5th Grade

Contacting Teachers 

• Due to the fact that our phones are set to go directly to voicemail during the day, sending an email is generally the quickest way to reach any of us.
• If you have a general 5th grade question or concern, please contact your child's homeroom/1st rotation teacher.
  • Ex: questions about a field trip, clarification about a calendar event, absent work requests, etc.
• If you have a specific question or concern about one of your child's classes, please contact the teacher directly.
  • Math questions or concerns --> Mrs. Copenhaver (jolynn.copenhaver@dvusd.org)
  • ELA questions or concerns --> Mrs. Orr (jen.orr@dvusd.org)
  • Social Studies questions or concerns --> Mrs. Liguori (deborah.liguori@dvusd.org)
  • Science questions or concerns --> Mrs. Anderson (tamara.anderson@dvusd.org)
• We will make every effort to respond to your email within one school day.
• You are also welcome to call and leave a voicemail (our classroom phones will not ring during the day).  Again, we will return your call as soon as possible.

Absences

• Much of what we do in class is very difficult or impossible to make up at home, so regular attendance is encouraged whenever possible.  Obviously, illnesses and family emergencies come up, so when they do, we will work together to get students caught up as quickly as possible.
• For unplanned absences (illness, family emergency, etc.), students will be given a reasonable amount of time to complete the work that was missed.  Certain tasks and assignments have a higher priority and will need to be made up as soon as possible to ensure that students don't fall behind as the daily lessons continue.
• For planned absences where work is requested ahead of time, students are expected to submit all work on the day they return.  Often, it takes extensive time to prepare, gather, and copy for future lessons, so when work is requested ahead of time, it is expected to be completed.  If your planned absence will not permit time to complete schoolwork, it is probably best to request the missed work when the student returns.
• Assessments and science investigations/experiments will need to be made up either before school, after school, or during lunch, depending on how much time is needed.  Students should make arrangements with the teacher(s) to schedule these as needed.
• Whenever possible, have your child check Canvas and follow along online with the daily lesson and activities/assignments.  Assessments typically need to be completed at school, so have them send Canvas Inbox messages to teachers to ask about work that is unclear.

Birthdays

• Due to the fact that we rotate classes and have a very tight schedule, in addition to the rules associated with healthy snack guidelines, we are unable to celebrate birthdays in class with treats.  We are happy to sing and pass along birthday wishes, but we ask that birthday treats be saved for off-campus parties and celebrations.
• If students are planning an off-campus birthday celebration, we ask that you consider sending invitations by email or having your child pass them out after school to avoid others feeling left out if not invited.

Student-Led Conferences

• In October and again in February, the 5th grade teachers will prepare students for at-home Student-Led Conferences.  Students will be creating a paper and/or online presentation that will showcase their strengths, areas of improvement, goals, scores, and so much more!  This is a great way to find out how your child is doing!  
• For students who are struggling behaviorally and/or academically, we will invite you in for a one-on-one conference or a team conference to discuss your child's progress and make a plan for the future.
• At any time, you are welcome to request a conference or meeting.  Just send an email or give us a call, and we'll set up a time that works best for all.

Parent Involvement

• We appreciate our parent volunteers!  Throughout the year, we appreciate your involvement, especially when it comes to field trips, class parties, and helping with learning and service projects in class.
• If you would like to help in any way, please make sure that you have taken the DVUSD Parents as Partners volunteer training, which is a one-time requirement for any classroom volunteer.  You can get more information by visiting the district's volunteer website: https://www.dvusd.org/a-z-guide/volunteering

Allergies  

• As a campus, our classrooms follow a peanut-free and nut-free rule.  
• Additionally, due to allergies related to scent-sensitivities, our classrooms are "scent-free".  Please see the policy below.

Grades are on PowerSchool (PS)

All student grades are posted online to PowerSchool, the DVUSD online gradebook.  If you are returning, your child's login is the same as it was last year.  If you are new, you can obtain your child's login by stopping in the front office (you will need to show identification).  Students will also be logging onto PS regularly, and your child can show you how to log in at home using his/her login, too.

• Per DVUSD policy, grades are weighted: 80% assessment, 20% coursework.
  • Assessments might include long-term projects, bigger writing tasks, quizzes, tests, etc.
  • Coursework might include in-class practice activities, incomplete classwork finished as homework, shorter writing tasks, etc.
• There is an app you can download to your phone or tablet, allowing you to check grades as often as you'd like.
• Consider setting up alerts so that you receive emails and notifications on a regular basis. 
• Please note: Canvas will show grades, although these are not always accurate since it only shows assignments done in Canvas.  If paper assignments or non-Canvas tasks were completed, they won't show in Canvas.  For this reason, it's important to always follow PowerSchool for the most accurate grades.

