Aspen Creek Elementary

5th Grade Policies

2016 - 2017
This year your child will be discovering fifth grade through interdependent instruction
with emphasis on preparing your child to live wisely and actively participating in a
growing science/technology culture. The skills and knowledge determined to be the most
important by the State of Oklahoma and Broken Arrow Public Schools have been
integrated into all subject matter. Our goal as an educator is to instill skills through
inquiry based learning so your fifth grader will know: where to go for sources of reliable
information, how to access that knowledge, and how to use it in relevant and rational
ways.
Policy Information for Parents and Students
Grading Policy
All work that is assigned, in or out of class, is done for a specific learning purpose. Some
assignments are made in order to give the student practice on a new or existing skill,
and some assignments are made for evaluation purposes. Therefore, not all assignments
will be given a letter grade.
Final student grades for each trimester are determined on a point basis. Points are given
for each assignment. The total numbers of points possible for those assignments are
divided by the total number of points your child earns on his/her assignments in each
subject. Therefore grades will be determined as follows: A= 90-100, B= 80-89, C = 7079, D = 60-69, F = 0-59 Daily evaluative assignments are graded with points earned
according to the assignment. Other larger in-class assignments that span several weeks
will be worth more points. Your child will be made aware of the number of points
available when long-term assignments are made.
Homework Policy
Reading minutes- This is considered outside of other homework that is assigned.
Students are required to read a total of 100 minutes each week and will count as a
weekly Reading grade.
Homework should not take more than 30 90 minutes nightly. These assignments should
be kept in a homework folder and brought back to class the next school day. We
encourage you to look over your childs homework and assignments each night and sign
or initial their assignment notebook so that you can be aware of what he/she is doing in
class.

Any work that is assigned as homework or is not completed during class becomes
homework. Unless otherwise stated it is due when students walk into class the next day.
Time WILL NOT be provided during regular class time or during recess. 10 points will be
deducted per day that the assignment is not handed in.
During the year your child will be assigned "long-term" homework projects, which usually
will be due 1-2 weeks after being assigned. Please help them schedule time and secure
materials for projects we do this year and not procrastinate and wait to the last minute
to complete.
Redo Policy
A student may redo daily assignments below a 70%. Assignments redone are due the
following day. The final grade will be the average of the 2 grades not to exceed a 70%.
Late Work Policy
Late work will be accepted with partial credit. Work that is not turned in within a specific
time discussed by both student and teacher will be given a zero.
Parents, we do understand that there are emergencies and unexpected events that could
cause your child to be unable to complete an assignment. If there is a problem, please
contact us. We will give your child an extra day with no penalty.
(We do NOT consider extra-curricular activities as valid excuses for not
completing schoolwork).
Make-up Work
When your student returns to school they are responsible for copying down and
obtaining assignments from the day(s) they missed. A student has two school days to
make-up work for each day he/she is absent. Points will be deducted for make-up work
that is not turned in within the two days. If you know your child is going to be absent for
2 or more days, please call the office and we will have the make-up work ready for you to
pick up.
Assignment Notebook
Each child will be required to utilize a homework/assignment notebook. This notebook is
a daily planner for your student. This tool will allow you to be informed of the skills that
are being taught to your child. This will help your child to be better organized in our daily
activities. To keep an open communication between school and home, please initial the
assignment notebook daily.
Written Assignment Policy
We strongly believe that students should take pride in themselves and their work;
therefore, we will not accept written assignments that do not meet the following
guidelines:
-Papers must be neat. No rips, tears, or major crumples.

-Papers should be completed on wide-ruled notebook paper with 3 holes and not
on paper torn out of a spiral notebook.
-Papers must have the correct heading, name, date, and subject with page number.
-All written assignments are written in pencil unless otherwise directed.

