Welcome to fifth grade! My name is Mindy Smith and I will be your child's teacher for reading, writing, spelling and grammar this year! Mrs. Shellenberger and I will be team teaching this year. She will be teaching math, science and social studies to your child. This blog will house all items related to reading, writing, spelling and grammar. This includes assignments, due dates, changes in instruction, etc. The best part of the blog is that you will be able to see pictures of your kiddos in action! Please be sure to bookmark this blog and check it daily for information. For the first week, I will be posting and then after that, the kids and I will both be posting.
A little information about me... I taught third grade for 10 years and then took the opportunity to switch to first grade to try something new! I taught first grade for 3 years and decided to expand my experience by switching to fifth grade this year! I'm super excited to work with fifth graders! We are going to have an exceptional year preparing for middle school! A little educational information about me.. I have a master's degree in Developmental Strategies, a master's degree in Online Teaching and I am almost finished my principal certification. I love to learn!
Some personal information about me.. I am married to a wonderful man who works in the technology field. Together, we have a blended family of six. My son is in first grade this year. My daughter is in fifth grade. In addition, I have two stepsons that are in sixth and ninth grade. Together, we like to spend time outside, playing sports and swimming.
My teaching philosophy... My goal this year is to teach and encourage your children to take ownership and responsibility for their learning. Fifth grade is a crucial year to develop independence, as it is your child' last year in elementary school. I want to be encouraging and supportive as they grow and prepare for middle school. I believe that every child can learn and believe that it's important to meet the needs of each individual child so that they can be successful. I believe in being a team. By encouraging my students to work together, I plan to create a supportive, safe environment where students support and encourage each other.
Communication between parents and teacher is very important to me, however, I will be promoting ownership in my students this year. With that said, your child will be the first line of communication with you but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! Together, we are the team that will help your child be successful! :)
Email is the best way to contact me! I am able to respond quickest to email. My email is msmith@hershey.k12.pa.us.
There is a supply list on the Derry Township School District website. However, your children will not need everything on that list. To prepare for fifth grade, students should bring the following items either to Sneak a Peek (On Wednesday, August 26th between 3:30-5) or on the first day of school:
colored pencils
markers
expo markers
highlighters
glue sticks
sock to hold pencils and use as an eraser for white board
These items will be put in a class supply bin so please don't put student names on them.
Also needed for the class:
Lysol cleaning wipes
tissues
Looking forward to a fun year of learning,
Mindy :)
