October 4, 2019 

Dear Team 5-3 families, 

Thanks for a couple of fantastic weeks! W ​ e have started hitting "the groove" and are seeing the 
students really grow and take on responsibility for their own learning. Some students are needing 
support with their behavior and/or assignments, so keep a close eye on both ClassDojo points and 
ParentVue for our feedback. These are not perfect systems by any means, but they can give you a picture 
of how your child is doing with their new 5th grade expectations. Grades are clear to us, but very strange 
to them. Just today someone asked me, "So... is D a bad grade?" Another asked, "Is a 50% a GOOD score 
for my spelling test?" Re-do assignments and test/quiz retakes are nearly always available if students 
come talk with us. 

You are also welcome to message, email, or call us if at any time you see something that concerns you - 
we'd rather address small issues early and frequently, because it works out so much better for everyone. 
We don't always see problems developing the way elementary teachers can; the kids are only with us half 
of the day, and have more freedom in the halls and lunches than ever before. They also have access to 
email and social media at home, which can be a tricky thing to handle positively - this is usually the time 
of year that they have now developed new friendships and conflicts can start happening. Ms. Emily Hann, 
our school social worker, is also available to help. 

We have 2 requests for you to consider -  

1) W
​ e NEED ​some more men / male chaperones​ (especially to stay the night in cabins) for Camp on 
Thurs, October 17th & Fri, Oct. 18th.​ Our team is the last group to go, so we still have some time left for 
you to check your schedule. All we need is the GHAPS Volunteer Assessment and $40 for the adult's fee. 
Please consider asking a dude to join us - this is an in-the-woods type of experience, unlike so many other 
field trips in elementary grades. All volunteers will have back-up and will be partnered up with at least 1 
other adult, so no one's "alone" as a chaperone. 

2) Pencils / materials. Somehow we have already consumed more than $65 worth of pencils ... in less 
than 2 months! Please check with your child to be sure they have some pencils in their lockers and that 
they are​ bringing a pencil to class every day​. Mrs. Baker's "roadkill" cups went completely empty this 
afternoon when 5 students had nothing to write with. ​We also need some help with at-home 
consequences for not getting to class ​WITH needed materials​ in a timely way​: ​for example, many students 
are still forgetting to bring a book to Reading class. Encourage your child to do what they can to use 
break times effectively. Some kids may need to clean their lockers, or to get items organized by class / 
color / folder. You can see in ClassDojo how this is generally going for your child. Thank you for your 
support! 

We are so proud of the way this group of students is accepting and caring of others, even those with 
differences. They are a kind and thoughtful bunch, and they deserve kudos for their flexibility and 
patience with each other. They try hard to include everyone. We've noticed them thinking deeply about 
the perspectives and problems they see around us already!   

Sorry this got so long, but thanks for reading along. Remember we are here to help in any way we can.   

Yours, Mrs. Claridy and Mrs. Baker