You’re a 5 th grader now!

1. You’re a 5th grader now! Here’s some stuff you need to know:

2. Wernecke Diamondbacks??? • Learn it! • Know it! • Show it! • Hallways – whisper • Classrooms and Cafeteria– inside voices • Gymand Playground – nice and loud

3. Citizenship Grades • Each week you will start out with a 100 for your “Citizenship” grade • Your planner will go home every day. It needs to be signed over the weekend and brought back every Monday. • Good behavior = you keep all of your points • Inappropriate behavior = means you lose points

4. OFFICIAL 5th Grade Rules • Always do your best in your work and behavior • Work cooperatively with classmates, teachers, and school staff • Attend school regularly and arrive on time • Show respect towards your family, school, other people, and yourself • Take pride in your school • Believe that you will learn • Come to school prepared to learn • Complete all your work on time • Follow school and safety rules

5. 5th Grade Rewards • Verbal Praise • Cheerful call home to parents • Coupons • Free time (designated by teacher) • Homework Pass • Special Activities • Surprises

6. 5th Grade Discipline Plan • Description of offense and verbal warning • 1st consequence • “Reflection Time” during lunch or recess • Lose 5 conduct points • 2nd consequence • Parent phone call • “Reflection Time” afterschool (3:30-4:15pm) • Lose 10 conduct points • 3rd consequence • Office visit (possible office referral) • Lose 15 conduct points

7. We expect you to… • Be nice. You don’t have to be BFFs with everyone, but we expect you to be respectful and kind to everyone at this school. • Be a team player. When you work in a group, be positive, learn, and help others learn. Don’t be “that kid” who gets people in trouble. • Remember that we are here to help. We want everyone to learn and have fun every single day.

8. Use your time wisely! • You spend more awake hours at school than at home! The more you get done at school the more time you have for yourself at lunch, at recess, and at home. • When you waste time at school, you end up with more work to do during your free time. • When you waste time because you are misbehaving, you lose your free time at lunch, recess, and after school. Isn’t free time BETTER than “time out”?

9. In the morning • Everyone gets dropped off (buses and cars) in front of the cafeteria. • If you get here before 7:30, you have to wait in the cafeteria. Use this time to eat breakfast. • At 7:30, you will walk in a line to your homeroom. Wait in front of your homeroom teacher’s classroom. • At 7:50, your homeroom teacher will welcome you into the classroom.

10. Tardies • School starts at 7:50. That is the time you are supposed to be inside of the classroom, ready to get the day started. • If you come in after 8:05, you are considered tardy.  • 3 Tardies = 1 Absence • If you go to the doctor early in the morning, you can still come to school (if you are healthy, of course). Just bring in a note from the doctor. 

11. Absences • If you are absent, you MUST bring in a note from a parent or doctor on the day you come back to school. • Put the note in the blue “Excuses” box or give it to a fifth grade teacher. • The day you come back, you must go to every teacher and ask for the work you missed. It is due the next day. • NOTE: If you go to the doctor, but come back to school the same day with a doctor’s note…it WON’T count as an absence.

12. End of the day • Bus students line up outside of Mrs. Rodriguez’s classroom facing the double doors. • Everyone else (pick-up, walkers, daycare) line up outside of Mr. Rodriguez’ classroom facing the office. • You are NOT ALLOWED to leave these areas unless a teacher is walking with you. Do not get in the 6th grade line or pass them.

13. Bus • Safety is super important! • Only ride on your assigned bus and wait at your assigned bus stop • Sit on your bottom, face the front, talk quietly, don’t distract the driver. This is a SAFETY issue. • The bus driver can and will write referrals for inappropriate behavior. You will be respectful to any adult or child that is on the bus. • If you’re riding the bus, your ENTIRE BODY is INSIDE of the bus. • Keep it clean! • All of these rules will apply when we go on our field trip. • Note: If you are riding the bus with a friend, both of you need to bring a note from a parent. That notes need to be signed by Mrs. Meadors in the morning and given to the bus driver before you get on the bus.

14. Walkers • If you are walking to the junior high, you will wait by the front doors of the school. • A teacher will walk with you across the street. • Look both ways for traffic!

