Welcome to 5th Grade

Class of 2022
Back to School Night September 16, 2014
Mrs. Cormiers Background
Professional
B. A. in Elementary Education and English from Merrimack College
Masters Degree in Special Education from Wheelock College
Teaching certifications:
Elementary (1 - 6)
English (5 - 9)
Special Needs (Pre K - 9)
Inclusion Co-teacher, Haggerty Public School, Cambridge,
Teacher, Merrimack Special Education Collaborative, Chelmsford, MA
Teacher Assistant (Grade 3), Gates School
Reading Assistant (Grades K-6), Gates School
Math Support Volunteer, Douglas School
Personal
Married to Claude
2 children - Cole and Ella
Live in Acton
Ms. Stetsons Background
Professional
B. S. in Elementary Education from the
University of Vermont
Spent two years teaching at an
American-accredited international school
in Bangkok, Thailand with an entirely ELL
population
Came to Gates in 2013
Personal
Grew up in Woodstock, Vermont
Loves traveling and has visited: Japan,
Costa Rica, France, Vietnam, Belgium, Indonesia,
Cambodia and more!
Ms. Melbournes Background
Professional
B. A. in Psychology & Education from Mount Holyoke College
Graduate work in Reading Education
38 Years as a classroom teacher -
Most grade levels
Private and public sectors
Eight years in Boxborough
Member of state and federal education
committees (MCAS, PARCC, Writing)
Presenter at professional conferences
(International Reading Assoc., MassCUE)
Personal
Works as a Creature Teacher (Littleton MA)
Lives in Westford MA
Philosophy
Yardsticks by Chip Wood
Physical:
Restless
Needs Lots of Food
Physical Activity
Sleep
Cognitive:
Rather Learn than
Review
Reading:
Long Reading
Assignments
Reads More Nonfiction
Social/Emotional:
Moody/Sensitive
Challenges Rules
May be Cruel
Gross Motor:
Needs quiet time
Writing:
Dislikes Revising
Begin Research
Reports
Enjoys
Cartooning/Journaling
Language:
Enjoys
Arguing/Debating
Appreciates Humor
Imitates Adults
Social Behavior:
Saving Face is
Important
Math:
Solves Complicated
Word Problems
Real World Problems
Schedule
SPECIALS ACADEMICS MISC.
ART SOCIAL STUDIES LUNCH
LIBRARY LANGUAGE ARTS RECESS
GYM WRITING
MUSIC SCIENCE
MATH
Science (Hands On = Minds On)
Scientific Method
1.Ask a question
2.Do background research
3.Construct a hypothesis
4.Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment
5.Analyze your data
6.Draw a conclusion
7.Communicate your results
Ms. Melbourne Mrs. Cormier Miss Stetson
Animal Adaptations Electricity & Magnetism Ecosystems
Water Transformation Light & Sound
(Matter) Rocks and Minerals
Go Math!
All students engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning,
connecting, and representing as they work towards mastery in the
following:
Place Value and Operations
Decimals and Fractions
Measurement
Geometry
More information about curriculum standards can be found at the
Massachusetts DOE website
Social Studies
Early English Settlements
Facing Slavery
Life in Colonial Williamsburg
American Revolution
The Constitution
The Bill of Rights
Manifest Destiny and Settling the West
The Causes of the Civil War
Reading, Writing and Word
Study
Words their Way: Students learn spelling patterns
and meanings of grade-level words. A majority of
this work will be done on Google Drive.
Readers Workshop: The students will participate
in reading, analyzing, and discussing various
novels in partnerships and groups. They will
choose their own titles.
Common Core Writing Types: Students will master
the three types of writing as outlined by the
Common Core: narrative, informative, and
argument.
Writers Workshop: Student will be provided
direct instruction and teacher feedback. They will
learn to effectively brainstorm, plan, draft, revise,
edit and publish their writing pieces.
Assessment
Report Card-three times per year
Summative Subject Tests
DRA
Daily Observations
Formative Assessment
Rubrics
Miscellaneous
Friday Rubric
Subject tests need parent signature
Fall Conferences (beginning week of October 21st)
Healthy Snack
Email communication is most effective
Classroom websites
Hygiene (Showers and Deodorant)
Snacks Donations (crackers,
pretzels,healthy snacks)
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the
lighting of a fire.
- William Butler Yeats