Maddux 6 th grade Meet the Teacher Night

1. Maddux 6th grade Meet the Teacher Night • Our Team: • Mrs. Brockman or Mrs. Smith – Math • Mrs. Barry – Intervention Specialist • Mrs. Knake – Language Arts & Social Studies • Mrs. Lindsey – Language Arts & Social Studies • Ms. Wilson – Science & Health

2. Contacting the Teachers • The most immediate way to get information to us is through our Forest Hills email accounts.annbrockman@foresthills.edu • jenniferknake@foresthills.edumeredithlindsey@foresthills.edukathywilson@foresthills.edupaulabarry@foresthills.eduYou may also call the school office and leave a message for us to return your call.You can always leave us a note in your students' plan book.

3. 6th grade activities • Hall Monitors • Good Apples • Student Council • Chorus • Band • Strings • Musical • Olympic Day • Book Buddies • Beech Acres trips • VIE Tea • All 6th grade elementary district events (these are parent run events, please consider signing up to help)

4. Planbook Routine • Filled out daily before leaving each class • Parent signature at least each weekend • Teacher signature weekly • Reading log daily (column 8) • The plan book is also signed for each bathroom trip taken (page 16ish) • Additional parent signatures may be requested for permission for special events in the planbook • Students should not color, decorate or doodle in the planbook

5. The 6th Grade Wiki • The 6th grade team has a wiki page that will have updates and information for both parents and students. (This PowerPoint will be on it.) • Please go to mustangsin6th@wikispaces.com • You do not need to join the wiki to see it • Plan on checking this weekly as we will post most of our information on this page. • Each subject area will have a page with specific information regarding homework and assignments.

6. Progress Book • The district uses Progress Book for all report cards, interims and grades. • Progress Book is a great tool. It is basically the teacher’s grade book. Other assignment details may also be found on this as well. • You should check Progress Book weekly to see your student’s progress in each class. • Students should also be checking Progress Book on a regular basis to see what they may be missing as well as their grades

7. Schoology • We will use Schoology this year. It is not up and running yet. We will notify you and your student when we begin using that.

8. Book Orders • These will go through the Language Arts class. • Please consider ordering online. If you are unable to order online please make checks out to the book club and not the teacher. No cash can be accepted. • There will be a code for ordering online. Your student will be given the code to write in his or her planbook.

9. Dismissal • ALL dismissal changes should be in writing. • We will always send your child home the routine way if there is no written notification regarding the change.

10. Absence Policy • We will follow the district’s policy on absence work. • It is the student’s responsibility to get missed work upon returning to class (we will have work ready but will not follow the student around asking them what they think was missed) • 2 days to make up work for each day out • Requests will honored to send work for pickup in the office for more than 2 days out whenever possible

11. Phone Calls • The phone calls are limited to emergencies only. • Phone calls for after school events will not be allowed. • This is the school policy.

12. Cell Phones and other electronic entertainment devices • Students are not allowed to have these items out at school during normal school hours. • If an item needs to come to school it should be turned off and kept in a backpack. • Students bring these items to school at their own risk and we are not responsible for lost or stolen items. • When an item becomes a distraction it will be sent to the office and a parent will be called to come pick up the device. It will not be sent home with the student.

13. Cell Phones and other electronic, hand-held devices • We will follow the school policy on cell phones. • Cell phones brought to school must be turned OFF and in backpacks. • If a cell phone is taken from a student the parent will be called to get the phone from the office at the end of the school day. • We are not responsible for lost or stolen cell phones (or other electronic hand-held devices).

14. Electronic Readers • Kindles, Nooks, e-readers, etc. are allowed at school at the students own risk. • If a student brings one to school a “device registration form” must be completed and on file in the office. • You can find this file on the district website or it can be emailed to you.

15. Language Arts • The main focus of this class will be reading and writing but we will also work on grammar, spelling, speaking & listening, character development and organization. • We expect the students to use the last rowof their plan book as the reading log. They will need to log their daily reading (Just Right Book or Good Fit Book). Each night your student should plan on reading at least 20 minutes a day. As the year progresses the time expectation will increase. • The students will need to log daily, complete reading responses weekly and be prepared for student/teacher reading conferences with 5 entries on a think mark.

16. Just Right Book(Language Arts Class con’t) • Students should come to every class with a JRB. • A JRB is a book that is interesting and easy for your student to read. It should be a book like you would choose to read for pleasure. It should not be hard or have a lot of spots to “work on”. • The students should use the “5 finger rule” to determine if the book they have chosen is an appropriate level for them. • All reading should be recorded in column 8 of the plan book.

17. Reading • The students will study reading in a variety of ways using parts of the Scot Foresman text book series, the Social Studies and science programs, book chat books, just right book reading (JRB) and read aloud. • We will discuss many genres and tie that into our writing as well. The students should use the “5 finger rule” to determine if the book they have chosen is an appropriate level for them.

18. Writing • The students will have the opportunity to create many forms of writing such as: • Narrative pieces • Expository • Argumentative • Poetry • Informational reports • Informal writing (journals, reading responses to novels and discussions) The students will use many steps of the writing process for each of these pieces and some will be taken to the publishing stage.

