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Dear Students,I am so excited to meet you! We are going to have a fabulous adventure together in 5th grade! Fifth grade is my absolute favorite grade to teach, and I hope it will be a favorite of yours also.
A little about me. . . I grew up in Boise, Idaho. As long as I can remember, I wanted to become a teacher. To pursue this dream, I moved to Utah after graduating high school to attend BYU. (And in case you are a USU or U of U fan, don't worry. I received my Master's degree from USU and worked two years for the U of U.) Other than a one-year adventure living in Washington, D.C. working for a U.S. senator, my home has been in the beautiful state of Utah.
My family, small as it is, is the center of my world. My daughter Ellie is the one and only child. Fortunately for my husband and me, she is pretty perfect. She will be starting her senior year of college in just a few weeks. (And just for the record, Ellie would tell you that there are four members of our family because she includes her darling dog Megan.)
Things I love besides 5th grade, 5th graders, and family: Traveling, reading (especially children's books), sunsets (especially by the ocean), trying new recipes, and digital scrapbooking. Last but not least, I love Antelope Canyon! It is such a great school with wonderful students and families.
I want this to be an amazing year for you! My goal is not just for you to learn, but for you to LOVE learning. I cannot wait to discover the talents and strengths each of you have and to help you reach new heights this year.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Thacker
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Our Daily Adventure Schedule
The first few weeks will be a little different, but once we are in our regular routine, this is our Monday through Thursday schedule:
9:00-9:15: Morning Start
9:15-10:15: Math
10:15-10:30: Misc.
10:30-11:10-Rotations (Monday: Music; Tues., Library; Wed., P.E.; Thurs., STEM)
11:15-11:45: Walk to Read
11:45-12:15: Math Practice
12:20-1:00: Lunch
1:00-2:15: Literacy/Social Studies
2:15-2:30: Recess
2:30-3:20: Science/Social Studies
3:20-3:35: Closure
3:35: Dismissal
9:15-10:15: Math
10:15-10:30: Misc.
10:30-11:10-Rotations (Monday: Music; Tues., Library; Wed., P.E.; Thurs., STEM)
11:15-11:45: Walk to Read
11:45-12:15: Math Practice
12:20-1:00: Lunch
1:00-2:15: Literacy/Social Studies
2:15-2:30: Recess
2:30-3:20: Science/Social Studies
3:20-3:35: Closure
3:35: Dismissal
On Fridays, recess will be at 10:40 and lunch will be from 12:15-12:55. School dismisses at 1:00.
The Places our Adventure Will Take Us
In Math, I am excited to help you master fractions (+, -, x, ÷) and become confident with decimals, area and volume, and the basics of the metric system. We will also be working on problem solving strategies.
Our Reading program will include stories and nonfiction texts in Journeys, Science and Social Studies texts, and current event articles found in Scholastic News. As in previous years, we will be doing Walk to Read four days a week to focus on specific reading skills and strategies that will help all students progress. Vocabulary words will also be a weekly focus in Reading this year.
In writing, we will focus on opinion, narrative, and argumentative pieces.
In Science this year, you will get to learn about the Characteristics and Interactions of Earth Systems, Properties and Changes of Matter, and Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems. We will learn how to think like scientists and engineers as we do lots of hands-on learning. You will have a special Science notebook for the year to keep track of all your scientific explorations!
The focus for Social Studies is United States history and government. This is one of my very favorite things about 5th grade!
You will love Music with Mrs. Bawden, Library with Mrs. Lewis or Mrs. Gustafson, STEM with Mrs. Oakeson or Mrs. Martin, and P.E. with Mrs. Rosenkrantz.
Our Reading program will include stories and nonfiction texts in Journeys, Science and Social Studies texts, and current event articles found in Scholastic News. As in previous years, we will be doing Walk to Read four days a week to focus on specific reading skills and strategies that will help all students progress. Vocabulary words will also be a weekly focus in Reading this year.
In writing, we will focus on opinion, narrative, and argumentative pieces.
In Science this year, you will get to learn about the Characteristics and Interactions of Earth Systems, Properties and Changes of Matter, and Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems. We will learn how to think like scientists and engineers as we do lots of hands-on learning. You will have a special Science notebook for the year to keep track of all your scientific explorations!
