Tuesday, July 31, 2018



Welcome back to another exciting school year! 
Check out the information below about Marshall and Ms. Fisher’s class and stay tuned throughout the year for regular updates, student's of the week, and other important information. 

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ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
:
Children may not arrive at school earlier than 8:15 unless they are enrolled in FACTS. After this time, all students and any parents who wish to wait with their children must stay on the playground until the first bell rings at 8:35. Please remember that students and parents are not allowed in the halls before school. This time is for teachers to prepare for the day, have scheduled meetings, and help with playground duty. Thank you for respecting this time. When the bell rings, students line up outside and are walked in as a class. After the 8:40 late bell, students not in their seats will be marked as absent. If your child needs to be picked up from school prior to the regular dismissal time, please see or call Miss Malinda in the front office. She will have your child meet you in the front office, where you will need to sign them out. 

CONTACTING MS. FISHER:  
Please email me anytime with questions, concerns, or to set up an in person meeting. I typically check my email when I arrive at school in the morning and before I leave for the day. My email address is efisher@fusd1.org. This is the quickest way to reach me. To contact me by phone, please wait until after the 3:20 bell, call the front office, and ask to be connected to Room 30. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to visit with families before school or during the day. Getting the students off to a great start in the morning and keeping them focused during lessons is my top priority. I’m happy to have visitors after the final bell rings and students have been dismissed from the classroom.  If you need to meet before school for any reason, please email Ms. Fisher ahead of time to schedule a meeting. 

SNACKS:
Please send your child with a water bottle they can keep at their desk during the day. Please make sure your child’s water bottle and any other personal belongings (jackets, lunch boxes, etc.) are marked with their name. Students should also bring a healthy mid morning snack each day. No soda, gum, or candy will be allowed in class.

CELL PHONES and TOYS:
Cell phones and other electronics must be kept off and in backpacks during school hours. If students have these out during the day or they ring in class, they will be taken from the student and kept in the school's care until an adult can come and pick them up. Personal items brought to school always carry the risk of being lost, stolen, or broken. Please do not allow your child to bring anything to school that would cause a problem if anything should happen to it. Spinners and other fidget toys are only permitted in class for students who have them included in their IEP or 504 plan.

HOMEWORK and CLASSWORK:
Expect your student to have some homework Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and occasional weekend projects. Most days, students will have the opportunity to begin homework in class during a daily study hall. Homework will typically either be a spelling assignment or an Expert’s Journal (a mini research assignment). Students also have the option of taking home incomplete math classwork if they need extra practice on specific skills. While we do not require an adult to sign agendas for nightly reading, students should be reading at least 20 minutes outside of class each day: this is one of the best ways for them to improve their reading skills.

As the year moves forward, look for more information on the two student-led portfolio conferences that will be held this year. I truly believe this is the best way for you to see your student’s progress and growth. Because of this, some student work will remain in the classroom until the end of the year. If you are curious about any work that doesn’t make it home in their biweekly “traveling folder,” feel free to stop by after school and have your student share it with you.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:
 In this class, we celebrate birthdays once a month in a big celebration. The last Friday of every month is “Birthday Friday,”and students are encouraged to bring in treats to share with the class; there are about 30 students in the class. Feel free to send treats even if it’s not your child’s birthday month on this special day! Please do not send birthday treats on any day other than Birthday Friday.
THE FUN STUFF:
There will be many exciting and challenging activities for your fifth grader this year as our class explores science and social studies topics that include geography, mixtures and solutions, outer space, The Revolutionary War, and Westward Expansion. Fifth grade math emphasizes decimals, adding, subtracting, and multiplying many types of fractions, and dividing unit fractions. If anyone has special skills or information related to our topics of study and would like to share them with the class, please let me know.

Looking forward to a great year!
Ms. Fisher