Welcome to Mr.

Murphys Class
A Parents Guide
To Fifth Grade

About Me
Hello and welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! My name is Ben Murphy and Ill be your
childs 5th grade teacher. This will be my sixth year teaching and Im excited that it will be with
your child. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both
from the University of Louisville. I have a wonderful family, which includes my wife Charity
and our two dogs Sprocket and Brisby. In my spare time, I love playing racquetball or
basketball, cheering on the Louisville Cardinals and spending time with my friends and family.
I feel very blessed to be here at Kenwood Station and I look forward to working with you and
your child.

My Philosophy
There is a quote from an article The Genteel Unleashing of Americas Poor by Kylene Beers
that sums up one of my primary beliefs as an educator: Teachers take students as they are,
respect all as they are, and promise to teach all, as they are. I understand that each child
coming into this classroom will have his or her own learning style, experiences, interests and
personality. My goal is to create a classroom that tailors to each students capabilities to
maximize academic success and life enrichment. I promise to value your child for whom he or
she is and strive to provide them a powerful, memorable and enjoyable fifth grade year.

Daily Schedule (Tentative)

7:25-7:45 Morning business (tardy bell: 7:40 A.M.)
7:50-8:20 X-Block (On Monday we have a school-wide huddle)
8:20-9:30 Math
9:30-9:56 Social Studies/Science mini-lesson
9:56-10:46 Related Arts (Technology, Art, Music or P.E.)
10:46-11:04 Read Aloud
11:04-11:29 Lunch
11:29-12:00 Completion of Social Studies/Science
12:00-12:15 Wellness
12:15-2:15 English Language Arts
2:15 Dismiss Jungle and car riders
2:20 Dismiss bus riders
The Leader in Me
You will be hearing a great deal about the 7 Habits this year. Based on Stephen Coveys book 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leader in Me is a school wide initiative that we have
adopted at Kenwood to help develop the leader in all of our students. The 7 habits that your
child will practice and apply are:
1. Being proactive Taking responsibility for your life.
2. Beginning with the End in Mind Defining your mission and goals in life
3. Putting First Things First Prioritizing and doing the most important things first.
4. Thinking Win-Win Having an everyone-can-win attitude.
5. Seeking First to Understand, Then to be Understood Listening to people sincerely.
6. Synergizing Working together to achieve more.
7. Sharpening the Saw Renewing yourself Eating right, sleeping enough, exercising
and spending time with family and friends.

Electronic Devices
Students may bring personal mobile devices (iPods, E-readers, iPads, etc.) to school for
instructional purposes only. Written permission must be given by the parent/guardian with
the acknowledgement of the classroom teacher. Use of personal mobile devices by students for
instructional purposes is a privilege, not a right. Students are responsible for appropriate use
and behavior. The administration and staff may revoke or suspend user access if expectations
are violated. The school is not responsible for the loss, theft, or damage of personal devices.

Math Flexible Grouping

Throughout the year, students will be placed into flexible groups for math instruction. Based
on pre-assessment data, students will be divided into groups that best meet their instructional
needs. The purpose of flexible grouping is to maximize opportunities to tailor instruction to
students performance levels. During flexible grouping, students may not be with their
homeroom teacher. It is important that you check your childs agenda daily to see if they are
assigned math homework or projects for their particular group.

Homework Guidelines
Homework will be assigned as needed (completion of daily work, practice of daily work, or an
extension of daily work). Homework will be 30-50 minutes with an additional 15-20 minutes
for reading. As of right now, homework for the week will go home on Friday and be
returned the following Friday.

Progress Reports/Report Cards

Report cards will be distributed three times a year, every twelve weeks. Progress reports will
be sent out as needed. I will send out a letter advising you of parent conference dates.
Agenda/Planner
Each student will be using an agenda as a valuable communication tool. Students will write
their homework assignments, test dates, and other important classroom or school information
in their agendas each day. It is each childs personal responsibility to correctly fill out their
agenda and make sure that it is signed by his/her parent or guardian. I encourage you to
create a nighttime routine with your child in which you read over the assignment in the agenda
with them and then sign/initial it in the message box.

Attendance
I would like to stress the importance of daily attendance. I realize that students get sick, but
please promote good attendance whenever possible. Students miss a lot of valuable learning
time when they are not at school and sometimes it is difficult to make up those lost learning
opportunities. Students who are absent will be given makeup work when they return to school.
They should complete the missed homework as soon as possible and turn it in. If there is a
problem in completing the work, please contact me.

Communication
Education is a collaborative effort. I understand and value that you have specific goals for your
child, and I encourage you to openly communicate those goals with me. In previous years, Ive
had great success using YouTube videos to communicate what weve covered in class.
Therefore, each week I will be sending a YouTube video to your email to update you on whats
going on inside the classroom. Also, each day I will be signing your childs agenda. This agenda
will be a daily communication tool. Any notes or matters of importance will be documented
and the agenda should be signed nightly. Together, we can make sure that your child receives
the best fifth grade experience possible.

Please call, write, or email me if you have any questions or concerns about your childs
education or classroom experiences. Im always available to schedule a sit down conference if
you want to talk in person.

Kenwood Station Elementary

Classroom Website: www.murphysville.weebly.com
Phone: (502) 241-1452, extension 217
Cell Phone: (502) 387-8488
Email: Benjamin.Murphy@oldham.kyschools.us