Dear Parents, I am looking forward to working with you and your child this year. The information that I have included below will provide you with things you “need to know” as we begin the fifth grade year. Please read it together . . . and as you read, make a note of any questions that you may have for me. I know that you have many forms to fill out, but it will help me get to know your child if you would please take a minute to fill out the attached form for my records. Also, please review the Bain Student Handbook in the first 8 pages of the agenda (planner). Together we will have a successful and wonderful year!
Arrival: Students may arrive at school as early as 7:45am. They will report to the cafeteria for breakfast. Breakfast is from 7:45 am-8:10 am and the bell to be in class is at 8:15 am. Children will be able to report to the classroom at 7:45 am and instruction will begin at 8:15 am, so please make sure your student is on time.
Lunch: Our lunch time begins at 1:00pm and ends at 1:25pm. Please come and join us for lunch anytime. Make sure you stop by the office to sign in and get a nametag. You may meet your child outside of the cafeteria doors. Students cannot invite classmates to eat with them. Since our lunch is later in the day, students may bring in a healthy snack and bottle of plain water to keep on their desks.
Specials: Monday: Art 9:00-9:50 with Mrs. Vizzini Tuesday: B3/Media 9:00-9:50 with Mrs. Smith week A/ Ms. Koransky week B Wednesday: Music 9:00-9:50 with Mr. Pringle Thursday: PE 9:00-9:50 with Ms. Wilt Friday: STEAM 9:00-9:50 with Mrs. Barnhardt
Celebrations: We will have several classroom celebrations throughout the school year. You will receive information about these events from the class grade parents. I will post the dates as soon as I have them. Please remember that Charlotte-Mecklenburg policy states that food items must be prepared in a commercial kitchen (school cafeteria or grocery store). Bain Elementary is a peanut-free facility. When bringing in treats for the class, please check with me first because we may have students with food allergies in our class. Please do not send in birthday invitations to pass out in class. This is a CMS policy.
Transportation: Please send in a note in the morning if there is going to be a change in your student’s mode of transportation. Without written consent, your child will follow his/her regular transportation routine. Children cannot ride a different bus home with another student.
Communication: Graded work will come home in folders on Tuesdays. Please make sure that you look through your child’s folder. Review and discuss the enclosed work with your child. I will send weekly/biweekly updates and announcements via email. The emails will include curriculum information, important dates, projects, quizzes/tests, and school activities, etc. I have also created a class Weebly: Treadwell5.weebly.com. You will have access to the Weebly and can find out all of our “Classroom Happenings”. Power School is where I will plug in your child’s formal and informal test scores. I will upload grades every two weeks, if not before. If you are unsure of your username and password, please contact the front office.
My email address is [email protected] Be sure to email me the first few days of school to get on my email directory. This is the most accurate way for me to build a classroom directory. The majority of the communication you receive from me will be through email.
If you have questions or concerns about anything that involves your child at school, please let me know. You can reach me at school in the afternoons from 3:30 to 3:45 p.m. at 980.343.6915, or you can email me at [email protected]. If you have something important to tell me that will need attention during the school day, send me a note. I am available for conferences if you request one, but please understand that I will need to schedule these before or after school.
Planners: The planner is another valuable communication tool. Fifth graders are expected to write down assignments daily in their planners. Your child’s planner needs to be at school every day; it should travel home each evening and return to school in the morning. I do check and sign planners daily, and I ask that you do the same.
Reading at Home: Fifth graders are required to read about 30 minutes every night. We will read many class novels this year. I will read several pages during class time and assign chapters to read at home each evening/weekends. Reading is very important. The class novels will help boast your child’s reading abilities. We will discuss, quiz and test on each novel. Please make sure your child is reading and comprehending the nightly readings. If it does not take 30 minutes to read, the assigned pages then they should read another book of choice to make up for the time.
Homework: Homework will be very limited this year. Your child will be required to complete their 30-minute nightly reading and study their science notes for about 10-15 min. Science is new for the students this year and we will cover a great deal of content. There may be math assignments to complete if students do not finish during class time.
Grades: The CMS Grading Scale is as follows: A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69), F (below 60). Tests and major projects count as two grades and assignments and quizzes count as one grade. Absences: I must have a note or an email from you when your child is absent. I will write down missed assignments and send them home. When students are absent, they miss a lot of information. It is very helpful if someone can come up to the school and get their work or let me know who I can send them home with so that students won’t get to far behind. Attendance at school is vital to your child’s success. Making up missed assignments will not replace the missed classroom instruction, discussions, and interactions. It is easy to fall behind due to the fast pace and volume of material we are covering, so please make sure your child comes to school on time every day, if possible.
Early Dismissal: I understand that students will need to leave school early from time to time. If you are planning to pick your child up early, please let me know as soon as possible. I want to make sure I have adequate time to pack them up so they will be ready when you arrive. It would be great to have them packed before we go to lunch at 1:00 and outside to recess at 1:25-1:55. We will not return to the classroom until 2:00 pm. If you want to pick your child up within that hour, I would rather know ahead of time so they can bring their belongings with them to lunch.
Class Rules: Students are expected to listen and follow directions, and to be respectful of other class members. Bain has a school-wide discipline plan that is in detail in your child’s planner. I will notify you of any issues or concerns, or repeated offenses. I will note infractions in the planner. Please have a parent/guardian to sign and returned the next day.
Classroom Economy: Student will have the opportunity to earn “Treadwell Dollars” as a part of our classroom economy. They will fill out applications and earn paychecks as they help run the classroom. They will also pay taxes, fines and earn bonuses. We will have two (possible) Trade Days and have a final Auction this year. More information will be coming home in the next couple of weeks.
Physical Activity: Physical activity is an important part of our school day. All of us need some time to relax, unwind, move about, clear our heads, and get some fresh air. Weather permitting; we will go outside every day. Students need to wear appropriate shoes for outside play every day. No flip-flops allowed on the playground. When the weather turns colder, students should wear their sweatshirt, jackets or coat. I want to keep students healthy so they can be at school as much as possible.