Sixth Grade English with Mrs. Stastyshyn

Welcome, students!

Welcome to Sixth Grade!• I will introduce you

to sixth grade and to our classroom.

• If you have any questions during my presentation, please write them down and I will answer them at the end of the presentation.

About Me•I grew up in Pendleton, New

York.•I attended:

•Starpoint Central Schools•Buffalo State College•UNLV

•I’ve been teaching English for Six years.

•I run the school newspaper.•I love my job!

My Family• My Husband

Matthew

• My Sisters– Jennifer– Kristy– Erin

• My Parents– Heidi Holm– Gary Holm

• My Nieces– Kayla Heidi

Annunziato– Jessie Leigh Holm– Ashlee Nicole Day

• Pets (in Buffalo)– Willy (Holm)

My Goals• To give you the academic and

social skills you need to progress to seventh grade.

• To provide a supportive, safe, and fun classroom environment.

• To help you make new friends and discover new interests.

Classroom Community• Our classroom is a community just

like the community where you live.

• In our community we have rules and jobs to help our classroom run efficiently.

• We all have a role in our community and it is important to follow all of our classroom community rules.

Classroom Rules:1. Put your best effort into everything you do.2. Treat yourself and ALL others with respect. 3. Immediately follow any direction given to

you by teachers and staff members at Becker Middle School.

4. Be in class, sitting in your assigned seat, and displaying on task behavior when class begins.

5. Food or drink other than water is not permitted in class-this includes gum. You will be asked to throw any food or drink in the garbage before you enter class. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Grading:Grade Book Key

• 0 Zero-the assignment was not made up on time or you put no effort into the assignment. You have one (1) day to re-do assignments that you received a zero on to earn half credit.

• mi Missing-the assignment is missing, missing work was not received when the assignment was collected or graded. You can turn in missing work the next day for half credit. After one day, you will not receive any points for the assignment.

• ab Absent-you were absent on the day that we collected or graded the assignment. If you have an “ab” you have to make-up the assignment within three (3) days of the absence.

• Y Yes-you completed the required assignment or I received the required assignment.

• N No-you did not complete the required assignment, or I did not receive the required assignment.

Homework• Homework for the whole week will be

written in your Becker Book every Monday.• Homework is posted in the following

places:– Sideboard under “HOMEWORK”– The “What Did I Miss” calendar.– Parent-Link (three weeks into school

year)– www.myccsd.net under: stastyshyn

Make-up Work• “What Did I Miss? Calendar”-this calendar will

have the “Daily Agenda” written on it from each day of class. It will include the lesson, class work, and any assignments you may have missed. You should check this calendar if you ever miss class.

• “How Am I Doing?- these grade reports are a great tool to use when you have missed class or just want to track your weekly progress. This is a print out of my grade book. You may check your grades during the warm-up ONLY.

• Deadline for make-up work- The Becker Middle School make-up policy says that students have three school days, including the day they return, to make up any missing work from a legally excused absence. – If you miss any notes, you may get them from a friend

or classmate. – If you miss a quiz, you must arrange a time to make it

up. Most of the time we are able to arrange time during the class period to make up work.

Tardiness• If you are not in the classroom by

the time the bell rings, you must follow the procedure for signing in tardy.

• Tardiness can affect your citizenship grade in class and excessive tardiness can lead to detention and even suspension.

• The bell schedule is as follows…

Becker Middle SchoolBell Schedule

Bell Schedule   Starts Ends

Early Bird   7:00 7:55

First Period   8:00 8:57

Second Period   9:01 9:53

Third Period   9:57 10:49

Lunch (Sixth Grade)   10:49 11:19

Fourth Period   11:23 12:19

Fifth Period   12:23 1:15

Sixth Period   1:19 2:11

Lunch Schedule   Starts Ends

First Lunch (sixth grade)   10:49 11:19

Second Lunch (seventh grade)   11:19 11:49

Third Lunch (eighth grade)   11:49 12:19

Tardy ProceduresTaking Attendance:• I will take attendance immediately after the bell

rings. • Any student who is not in his or her seat working

on the daily agenda will be marked absent or tardy.

