We will respond to emails during the school day when time permits.
Below are a few guidelines for our classes. Please read them with your child.
School Hours School is in session from 9:15 am – 3:45 pm each day. Students may start arriving at school at 8:45 am. It is important that all students are at school to begin the day. Students must be in their seat at 9:15 am or they will be marked as tardy.
Specials Fifth grade will go to specials from 2:55-3:40. Our specials include Art, Music, Technology, Media Center, and Physical Education. Please make sure your child wears appropriate shoes on PE days.
Agenda You will have time each day to write your assignments in your required in the 5th grade agenda. You need to get your parents or caregivers to sign it EVERY night. It is YOUR job to remember this and ask your parents to sign it.
Daily Schedule 9:15 - 9:20 Announcements 9:20 – 11:20 O’Connor HR: ELA with Pivec Pivec HR: Math/Science with O’Connor Craft HR:ELA with Meerdink Meerdink HR: Math/Science with Craft 11:25 – 11:55 Recess 12:00 – 12:35 Lunch 12:35-12:40 Switch Classes/Bathroom Break 12:40 – 2:45 O’Connor HR: Math/Science with O’Connor Pivec HR: ELA with Pivec Craft HR: Math/Science with Craft Meerdink HR: ELA with Meerdink 2:40- 2:50 Pack up (take items to specials) 2:50- 3:40 Specials 3:40 -3:45 Report for Dismissal
Communication (Tuesday Folder) Your child will be bringing home a Tuesday Folder each week. All newsletters, notes from teachers, notes from the school, homework, graded class work, etc. will be sent home in this folder. Have your child return his or her folder to school each day. If you have any notes for us, please put them in the folder as we check the folders upon return. If you have any additional questions/concerns that you don’t want to address in a note, feel free to call us at the school at 919-233-4200 or email us (see first page).
Teacher Websites Each subject area has a website that can be accessed through Dillard Drive’s website. We will keep our websites updated; they are a great source of information for what is going on in our classrooms. Please visit our websites frequently!
Conferences We will have two scheduled conferences during the year (at the end of the first quarter and third quarter). Report cards will be sent home after each quarter. Additional conferences can be scheduled if needed.
Volunteers We enjoy having parents volunteer in our school. If you would like to be a volunteer or chaperone field trips, please stop by the office and register to become a volunteer.
Lunch You are welcome to come and have lunch with your child. If you are planning on eating lunch, you can meet us in the cafeteria at our lunch time, 12:00-12:35.
Transportation We are only allowed to send your child home by the way you specify. If your child needs to go home a different way from usual, we need a note from you or you need to call the school office and let them know. If we don’t have a note or we have not received a phone call from you, we will not be able to send your child home a different way. If your child is a bus rider please be aware that they MUST have their yellow bus tag attached to their schoolbag at all times. They will not be allowed to board the bus without the bus tag. We need to ensure that your child is safe at ALL TIMES.
Homework There will be homework every evening. In addition to 25-30 minutes of reading (a requirement in Wake County), we will have math and reading assignments each night, as well as science vocabulary to be mastered. Additionally, students will be required to get their Reading Journal and Agenda signed each night as part of their homework. Homework, Reading Journal, and Agendas will be checked on a daily basis.
Library Books Our media center operates on a flexible basis where your child may check out books each time they bring their books back. Please let us know if your child loses a book and our librarian will send home an invoice indicating the amount you owe so a replacement book can be purchased. Please encourage your child to check out a variety of books at our library.
Grading Homework is checked for completion. Class work will be graded according to Standards Based Grading. • 1 is the lowest grade and stands for Limited Performance. This is for work where very little effort has been put into it. The work has a lot of mistakes and shows that the student is having a very difficult time grasping the concept being covered. They may need a lot of teacher help to complete the work. • 2 stands for Not Yet Proficient. This is for work where the student is exhibiting some effort with the work, but only shows a limited understanding of the concept. They may need some teacher help to complete it. • 3 stands for Proficient. This is for work where the student shows mastery of the concept being taught and is meeting grade-level expectations with the work. They need minimal to no teacher help to complete the assignment. • 4 stands for Exceeds Expectations. This is for work that not only masters the concept being taught, but performance is beyond expectations and/or beyond the grade level.
