Welcome to Room 19!

Ms. Gritzmacher

September 2014

About Me

• September 13- First Half Marathon

• October 4- My Brother’s Wedding!

I believe learning begins once a community is built. Expectations of class, students, and teacher Caring members and teacher Responsibility

• Individual roles within the community• Students take ownership of their own

education• Follow the routines

Once a safe space is built, students will be able to:

Take risks within the classroom Enjoy learning by using their curiosity and

critical thinking skills.

I am committed to...

Fostering the love of livelong learning in each student. Bringing fun and student interest into curriculum

Encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. Asking deeper questions and bringing in real world connections

Instilling the importance of responsibility as a fifth grade student and community member inside and outside of school. Classroom responsibilities, assignment notebooks, etc.

Building strong students academically, socially, and emotionally. I will make sure that my lessons reach each child through

differentiation Reinforce the importance of community in a learning environment I will ensure that my students feel safe and comfortable in room

19

Developing Responsibility

What do I expect of each child? Follow social contract/expectations Use the assignment notebook properly Completed work that is on time. Homework

means something! Bring necessary materials to and from school and

to and from other classrooms Ask questions…but think before! Taking responsibility of own education-

communicating what he or she needs

Communication Assignment Notebooks:

Students are responsible for filling these out every day Good preparation for 6th grade

Cumberland Website— Wfbschools.com Cumberland 5th Grade Home

Available by phone or email Kara.gritzmacher@wfbschools.com (on website) 414-963-3943 x2019

Weekly Newsletter via email and Hard Copy All teachers are included in this newsletter

Communication

Each student will receive graded work on a timely basis Parents are to sign and return graded work

This will keep you updated on student progress and to stay in communication with myself.

The Fifth Grade Team

Ms. Sarnowski, Ms. McCormick, Mr. Moore, Ms. Castleberry, and Ms. Gritzmacher

Team Philosophy

Common planning time

Sharing of ideas

Problem Solving/Brainstorming

Similar goals— Success of all of our students Meeting the Common Core Standards Instilling the importance of responsibility Preparation for 6th grade

ELA CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

English Language Arts: Reading Anthology Stories (Scott Foresman)

Vocabulary and Comprehension Novel Reading/Independent Book/Stations

Response journals, “Reading Notebooks” Engaged reading (independent, group, guided) Collaboration and discussion with peers Work with Mosaic comprehension strategies Various genres

ELA CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Reading Our objective is to build strong skills and

strategies Reading Comprehension

Identifying theme, defending thinking with evidence from text

Making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, determining importance, synthesizing

Central Skills Point of view, author’s purpose, author’s

viewpoint, cause and effect, character, plot, compare and contrast, vocabulary development

Assessments for Reading

Comprehension Test- Multiple Choice and Short-Answer Beginning-of-Year and End-of-Year Assessments

and Unit Assessments Anthology Stories- Read in school, reread at

school or home, selection test

Assessment of Written Responses/Response Journals

Fluency—Assessed up to 4 times a year. Words correct read per minute using grade-level passages that student has not seen before

ELA CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Language Arts: Lucy Calkins Writing Curriculum Multiple Formal Writing Pieces

Completed in school, one-two per trimester Personal Narrative, Informational Writing:

Compare and Contrast, Biography and Opinion: Persuasive

Other Writing Pieces Ongoing shorter pieces of writing

Reader’s Response Journals Memoirs Poetry

ELA CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Skill Focus Generating ideas, elaborating ideas, vivid word

choice, descriptive language, interesting/effective introductions, satisfying conclusions, purposeful paragraphs, transitions, and editing

Grammar Focus Complete sentences—subject and predicate, run-on

sentences Subject-verb agreement, commas, punctuation in

dialogue, apostrophes/possessive nouns

Math CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Math Expressions by Houghton Mifflin “Supports the Common Core State Standards

by covering select concepts for deeper mastery...”

“Research-based, proven to be effective in raising student achievement...”

“Offers new ways to teach and learn mathematics through exploration, modeling and discussion...”

Math CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Students will be able to... Construct a deeper understanding of math

skills Defend and communicate understanding using

words, numbers, symbols (written and spoken) Continue to build critical thinking skills Strengthen fluency with math facts

Math CurriculumCommon Core State Standards

Differentiation Pretesting to assess and plan for each student’s needs Frequent, ongoing assessments after each lesson Computer-based, multi-level practice, challenge questions

and intervention resources Daily homework and remembering workbook

FYI there is no “home textbook” students are to take home activity book if they feel they need it to do their homework.

Check Links on my homepage!

Science Curriculum Next Generation Science Standards

FOSS: Develop Inquiry Skills

1. Living Systems Analyze everyday systems and subsystems. Analyze food chains and food webs as a way to study the

biosphere. Make and analyze a worm habitat as a decomposition

system. Investigate nutrient-getting systems of yeast, plants, and

animals, including humans. Investigate and model transport systems in plants and

animals. Investigate sensory systems in animals.

Science Curriculum 2. Sun, Moon, and Planets

Observe and compare shadows during a school day. Relate the position of the Sun in the sky to the size and

orientation of an object's shadow. Use physical models to explain day and night. Record observations of the night sky. Observe and record changes in the Moon's appearance every

day for a month. Analyze data to discover the sequence of changes that occur

during the Moon's phase cycle. Make and interpret a model of the Earth, Moon, and Sun

system. Classify planets by their properties. Record and display the organization of the solar system

graphically. Identify several constellations as stable, predictable patterns of

stars. Use models to build explanations.

Social Studies Curriculum

Emphasis on American History from the early arrivals during the Ice Age, to modern times.

Geography is embedded throughout the text.

Highly collaborative and interactive

Online Access Eduplace.com/eservices Karagritzmacher 123456

Standards-Based Grading Grading –Three point system

3, 2, 1 Evaluative and Formative Assessment 3 = Proficient-can apply skill or concept

correctly/independently 2= Developing-making progress towards grade level

standard 1= Beginning-cannot complete task

independently/shows little understanding of concept or skill

+, , - Formative Assessment- Feedback purposes for teacher and/ or student+ = 3 , = 2, - = 1

Grading is aligned with the standards Teachers work together to norm our grading practices Exemplary work is noted through comments Typically numbered grades indicate that a grade is in

the grade book and a check, plus or minus indicates that the grade is for feedback purposes only and not entered in the gradebook

Curriculum Overlap

Life Skills

Guidance Lessons

Human Growth and

Development

Life Skills CurriculumSelf esteem

Analyze decision-making

strategies

Learn harms of tobacco

use

Examine advertising techniques

Cope with stress

Communicate feelings

effectively

Build social skills

Guidance Lessons: Ms. AnstettSelf esteem

Analyze decision-making

strategies

Conflict resolution

Career Planning

Cope with stress

Communicate feelings

effectively

Build social skills

Human Growth and Development

Adolescence and Puberty

Analyze decision-making

strategies

Male and Female

Reproduction Systems

AIDSPhysical Abuse and Safety

Conception

Self-Esteem

Miscellaneous Buddy Classes

Band/Orchestra: Once a week class lessons, twice a week grade

level lessons

Student Council: Monthly, lunch and lunch recess meetings

Project Wisdom, weekly Announcements on character building read by 5th

grade students over the PA system

Room Parents: Kris McKinney and Crystal McClain

Reminders Field trips- Kindness Retreat, Discovery World,

First Stage

Enter through front door and pick up visitor badge.

No birthday treats, please.