways to use
them for collaborating and interacting
with their teachers and each other to
research information, solve complex
problems, create original products, and
publish their work.

BYOD
Please understand that devices are
meant to enhance, not replace, our
learning.
Parents and students need to sign a
release form agreeing to the district's
acceptable use policy, and take
responsibility for maintenance of
their own computers and tablets.
Lets Have a Great Year!
Please call, e-mail, or write me if you have
any concerns or questions!
I am more likely to respond to emails
Mandy_squires@gwinnett.k12.ga.us



Thank You For
Joining Us!


QUESTIONS
?????