The focus for Social Studies is United States history and government. This is one of my very favorite things about 5th grade!
You will love Music with Mrs. Bawden, Library with Mrs. Lewis or Mrs. Gustafson, STEM with Mrs. Oakeson or Mrs. Martin, and P.E. with Mrs. Rosenkrantz.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!"
--Dr. Seuss
--Dr. Seuss
Classroom Rules & Expectations
I want our classroom a place where you want to be, a place where everyone feels safe and comfortable, and a place that will allow us to learn as much as possible each day. I take my responsibility as your teacher very seriously and will be well prepared to teach you each day. I care deeply about my students and will treat each of you with respect.
Student Expectations
On the first day of school, we will talk about these three basic rules for our classroom:
1. Respect self
2. Respect others
3. Respect the environment
I know your biggest reward for following classroom expectations will be self-satisfaction. We will also have fun class and individual rewards to recognize your efforts to make our classroom a wonderful place to be. If you forget to follow the rules and expectations, or choose not to do so, you will be given a warning to help get you on the right track. If you choose to continue on the wrong track, you will lose out on classroom privileges and rewards. When there is a pattern of misbehavior, your parents will be informed of the situation.
1. Respect self
2. Respect others
3. Respect the environment
I know your biggest reward for following classroom expectations will be self-satisfaction. We will also have fun class and individual rewards to recognize your efforts to make our classroom a wonderful place to be. If you forget to follow the rules and expectations, or choose not to do so, you will be given a warning to help get you on the right track. If you choose to continue on the wrong track, you will lose out on classroom privileges and rewards. When there is a pattern of misbehavior, your parents will be informed of the situation.
Learning at Home
You will be encouraged to read 100 minutes every week (preferably 20 minutes 5 days a week). Other regular at-home assignments will include completing any work that was not finished in class and studying for upcoming tests. (Most weeks, there will be a vocabulary test.) When you are absent, it will be your responsibility to find out what you missed and to complete the work.
School Supplies
You will be provided with the school supplies needed. However, if your family would like to donate items, here is a list of items that will find good use in our classroom this year:
Paper Towels
Hand sanitizer
Boxes of Tissues
Ticonderoga pencils (pre-sharpened are great)
Colored sticky notes, both 3 x 3 and 1.5 x 2 (Costco has a great package of the 3 x 3 at a good price)
Glue sticks -- fat size
Dual Marker Set from Amazon
Ziploc quart size bags
Small non-food reward items
Paper Towels
Hand sanitizer
Boxes of Tissues
Ticonderoga pencils (pre-sharpened are great)
Colored sticky notes, both 3 x 3 and 1.5 x 2 (Costco has a great package of the 3 x 3 at a good price)
Glue sticks -- fat size
Dual Marker Set from Amazon
Ziploc quart size bags
Small non-food reward items
Classroom Treats
If you would like to donate treats that will be used for occasional rewards, that would be nice. (Tootsie Pops, Laffy Taffy, Hi-Chews, or Jolly Ranchers are great.)
It is fun to celebrate birthdays in our classroom. You do not need to bring treats for your birthday, but if you choose to do so, remember that all treats must be store bought and pre-packaged. There might be students in our class with allergies, such as gluten or nuts, so we need to keep this in consideration with treats. (We celebrate summer birthdays in May.)
It is fun to celebrate birthdays in our classroom. You do not need to bring treats for your birthday, but if you choose to do so, remember that all treats must be store bought and pre-packaged. There might be students in our class with allergies, such as gluten or nuts, so we need to keep this in consideration with treats. (We celebrate summer birthdays in May.)
We Want You to Be Healthy and Happy!
Prevention
To prevent the spread of germs, we will be diligent in our efforts to keep our hands and desks sanitized.
Second Step Program
Not only is your physical health important to us, but your social-emotional health is also. School-wide (usually on Fridays) we focus on social-emotional learning through a program called Second Step. In our weekly lessons, you will learn skills that will help you throughout your life, such as how to manage your emotions, have empathy, make responsible decisions, solve problems, and have good relationships with those around you.
