August 23, 2016

Dear Families of 5-Ma,

Welcome to the 2016-17 school year at ASW! My name is Zuzana
Matusova (or Ms. Matus for short). This is my sixth year at ASW and my
second year teaching in 5th Grade. I believe we have a very successful year
ahead of us. I am excited about the opportunity to work with your children
and create a strong team. At the same time I will focus on each student
individually and support his or her personal learning styles and abilities.
5th grade curriculum overview:
As we are transition towards a fully IB certified school, we will
cover three of the six transdisciplinary themes (Who we are, How we
share the planet, Where are we in place and time). Majority of the learning will be inquiry based. In
reading, we will explore various text features and reading strategies that the students use while
reading their personally selected books or books that are assigned to them. In writing, we will focus
on personal narrative and persuasive essays. The emphasis will be on speech writing and speech
giving. Science units cover all sorts of topics, including solar system, physics, and ecology. During
Social Studies, your children will discuss Global Issues, Service Learning possibilities, and will learn
and practice Scientific Inquiry and Methods. Mathematics include Place Value and Decimal
Fractions, Addition and Subtraction of Fractions, Multi-Digit Whole Number and Decimal Fraction,
etc. Math is taught through small group activities, discussion, studying various strategies, problem
solving, critical thinking and workbook practice. You will learn more about the fifth-grade
curriculum and units of inquiry during the Back to School Night.
Communication with the teacher:
The easiest way to communicate with me is via email. My email address is
zmatusova@aswarsaw.org. If you need to discuss any concerns you have, please schedule an
appointment. I have scheduled Mondays and Thursday afternoons for drop-ins without making an
appointment. I am going to post majority of the information needed on the class blog
(http://asw5matus.weebly.com/). I recommend you subscribe to the blog to receive updates. I will
provide you with my phone number in person.
Absences:
If your child will not be at school, please send me an e-mail to let me know. I will have a
folder with all necessary make-up work you can pick up after school. The school day starts at 8:30. If
your child comes later than that, he or she will be marked tardy.
Teaching Assistant Mr. Nick Lucek:
This is Mr. Nicks second year at ASW. He works one-on-one or with small groups across the
subjects. We are very lucky to have him.
Homework:
Homework will always be given on a Monday and turned by the following Monday. In
general homework will include a Newsela reading assignment, a math page, and a creative/brain
teaser task. The other two pieces of homework will be decided based on particular students personal
needs. Students are expected to read for 30 minutes each day and record the title and pages read in
their Student Planer which will share with their teacher the following morning. Students taking
French or a native language will have homework for those classes.

A note about homework: It is almost certain that the amount of homework wont meet your
expectations. Apart from variations amongst students, different cultures also have different
expectations. For those students who have too much, we can make accommodations. For those who
feel their child has too little, there are many extension projects to challenge them. In any case, please
see the teachers involved.
Golden Dragon:
Along with other international schools in the region, our school library sponsors a yearlong
reading activity: Golden Dragon. Around 20 books are chosen from books published in the previous
year. The librarians choose a wide variety of genres and levels.
Snack Time:
Students can eat their snack at 10:10 each day. Please pack some healthy food to eat for
snack. We do not have lunch until 12:50. Students may not go to the cafeteria during the day to buy a
snack or drink. Students may bring a water bottle to the classroom.
Birthdays:
You may send in a treat on your childs birthday. E-mail me so I can let you know the best
time to bring the treat.
Classroom Parent(s):
If you are interested in being a classroom parent, please e-mail me. We are looking for 2
volunteers.
Early Dismissal:
Students are dismissed early every Wednesday at 2:35.
Field Trip to Lopuszna:
Our Field Trip to Lopuszna is one of the highlights of the ASW school year. Please read the
information I sent home with your children.
Daily Schedule:
I have sent a copy of the daily schedule home with your child. I will also place a copy of our
daily schedule on the classroom website. We have PE on Mondays and Fridays. It is imperative to
have the proper shoes/clothing and, when swimming begins, the proper swimwear. You will be
notified when swimming will begin.
Important upcoming dates:
Thursday, September 1 Back to School Night from 18:00 - 20:00. 5th Grade will start by
meeting in the MPR (New Building) before the event (most likely at 17:30) to talk about the Field
Trip to Lopuszna.
Tuesday, September 6
Parent-Led Conferences/NO school
Please do plan to attend both events. I would like to meet you all in person.
If you ever have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. I am going to share even more
information about the 5th grade curriculum and my class expectations and procedures during the Back
To School Night. I look forward to the rest of the year.
Sincerely,
Zuzana Matusova