Dear Families,

Welcome! I am so excited to have you in our class this year. Please take a moment to read through this letter to learn more about our classroom expectations.

Daily Assignments

Fifth graders will be responsible for completing assignments by their due date. Most assignments can be found in Google Classroom along with a grading rubric and due date.  Other assignments are completed in student’s subject notebooks or math book.  Students will be given time in class to complete assignments. If an assignment is not finished during the given class time, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the assignment for homework and return it the next day.      

We will frequently use Google Classroom this year. Students can access Google Classroom from home by logging into their Google account with their ______@student.mcpsmt.org login information.  Families can access our Google Classroom to check due dates, grades, and other information. In addition, students can message other students and me from the Google Classroom platform.

Homework

Fifth graders are encouraged to read books from a variety of genres. Students are expected to read every night for 30 minutes.  In addition, students will have research projects, writing assignments, math, and other larger projects due throughout the year.  

Absences/Tardy

In the case of an absence, students are responsible for completing all missed work including notes, tests, and projects. If you are going to be gone for an extended amount of time, please let me know as soon as possible so I can prepare assignments ahead of time. It is important to follow school policy when leaving for an extended amount of time. 

We have specialists first thing in the morning. When students are tardy, they are missing crucial information. If you need help getting to school on time, please reach out. 

Smart devices 

Following the MCPS student handbook, phones and smart watches (including Gizmos) must be turned off and/or left in the backpack during the school day. If you have an urgent message for your student, please call the office or send me an email and the message will be delivered. 

Dismissal/End-of-Day Procedures

Dismissal time is 2:55 on M, T, W, F, and 2:10 on TH. Students are encouraged to use the school bus transportation system, walk or bike regularly. Parent pick-up is on the Pineview Drive side of the school. Mountain View Drive is for buses only during dismissal. Please make sure to email jjenkins@mcpsmt.org and send a note with the student to school in the morning if there are changes to a student’s dismissal plan.

Band and Orchestra

Fifth graders have the opportunity to play in the school band or orchestra. This is a great precursor to middle school. I strongly encourage all students to participate in the program. Instrument rentals for fifth-grade camp will be held on Thursday, August 15 (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) and August 16 (8:00 a.m.- noon) at the Arts Education Office, Administrative Building B, 909 South Ave. W. 

Food

Snacks are eaten around 1:30 every day. Please let me know if you would like to donate snacks to our classroom.  Water is the only drink allowed in the classroom. Please make sure water is in a water bottle that does not spill.    

Birthday

Birthdays will be celebrated with a game or another fun activity. Please do not send treats.  

Volunteers

We have many exciting events happening this year. MCPS requires that all volunteers register on the volunteer portal.  For more information and to register go to https://mcpsmt.galaxydigital.com/. 

I look forward to being your teacher this year. If you have any questions, please email or call. 

Ms. Katy Ellison

406-728-2400 ext. 4712

kaellison@mcpsmt.org