15. Daycare and Sons/Daughters of Wernecke Teachers • Walk WITH the pickup line—not ahead. • Turn the corner when we get to the end of the hallway. • Don’t run. • If we (your teachers) need you to come back to our rooms, we will call the daycare teachers and let them know.

16. Pick Up • There is a lot of “traffic” in the hallways, pay attention to the teacher who is walking you outside. • Walk, don’t run. • When you get outside, wait on the sidewalk close to the street—not the area by the door. • Find your siblings and then LOOK for your car! • The cars have to drive all the way down to the end, which means you need to walk to your car. • Listen and be respectful to all adults.

17. Cafeteria Rules • Sit correctly. • Clean your area. • Don’t share food. • Use inside voices. • Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself. • Food is for eating. You learned this as a baby. Now is not the time to drop/throw food on the floor. • You are NOT ALLOWED to share food or money with other students. It has nothing to do with being nice. This is nonnegotiable. • Do not open the outside doors for anyone. During the day, everyone needs to go through the front door that has the door bell. This is for your safety!

19. Bathroom • Always sign out when you leave the room. • Only one student at a time is allowed to go to the bathroom. • Do not take things with you to the bathroom. No phones, no pencils, no books, etc. • All of you are potty-trained and know where “your business” goes. If you can’t seem to remember, your mother or father can give you another lesson. It will be very embarrassing for you if something happens in the bathroom and it turns out you were the one making the mess like a wittle baby!!! • Toilet paper goes in the TOILET. • Don’t forget to flush! • Wash your hands and throw paper towels in the trash can. • If you discover a mess in the bathroom, tell a teacher immediately.

21. Hallway • The hallway is a public area. Keep it clean. Keep it quiet. • Stay to the right. • Don’t talk in the hallway. At all. Zip it. Shh! • Lift your feet and don’t make black marks on the floor. • Don’t touch or lean on the walls or bulletin boards. Don’t jump up to touch things. • Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.

22. Black Cart • There is a black cart right next to the front desk (next to the Kinder bathrooms). • If you are expecting a book, backpack, or some other item to be dropped off, it will be there. • If someone drops off lunch for you, it will be there. • You are responsible for getting your stuff off the cart.

23. Nurse • Mrs. Vela’s office is not a place to hang out. If we find out that you are in there without permission, there will be consequences. • If you go to the nurse, you must take your agenda or a pass. • If you bring medicine to school, it has to stay in the nurse’s office. • Do not ask to go to the nurse because you are bored or because you want to get out of class. If this becomes a habit, we will have to discuss it with your parents.

24. Library • Each homeroom will go to the library every other week during PE time. • Make sure you have your library books that day. • Take your agenda with you because it has your library bar code on it. • You are expected to be on your absolute best behavior everywhere, but especially in the library. • Follow Mrs. Ramos’ directions for checking out books, AR testing, and getting on the computers. • Remember to use your time wisely!

25. Counseling Lessons • On the weeks that you don’t go to the library, you will have a counseling lesson. • Your homeroom teacher will walk you to the counseling center. • Take your agenda with you. • Amazing behavior! Spectacular behavior! Exemplary behavior! Understand? 

26. PE • You will go to PE four days a week, every week. • Follow all of the PE rules. • If you misbehave at PE, you get a mark for your homeroom. It makes everyone really sad when you get “marks” at PE. Don’t make us sad!

28. AR Goals • All 5th graders need to have 20 AR points at the end of the grading period. • You need to read on grade level books. That means if you are a fifth grader, you read fifth grade level books (or higher).

29. End of the Year Awards • The awards ceremony will take place during the last week of school. We’ll let you know the day and time in May. • These are the awards you can get: • Honor Roll • All As • All As and Bs • Perfect Attendance • No absences • Up to 2 tardies are allowed • Faithful Attendance • 3 absences or less (three tardies = one absence) • Citizenship Award • Citizenship grade of 95-100 for every grading period • AR • Top readers • Top word count • UIL/Clubs • Participation in UIL or clubs • Advanced Achievement on STAAR • Reading • Math • Science

30. Handbook • Bullying pg. 15 • Tardies pg. 35 • Vandalism pg. 36 • Standards for Student Conduct pg. 38 • Dress code pg. 44-45 • Discipline Plan pg. 46-48 • School Calendar (back cover)