Welcome to 5th Grade!

This year, Mrs. Gillam and Ms. Park will be team teaching, so that
we can better prepare you for middle school! Mrs. Gillam will be
teaching all Language Arts and Science classes and Ms. Park will
be teaching Social Studies and Math. We also plan to do many
projects with the classes collaborating and occasionally with other
grade levels. Please check out our classroom websites and
Facebook pages by following the links below.
Mrs. Gillams Website
Ms. Parks Website
Mrs. Gillams Facebook
Ms. Parks Facebook
The remainder of this introductory letter will go over our
procedures and give you a glimpse into the year! Please read all
of it, print and sign the final page acknowledging that you
understand our rules and procedures.
Introductions
Aloha! My name is Mrs. Ronda Gillam and this will be my third
year at HKES! Ive been teaching for 10 years and have taught in
Colorado, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. I have a Bachelors Degree in
Elementary Education from Cameron University and a Masters
Degree in Teacher Leadership from Grand Canyon University. Ive
been married to a wonderful man and soldier for the past 18
years and we have a teenage son! Weve traveled quite a bit with
the Army and each place brings its unique opportunities and
challenges. I grew up in Arkansas and was quite the tomboy! I
hope that we can form a strong bond and help your child to have
an amazing final year at HKES and be well prepared for middle
school! Feel free to email me anytime at
rgillam@halekula59.k12.hi.us !

Aloha! My name is Esther Park. This is my fourth year teaching

fifth grade at Hale Kula. I graduated from the University of Virginia
and earned my master's degree in education from Johns Hopkins
University. I am also a 2012 corps member of Teach For America. I
was born in Seoul, South Korea but have lived in many different
places including Toronto, Canada. I am incredibly thankful to call
Hawai'i my current home! It is a privilege to serve as a fifth grade
teacher at Hale Kula and I am so excited to help my students grow
and achieve their goals! Please feel free to contact me via e-mail
epark@halekula59.k12.hi.us
Schedule
Gillam & Park

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

7:45-8:05
Homeroom

Friday
Perspectives Classes

8:10-9:10
9:10-10:10

Literacy and Math Block

Literacy and Math Block

Literacy and Math Block

Literacy and Math Block

10:10-10:15

Transitions

Transitions

Transitions

Transitions

10:15-10:45

Recess and Transition

Time

Recess and Transition

Time

Recess and Transition

Time

Recess and Transition

Time

Recess and Transition

Time

10:45-11:45

Science & SS

Science & SS

12:30-1:10 Mission
Activities (Problem Solving
with Both Rooms)

Science & SS

Perspectives

11:45-12:00

Transition to Lunch

Transition to Lunch

Transition to Lunch

Transition to Lunch

Transition to Lunch

12:00-12:45

Lunch and Recess

Lunch and Recess

Lunch 12:00-12:30

Lunch and Recess

Lunch and Recess

Science & SS

Clubs Block

12:55-1:55

Science & SS

Science & SS

12:30-1:10 Mission
Activities (Problem Solving
with Both Rooms)

1:55-2:10

End of Day- Homeroom

End of Day- Homeroom

Early Release

End of Day- Homeroom End of Day- Homeroom

Discipline
Both teachers utilize Class Dojo as part of our positive rewards
program. We both believe in using positive reinforcement for the
majority of the discipline program, but adhere to HKES discipline
plan when a negative consequence needs to occur. Class Dojo is a
website/app where students can earn or lose points, based off of
their actions. Each quarter there will be a different rewards list for

the students to cash their points in with. You will be sent a parent
letter explaining this more in depth and also giving you an access
code. This allows you to monitor your childs behavior throughout
the class. There is also an app that can be downloaded to monitor
on the go.
Rules & Expectations
In our classroom, we follow TRIBES and GLOs.
General Learner Outcomes
Self-directed Learner (The ability to be responsible for one's own
learning)
Community Contributor (The understanding that it is essential for
human beings to work together)
Complex Thinker (The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and
problem solving)
Quality Producer (The ability to recognize and produce quality
performance and quality products)
Effective Communicator (The ability to communicate effectively)
Effective and Ethical User of Technology (The ability to use a
variety of technologies effectively and ethically)
TRIBES Agreements

