Back to School Night

1. Back to School Night 6th Grade Language Arts

2. Welcome! Thank you for entrusting us with the important job of partnering with you in the Catholic education of your child. Let’s begin in prayer.

3. Opening Prayer Oh Heavenly Father, make me a better teacher/parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Holy Spirit, always fill my heart with joy and love for my precious child. Amen.

4. Teacher Introductions6th Grade Team • Miss Foley –B.A. English and Multiple Subject Credential, UCI -2nd year teaching full-time at Serra -Attended St. Mary’s Catholic School in Escondido • Miss Davidson - B.A. English Lit and Multiple Subject Credential, UCI - Student taught in 1st and 6th grades -Serra Alumni • Mrs. Daley • Mrs. Pantano

5. Tonight’s Agenda • Curriculum • Book Clubs • Writing Program • Homework Policy • Classroom Management

6. Language Arts Curriculum • Literature • Book Clubs • Text /workbook • Novels • Writing/Grammar-6 Traits of Writing and Jane Schaffer • Literacy • We will implement reading strategies, note taking, and study skills throughout the year. Our goal is to increase literacy and reading skills across all subject areas.

7. Literature • Book Clubs • Novels • Wonder • Number the Stars • Stargirl • Tuck Everlasting • “In the Zone” Reading: reading on technology • Textbook/workbook

8. Book Clubs Who: 6th Grade Language Arts students, hosted by Miss Davidson and Miss Foley Where:6A and 6B Classrooms What: Structured discussion meetings with a small group of peers who are also reading the same novel How: Participate in “In the Zone” reading and weekly Book Club meetings; read one assigned novel per trimester, and complete one trimester project, as well as Edmodo posts When: DesignatedFridays

9. Edmodo • A closed, secure educational site that allows for communication and opportunities for use of technology • Look for information and log in information • Mrs. Muzzy and many Serra teachers presently using this site • Students will post comments to each other about their selected book club books-structured by teachers • All posts supervised by teachers

10. Using the Internet, go to the edmodo site by typing http://www.edmodo.com/ into your browser Next: Enter the site as a student

12. Once you have signed up as a student you will access your edmodo page along with the group assignment…. Customize your page by clicking on “Settings”

13. 6 Trait Writing Consider the following quote from Jerry Seinfeld’s book Sein Language, 1993, p. 164: • “I always did well on essay questions. Just put everything you know on there, maybe you’ll hit it. And then you’d get the paper back from the teacher, and she’s written one word across the entire page, “vague.” I thought “vague” was kind of a vague thing to say. I’d write underneath it, “unclear,” send it back.

14. 6 Trait Writing Ideas: the heart of the matter; generates thought and holds the interest of the reader; focuses on the main goals or points of subject; reasonable and thought provoking Organization: strong coherence and order to sequence of events in writing; strong transitions that keeps the reader on the right path; effective leads and conclusions Voice: generates emotion/feeling/opinion; demonstrates comfort with topic; written with passion, a careful eye, and zest

15. 6 Trait Writing Word Choice: selection of words that are like “Baby Bear” from Goldilocks “just right” (not too verbose and not too limited); words selected create visual images that paint a “showing” not telling picture; stimulates the senses Sentence Fluency: sentences flow easily and effortlessly; a variety of complex, compound, and simple sentences are present Conventions: Application of accurate knowledge of grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation; allows piece to be understood and prevents frequent re-reading of text

17. Sample Graded Essay Based on 6 Trait Writing Stargirl’s Triumphant Fall from Grace: Analytical Essay Ideas: 2 Organization: 2 Word Choice: 2 Conventions: 2 Sentence Fluency: 3Voice: 2 Comments: You identified one part of the main idea in Stargirl’s fall from popularity, and how this is foreshadowed by Spinelli. Definite improvement noted from your original draft. You are moving closer to the middle of the river on the 6 trait writing guide! Keep swimming! Be prepared with one question you would like to ask me when I conference with you about this piece next week (How can I improve my word choice? I don’t really understand how to come up with better ideas for my work? ).

18. Jane Schaffer • Writing program which specifically addresses organization Created by a classroom teacher • Simple formula- TS, CD, CM, CM, CS • Response to Literature, Analytical Writing • Skelton that assists students in excelling in 6 Traits

19. Language Arts Late Work Policy • 1st Day Late- demerit; teacher will offer student opportunity to attend a lunch time ZAP (Zeroes Are not Permitted) session the day the assignment was missing or incomplete supervised by middle school staff • 2nd Day Late-25% will be deducted from assignment • 3rd Day Late- 50% will be deducted from assignment • 4th Day Late-0% for assignment

20. Parent/Teacher/Student Communication • Teacher web pages • Announcements • Events • Homework assignments • Attachments-students need to print assignments online • Preferred method of communication/contact – email cdavidson@serraschool.org kfoley@serraschool.org

21. Classroom Management Respect • Remember • Every • Single • Person • Expects • Courteous • Treatment

22. Classroom Management Weekly Merit/Conduct Card Responsible behavior • Toward all others while on campus or representing SCS on a field trip, retreat, etc. Work Habits • Are they turning in work, homework, signed parent notices on time?

23. Positive and Negative Consequences Positive Consequences • Commendations, Raffles, Positive encouragement, and Class jobs and privileges Negative Consequences • Natural consequences-if disrespecting peer verbally=compliment peer verbally • Loss of merit point(s)

24. Organizational Skills • During September please help your child stay on track by : • Checking student’s planner • Before starting homework • After finishing homework • Check the teacher web page with your child • Help your student pack his/her backpack for the next day of school

25. Organizational Skills Also, please help us teach them to problem solve and accept personal responsibility by: • NOT bringing forgotten items to school • homework • lunch • books • clothes

26. Thank you for coming. Siempre Adelante “Always Forward”