Welcome to 6 th Grade!

1. Welcome to 6th Grade! Thank you for your support and interest in our curriculum.

2. Communication with Teacher Communication is an important part the parent/ teacher relationship. If you have any questions, please feel free to call before or after school.

3. Phone Numbers Mrs. Christie: 472-8756 Ms. Lombardi: 472-8757 Mr. Lorenzen: 472-8753 Mr. Reagan: 472-8752

4. Email Address Mrs. Christie: hbchrist@mpsaz.org Ms. Lombardi: mplombardi@mpsaz.org Mr. Lorenzen: tslornez@mpsaz.org Mr. Reagan: csreagan@mpsaz.org

5. Organization Tools • Notebooks: Math, Reading, Social Studies, Science, and Writing • Coyote Organizer

6. Homework Policy • Homework is the responsibility of the student • It is assigned for such purposes as completing regular classroom assignments, reinforcing skills, learning responsibility, and developing creativity • Your student should expect up to an hour of homework each night. Let your teacher know if your child is taking longer than this

7. Homework Policy(continued) • Students may not call home for homework to be brought to school • Notes from home will most likely not excuse a child from completing homework • Medical emergencies constitute an exception • Late assignments may result in the loss of points on the assignment

8. Absent Students • It is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher for missing assignments, to make them up, and turn them in • Students will be allowed one full day to complete assignments for each day absent • It is recommended that students check teacher websites

9. Homework Tips • Have a snack before starting • Find a quiet place to work • Few students can work effectively with the radio or television on • Keep location and time consistent • Same Bat place, same Bat time

10. Grading Achievement 90 – 100 % Excellent, outstanding A 80 – 89 % Very good, above average B 70 – 79 % Good, meets expectations C 60 – 69 % Below average, needs improvement D 0 – 59 % Student is having difficulty F Note: Reports do not include pluses and minuses, only letter grades. Effort • - Outstanding 2 – Improving/ Not Consistent 3 – Satisfactory 1 – Area of Concern

11. Classroom Expectations We ask each student to… - care about themselves, others, and their work - follow school expectations outlined in the student handbook

12. Positive Verbal Praise Individual Rewards Whole Class Rewards Working Lunch Negative Warning Check Mark on Planner Logical Consequences Consequences

13. Math Classes • We create math classes which meet students’ needs according to data accumulated through AIMs, Acuity, and placement testing.

14. All math classes… • Emphasize & practice basic math facts • Align lesson objectives to Arizona state standards • Enhance and/or remediate lessons, as needed • Promote the use of multiple strategies to solve problems • Allow students to work in multiple formats: individually, with a partner, or in small groups • Challenge students to explain their thinking

15. All math teachers… • Want your child to enjoy math • Have high expectations for students • Understand that you may not have done this kind of math for many years  • Will help your child work through difficult material • Assign homework to promote the retention of lessons and strategies learned in class

16. Math Strands • Number Sense & Operations • Data Analysis, Probabilities & Discrete Mathematics • Patterns, Algebra & Functions • Geometry & Measurement • Structure & Logic

17. World History Topics • Geography • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome • Renaissance • Mesopotamia • Mesoamerica • Egypt • India • China

18. Science Kits • Powering Our Future • Tonto Forest • Cells to Systems • Oceanography / Extreme Weather • SIM Mission

19. Reading Goals • To help students discover the joy that comes from reading. • Provide the necessary support that allows children to become successful readers. • Expose students to a variety of genres and texts. • Allow reading experiences in a variety of settings: small group, individual, partner, and whole class.

20. Vocabulary Students should understand the meanings of words Fluency The ability to read text accurately and quickly Comprehension Literary Text Various genres: fiction, plays, fantasy… Informational Text directions, newspapers articles, graphs (real world material) Reading Focus

21. Independent Reading Expectations: • Read 20 to 30 min a night (1,000 pages per quarter) • Each homeroom teacher will assign book reports and/ or book projects during each quarter * Quest is a separate program with its own reward system

22. Quest Quarterly Rewards • The two students with the highest number of points in each classroom will receive a free paperback book. • Each student who earns 50 points will participate in a lunch time treat for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters.

23. Quest End of Year Rewards • Each student who earns at least 200 points by the end of the year will participate in a movie party. • Students with 300 points by the end of Quest will earn a trip to Barnes & Noble.

24. Grammar • Daily Language Practice • Emphasizes and reviews important aspects of grammar which will be reflected in their writing

25. Writing Process Prewriting • Planning and organizing ideas Drafting • Use prewriting to create a first draft Revising • Evaluating and refining first draft Editing • Proofreading and correcting Publishing • Preparing writing for presentation

26. Writing Elements • 6 traits of writing • Rubric for scoring is based on these traits • Each trait is scored on a 1 to 6 scale, 6 considered the highest, or best, score • Different pieces of writing are assessed for specific traits

27. 6 + 1 Traits Ideas and Content Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions +1 Publishing

28. Classroom EnrichmentActivities • Brain Busters • Hang-Ups (Poster Board hang-ups that go beyond the obvious) • SRA (Individually Paced Reading/Language Cards) • Mountain Math (24 Weekly Math Problems) • Personalized Vocabulary (Students pick their own weekly Vocab. Words after skimming the story) • Literature Studies (Weekly literature books with open-ended questions and Quarterly Literature chapter books)

29. Las Sendas Web Page • Please visit our school web page at http://www.mpsaz.org/lassendas/

30. Closing Comments Thank you for coming!