Attentive listening (students actively listen and

engage in lessons and activities)

Appreciation/no put downs ( Use positive and
polite

words and actions)

Mutual respect (show respect and get respect)
The right to pass & the right to participate
Safety first

Homework
Each teacher will assign homework and all homework will be
listed in the students planner. Most of the time, the homework for
Mrs. Gillams class will be 2 Kid Biz articles per week. One will be

preassigned and one will be free choice. They must score higher
than a 75% for the article to count. We will be practicing them in
class. Usually, there will not be science homework. The exceptions
will be Cardboard Challenge and a possible Science/STEM fair.
Students will have daily homework for Ms. Parks math class.
Students will be asked to make up any missing or incomplete
assignments during recess to make sure they are caught up for
the days lesson. Students may also be asked to work on quarterly
projects at home for social studies units.

Assignments & Grading

We will mostly be doing in class assignments. There will
occasionally be homework or at home projects that students may
need some assistance. We take many, many grades so that each
student has numerous opportunities to show growth and mastery.
There will be small grades along the to check where students are
stronger and weaker. There will also be larger, end of unit
assessments. We grade based off of overall mastery of skills. The
grade band is as follows:
ME: Meets or Exceeds Proficiency- reserved for those working
either above grade level or significantly above expectations.
MP: Meets Proficiency- student is on level, showing mastery, but
not working above potential
DP: Developing Proficiency- student is showing some progress
toward mastery of a skill, but not there yet.
WB: Well Below- student is significantly below 5th grade level on
the skill
Attendance & Make Up Work
All students will have three days to make up work for each day
they miss. They will be expected to make up all work left in the
Make Up folders on their desks. If you know ahead of time that
your student will be gone for an extended period of time, please
alert us and we can send some of the work with you.

Technology
We will be utilizing a large amount of technology this year. HKES
will be sending home forms about technology use and
responsibility. Students will be allowed to use the tech for school
assignments only, unless with specific permission. If caught using
technology in an unsafe manner, or misusing the equipment, a
student could have their tech privileges revoked for a time. We do
not want this to happen and we will be giving special lessons in
online safety, equipment use, and student responsibility.
Communication
Email is the best way to communicate with us. Our phones do not
ring in the classroom during the day. We will get back to you
within 24 hours or sooner. You can also Instant Message through
the Class Dojo app. You can utilize our Facebook pages and
classroom websites for more info. We will email with upcoming
events and reminders. Please check frequently!
Standards
Both classrooms use Common Core standards for ELA and Math.
For Science, we will use a combination of the HCCPS and the Next
Generation Science Standards. Social Studies will follow HCCPS,
also. Our websites will give you a quarterly breakdown of the
standards being taught that quarter and upcoming major
assignments.
Flip Flops and Sneakers
We highly suggest that all students wear sneakers or some other
type of footwear that will be sensible for recess and PE. On the
other hand, those tend to get very dirty and we are trying to keep
the floors in the new building clean! So, we would love it if you
could send in an inexpensive pair of flip flops for students to wear
in the building. We did this last year and most of the kiddos loved

it! They said they felt more relaxed and comfortable. This is not
required, but highly suggested. Thanks for your help!
We hope that you have a wonderful year at HKES! If its your first,
welcome! Please contact us with concerns and comments! ~~
Mrs. Gillam and Ms. Park
PRINT AND SIGN PLEASE
1. Go to our class websites and read through the parent handbook.
2. If you are in agreement, please sign and return this page for our
records.

I, ________________________, parent or guardian of

_______________________, have read the expectations of Mrs. Gillam
and Ms. Parks class and will adhere to them and assist my child
in understanding and following the expectations.

Signature: ________________________________
Date ___________________________________