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Fifth Grade Teacher, Science Dept. Chair.
Mark Rockwell
MILLBRIDGE ELEMENTARY
Contact Mark Rockwell

Page Last Updated Jan 16, 2010
Number of Visits: 1097

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Mr. Rockwell's Schoolnotes Page - 2009/2010
Mark Rockwell
Fifth Grade Teacher, M.Ed., NBCT
Millbridge Elementary School
China Grove, NC

CHECK THE DATES ON THE CALENDAR AND DOWNLOAD THE LATEST "TEAM 408 UPDATE" NEWSLETTER (FROM THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR THE LATEST TEAM 408 INFORMATION

Thanks for visiting my school notes page. Check back here during the 2009-2010 school year for classroom news, information about topics we are studying, online text from newsletters, homework information, and links to internet sites relevant to what we are studying at school.

Please use either the link at the top of this page or e-mail me directly (mrocks7@windstream.net) for any reason at all. I welcome questions, comments, and input from parents about how you, your child, and I can work together to help your child learn and grow as much as possible over the course of the school year.

Stay informed by checking the calendar which will feature important dates (holidays, field trips, tests, etc.). I also want to recommend that you sign up to receive automatic e-mails letting you know whenever new information has been posted on this page.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to download a PDF copy of the latest Team 408 Update newsletter which features classroom news and a weekly tentative homework and assessment plan.

It is going to be a great year!



About Team 408...
    In order to maximize students' abilities to learn, play, work, and grow in an ever-changing world we will operate as a team as opposed to just a bunch of kids grouped together in a classroom. Students will work cooperatively as a team with one common goal each day: to achieve success in learning.
    Students will be encouraged to express themselves as individuals and individual abilities, personalities, and interests will be valued. This recognition of individuality, however, will be balanced by a growing sense of responsibility to the whole as the year progresses.
    I cannot overemphasize the importance of parental involvement in the education of the student members of Team 408! Parents are a critical part of Team 408! Without your daily support, your child will not reach his or her full potential. Here are some tips that can really make a difference in the academic and social success of your child:
1. Let your child know that you expect them to do well! - Giving a child a sense of accountability for their school work will help them to know that it is important. If its not important to you, it won't be important to them.
2. Talk to your child about his/her day and what he/she learned when you see them in the afternoon or evening. Express interest in what they're doing.
3. Celebrate your child's successes. This doesn't mean that you have to throw parties or give them rewards, but, often times a simple comment like, "I'm so proud of you!" can really motivate a child to continue to work hard.
4. Establish a homework routine that is consistently adhered to each day. For example, you might make a rule that your child has 15 minutes for snack when he/she gets home, but, then must spend the next hour working on homework without disruption. Provide a safe place (e.g., the kitchen table) where your child can work without being distracted by siblings or the television.
5. Communicate with me. Send me an e-mail, write a note, or call the school to set up a conference with me. Sometimes issues at home can get in the way of being successful at school (e.g., sickness, family emergencies). If you let me know about it I can be more understanding about missed or poor homework and work out a plan with your child to make up missed work.

Science, Reading, and Writing
Science, reading, and writing will be my main areas of instructional focus throughout the school year. Because of the potential that science has to employ elements of reading, writing, mathematics, and history in the learning process, a significant amount of what we do in the classroom will be linked to science. Major concepts that we will be addressing in fifth grade science include:
  • Interdependence between plants, animals, land, and humans
  • Force, motion, technology, and simple machines
  • Landforms
  • Weather 

Science in my classroom is based on hands-on investigations and project-based learning. However, reading, writing, speaking, and working cooperatively with others are all critical aspects of the daily learning environment in the classroom.

Through daily learning that emphasizes hands-on science inquiry while also employing reading, writing, and math skills, students will not only be preparing for the Fifth Grade Science End Of Grade test, but, also for the Math E.O.G., the Reading E.O.G., the local Fifth Grade Writing Test, and LIFE!

Students will use student-centered science notebooks as a way to help them learn, understand and analyze their own thoughts, record data from classroom experiments and investigations, and record important content and vocabulary information related to the topics we are studying.

Through the use of instructional strategies rooted in cooperative learning (e.g., Writers Workshop, Literature Circles) students will grow throughout the year in their abilities to work cooperatively with others to read, appreciate, and learn from literature, critique written work, and write expository essays and poetry.




Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason.



Thank you for your support!















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