Welcome to Ms.

Harriss Class

Your First Two Weeks

Name __________________

Name

_________________________

Date

_________________________

Class

_________________________

Comprehension Test
Directions: Read the whole page first before you begin. Do not erase your answers. Do not talk during the
test.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Color the top triangle red.

After you color the top triangle red, draw a smiley face in the middle of the triangle.
Color the triangle on the left yellow.
Write the word fox in the yellow triangle.
Color the triangle on the right blue.
Write the answer to this problem in the blue triangle: 36x3=.
In the bottom square, draw a picture of a piece of chicken.
Turn the paper over and draw a circle as big as the square on the other side of this page.
In the circle, write 5 things you can find in a classroom.
Draw a square around 3 of the things you can find in a classroom.
Color the outside of the circle pink.
Do numbers 1, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 only.

Think About It

Why did Ms. Harris give you this test? What should you learn from this test?

What do you think you could have done differently?

Has there ever been a time in your life where you made a mistake you didnt have to make because
you didnt read or listen to the directions? What happened?

The Rules

All adults, especially teachers, have rules.

Why do we have rules? Why is it important to follow them?

The four rules of Ms. Harriss class

1. We are a family.
2. Respect the teacher, other students and yourself.
3. Listen to the teacher and other students.
4. Try your best.

What do you think these rules mean? Give an example.

I think rule #1 means:

I think rule #2 means:

I think rule #3 means:

I think rule #4 means:

When rules are broken, there are consequences. Consequences are what happens when you do
something that is not right. Consequences are used to help students stop the things they are doing

wrong and to help them do the right thing.

What are some consequences some teachers give and when do they give them? Fill in the chart
below.
The teacher

because the student ________________________.

____________________
1.
2.
3.
What Would You Do?
Directions: Below are some usual classroom usual classroom situations. Read them and answer the
questions.
1. The teacher asks the students to be quiet, but they keep talking.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

2. The teacher tells a student she has lunch bunch. The student tells the teacher she is not
coming.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

3. Two students are talking and they are supposed to be working.

The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

4. A student opens a book and starts to do an activity before the teacher has given instructions.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

5. A student comes to class without his homework or pencil. He says he left everything at home.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

6. There is a worksheet on the desks before the students come in to class. The students sit
down and put their files on the worksheet and start talking.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

7. The teacher tells the students not to wear their jackets or scarves in the classroom. The
next day, three students come in wearing scarves or jackets.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

8. A student is being bullied by other students.

The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

9. On Monday, the teacher tells the students there will be a test. On Friday, the students take
a test and nobody scores more than 30 points.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

10. A student has not done her journal for two weeks.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The student should:

__________________________________________________________

11. The teacher asks a student to do something. She tells the teacher, no.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The student should:

__________________________________________________________

12. The teacher asks the students to clean up before they leave. Students throw colored pencils,
rulers, dictionaries, and reading books in their desk instead of putting them away.
The teacher should:

__________________________________________________________

The students should:

__________________________________________________________

Consequences in Ms. Harriss Class

What do you think is the least serious consequence? What is the most serious consequence?
Number from 1-11 in the box.
The consequence

My guess

The answer

Lunch bunch
Ms. Harris raises her voice
Hands on head
Recess bunch
Ms. Harris has a meeting with the student
Ms. Harris e-mails or calls the students parents
Ms. Harris takes all tickets the student has earned and they
cannot shop at the store at the end of the term.
After school bunch
Stand up and stretch, arms out.
Student or students must write sentences.
Ms. Harris asks students to stop what they are doing in a
normal voice.

Task
Write down a rule all students should follow. Make a poster. On the back of the poster, tell why
students should follow that rule or why it is important to you.

Ticket System
You can earn tickets for the school store that happens at the end of each term. Students
can earn 1 ticket for any test with a score of 90% or above and 2 tickets for any test with a score of
100% or above. You can earn tickets for good behavior, special activities, extra homework or other
things. You can buy many things at the store like: candy, chocolate, pencils, pens, notebooks, stickers
and more. It is your responsibility to keep your tickets in a safe place and to remember to bring
them on shopping day.

Classroom Cleanliness
1. Leave the classroom in the same condition you found it. That means:
a. No papers on the floor

b. Do not leave dictionaries, rulers, colored pencil or glue in your desk

c. Your file, notebook and name tag are to be placed neatly in your desk
2. If you see books out of place on the bookshelf, take a few extra minutes to straighten them
out.
3. Empty the pencil sharpeners if they are full.
4. Make sure the colored pencils are put back properly where you found them.
5. Do not write on the chalkboard.
6. NEVER write on or IN any cards, books or magazines that have not been given to you to keep.
Copy down any words or phrases you dont know in your notebook. You are to return all loaned
materials in EXACTLY the same condition they were given to you. If its not yours, read with
your pencil in your pencil case.
Rate Yourself!

How clean are you?

If you have 4 or more stars, tell me three things you do to help make your classroom a clean place. If
you have 3 or less starts, tell me three things you can do differently.
1._________________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________

Can You Take it Home?

YES!
Homework file
Homework
Journal

NO!
Class File
Classroom Notebook
Workbooks

Rate Yourself!
How clean are you?

If you have 4 or more stars, tell me three things you do to help remember to come to class prepared.
If you have 3 or less starts, tell me three things you can do differently.
1._________________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________

Language Arts

Why is English important?

1. ______________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________

Some ideas:
You can communicate with more people.
You can translate for people.
It can help you get a job.
You can help teach others a language.
You can learn new languages more easily.