Homework in 5th Grade

• Students in 5th grade should expect to spend 40-60 minutes on homework nightly.  Please check the Weekly News email that you will receive each Friday to know what and how your child should be studying.
• Please check each teacher's website for more details about homework expectations.  Your child will also have details written in their daily agenda/planner.
• Homework, classwork, and projects are to be submitted on time on the due date in order to demonstrate understanding of the skills being practiced (does not apply to absent students).  Failure to submit work on time prevents the teacher from reviewing the work and providing timely feedback and assistance when needed.
• Per DVUSD policy, students in 5th grade will have 5 school days to submit late work.  Late work will not be accepted after 5 days.

Other information about grades...

• Teachers will not distribute replacement work to students based on parent email requests.  Parents should encourage their child to talk to the teacher to discuss the need for a replacement.
• In order to allow teachers to process end of quarter grades and prepare report cards, late work will not be accepted the last week of the quarter.

• Student Behavior

  Sierra Verde students reach for the PEAK!  They are...

  • Problem-Solvers
  • Engaged
  • Accountable
  • Kind

   

  Each teacher might add rules to her class that are specific to the content and needs of the room.  For example, in Science, safety rules apply.  Each teacher will clarify specific classroom rules at the beginning of the year.

  In 5th grade, we use a monetary system called "Viper Cash" to reinforce positive behaviors and refine negative ones.  At the beginning of the year, all students begin with an envelope of Viper Cash, and throughout the year, they are able to earn more money for positive behaviors, quality work, helping others, and more!

  Students are charged Viper Cash for not following any one of the 4 expected behaviors above, for needing supplies (such as pencils or replacement work), for not having work completed when due, etc.  Each 5th grade class has a central location for collecting money, and when students are asked to "pay the bucket", they deposit their fine accordingly.  

  Students are able to spend their Viper Cash when we open our "class stores".  We have a variety of items that we sell, and students love going shopping!

  In rare situations, when behavior concerns go beyond a Viper Cash fine, teachers refer to the Sierra Verde behavior plan for consequences such as loss of recess, after school detention, office referral, etc.  Typically, these consequences are not used, as Viper Cash fines often correct any small behavior issues immediately.

  Fifth graders (and all Vipers) can also earn and redeem PBIS points as part of our school-wide positive behavior system.  Students get very excited to earn points for doing the right thing as well as redeeming points for cool prizes.

   

   

*Arizona law requires that public schools provide supplies required for academic success. This list represents optional, supplementary items which you may supply, at your discretion.  If you need assistance with school supplies, please contact your child’s teacher - we are happy to help ensure that your child has everything he or she needs to be successful.

***Please reach out to us if you need help getting any supplies.  

• Backpack (consider a rolling backpack since students do not have personal desks to store belongings)
• Zippered pouch for pencils/supplies (must fit in backpack)
• 1 heavy-duty two-pocket folder (label the inside pockets "take home" and "bring back"; with or without prongs is fine; can be “fun” or plain, just not green, red, blue, or purple)
• Pencils (sharpened or mechanical with lead replacements)
• 2 or more red ink pens
• Scissors
• 5 different colored highlighters (pink, orange, yellow, green, blue)
• Art materials - one or more of the following: colored pencils, crayons, and/or thin markers/flair pens
• Glue sticks (used regularly in all classes - students will need multiple throughout the year)
• Dry-erase markers (used daily in math - students will need multiple throughout the year)
• Personal earbuds or headphones (these can be found at dollar stores) - Bluetooth earbuds are NOT compatible with our Chromebooks
• Stylus for touch-screen Chromebook 

Supplies needed by subject area:

• English Language Arts (SAGE students DO NOT need these materials)
  • 1 GREEN heavy-duty plastic folder; label with first & last name and  “ELA”
  • 1 GREEN composition notebook, not spiral bound; label with first & last name and “ELA”
• Math
  • 1 BLUE heavy-duty plastic folder labeled “Math” (no prongs)
  • 1 BLUE composition notebook; not spiral bound; label with first & last name and “MATH”
• Science
  • 1 PURPLE heavy-duty plastic folder labeled “Science” (no prongs)
  • 1 PURPLE composition notebook; not spiral bound; label with first & last name and “Science”
• Social Studies
  • 1 RED heavy-duty plastic folder labeled “Social Studies” (no prongs)
  • 1 RED composition notebook; not spiral bound; label with first & last name and “Social Studies ISN”

Items appreciated for classroom donations, community use, and STEAM projects:

• Antibacterial cleaning wipes
• Tissue boxes
• Ziplock bags (sandwich & quart)
• Reams of white copy paper
• Reams of colored copy paper (bold, bright, and/or pastel colors)
• Extra red ink pens, glue sticks, coloring materials, etc.