Misty Murphy
Fifth Grade
Bottom Floor Mitchell Building
e-mail: mmurphy@jefcoed.com
Welcome
Hello students and parents! Happy Holidays to you! It is hard to believe that the year is coming to an end, but even harder to believe 5th grade is halfway over! I have enjoyed getting to know your children and watching them grow and mature over the year. We still have a long time to go and I am looking forward to starting the New Year off with a bang!
There are a few things I feel needs to be mentioned. First, several of my students have not been taking their AR test and have not been turning in the reading log. Here is a brief summary of how the AR testing works.
Your child takes a short reading test on the computer and according to how well they do on that test, they are given a reading range. They are then allowed to go to the library, as often as they would like, and check out the appropriate book for their level. The books are easy to locate and are color coded for your child’s convenience. Once they check out their book, they are to read, each night, I suggest 20-30 minutes each night, and they are to write on their reading log the title of the book and how long they read. Then, the parents are asked to sign the log, letting us know the student read that evening. Once they book is complete, they know to come and take an AR test on that book. If they have read the book, they will answer the questions correctly and will then receive the appropriate points for that book. They are REQUIRED to gain a minimum of 10 points each 9 weeks. The AR test and the reading log are both worth 100% of the grade…that means they are each test grades! Not doing these requirements, means a failing grade in reading!
Please make sure your child is reading at home. It is a proven fact that children who read at an early age, and read consistently, are better learners. Reading is knowledge!
Also, please make sure you sign your child’s agenda EACH night. I, along with the other teachers, use the agenda as a communication tool to reach my parents. I try and sign the agenda each day. Your child knows to come in each morning and copy their homework in their agenda, on the correct date. They write down homework each day, regardless if they finished it in class (which is rather RARE). I am trying to teach responsibility and it really helps if the parents can help me at home by checking to see their child has completed their homework and put that homework in the correct place in the binder and IN THE BACKPACK. I can’t tell you how many times I hear, “Miss Murphy, I did my homework but my mom and dad left it out on the dining room table.”
Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns. I will get back to you just as soon as possible. Please be sure to check out the Important Dates page. We have several dates coming up in the near future.