Welcome to 5th Grade Science & Social Studies! 🔬🌎
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Supporters,
Welcome to a new school year!
My name is Ms. Marina Herbert, and I am excited to serve as your child’s 5th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher. Fifth grade is a big year, and we have a lot of learning, exploring, questioning, creating—and yes, some hard work—ahead of us!
Our goal this year goes beyond learning facts for a test. I want our scholars to become curious thinkers, confident speakers, thoughtful writers, responsible classmates, and independent learners. In Science, we will investigate, experiment, analyze evidence, and figure out how and why things happen. In Social Studies, we will explore people, places, cultures, history, citizenship, and the world around us.
A Little About Me
Teaching is not simply my profession—it is work that I genuinely love.
I bring more than 15 years of education experience, including teaching in the Caribbean and working with students from elementary school through high school, as well as teaching some junior college courses. Before joining our public school district about five years ago, I also taught in charter schools throughout Essex County.
After all these years, students can still make me laugh, surprise me, challenge me, and send me home thinking about how I can make tomorrow's lesson even better. That is why I still love what I do.
In our classroom, students can expect me to be compassionate, flexible, encouraging, and fun—but also firm about high expectations. I believe our scholars are capable of doing challenging work. I will ask them to think deeply, explain their reasoning, use evidence, ask questions, collaborate respectfully, and take pride in what they produce.
We can have fun AND do serious learning. The two belong together!
Our Partnership Matters 🤝
The strongest school years happen when students, families, and teachers work as a team. Here are a few ways you can help us from home:
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Homework & Reading 📚: Please check that homework is completed and returned on time. Homework provides important practice, reinforces classroom learning, builds responsibility, and may be graded. Students should also complete assigned Newsela reading and read regularly at home.
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Projects 🎨: Please help your child plan ahead, gather needed materials, and manage their time. Encourage and guide—but let your scholar think and creating!
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Come Prepared ✏️: A quick check for pencils, erasers, notebooks, colored pencils, and other supplies can make a huge difference. Being ready to learn helps students start the day successfully.
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Attendance & Punctuality ⏰: Every day matters! Please make daily, on-time attendance a priority. Whenever possible, schedule appointments after 3:00 p.m. If an appointment must happen during the school day, an early pickup is better than missing the entire day.
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Encouragement ❤️: Celebrate effort, improvement, responsibility, and perseverance—not only perfect scores. Remind your child often: “You can do hard things.”
Let's Stay Connected! 💬
Communication is important to me. Please reach out through ClassDojo or email if you ever have a question or concern. You do not have to wait until something becomes a big problem. Likewise, I will communicate with you about concerns and about the wonderful things your child accomplishes.
You will hear more about our classroom expectations, curriculum, and plans at Back-to-School Night on September 23, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m.
I am looking forward to a year filled with discovery, growth, laughter, challenges, accomplishments, and plenty of “Aha!” moments.
Let's make 5th grade a year our scholars will be proud of!
With gratitude and excitement,
Ms. Marina Herbert
5th Grade Science & Social Studies Teacher
[email protected]
Room 302