Classroom
Expectations/Management
The students and I will
be coming up with our own set of classroom expectations for the school
year. I feel that it is important to
involve students in this decision making process in order to meet the needs of all
students as well as to discuss the importance of having daily
expectations.
I feel that it is
important for students to be intrinsically- motivated learners. I plan on helping your child develop a strong
personal commitment to core values. During the school year I will focus on
building your child’s sense of being part of a caring, respectful classroom
community while teaching him/her about moral principles and the importance of
self-reflection.
Missing Assignments
A late/incomplete
assignment sheet is given to the child if he/she is missing an assignment. The assignment sheet is filled out by the
student and is signed by the teacher and parent. Since students switch classes for math, they
may turn in their math homework by the end of the school day without being
penalized. Students are held accountable
for their homework, and it must be turned in neatly completed and on time. If missing assignments occur frequently, the
student will have a conference with me so that we can discuss the reasons for
homework not being completed as well as to set up a positive plan of action for
homework improvement.
Students are held
accountable for turning in their homework on time. The following homework policies have been
implemented by the entire 5th grade:
Major Assignments:
Students will receive 5% off their final grade for that assignment each day
that it is late. Major assignments
include all projects, book talks, writing assignments, and take-home tests.
Behavior Alert
A behavior alert will be
issued to a student if his/her behavior is truly disruptive and a parent needs
to be notified. Students will be given 2
verbal warnings prior to receiving the behavior alert. A behavior alert is similar to a missing
assignment in that a sheet is filled out by the student and must be signed by
the teacher and parent. Attached to the
behavior alert notice will be a written explanation of the inappropriate
behavior displayed in class as well as a written goal to help turn that
negative behavior into a positive one.
Absent Work
Once a student returns
from being sick/absent, he/she is allowed the number
of days absent to complete the designated homework. Once work is past due, the
above homework policy is implemented (5% off that assignment for each day it is
late.) Please notify me of any extenuating circumstances.
Molinets money can be earned on a daily basis for being a responsible learner; this may include such items as being prepared for class, having all homework assignments competed and turned in on time and demonstrating positive behavior throughout the day. At the end of each day if the student has received no Assignment Alerts and has demonstrated good behavior, he/she will receive one Molinets dollar. Molinets Money can be accumulated and turned in at any time for items such as the “comfy chair” for the day, free homework pass, computer time, a chance to sit next to a friend etc….
Star
points are based on a group effort and can be earned by table teams within the
classroom. This serves as a means to
motivate students to work as a team in order to be more responsible
learners. Each time a table team is
caught “doing the right thing” or “being ready to go” before the rest of their
peers, they will receive 1-2 star points.
The points are accumulated throughout the week, and the table team with
the most Star Points on Friday gets to choose a prize (pencil, eraser, bookmark).
Communication between the parent and
teacher is a vital component of a successful education. In order to meet the needs of your child,
address your concerns, celebrate accomplishments, and communicate openly about
the learning experiences taking place within the classroom, I will be utilizing
several forms of communication. By
using a weekly classroom newsletter, teacher web page, Friday folders, e-mail
messages, and phone calls, I hope to provide you with several outlets that will
allow you to easily retrieve academic-related information.
Find out room 44’s latest news by visiting my classroom web page. This web page will be updated daily upon my
return from my maternity leave.
Each week I create a classroom newsletter
in order to inform you about material being covered in each subject area as
well as important events or information.
You can access my newsletter by visiting my classroom web page. A
paper copy will also be included in the Friday Folder for those of you who do
not use your computer frequently and would prefer a paper copy.
Friday Folder
Please feel free to contact me if you
have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress.
·
Send me an e-mail to: cmolinets@palos118.org
or lschumacher@palos118.org
(While on maternity leave)
·
Call my voicemail at (708) 761-3835
·
Send a note to school with your child