5th Grade Syllabus

 

Sunset Ridge School

 5th Grade Syllabus

Parent involvement is all about the children. Participation in your child’s education has proven to boost his or her achievement in school. We are committed to treating parents as partners while keeping lines of communication open and focusing on the needs of our children. Mutual trust and respect between parents and teachers is required to maintain a positive learning experience at any school. We believe that your trust in Sunset Ridge is required to ensure your child’s success.

Mr Wilding is an elite National Board Certified Teacher who earned a Master’s Degree from NAU. He enjoys bike riding and spending time with his granddaughter.

Mrs. Cusson has been working in Deer Valley since 1998 and graduated from ASU. She enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and working out.

Mrs. Patel started teaching in 2007 in New Jersey and graduated from Gwynedd Mercy College in Pennsylvania. She loves hiking, cooking, reading books, and singing.

 

 

CURRICULUM

Science includes  Matter, Force & Motion, Earth & Moon, and Genetics & the Environment.

The Social Studies program is Harcourt and topics include the American Revolution, Government & Constitution, Westward Expansion, Civil War, and  Reconstruction.

Writing Workshop comes from the Into Reading HMH program and includes

Module 1	Module 2 & 6	Module 3	Module 4	Module 5	Module 7
Informational Text/ Expository Essay	Narrative/ Story	Argument/ Persuasive Essay	Informational Text/Letter	Argument/ Editorial	Informational Text/Research Report

 

Module 8	Module 9	Module 10	Module 11	Module 12
Poetry/Lyric Poem	Narrative/ Imaginative Story	Argument/ Letter to the Editor	Narrative/ Realistic Story	Poetry/ Narrative Poem

 

The Reading Program is HMH and has 12 modules. Students will listen to, read, and view a variety of texts and media. 

Text structures include literature that focuses on narrative nonfiction, realistic fiction, poetry, myth, fantasy/adventure, mystery, personal historical fiction, persuasive text, fiction, drama, informational text,and  science fiction/fantasy to build knowledge.

Skills taught include author’s purpose, central ideas, text structure, author’s craft, point of view, theme, figurative language, literary elements, identifying characters, setting, plot and conflict, summarize events, ask/answer questions to understand unfamiliar texts, make and confirm predictions, tone, and  media techniques, 

The Math Program is Eureka Math and has six modules.

Module 1	Module 2	Module 3	Module 4	Module 5	Module 6
Place Value and Decimal Fractions	Multi-Digit Whole Number and Decimal Fraction Operations	Addition and Subtraction of Fractions	Multiplication and Division of Fractions and Decimal Fractions	Addition and Multiplication with Volume and Area	Problem Solving with the Coordinate Plane

 

o Resources 

▪    DVUSD Math Resources for Parents

▪    DVUSD English Language Arts Resources for Parents

▪    DVUSD Social Studies Resources for Parents

▪    DVUSD Science Resources for Parents

▪    What is Depth of Knowledge (DOK)?

 

COMMUNICATION

•       Communication with parents and families occurs through student planners, Canvas, and teacher emails. Students and parents can find nightly homework assignments or information to help support student at home on our website and in the student planner.
•       Our Sunset Ridge Website,    Smores, and our school Newsletter contain up to date information. 

• The fifth grade website contains information about fifth grade news, teacher bios, photo gallery and links to student resources.

 

•       Contact details 

  Best times to reach teachers is by email. The phone lines do not ring into the classroom during the school day. We strive to respond to emails within 24 hours.   stephen.wilding@dvusd.org  623-445-7872

shannon.cusson@dvusd.org  623-445-7871

reshma.patel@dvusd.org 623-445-7874

     Please schedule specific times to meet with us, as we need time to communicate effectively. We often have professional duties directly before and after school hours. Please understand that we will not be able to meet or discuss issues while we are teaching or supervising students. However, we  will contact you as soon as we can.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLC’s)

Most Fridays, students will be released early so that we are able to participate in PLC work. This work is directly related to the planning, instruction and interventions we implement in our classrooms to ensure that students master the standards.

Role of PLC

A professional learning community is a group of educators that meet regularly and work Collaboratively to improve teaching practices and the achievement of students. The questions that drive the work of PLC’s are:

•       What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
•       How will we know if they learn it?
•       How will we respond if some students do not learn?
•       How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

PLC Teams are responsible for collaborating to establish general consistency among the following:

•       Assignments, presentations, products, observations and assessments used to determine a student's level of performance in relation to grade-level standards.
•       The method and schedule for additional learning opportunities.
•       Due dates, deadlines, and procedures for reassessment.
•       Create opportunities for common scoring of assessments.

