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THIS WILL BE A PHENOMENAL SCHOOL YEAR!

A LITTLE ABOUT MRS. SKIBA….

*I taught 2 years in Arizona at a small Catholic School… 3rd and 4th Grade.

A LITTLE MORE….

*I come from a family of teachers. My older brother teaches 6-8th grade Science & Design and my older sister teaches High School Special Education Math. I also have a ton of cousins that are teachers.

*I went to Western Illinois University. Go Leathernecks!

*I work at Kohls on the weekend! Sign up for a Kohls Charge Card! 30% off and Kohls Cash!

*I hope to go back to school to obtain my Masters in either Reading or Special Ed. I haven’t decided yet!

*I’ve been married almost 2 years to my wonderful husband, Peter. We are in the process of building our first home!

MOST IMPORTANTLY…

*My faith is very important to me. I love teaching in a Catholic School where I can pray with my students and teach about God! I am TRULY blessed to be apart of the STM community.

WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD LEARN THIS YEAR?A LOT! I have many lessons, projects, and

activities for all learning styles! I want your child to be EXCITED about learning!

DON’T WORRY... THERE WILL BE MANY IN-CLASS PROJECTS; HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE SOME HOME PROJECTS AS WELL!

READING *We will be using the new reading series, Journeys,

(aligned with the Diocesan standards.) Each week will be focusing on different reading comprehension skills. We will read short stories from the textbook, analyze and discuss, practice the skill, and take a weekly test.

*We will also be practicing fluency each week. I model what a fluent reader looks like by reading a Read Aloud to the class. Together we discuss what a fluent reader looks and sounds like. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

*Reading Logs will start in a few weeks. Reading at home is important! The best readers are the ones who read!

*Book Reports will be once a quarter. I will pick the genre, your child will choose the book. Guidelines always go home in advance.

*We will be doing a novel study at the end of the year.

*Mrs. Benton will test my 5th graders many times throughout the year to check their reading level and fluency.

ENGLISH/SPELLING/VOCAB *English and Spelling comes from the Journey’s book.

Each week we will focus on certain skills.

*Daily Oral Language will be practiced every day.

*Weekly tests in both Spelling and English will be taken.

*We will also learn how to diagram sentences to help practice proper sentence structure!

*My students will learn how to: write a summary for a story; write short responses to what they read; use their imagination to write short narratives; use research skills to write a mini-research paper; how to format an essay; and more. 4 essays will be written this year.

*We will be using the vocabulary book after X-mas break.

*WAD words will be taught to make vocabulary fun!

RELIGION *We will be reading different Daily

Devotions each day to teach God’s message.

*We will read from our textbook and take tests/quizzes.

*We will be learning about the 7 Sacraments and Parts of a Mass.

*We will learn about the lives of different Saints (a big project!)

*We will be going to Mass each week.

*We will read and discuss parables in the Bible.

SCIENCE *Steps in the Scientific Method

*Labs, Activities, Demonstrations, and Projects to teach the Scientific Method

*Life Science (cells, plants/animals, biomes, adaptations, health– sexual education)

*Earth Science (the solar system: stars, planets, moon. Weathering/ Erosion/ Deposition. Rocks & Minerals.

*Physical Science

*Field Trip

SOCIAL STUDIES & GEOGRAPHY *MKG (Must Know Geography) will be assigned

throughout the school year. Students will be tested.

*Geography Packets will be assigned throughout the school year to learn about our world.

*We will learn all 50 capitals!

*News Article Summaries: Starting Quarter 2- your child will read different news articles (informational text) and summarize about a current event that is happening in the world.

*Explorers of the New World

*Colonial Period- 13 Colonies!

*American Revolution

* OurGovernment System

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW…*Homework- written daily, no excuses. Please

sign homework sheet and ask your child about their homework. *Planners will be sold soon. $3.75.

*Blue Friday Folder- all graded work is passed back on Friday. Tests are to be signed and returned. Please sign BFF each week and keep graded work at home.

*Check School Speak daily for grades- I update

daily... Grades should NEVER be a surprise. If your child isn’t happy with their grade they need to be responsible and see me!

*Check my website for news, upcoming events, objectives, and more. http://www.stmcentral.com/school/fifthgrade

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW…*Email: cskiba@stmcentral.org or Colleen.Walsh57@yahoo.com

please email me when problems arise or for any questions. I am big on communication!

*Responsibility: HUGE skill to learn in 5th grade! Your child will learn to be responsible for his/her actions, assignments, and behavior:

1. Homework notes~ 2 in 1 week=detention

2. Behavior Note~ if 1 check is next to student name

3. Dictionary Page~ if 2 checks are next to student name

4. Detentions~ if 3 checks are next to student name and/or for homework notes

I discipline and reward when necessary-whole class and individual. (Kickback Fridays, Marble Jar, Blue Strips, Brain Pellets…)

* Organization: Binders are to be kept organized with notes and handouts! Please look over your child’s binder at least once a week!

*Honor Roll- 5th grade will be on honor roll this year! Keep up the good grades!

*Study Hall- Every Wednesday

*Sports- Keep up the grades or you don’t play!

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW… *School Uniform Policy- $0.25 for each infraction!

Please make sure you read the school handbook!

*I won’t give more than an hour of homework a night. I understand family time and extra curricular activities. I’m a firm believer that homework shouldn’t be just “busy work.”

*Enrichment Packets- will be passed out every other week for extra cushion points. I encourage you to work on these packets with your child at home! Make brain wrinkles!

*Challenges- will be once a month. I challenge my kids with certain problems in class… and I encourage them to challenge Mom and Dad at home! They are fun!

*Volunteer Opportunities- please sign up for different volunteer opportunities. Mrs. Skiba loves help!

FINAL WORDS…I am here to help your child

learn, grow, and develop a love for learning. I want your child to succeed.

I want to help build your child’s confidence, help them to develop self learning skills, and make them little independent problem solvers.

WITH GOD AS OUR GUIDANCE, WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EACH OTHER, TO MAKE YOUR CHILD BECOME THE BEST PERSON THEY CAN BE.