General Information
School starts at 9:10 a.m. Students will be considered ready to start class when they
have walked into the classroom, sharpened their pencils, taken their needed materials to
their desk and began their morning work. Students who eat breakfast in the cafeteria
need to be time-efficient when they arrive in class. The only exceptions are for late
running buses and Safety Patrol.
Discipline
Students build self-awareness when they experience success. At Aspen Creek we
encourage good behavior and utilize various methods of positive self-control. If there is a
situation, we will contact you either through email, note or by phone.
Extra Activities
As the seniors of our school, the fifth graders are able to enjoy a number of extracurricular activities. Some of these include: Safety Patrol, Tiger Club, ACEs Choir,
Explosive Theater, Running Club, Robotics Club and Jammin Jumpers. The sponsors of
these groups all agree that these clubs are "extra", meaning that if participation in a
particular club interferes with the school work, then the student would have to give up
the extra activity.
Computers
Technology is an important part of our everyday lives. The students will become familiar
with the laptops. As our schedule allows, the class will spend time working on computer
skills or subject skill learning games that reinforce subjects that have been taught in the
classroom. This may be done as a class or on a small group basis in the classroom.
Awards
Each year a few fifth grade students from each class are recognized for their outstanding
academic achievement with the Presidential Academic Fitness Award. The purpose of the
awards and qualifications are as follows:
Presidents Education Awards
What is the purpose of the Presidents Education Awards program?
The purpose of the Presidents Education Awards program is to recognize
academic success in the classroom. Since 1983, the Presidents Education
Awards program has provided individual recognition from the President and

the U.S. Secretary of Education to those students whose outstanding efforts

have enabled them to meet challenging standards of excellence.
Communication
The most effective way to eliminate the majority of problems is through open
communication between parent, child, and teacher. The fifth grade team is dedicated to
providing timely communications through email, phone calls, and conferences. We make
every effort to plan as a team. This allows us the ability to focus our communication
efforts to all parents. We will make every effort to contact you regarding your concerns
the same day they are received. Please make sure we have current phone numbers and
all valid email addresses with a signed release so that we are able to contact you with
important information that concerns your child.
Reading: One of the most important areas in a childs education is reading. Our reading
series is from Harcourt. This is a totally integrated reading/language arts program series
with many opportunities for extending your childs enjoyment of books. We will also read
several novels this year that your students will enjoy. We utilize AR (Accelerated Reading)
to encourage reading beyond the assignments in class. Having your child read outside
the classroom will significantly enhance their abilities in the classroom.
Math: The math series we are using is Envision. This book takes the students from basic
arithmetic through the foundation of many areas of math, including: geometry,
measurement, algebra, and scale and graph reading. It consistently builds upon prior
learning. This program provides the student with the time and opportunities necessary to
build a rock-solid foundation in mathematics. Saxon Math is used to supplement the
mathematics curriculum.
Social Studies: Social studies in fifth grade should be an adventure of our heritage. We
will learn about the paths of our forefathers through the years of progress. Some of these
areas include: Geography of the U.S., Colonial Life, and Building a Governmental System.
Knowing the names and abbreviations of the states is imperative to the curriculum.
Science: Science is primarily a product of discovery. Questions will be asked using
WHAT, HOW, and WHY. Students will be introduced to understanding the processes of
science. Our book consists of many projects that promote interaction with processes and
how they relate to the world today. We use the National Geographic Exploring Science
series as our text and will integrate discovery and process skills with our math.
Language Arts: The English book we will be using is Houghton Mifflin English. It offers
language and usage in combination with literature and writing. We will be working on the
four areas of writing: Narrative, Descriptive, Expository, and Persuasive throughout the
school year. We are also learning about the 6 + 1 traits of writing.
In Closing We are so pleased to have your child in our fifth grade classes this year.
We hope that your childs last year of elementary school at Aspen Creek will be a very
successful one. We are genuinely concerned with your childs progress in the fifth grade
and will make every effort to make this a productive year for your child. Your childs
education is a joint responsibility between teacher, child, and parents. With open
communication and co-operation, your child will be the winner! If you have any
questions or concerns, feel free to contact us. The best way to contact us is through

email, but we will respond to notes and return phone calls as soon as possible.

The fifth grade plan time is: 9:20 - 10:00 a.m.

Your students teachers:
Tracy Farris, Kristen Griffiths, Ed Hodge and Kayla Wilhelm