Welby Way 5th Grade Back to School Night www.mywelby.org www.parentsofwelbyway.org

Welcome to the 5th Grade!

It’s simple: your child comes to us with unique gifts, experiences, interests, and learning styles. Our mission is to utilize those differences to guide, support, and motivate your child to reach his/her potential. The 5th grade team is devoted to see that all of our students achieve academic and personal excellence. Here at Welby Way:

• quality education is a community commitment • students are measured by a higher standard • innovation and education come together • your student can explore, dream, and discover

Mrs. Gallo, Mrs. Slezinger, Ms. Stern, Mrs. Tallas, and Mr. Whang

Academic Foci

Our 5th grade curriculum is designed to cultivate the talents, interests, and scholastic aptitude of students through an interdisciplinary approach to academic study. The goal is to provide an elementary school curriculum that extends student learning with depth and complexity and meets the needs of a diverse group of learners. We do so by incorporating the following elements:

• Depth – increasing the depth to which a student explores a curricular topic

• Complexity – making relationships, connecting other concepts, and layering a “why/how”

• Novelty – providing opportunities to make personal meanings

Subject Matter Overview

A rigorous curriculum in math, science, language arts, and the humanities prepares our students to be successful at the most competitive middle schools in the Valley. We emphasize discussion, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills that are required for success in college, career, and life.

English Language Arts The ELA program at Welby Way asks students to read core literature novels and poetry, as well as more complex informational texts (Newsela) that provide background knowledge in areas such as science and social studies. Students will be challenged and asked questions that push them to refer back to what they have read. Our writing program combines components from Units of Study by Lucy Calkins and Writer’s Workshop, with an added focus on grammar. To support our reading and writing lessons, we also take time to strengthen vocabulary skills through the study of Greek and Latin roots (stems) and by incorporating Wordly Wise 3000.

Mathematics The math program at Welby Way develops students’ in–depth conceptual understanding and pragmatic procedural proficiency. In math, students are actively engaged and acquire the ability to analyze, evaluate various strategies, apply mathematical reasoning to questions, investigate patterns and relationships, and communicate solutions and conclusions. We utilize programs such as Eureka Math, My Math, Khan Academy, and our pre–algebra class to help meet those goals.

5th Grade Policies, Assessments, and Major Events

Homework Policy • Daily assignments (Monday–Thursday) ~ 50 mins. to 1 hour • 20 - 30 minutes for daily reading, in addition to homework

HAM (Homework Assignment Missing) - homework grade 0 - 2 HAMs = 4 3 - 4 HAMs = 3 5 HAMs = 2 6+ HAMs = 1

Assessments • Periodic Assessments – DIBELS/TRC (Text Reading

Comprehension), District math assessments, District science assessments, and SBAC (April - May)

• On–going assessments – textbook, rubrics, and teacher–prepared quizzes and exams.

• Accelerated Math Placement - May 2016

Major Events • Choices brochure - October 1, 2015 • MS tours - information coming soon • Hale MS charter/SAS application - early Spring 2016 • Colonial Day (on campus) – Spring 2016 • Pali Camp – May 11-13, 2016 • 5th grade culmination – June 9, 2016

Physical Education Physical education at Welby Way is both developmentally and instructionally relevant for all students, not just the highly skilled or physically fit ones. We recognize students’ development and changing movement abilities, as well as their individual differences. Ballroom Dance and our annual soccer tournament are two unique examples of how we integrate physical education into the curriculum. The ultimate purpose of our physical education program is to help all students gain the skills and knowledge to be physically active for a lifetime.

Subject Matter Overview continued

Science, Health, and Social Skills The goals of our science and health programs are for students to know and understand the natural world, to observe with curiosity, and to feel the resistance of the ever–changing world around them. Over the year, we gradually introduce major questions of ethics, including: What actions are right? And according to what criteria? What should our attitude be when we face the living world, the environment, and the health of ourselves and each other? We believe that good emotional, physical, mental, and social health and wellness are integral parts to a student’s ability to succeed in school. By incorporating real-world performance tasks, Foss Kits, health and wellness projects, hands–on experiments, and technology, we provide our students with a number of ways to explore how they fit in (or stand out) as part of a larger, interconnected system.

Social Studies Within our 5th grade curriculum, social studies provides a coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, and religion. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.

Music, Drama, and the Visual Arts In our weekly music lessons, students learn basic performance skills and musical structure. They also learn the importance of teamwork in preparation for concerts and in-class dramatic activities. Through exploration of varied media, including drawing, painting, and printmaking, students learn basic art making skills while developing critical and creative thinking skills. The purposes of these activities are to help students develop awareness of, and appreciation for, the skills in communicating through art, and a feeling of pride and satisfaction in their work.