We are aiming for 3’s in class each day – which means being able to complete work with minimal assistance and meeting grade-level expectations.
Interims will be sent home at the 4 ½ week mark of each quarter. Report cards will be sent home at the end of each quarter.
Quarter 1 Interim: September 24, 2018 Quarter 1 Report Card: November 23, 2018 Quarter 2 Interim: December 3, 2018 Quarter 2 Report Card: February 1, 2019 Quarter 3 Interim: February 25, 2019 Quarter 3 Report Card: April 5, 2019 Quarter 4 Interim: May 6, 2019 Quarter 4 Report Card: June 11, 2019
Discipline/Positive Reinforcement PHILOSOPHY: All students have the right to learn in a safe, respectful environment with clear rules, expectations, procedures, and routines.
OUR CLASS RULES:
Raise your hand. Be respectful. Be responsible. Be honest. Follow SOAR expectations. IF A STUDENT CHOOSES TO BREAK A RULE: 1st OFFENSE: Verbal warning 2nd OFFENSE: Loss of privilege 3rd OFFENSE: Possible consequences: SOAR infraction, signature on behavior calendar, reflection essay, call to parents
SEVERE INCIDENT: Office referrals will be done in cases of: hitting or fighting; possession of weapons or drugs; extreme disrespect; threats.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR WILL EARN DILLARD DOLLARS: These can be exchanged for privileges or treats. Each month students will have the opportunity to participate in a SOAR celebration based on their accumulation of Dillard Dollars.
IS IT BULLYING
When someone says or does something unintentionally hurtful and they do it once, that’s RUDE. When someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they do it once, that’s MEAN. When someone says or does something intentionally hurtful and they keep doing it- even when you tell them to stop or show them that you’re upset- that’s BULLYING.
Birthdays/Celebrations Birthdays are a very special time for students and families. Please be mindful that the staff at Dillard Drive is not permitted to distribute birthday invitations or class rosters with phone numbers and/or addresses. Please make party arrangements outside of school. If your student wants to celebrate their birthday by bringing in treats for the class, they will be enjoyed during our lunch.
Cell Phones/Electronics We understand that parents may want their child to have a cell phone at school for safety reasons. This is fine as long as the phone is turned off and inside the child’s backpack throughout the day. The phones are not to be taken out of the backpacks. If a teacher sees a child using the phone/playing with the phone during the day, the teacher will take the phone and only return it to a guardian. This policy is in keeping with Wake County’s policy and Dillard Drive’s policy regarding cell phones. All other electronics (i.e., ipods, ipads, tablets, DS’s, etc.) should stay at home.
Teacher Workdays- no school for students September 19, 2018 October 31, 2018 January 18, 2019 February 19, 2019 March 29, 2019 April 22, 2019
Vacations/Holidays- no school for students September 3, 2018 Labor Day November 12, 2018 Veterans Day November 21-23, 2018 Thanksgiving December 24, 2018- January 2, 2019 Winter Break January 21, 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday April 15-19, 2019 Spring Break 2019 May 27, 2019 Memorial Day Early Release Days Students will be dismissed at 1:15 on the following Fridays. Breakfast and lunch will be served on these days. September 28, 2018 October 19, 2018 November 20, 2018 December 21, 2018 February 15, 2019 March 8, 2019
Ways To Help Your Child At Home Read, read, read, with and to your child, and read some more!! Books, newspapers, comics, magazines, recipes, etc. Check out library books with your child. Work on crossword puzzles together. Enjoy this magical age and time! We are looking forward to working with you and your child this year.
Sincerely,
Ms. Madison Craft Mrs. Hana Meerdink Ms. Deana O’Connor Mr. Gregg Pivec