Welcome to fifth grade!

It's happened again; summer has passed and a new school year is upon us.  I am still surprised that school is beginning again so quickly.  Your child is entering fifth grade.  Can you believe it?!  No matter how cliche it is to say it, I know the amazement of how fast our kids grow, from the perspective of both mom and teacher.  

Despite my shock, I am super excited to usher in this new school year!  I have had a full and productive summer, and can't wait to practice what I've learned in the classroom.  I thought perhaps you might want to know what I've been up to so here is a brief run-down before we tackle the nitty-gritty of the new year ahead of us.

Mrs. Ketzer's Summer Adventures

• First, I directed the Clayton Elementary Summer Academy at Glenridge Elementary.  It was a blast to meet students from across the district and work with incredible teachers.  Our theme was, "Find your inner rockstar," and we made a point of dancing on a regular basis. 
• I took a road-trip with my family to Colorado to visit my sister, grandparents, and aunt.  A few highlights were going to Red Rocks, touring Broncos Mile High Stadium, and visiting the Wild Animal Sanctuary.  There is nothing like fresh mountain air to clear a person's head, in my opinion.    
• Next, I attended the Greg Tang Math Conference in Kansas City.  This was a spectacular learning experience for me.  We spent three extremely packed days engaged in mathematics.  My brain hurt, but in the best possible way.  
• Finally I did some preparation for our upcoming year.  The first part of that included some reading from my classroom library that I never seemed to be able to steal time for during the school year.  The second part including meeting with a team of teachers and Dr. Martin to prepare for this year's professional learning.  The third, and most thrilling, was coming up to Captain and working in the classroom, meeting with our amazing fifth grade team, learning alongside Captain staff, and meeting with the district fifth grade team about literacy.

These are the books I read.

So, what's next?  I get to see you!  Tuesday, August 11th, will be our New Family Orientation at 8:15 and our Captain Kick-Off will follow from 9-10.  Feel free to bring backpacks with school supplies to put in lockers - they are labeled and waiting for you.  I'm looking forward to meeting you in person and welcoming our class's four new families to Captain.  One of things you might notice on your visit is the habitat for our class pet, Hercules.  He is an African Pygmy Hedgehog who will soon be celebrating his first birthday.  Since hedgehogs are shy creatures by nature, I refrain from bringing him to school until our class has settled into routines a bit and it is calm.  Once he arrives, he will be a regular part of our workshop time, as he likes to sit in a pouch my students wear while they read and write.  He is excited for school, though, as you can see.

 

 

Hercules peeking out of my backpack.

Another thing you might notice is that the desks will not be labeled with names.  This is because in fifth grade, we don't have assigned seats each day.  We use a system where students choose a different seat each day, which will be clearly explained in class, because there are some guidelines to consider when making a seat choice.  We find that this helps us prepare the students for middle school by having them rely on keeping their materials organized in their lockers, helping them make responsible choices for themselves and their learning each day, and it helps the students get to know their classmates.  

If you are unable to make it to school Tuesday for the Kick-Off, we understand and look forward to seeing you and your child Wednesday for the first day of school!  Student drop off time is 8:20 and I will be meeting our class on the playground to walk upstairs at 8:30.  Our announcements will begin at 8:40 and class immediately following.  Our fifth grade team will be coming together for the first week of school participating in a leadership retreat to prepare us to be leaders in the school as fifth graders.  Central ideas for our retreat include: learning and owning our school norm of "do the right thing even when no one is watching," building positive relationships, working together as a team supporting one another, and having a growth mindset.  Dismissal for fifth grade happens at the bottom of the stairwell E, which is located on the west side of school nearest the playground right by the ramp at 3:30.  

Lastly, I want to welcome you to what promises to be a great school year together.  I hope to use this blog as a form of communication between the classroom and your homes.  My goal is that students in our class this year will be making regular contributions to this blog, as well.  I believe having open communication is so very valuable for the success of your children, so I am looking forward to partnering with you this year in their education and I invite you to contact me with any questions, concerns, etc. throughout the year.  You can reach me by email at amandaketzer@claytonschools.net or calling our classroom phone at (314) 854-6126.