Sixth Grade Dear Parents, I’ll be your child’s home room teacher for the sixth grade year and will teach language arts, math, and social studies. I’ll make every effort to provide the best instruction and guidance possible. This effort will be more successful when collaborating with parents and students as a team. The rewards kids gain from any school experience depends a lot on their personal effort to try their best on a consistent basis - in their school work and social interactions. We need to cooperate to build a learning community that allows everyone to learn and grow. My goals for the class are to . . . Show respect Build community Develop confidence Express ideas in speaking, writing, and product creation Learn with others/from others Maximize learning Kids can achieve these goals when they give their best in academics, act appropriately and relate to others respectfully. I work on creating an environment to make kids feel they are treated respectfully, reasonably, and kindly. Students are expected to: Show Respect Be Truthful/Seek Truth Strive for Growth These are the expectations for all students. When these are not met, students are warned, and when necessary, given a behavior card. Detention will be served for every third card given. Parents will be notified before the detention day to make arrangements for transportation. The main point is that I expect students to be responsible for their behavior and their learning. Grading: The larger, more long-term projects/assignments are graded using points. Generally, the greater amount of work expected for an assignment results in it being worth a greater amount of points. A general guideline for common assignments is: short class work activity - 5 points short homework - 10 points notebook grade during a unit of study - 20 points projects combining research, writing, and art - at least 20 points quizzes and tests - at least 20 points This point system is intended to give students an idea to gauge the value of the various assignments they complete and how they contribute to their overall subject grades. At this grade level one of the biggest factors contributing to student success is organization. The ability to plan, manage time, and keep resources and materials in their proper places is a big key to achievement. Kids who are well organized tend to achieve accordingly. If this is a weak area for your child, then they will need more intense monitoring at home. You can help your child by making sure he or she devotes at least an hour to homework daily. Expecting your child to use their planner, checking it regularly, and holding her/him accountable to it will pay dividends in keeping on top of assignments. Review assignments and give feedback before and after they’re turned in. It’s rare for there to be no assignment due the following day on a school night. Besides, days when there may appear to be “no homework” can be devoted to extra reading, practicing math facts, reviewing material presented in class, and especially working on long-term projects. Generally if a student is attentive and participates in class, they will be prepared for independent work at home (like following the assignment’s instructions, applying skills and concepts taught in class, and meeting due dates). Consistent effort toward timely homework completion almost always leads to greater achievement. Why? Simply put, kids who stay on top of weekly homework and projects are usually on-task during class. Completing homework on time keeps assignments in the context to what’s being discussed and learned in class. Learning activities in school are reinforced through homework completion and further study. This usually contributes to better results in test and project grades. Poor performance is often a result of disengaged classroom behaviors and having little organization of study materials. General Assignment Expectations: NEAT - All work should be neat. It should demonstrate that the person who created it did their best to make it so. Work should be completed in pencil (for math) or blue or black ink. Final drafts should always be in ink. Papers should not be wrinkled or ripped. When this expectation is not met, then the assignment will likely be marked down or may not be accepted. COMPLETE - All assigned work must be completely submitted on time as instructed. Responses should always be in complete sentences. Students should be thorough in responses, and restate questions within the answer. If students are instructed to rewrite questions, write a specific number of words, or write a certain number of pages, they should do so. Following instructions properly ensures that the completed work will earn a better grade. ACCURACY - Students should use precise language. They should be specific in how they respond to prompts and questions. They should use proper English grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and include sufficient detail in their responses by giving examples and stating facts. They should show that they understand what they’re writing about. FORMATTING - Students should turn in work using the proper format. They should include their full name, date, class, and assignment in the upper right-hand corner of the paper. PROMPTNESS - Students must submit assignments when due. If an assignment is late, it loses points, and a homework card is given. The later an assignment is, the more points it loses. Thanks a lot, Michael Luque
