Class Overview

5th Grade Syllabus 2013-2014

Mr. Martinez

Room 14

Introduction:

Welcome to 5th grade!  I am very excited to teach each and every one of you this year.  The purpose of this class is to reinforce what you’ve already learned in 4^th grade and teach you new concepts to help you succeed in 5^th grade, middle school, high school, and beyond.  We will strive to find ways to apply what we’ve learned in class to real life situations.

Classroom Rules and Expectations:

All students in this school are required to abide by the Garden Road Character Traits.  These expectations are posted throughout the school and will be reviewed constantly.

I like to keep things simple, so I am only going to give you two classroom rules to follow:

I will not interfere with my classmates’ learning.

I will not interfere with my teacher’s teaching.

As 5thgrade students, I expect you to know which behaviors would break these two rules.  If you choose to break these rules to the point where I am forced to remove you from the class, you will be expected to make up class time before or after school.  I want to create a positive learning environment where students are free to learn without risk or distraction, so please do your part!

Materials:

You should have the following materials with you every time you walk into my classroom:

Pencils, Pens, and Highlighters

A folder for each subject

Planner

No students will be allowed to go to their backpack after class has begun.

Grades:

Your grade in the class will be based on a combination of quizzes, daily practice, and tests.

Quizzes: Typically, we will have about two quizzes per unit. Sometimes I will have you take quizzes individually; other times I will let you take group or partner quizzes.

Daily Practice: Daily practice is exactly as it sounds- practice problems that we complete each day.  At the beginning of each class, I will post a warm-up activity.  Each trimester, students start with 50 points for the warm-ups.  If you do not actively participate in the warm-up on a given day, you will lose two points.  In addition to the warm-up, I frequently grade practice assignments.  Be responsible and make sure to complete your work to the best of your ability.  These points add up quickly!

Tests: Every unit concludes with a test.  These tests will have questions about what you’ve learned during the unit, and often times what you’ve learned in previous units. Tests can sometimes be intimidating to students, which is why I’ve provided a bit of a safety net- test corrections.  After I’ve graded your test, you have the opportunity to correct any questions you missed on the test and earn back half credit for each question.  Here are the requirements to earn back points:

Test corrections should be completed on a separate piece of notebook paper and stapled to the test

All work must be shown, not just the answers

Work should be neat and organized

I encourage you to work with an adult or an older sibling/relative

Assignment Completion :In this class, every student will complete every assignment, and the work that is turned in will be quality work.  I also expect that any work turned in is your own work.  Homework is not only designed to help you on the test, it is also helping you build a foundation for concepts you will be using for the rest of your life!

Absence Policy: 

If you miss class for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to ask me and/or one of your classmates for any notes, assignments, or in class activities you may have missed. Please do this before school, after school, or during study hall (NOT AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS).  You will be given two days after your absence to turn in the necessary assignments.  For example, if you were gone on Monday and returned to school on Tuesday, you would have until Wednesday to turn the assignment in. 

Here is a link to our school calendar to help keep organized:

Garden Road School Calendar

After-School Appointments: 

If you or your parent(s) have any questions, comments, or concerns that you would like to address with me, please feel free to schedule an appointment with me after school.  I try to make myself available every day but Friday (which is our district time banking day).  Below is my contact information:

Just click on my name to send a message:

lmartinez@powayusd.com

Phone:(858) 748-0230 ext.2114

I’m looking forward to an exciting, productive, and fun year with you all!

Meet Mr. Martinez

This is my tenth year of teaching and I couldn't be happier. Currently, I teach 5th grade, but have taught third and fourth grade too. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and working alongside parents to bring out the best in their children.

I have a curious nature and see myself as a lifelong learner. This fall I completed a Master's Degree in Integrating Technology in the Classroom. I always seek out new ways to improve my teaching skills and advance the quality of education at my school.

When I am not in the classroom, I spend time with my boys playing tennis, baseball, football, racquetball, and soccer. My wife and I like to go to the movies; I also enjoy reading and collecting music.