Weekly Schedule
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

spelling work
spelling test
text work A
text work B
text work C
reading
workshop
writing
workshop
centers

Journals

Thursday

Friday

 Journal homework is given every ___________________________.

Journals are due every __________________________________.
How many journals are due

How many journals are due for

How many journals are due for

every term?
15
10 journals must be chosen from

summer vacation?
5
3 journals must be chosen from

winter vacation?
2
1 journal must be chosen from

the journal topic list

the journal topic list. 2 of

the journal topic list. 1 journal

5 journals are free topics

those journals are free topics.

is a free topic.

** You must choose ONE journal to expand (make it longer) into a fiction story, personal narrative
with lots of details or some other type of writing which needs to be 2 pages long.
All journals must have the date and journal title at the top of the page.

If you are in grade 4, your journal must be at least 12 sentences long.

If you are in grade 5, your journal must be at least 15 sentences long.

If you are in grade 6, your journal must be at least 20 sentences long.

Your journals must have:

Double-spacing

A red 2.5 cm margin on the left side of the page (if there is no margin in the notebook)

Paragraphs

NO NUMBERED sentences or LISTS

Journal Grades
++
+

Outstanding effort on the journal topic. Few grammar mistakes. Lots of details.
Very good effort on the journal topic. Some grammar mistakes, but the teacher can

understand what is being said.

Good effort on the journal topic.
Little to no effort on the journal topic. No understanding of the journal topic. Lots of

grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes.

No journal or student did a completely different journal than what was assigned.

Task
Write a practice journal. Read the information above again, carefully, before you start.

Reading Workshops and the Library

A Basic Review of Story Comprehension
Finding the Main Idea (What the story is mostly about)
How can you find the main idea?
Before reading:

Look at the title

Text features
What will it be about?
Is it fiction or nonfiction?

During reading:

Look for repeated words, pictures, themes, ideas or information

After reading:

What is the most important idea or thought about the topic?

How does the character deal with the conflict?
Task

There are a number of short stories in the bookcase. Choose a story. Fill out the information below.
Title:

_____________________________________________________

Author:_____________________________________________________
Illustrator: __________________________________________________

The authors purpose is to [persuade/inform/entertain]. (Circle one) I know this because

This is a [fiction/nonfiction] book. (Circle one) I know this because: ________________________

I predict this story will be about: __________________________________________________

What is the main idea? Why do you think the person wrote this story or text? ________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What kinds of stories

are you interested in?
How does the main character deal with the conflict? ____________________________________

Why We Abandon Books

 Too easy
Too difficult
Boring-not interesting
Too long before the action begins
Not interested in the genre
Expected something different from the author
Do not like the characters
Too sad
Too scary
Too confusing
Too similar to another book
Why We Read Independently

TO learn new things

To become a better reader

Practice strategies

Build confidence

Expand vocabulary

Become a better writer

Fake Reading vs. Real Reading

Fake Reading
Not reading the pages

Flip the pages

Only looking at the pictures
Read an entire chapter book in 5 minutes
Looking around
Pretend to be reading
Skip pages
Stay on the same page

Real Reading
Focused on the pages (actually reading

the words)
No talking
Packing (fluency)
Dont want to put it down
Asking your questions
Visualizing (mental images)
Make predictions
Confirming/revising predictions
(Changing what you thought would happen

Talking with friends

Generic comments

next.)
Totally mesmerized and amazed
Put yourself in the characters shoes.

(I liked this book.)

(The story was interesting.)

RATKS will start soon. The goal for all students for all grades is 100 books. This will be a grade on
your report card.

Ms. Harris Knows When You Are Not Reading

Directions: Draw a picture of the behavior described in the box. Write a sentence about what a
student should be doing and draw a picture.

1. You are holding the book upside down.

2. You are talking with your friends.

3. You give Ms. Harris a RATKS response on

a 60 page book in 40 minutes.

4. You ask for a RATKS worksheet before

you have started reading the book.

5. Ms. Harris has said one of the following

things you more than once:
Get a book.
Wheres your book?
What are you doing?
What are you talking about?
Lunch bunch?
Recess bunch?

6. You have spent 10 minutes walking around

the library and you still havent found a
book.

Writing Workshop

Listen carefully and participate

Have writing supplies ready

Try new things to improve my writing

Work with and help others if they are stuck or need suggestions

Work quietly

Use your time wisely

Think, imagine and write

Task
Write a paragraph about a mistake you made recently. When you are finished, give it to Ms. Harris.
She will choose a correction partner for you. The correction partner must read the story and make
as many corrections and suggestions as he or she can.

Centers
Centers are activities that a group of students work on at one time. Not everyone in the class will be
working on the same activity. Centers may include the following activities: grammar, reading, writing,
spelling, games, or a meeting with the teacher. Centers may rotate, so everyone will get to do a
different activity.
Task
Practice working with centers.

Interactive Notebooks
This year we will have a fun, new way to learn English. We will use interactive notebooks. Interactive
notebooks are a way to take notes you will use later. Interactive notebooks will be YOUR textbook.
Go back and actually use it and study from it.
Task
Practice making an interactive notebook with the Author Purpose Activity.

I Have Nothing to Do
There is always something to do in this class. Part of your grades in this class are for how often you
ask the teacher, I have finished everything, so what can I do, now?
Work on your journal.
Work on your morning work.
Read a book
Do a Blooms Buttons Worksheet
Study spelling words
Do your homework
Finish up any projects or workbooks in your file
Ask the teacher for more math practice