 

SSR HOMEWORK & GRADING

•       Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework is essential for increasing and reinforcing student learning and achievement for course standards. Homework may be differentiated to meet the needs of our varied learners. The intent of homework is to practice, extend learning, and provide opportunities for students to develop critical, independent study skills and self-discipline for their life-long educational journeys.
•       Grades are a reporting tool utilized to reflect what a student knows and is able to do in a content area. We measure achievement, not effort or behavior, in our grading system.
•       Grades will be equitable, accurate, specific, consistent.
•       A student’s grade should reflect academic learning and should never be used as a punitive tool.
•       Grades are for reporting the status of academic learning, not behavioral conduct
•       The primary purpose of assessment and grading is to provide detailed feedback to inform and support student learning.
•       Learning is a process that takes place over time and at different speeds for different students.
•       PowerSchool is an essential resource for parents and students. It is not only a tool for communication regarding grades, it is a resource for our students and parents to check progress, missing work, and what is being taught/learned regularly. Please ensure that you and your child have access (separate accounts) and even sign up for the app and push notifications or weekly email updates as an option in PowerSchool.

 

WHY STANDARDS BASED MINDSET FOR GRADING?

Parents:

•         Progress reports are less mysterious and have more meaning
•         Parents are aware of exactly what their child knows, is able to do, and next steps for progress
•         Parents know in what areas their child needs more support
•         Parents are empowered to increase their child's confidence and help their student set goals

Students:

•         Learning targets are clearly defined and aligned with state standards.
•         Students are offered multiple opportunities and ways through which to demonstrate proficiency
•         Students monitor their own progress toward the achievement of specified targets
•         Specific feedback on progress helps build self-esteem, pride, and motivation

Teachers:

•         Teachers know exactly where students stand in their progress toward learning targets and what support needs to be provided
•         Teachers of the same courses have aligned expectations and standards
•         Assessment results help teachers determine when students need extra help and when they need more challenging work

Sunset Ridge was one of the ten schools in DVUSD who piloted the new grading system during the 2021-2022 school year. We will continue with a Standards Based Mindset while grading for the 2022-2023 school year with the revised Transition Plan as directed by the DVUSD Governing Board. Additional information regarding Standards Based Mindset for grading transition plan can be found here.

K-6 Grading Scale

PROCEDURES FOR RE-ASSESSMENTS AND LATE WORK

• There will be no grade caps or grade penalties for turning in the eligible late work.  
• All work will be due within two weeks of the assigned date and/or end of the grading period.
•  A "1" will be entered in the gradebook for late or missing work along with a special code or "M" missing or "L" Late.  
• If the student is eligible to submit the assignment, the grade will be adjusted to the score the student earns on the assignment.
•  To encourage strong work habits, we will offer additional time for students to do the work  if they are unable to complete on their own. (Possible time will be available during the second recess and  small group assistance.)  
• The grade book will show missing work, communication with students/parents will take place through PowerSchool gradebook.
• Students can self monitor their assignments on the responsibility card. 

For students to do a retest, they must have all assignments for that unit or module completed (no missing work). 

 

Assessments must be retaken within 1 week of receiving the original grade.

 

*Student would not receive a 4 on a retest.

Students will still be responsible for turning in late work in addition to their current coursework, which results in the natural consequence of a heavier workload. The primary consequence for students not completing the work is to complete the work.

Learning is a journey that is often not linear. Some students learn content and skills quickly while others may require more time or feedback in order to learn. The primary objective of grades is to report where a student is in the learning process, regardless of how much time or effort the student needs to get there.

 

• Students will be afforded extra time for learning; however, there is an ending point for each course in which final reports on a student’s learning must be conveyed.
• Final assessments or end of term capstone projects and performance assessments will not be eligible for retakes.
• Assessments/assignments may be in an alternate format for reassessment.
• Students are required to show evidence of learning and applying the teacher’s feedback in order to earn a reassessment opportunity.

STUDENTS ROLE IN LEARNING

Students become self-directed in learning about themselves as a learner. They have to analyze their own study habits to figure out what actually works for them, this helps students retain knowledge.

•             Incomplete formative assignments will be identified as a  1 and be indicated as missing in the grade book.
•             Retakes must be student initiated; parents should acknowledge awareness of retake. Reassessments will be permitted following proof of practice and relearning, per teacher discretion.
•             Retakes and late work must be submitted within two weeks of the date of the original assessment.
•             No “extra credit” will be given at any time.

GRADE BOOK

The gradebook will include progress on or acquisition of  learning progressions (i.e. work and assignments based on the activities and prerequisite skills needed to master the standard) and assessments or projects that measure the specific state standards. 

Checking PowerSchool regularly, and consistently communicating with teachers are all ways to understand how your child(ren) is progressing and learning each skill and standard required at their grade level.

 

SIncerely, 

Mr. Wilding

Mrs. Cusson

Mrs. Patel