5C/5D

Dear Parents of 5C/5D,

I am extremely excited to begin a new year at Academy of Math and Science. This is my second year of teaching 5th grade at AMS and am very eager to meet all the new faces for this year. I grew up in Los Angeles, California and lived in Palm Springs, CA for 10 years before moving to Phoenix, AZ last year. I have an Associate Degree in General Science from Santa Monica College and I’ve earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University in 2008. I had previously worked as a Social Worker for the County of Riverside, working in the Department of Public Social Services. I have three incredibly energetic, fun, loving children at home. Two boys (7 and 5 years old) and one girl (2 years old). We are a very sporty and outdoorsy family who love to set sights on new adventures. I love to hike, swim, and am a huge baseball fan. I’ve coached my kids’ little league teams and will be coaching the girls Softball team at AMS.

PHILOSOPHY

My philosophy in teaching is to keep the children disciplined in their studies. Discipline does not mean to punish, but instead, using such opportunities to teach. I cater to the needs of the class but will push them try beyond their potential. I set classroom and individual goals to high but achievable levels and believe every student is capable. If students need to be remediated for a topic or subject, I set time aside for them every day to encourage and to help them. I also work with those who have surpassed the curriculum standards as they tend to be ignored in large classroom settings. As I continue to assess abilities and skills, it will be determined if a student needs to be challenged further. Daily homework is a requirement for 5th grade and is expected to be ready to turn in within the first 15 minutes of class. Students are expected to spend 2 hours per night (approximately 30 minutes each core subject) doing homework. If one subject is heavy, I will scale back on others so that they are not spending more than 2 hours. Tests are given weekly on Fridays. Quizzes will be randomly given in the week to check for understanding.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is extremely important for students to be successful. Other than emergencies or illnesses, students are expected to be in school on time every day. Studies have shown that students who miss several days throughout the school year, perform below standards. If your child is absent, they are still required to complete all assignments and will be given an extra day to do so. If they are absent on a day homework is due, it will need to be turned in the day they come back. If you know you will be missing class, please notify me ahead of time so that I can send home the assignments prior. I know with holidays and breaks, students tend to miss days due to starting their vacation early. I am advising against this since instruction will still take place and assignments will be given over the breaks.

COMMUNICATION

I do require that all parents sign up for ClassDojo, the school’s electronic communication system. I communicate everyday to parents and ask that it be checked daily. It’s an App that can be downloaded to any device through the App Store or you can log into the class on www.ClassDojo.com. You will be given a code on the first day of school which will add you to the class. If you are unable to log in, please communicate this to me and we may use email or phone as an alternative mode for communicating. I will post messages for everyone to see, but we can also communicate privately in Dojo. If you speak a language other than English, the app will translate for both of us to communicate easily. Homework will be posted daily as well as upcoming events, projects, and tests. I will occasionally send out requests or just let you know how the class is doing in general. I am available by appointment throughout the school year and will post my available hours on ClassDojo. If my available hours do not work with your schedule, I can schedule a phone call instead. Frequent parent-teacher communication is important for the success of the child.

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT:

AMS uses an accountability card to track behavior issues as well as for those who do not turn in homework in grades 5-8. They receive signatures for each violation. Lunch Detention is a method used to correct these issues but after 3 Lunch Detentions, a child will be required to join our Saturday Detention Group. After 3 Saturday Detentions, Students may receive an in-school suspension. From there and out of school suspension. There are white, yellow, and red accountability cards. Everyone starts with a white card (A clean slate) and allows for 5 signatures before moving to the next level. If behavior is not corrected, they will move to a yellow card that only allows three signatures, and then a red card which allows only one signature before getting suspended. 

GRADING SCALE:

90%-100%: A

80%-89%: B

70%-79%: C

60%-69%: D

0%- 59%: F

I look forward to getting to know all of your amazing kids this year.

Sincerely,

Ms. Shari Syas

5th Grade Teacher

623-547-5587 (Front Office) [email protected]