19. Laptops • Another great skill we will help the students tackle will be composing and editing in a word processing program. • To aid in this process the students can use flash drives to save their work so they can compose at home and at school. • Another great way to get work from home to school is email. • We will also have access to Google drive as well as other internet sites that allow you to share work with other students and between home and school.

20. Other LA Topics • In Language Arts class we will also review: • Grammar rules • Parts of speech • Punctuation • Proofreading & editing skills • Vocabulary development and understanding • Spelling and patterns

21. Other 6th Grade Learning Opportunities • There will be many lessons and topics that allow for cross curriculum discussion. • Often we will work with Mrs. Williams (the Media/Library specialist) as well as combine the lessons for Social Studies and Language Arts.

22. Math • The following are concepts we will cover in class this year: • Fractions • Ratio and Proportions • Algebra and Patterns • Measurement and Geometry • Prime Factorization • Statistical Reasoning • Probability

23. Math Homework • Zip strips will be given each Friday and are due the following week. Additional homework may be given and will be posted on our 6th grade wiki page. If your child is ever struggling with homework please let me know. You can simply initial the work to let me know they attempted the work but did not understand. This will not count as missing if they tried.

24. Science • The Science program is based upon Ohio standards for grades 6-8 and utilizes the new program Science Fusion. • Students receive 4 units of consumable books during the year- Rocks & Minerals, Motion & Energy, Matter, and Cells. Assignments are also online with “Think Central.” • Grades are determined by class participation, spiral notes, homework, quizzes, and unit tests

25. Social Studies • We will work out of the new district Social Studies History and Geography program by TCI. Students will have an interactive notebook and one set of texts in class for reference. The book is also online. • The main topics of study this year will be The Rise of Civilization, Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, Ancient India, Ancient China, and Origins of World Religions. • Grades will be based upon class participation, notebook completion, homework, quizzes and tests.

26. Health • The Health curriculum focuses on Body Systems: Digestive, Circulatory, Immune, Nervous, Endocrine, Reproductive, and Excretory. There will be graded assignments. • Preteen issues such as peer pressure, internet safety, and health for life are also discussed. • Texts Our Health and Human Biology will be used in class. No tests are given.

27. Big Bucks • Come in 5 Bucks, 10 Bucks or 20 Bucks • The 6th grade teachers are always on the lookout for hard working Big Buck earning deeds. • It is the students’ responsibility to keep track of the Big Bucks. Treat them as money, if they are lost, replacements cannot be given. We would suggest getting a separate pencil case to carry the Big Bucks in. • Big Bucks cannot be shared or purchased with peers. Other peers cannot give out BB. • Students cannot “purchase” items from peers with BB. • Only teachers can hand out big bucks to students

28. Why do I want Big Bucks? • There are 2 leveling days a year for Big Bucks: We will collect and award the highest Big Buck collectors with special awards. • There are 2 auction days a year for Big Bucks: On this day we will collect the Big Bucks and have an auction for the students to purchase items with the bucks. • There are also other “surprises” throughout each semester based on big bucks.

29. How do I earn Big Bucks? • Random “good deeds” • Being helpful • Following directions • For going above and beyond an average student • However, students cannot ask for Big Bucks because a good deed just happened. Students should be working hard, above and beyond because they are willing and able, not because they want to earn Big Bucks. • For having an updated and completed plan book (including the Sat and Sun section and Reading log, column 8) with a parent signature.

30. How do I lose Big Bucks? • Not following rules. • Forgetting materials for classes. • Behavior problems. • Rudeness or mean/poor attitudes. • Physically misplacing them • Missing assignments

31. Homework Expectations • 45-60 minutes nightly • reading from Just Right Book • reading response & think mark • approximately 1 week notice before tests • late and missing work will affect the grade • unannounced quizzes are probable • nightly zip strips for math • weekly science and social studies homework

32. Homework Policy • 1. All Board Policy requirements will be followed closely, including the time requirements.2. Homework should be graded for completion and will make up no more than 15% of the students overall grade.3. Homework will be formative in nature, helping to assess student progress and adjust instruction accordingly.4. Review of homework will be quick, leaving maximum time for active learning/re-teaching/intervention.5. For missing or late homework there will be a reasonable deduction each day not to exceed two days. This deduction will be based on the overall assignment. Students may complete the assignment at home or they may be given before school, after school, or recess detentions to complete the work.6. Communication regarding the missing assignment will be via the student by obtaining a parent and teacher signature in the plan book. A red "missing assignment" stamp will be in the plan book.7. If the work is not complete after the two days, alternative communication will be made to organize a homework plan for the student.8. Chronic problems will require a written intervention plan.

33. Lunch and Recess • The students have a 20 minute lunch and a 20 minute recess daily. • The new federal regulations state that a lunch must have 3 parts (main entrée, vegetable or fruit and a milk); no substitutions can be made or the item will be charged ala cart • The only items allowed out of the cafeteria are water. Soda, sports drinks, flavored water, etc. are not allowed to leave the cafeteria. • No food can be consumed in the classrooms. • At first the students will sit by homeroom for lunch. As the year progresses the privilege to sit with other peers will be offered.