Welcome, 2017-2018 Fisher Baker Class!

Welcome to our 4th and 5th Grade Family! 

A question we get asked all of the time when our new fourth graders arrive is "WHY?!" Why have fourth and fifth graders and two teachers in one class?


Here are some of the benefits to our unique combined classroom:

• We have a lot of teacher power! Our team consists of co-teachers Emily Fisher, Lizzy Baker, a paraprofessional, and a student teacher. Having this many people in our room means we can create flexible groupings and work more closely with students. Having two teachers with different strengths and insights also benefits our diverse group of learners. 

• Assessment at Grade Level: Many of the fifth grade standards are similar to fourth grade standards with slightly more advanced aspects. For example, both fourth and fifth graders learn to solve multi-operation equations using order of operations or PEMDAS, but fifth graders' problems include decimals and fractions whereas the fourth graders' practice will include only whole numbers. Fourth graders gain exposure to some fifth grade concepts, but are not assessed on fifth grade standards for their grades. 

• Fourth Graders Loop up to Fifth: When fourth graders transition into their fifth grade year, they will remain in our class. When they return, they are already familiar with our classroom's routines and expectations, and we as teachers already know (and love) them. This familiarity provides a build in mentor role for our new fourth graders, cultivating leadership skills before their transition to middle school. 

We are so excited to meet our new batch of fourth graders, and look forward to helping our newbies acclimate to our learning environment.