Back-to-School Night

1. Back-to-SchoolNight San Elijo Middle School

2. Karen Warner • Twenty-four years experience in SMUSD • 17 years co-chair of the history department • Subjects taught: • All subject areas for grades kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 6th grade, Reading Specialist • 6th grade: History, Expo- study skills, art & Physical Education 6th grade • Geography Bee Coordinator all grades 6-8th • 2013 Teacher of the Year for SEMS

3. Married for almost 8 years to Ray Warner former Stained Glass instructor at Palomar College • Native Californian • Lived in Canada for 6 years • Live in Encinitas • Sabbatical 08-09 • Hobbies: surfing, glass work, woodworking, bee keeping, & fishing!

4. Our Web Site Everything you need, or at least lots of good stuff! http://www.smusd.org/Domain/1003

5. Grade Categories Homework 20% Community Service 10% Quizzes 25% Tests & Projects 45% Extra credit is not usually offered. Rather, when working on a project extra effort is rewarded with bonus points.

6. We established the following “Standards of Excellence” procedures in accordance with DO guidance: Grading NB: Numbers shown are percentages. • We support a rounding-up process, i.e., 89.51% may be rounded up to 90%

7. Homework: Middle school students should expect homework to be assigned on a regular basis, averaging from one - two hours total for all subjects. History homework will generally be as follows: • 6th Grade – assignments focus on projects, vocabulary needed for meaningful understanding and discussion of the text, requirement to study for quizzes and tests.

8. Late Work Policy Late work is not accepted. This is a school wide policy. Math students have a slight modification of this policy. • Late work is not accepted at the high school. • Our goal is to continue developing good work ethics and building student responsibility. • Excused absences are covered by District policy of one extra day per day absent.

9. Syllabus Highlights • We will be studying ancient civilizations in 6th grade that will include: • Early Man, Mesopotamia-Egypt-Kush, India, China, Hebrews, Greece and Rome. • District benchmark tests will be given after each unit. • Vocabulary is an important part of history. Five or ten minutes review of vocabulary per night will enhance learning and is strongly encouraged. • Projects assigned will be given time in class and should be worked on at home as well. • Tests are announced ahead of time. • *Please check the web site for all assignments.

10. Communityservice History Department has a program that requires students to build their citizenship skills by getting involved in their community. Guidance is as follows: • Students in all three grade levels will complete at least 6 hours of community service for the school year, about one hour per month. • 6th Grade – on campus activities or involvement in the local area. Suggested activities are listed on the front of the Community Service Record Sheet and include: beach/community clean-up days, volunteering at a church, synagogue, mosque, or charitable organization, helping an elderly person, at an elementary school, and other situations that are approved by the parents and the teacher.

11. Community service • Other suggestions range from helping other students; parents; neighbors; talking to public safety members; visiting the elderly; scouting activity; to helping our environment at school by recycling. • Time must be verified by parent/guardian signature on the green activity sheet in the BINDER. Graded activity = 10%. • We encourage parents/guardians to submit suggestions to help build future responsible citizens. • Community Service credit will not be given for babysitting, working at a family business, or anything where the students is paid or other forms of remuneration are given in kind. • 3 hours should be completed by the end of the first semester

12. Expo • Expo is a wheel of subjects taught throughout the year. (Students who take band do not take Expo). • Study Skills- learning styles, memorization techniques, organization, note taking/making and now typing. • Art- possible topics: drawing, watercolors, ceramics, fused glass jewelry, string fun, sculpture, print making. We start art when we have finished the study skill section.

13. We’ve got talent!

14. A-More Art • fusing Before fusing After fusing

15. Physical Education • Physical Education will take place two or three days a week alternating the third day with Expo or Band. • It is important that athletic shoes be worn for PE for effectiveness and safety. Shorts or well fitting pants should be worn on PE days. No skirts please. Please follow all other rules of school dress as well. • Grades are based upon attendance, proper attire, effort during all warm-ups and activities, skill tests and sportsmanship. • The PE grade is broken down into 2 sections: • *Participation 50% *Skill 50% • * If your child needs to be excused from PE please send a note. If the length of time is greater than two PE days, please send a doctor’s note.

16. Thank you • Thank you for coming to “Back to School Night.” • Please leave your email address on the clip board at the door, or “Opt In” to our school site. Make sure to write your child’s name as well. • My phone number is 290-2800, ext. 3451. My email address is karen.warner@smusd.org.