Welcome to Grade 5

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Fifth Grade at Hsinchu International School! My name is Mr. Robus and I am really excited to be teaching Grade 5 again this year. This is my sixth year at H.I.S. and my fifth teaching Grade 5.

I would like to assure all students and parents right from the start that the most important thing to consider about education is that we don’t all learn in the same way but that everybody can enjoy learning.  With this in mind, I encourage students to talk to me as soon as they have any concerns about what we are learning or what happens in the classroom. I am aware that some students are shy or unwilling to discuss their fears or concerns about matters of an academic and social nature, but I will explain to the students how to overcome this when I meet with the class for the first time next week. I am sure that if we work together, this will be a very successful year for all of us. 

In order to make collaboration as effective as possible, I hope that we can communicate about any questions or concerns you might have both now, and as the school year progresses. Please remember to contact me first if you have a query or would like to express a concern. You can write a note in your child’s homework book or email me at donovan.robus@hdis.hc.edu.tw. Please be aware that I check email a number of times throughout the day but am not always aware of messages sent via Class Dojo. Please keep this in mind, especially regarding urgent matters. 

I will use the class blog to communicate messages and important reminders, along with daily homework assignments, so please check it daily by visiting 

http:// hi51920.blogspot.com

In addition to communicating via the blog, I may occasionally send a memo home in your child’s homework book. It is very important that you check and sign your child’s homework book every day to keep as up-to-date as possible with what we are doing and how they are progressing. 

Please also be sure to keep up with what your child is learning by asking them questions about what they did at school. If we all work together, we can all learn together.

I look forward to meeting both familiar and new parents either at our Introductory Evening next month or at our Parent-Teacher Conferences in November. 

School will start on Wednesday, August 21st for Elementary students. I am excited to see those who were in Grade 4 last year again and to meet new students when school starts again next week. 

Until then, please feel free to contact me at the email address above if you have any concerns.  

Kind regards,

Mr. Robus

Please find a supply list below outlining what your child will need to bring to class this year. It is not essential that they have everything on the list by the first day of school but they will be needing most of the items as of the week after next, once we begin working through the Grade 5 curriculum.

H.I.S. Grade 5 Supply List 2019-2020

50	Plastic pockets / sleeves to keep notes and worksheets organised
1 box	Water-Soluble Colored pencils in a bag or box (12 or more colours)
1 pair	Scissors (safe, student-friendly)
1	12-inch/30 centimeter ruler showing both centimeters and inches
1	Protractor and compass
3	Highlighters – different colours for studying and researching
1	Basic, Inexpensive calculator
1	Pencil bag or box big enough to fit 1 pencil, 1 eraser, scissors, and 1 glue stick
1	Large box of facial tissue
5	Sharpened pencils or Clutch/Mechanical pencil with extra lead for refilling
1	Pencil sharpener (with shaving holder)
2	4B Sketching Pencils for Art Class
1	Water Brush for Art (Paint brush that can be filled with water)*See below
2	Black pens
2	Green pens
2	Red Pens
2	Thin, fine-tipped black PERMANENT markers
2	Good quality plastic erasers
2	Glue sticks
1	Roll of clear tape
2	Whiteboard markers – Any colour.
1	Small stapler and a box of staples
2	Packs of Post It notes (preferably but not necessarily) lined
Optional	English Dictionary (preferably Student/Children’s) *Not too space-consuming
Daily	Water bottle – filled before arriving at school
Daily	Healthy snack – Please avoid sending chocolate, cookies, candy, cake or bags of chips. Fruit, nuts or cereal are a better choice.
Daily	A clean face cloth or hand towel for humid days
Additional	Sweater for cold days/spare socks etc. for rainy days/hat (and sunscreen) for sunny or hot days.
Additional	USB Flash/Thumb Drive (about 2-4GB) for assignments/presentations.

*For PE class each week, students should wear the HIS PE uniform, a hat on sunny days, and running shoes. During colder weather, they may wear exercise pants (or loose pants), a loose shirt, running shoes, and additional layers in case the weather changes (e.g. long-sleeve t-shirt, sweater, jacket, coat, etc.). Students should also bring their water bottles to PE

All stationery should be clearly marked with a sticker or Sharpie® showing your child’s name in English