Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- Can I print this assignment?
- What are we doing today?
- Someone I listen to said I should learn keyboarding skills. Do you agree?
- Can I please go to the bathroom? (dancing up and down)
- Can I turn this in late?
- Why don't we have candy in here? Everyone else has candy?
- Do I have to always have my own pencil? We used to have 'loaners'.
- Why can't we have cupcakes for birthdays? Everyone else has cupcakes.
- Why can't we eat our junky snacks right outside our room?
- Why do we have to spell everything correctly. It's such a pain.
- What is Math Club? Do we have to do more math?
- Are we going to have to write a lot in this class?
Can I print this assignment?
Fifth Grade is when you learn to write in the cursive that you will use the
rest of your life. So, the answer is no. There will, however, be times when
you will use your computer for assignments, and then you may use your printer.
What are we doing today?
Look at the board, or look at your agenda, but please sit down first.
Someone I listen to said I should learn keyboarding skills. Do you agree?
Yes, I absolutely agree. We will be turning in some assignments using word
processing. It's extremely important for you to use correct fingers when
preparing your assignments. The number of printed assignments that you'll be
doing from this grade on will only increase.
Can I please go to the bathroom? (dancing up and down)
(Sigh) Make it snappy, take someone with you, and next time go at
break.
Can I turn this in late?
Don't even think about it. No! Sorry! Not going to happen. Oh, you
kidder, you. Read my lips. Read the top of the back board. Do you see
those big blue letters back there? Dream on Cowboy /Cowgirl. And so
forth..
Why don't we have candy in here? Everyone else has candy?
We don't have candy in Room 51, because I'm the Mom here! Candy is bad for
your teeth, has no nutrition, makes all of you act like jumping beans, and
we're not going there. Maybe we'll have a bag of popcorn in a few months.
Then again, maybe not.
Do I have to always have my own pencil? We used to have 'loaners'.
Get real 5th Grader. You need a sharp pencil, a fully organized Resource
Binder, and an AR book (that you are currently reading), at all times from
September to June. Nothing will change that. We have work to do and fun will
happen along the way. Be prepared!
Why can't we have cupcakes for birthdays? Everyone else has cupcakes.
If everyone else jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you? Please see Answer
#6. Sugar makes you crazy, and then it makes you grumpy. Do I want 33 days of
crazy and then grumpy students? I think not. Get creative. I'm wondering
why we do this at all. When did this tradition get started, anyway?
Why can't we eat our junky snacks right outside our room?
School rules dictate that all eating and drinking happens at the lunch tables.
Recess and Lunch Supervisors get testy about the 1,000,000th time they ask
students to obey the school rules. Snack packages and wrappers end up all
over the campus, and blow right onto our Room 51 'front porch'. Our janitor
starts to get that painful, overworked expression on his face, and Mrs.
Africano starts barking. Ouch! These are not good signs. Be aware!
Why do we have to spell everything correctly. It's such a pain.
Knowing how to spell correctly and using that knowledge, is what is known as
LITERACY. There is a reason that rules for spelling, cursive writing,
capitalization, and punctuation exist. In order to communicate with each
other, we have to all agree upon and use the rules. People who are LITERATE
are more able to find meaningful work when they leave school. If you think
that having to spell correctly is such a pain, try living without being able to get
and keep a job, because you are LITERATE
What is Math Club? Do we have to do more math?
Well, yes! That's why the club is called Math Club. What we do is try all
sorts of ways to learn math concepts without really thinking that we're having
to learn anything. We play concept and skill specific games, go outside and
write down numbers from some activity and then come inside and fool around
with math concepts using these numbers. I honestly do not know any student
who doesn't love Math Club. Sometimes we even make Math Club movies.
Are we going to have to write a lot in this class?
That's a good one.
