1. Welcome to 5NV
Open House Night
Mrs. Venema’s Class 2013-2014

2. About Me
• I am from Perth, Australia.
• This is my second year here at SAS. I’m here in
Shanghai with my husband, Steve (he teaches
MS Orchestra), and our two children (Jocelyn –
5 years and Malachi – 2 years old).
• This is our 9th year in Shanghai. We have spent
7 years teaching at SCIS in Hongqiao. There I
taught Grade 1 and Grade 3.
• I’ve taught Grade K-7 in Australia, as well as
library, technology, an Education Support Unit,
and have been the acting principal in a remote
desert school.

3. 5NV Blog
• Updated every week: Informs parents of
upcoming curriculum topics, important
dates, and reminders of upcoming events
• Includes photos from time to time
• Parent emails are set up to receive a
notification when the blog is updated.

4. Communication
Blog: http://teachers.saschina.org/nvenema/
My Email: nicole.venema@saschina.org
Agendas: These need to travel to and from school
each day. You can write me a note in the diary, or
send me an email. Students update their Agendas
on Mondays with homework and upcoming events
and throughout the week as needed.
All classroom communication will be via emails and
the class blog page.
Emergency Phone Tree

5. Take-Home Folders
• Go home most days
• Contain important school information,
permission slips, flyers and The Eagle

6. 5NV Schedule
• Specialist rotations
• A typical day
• Last period rotation

7. Daily Schedule for 5NV
8:10 Attendance, Morning Tasks
8:15-8:55 Specials
9:00-9:40 Chinese
9:40-10:05 Homeroom/WTW
10:05-10:15 Snack
10:15-10:35 Recess
10:35-11:35 Math
11:35-12:15 Reading
12:15-12:35 Lunch Recess
12:35-12:55 Lunch
1:00-1:45 Writing
1:45-2:00 Agendas, Review
2:00-2:15 Recess
2:15-3:00 PE-Day 1
Science – Day 2&5
Social Studies – Day 3&6
Music-Day 4

8. Core Subjects
• Technology is incorporated into every
subject (blogging, Google Earth, Mathletics,
etc.)
• Math: Everyday Math
• Mathletics: An online supplement that is
aligned with our Everyday Math
curriculum
• Reading: Workshop model designed to
meet and challenge the needs of every
student through mini-lessons, conferencing,
and sustained reading of student selected
books

9. • Writing: A workshop model where idea
development, voice, organization,
conventions, word choice, sentence fluency,
peer / self-editing and revision skills are
continually reinforced
Core Subjects (continued)
• Social Studies: American history units
from the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries
• Science: The Scientific Process, Health,
Landforms, Models and Designs, and
Ecosystems

10. • Word Study: Emphasizes spelling patterns
to assist students in expanding their English
vocabulary
Core Subjects (continued)
• Passport Club: Parent supported,
organized and operated geography program
for the entire Elementary School

11. • Notify Linda Yeh (linda.yeh@saschina.org) and
myself.
• Sign in at the office if arriving late.
• Sign out at the office if you are leaving early
during the day.
• Students absent for extended periods should
email me for homework , and see me when
they return for catch up work and instructions.
Student Absences

12. Homework
• Homework is assigned Monday - Thursday
• 25-30mins from core subjects (math, language,
social studies, science) per night.
• 25-30mins from Chinese class per night
• 25-30mins reading
• Various projects and special assignments will
be additional homework throughout the year.
• Access to a computer with a reliable internet
connection is essential for blogging homework
and Mathletics.

13. Birthdays
• We would love to celebrate your child’s birthday
with them, here in class. Please feel free to send
in or bring along a birthday treat to share –
morning snack time is usually best for this (10:00-
10:15).
• Please email me to arrange the best day and time.
• N.B. We currently have 17 students in our class.
• Unless your child is inviting the entire class to a
birthday party at home, please arrange to
distribute birthday invitations outside of school
time.

14. Room Parents & Volunteers
• Our Room Mom is Stephanie (Cheryl’s mom)
and Young Hee Oh (Christina’s mom) will also
help out.
• Some activities where we will need parent
volunteers include:
 Parties (Halloween, Winter Holiday, Chinese
New Year and End of Year).
 Field trips
• I will advertise the need for volunteers closer to
the scheduled dates on the class blog.

15. Fifth Grade Expectations
• Respect
• Honesty
• Responsibility &
Independence

16. A taste of what we
expect from our
Grade 5 students…

17. The Dot Game
1. Find the other people with the same color dot
that you have.
 No Talking!
 No Peeking at your dot!
2. Find the basket with your color dot.
 Sit here and introduce yourself to your new
group.

19. Build the tallest structure you can using these materials.
It must support the marshmallow at the apex.
You have 15 minutes of build time.

20. Reflection Time
Please use the pink and blue Post-it notes to
write a quick reflection for your child.
Successes
What did you enjoy
or like about this
activity?
Challenges
What did you find
difficult, challenging
or frustrating about
this activity?

21. Questions or Comments
Please use the yellow Post-it notes if you
have a question that was not addressed in
my talk.
I will respond in a group or personal email.

22. Thank You For Coming!
I look forward to working with you and your child
in the year ahead.

23. Next stop: PAC @ 7:30
For an overview of our specialist teachers.