After graduating from The Ohio State University, I spent four years working for the Newark City Schools before joining Licking Heights in 2003. Since then, I have taught every subject at the fifth grade level and feel fortunate to be a part of Heights.
Welcome to a new school year! This year the students will have several different teachers throughout the day. I will be teaching four sections of Science and two Social Studies.
Defining Our Roles
Your child is the learner. I need them to come to school prepared to learn each day. I need them to give an honest effort on their work so that I can assess their learning and plan better for their success. I need them to be responsible and realize that their effort will determine their success.
Family support is extremely important too! However, you are not the learner. Never do your child’s work for them. This only helps get a grade. I am concerned about learning. Establish a routine at home for checking the agenda each night, completing homework and nightly reading. The agenda should not be empty night after night. You should see assignments and testing reminders daily. Please make education one of the most important parts of your child’s day. Communicate with me and let me know of issues before they become problems.
As your child’s teacher, I hope to make the 2016-2017 school year a great success. I pledge to personally do my best to assess learning, plan meaningful lessons and activities, and communicate with you as needed. I will also provide a safe classroom where your child can learn.
Science
We have three large units for Science this year. Each will be exciting and different. We will have a weekly review homework assignment that is given on Friday and due the following Thursday. This assignment reviews third, fourth and fifth grade content. Your child can use the internet at home or his/her science book to help answer the questions. They can also use resources in my room to help when they come across questions that are too difficult. We will also have additional assignments during the week. The additional assignments are usually assigned on Monday and Tuesday. All homework is due Thursday of each week.
Our goal for the year is to be able to answer three essential questions:
#1 How is Earth unique?
#2 How does energy travel?
#3 How do organisms survive in their ecosystem?
Social Studies
We will go on quite an adventure in Social Studies as we take a close look at the Western Hemisphere. We will examine how citizenship, government, economics, and geography shaped the Western world. Your child may need to complete some class assignments at home but we will not have regular homework.
Our goal for the year is to be able to answer these essential questions:
#1 How have ideas and events from the past shaped the Western Hemisphere today?
#2 How does where you live influence how you live?
#3 How are civic ideals translated into practice?
#4 How does governmental authority affect citizens’ rights?
Assignments
Weekly
assignments (reviews, homework, and classwork) will be accepted one day late
for full credit. I return graded work on
Monday (or the first day of the next week).
We often discuss the work before putting it away. For this reason, I do not accept work for
credit after I have handed it back. However, Board Policy will be followed for absent
students completing make-up work.
Communication
Your child is required to write our daily work, homework, and reminders into the agenda. Please have your child explain to you what we did each day. Please feel free to contact me at anytime with questions. You can always write a note in the agenda, phone me at 740-927-3268 or e-mail at [email protected]. Contact me with any issue, big or small.
Please email me with your child's name and homeroom teacher in the subject line at [email protected] to be added to my E-mail list. I will keep you updated on future Science tests as well as send you study materials. This is the easiest way I can help you stay informed. You can also write your email address in the agenda to be added.