• If you come to class with a legitimate pass, just walk in quietly and set the pass on my desk. I will check the pass when time permits.

• If you are tardy without a pass, follow the procedure for coming to class late.

Procedure for Coming to Class Late:• Sign in tardy on clipboard near to the phone.

– Make sure you fill out all of the information completely and legibly-please print.

• You should do this as quickly and quietly as possible so you do not further interrupt our class.

Progressive Discipline:

•First- verbal warning•Second- phone call home•Third- Counselor Referral•Fourth- Deans Referral•Fifth or more- RPC-Required

Parent Conference, Detention, In-House Suspension, or even Suspension for repeat offenders.

Daily Objective, Agenda, and

D.L.P.:• Come in quickly and quietly and check the Daily Objective and Agenda.

• After reading the Daily Objective and Agenda, complete the warm-up.

• D.L.P-stands for Daily Language Practice. – It consists of one sentence with errors in

Conventions (punctuation, spelling, grammar, and capitalization).

– You will write the sentence in your DLP notebook and correct errors that appear.

– We will go over the corrections for each sentence and you will be quizzed once a week using similar sentences with similar mistakes.

Homework Hand-In and Paper

Pass-Back• In-Baskets: homework, class work, and any other

activities you are assigned must be handed in to the “In Baskets” located right where you enter the room. The agenda will tell you what must be turned in before the warm-up is over.

• Out-Baskets: graded homework, class work, and any other assignments will be placed in the “Out Baskets” located on the bookshelves in the back of the classroom. I will select students to pass back papers on a regular basis.

• No Name. No Grade. Please Claim Me!: This basket is full of no name work that earns no points. If it is yours, write your name on it and turn it in, so I can give you points.

Passes• Passes are very rarely given. It must be an

emergency• Students must, without exception, use the

Becker Book pass page to leave the classroom for any reason.

• The pass page must be attached to a Becker Book or students will not be allowed to leave the room.

• Students must use their own personal Becker Book to leave the room.

• Fill out the pass page before you ask me to leave the room.

• Last, you must sign the pass log located on the classroom door. • If I sign your pass book you may go to your

destination. • If I do not sign your book, you may not leave

the room. I will not argue.

Emergencies and Emergency Drills

• Fire Drills occur every month throughout the school year. You will hear a very loud buzz and you are to stand up quickly and quietly and exit the classroom to the right. You are to remain silent regardless of what other students and teachers are doing. You are to report to me so I can take attendance. If you do not report to me during the fire drill you will be breaking school rules and consequences will occur.

• Shelter in Place Drills occur periodically throughout the school year. You will here an announcement and you are to continue as you were as I place tape on the classroom door. If it were a real emergency, I would tape plastic to the door.

• Medical Problems - bloody nose, upset stomach, extreme need to use the restroom, asthma, food allergy, or any other medical problem: fill out a pass to the nurse and quietly walk to me.

• First Aide Kit -the first aide kit is located in the bag by the door. You may use anything that you need. Please do not take advantage of the first aide kit or we will not have supplies when we need them.

Class Procedures• Addressing the Class:

– RAISE YOUR HAND! – Wait for me to respond by calling on you.– Consistent calling out will cause progressive discipline.– Please think before you speak and act appropriately

when addressing the class.

• Sharpening Pencils:– All students should sharpen pencils at the beginning of

class during the warm-up.– Please keep two or more pencils sharpened should you

break a tip.– You WILL NOT be permitted to sharpen pencils at any

time after the daily warm-up as it is loud and causes distractions.

Backpacks and Lockers• There is a no backpack rule in

effect at Becker Middle School• After lockers are assigned,

you may use a back pack to carry books back and forth from school; but at school, it must remain in your locker.

• Students found carrying backpacks will be sent to the deans office for confiscation and progressive consequences.

Let’s Have a Great Year!

Pledge of Allegiance, Thirty Seconds of Silence, and

Announcements:• You will be working on the daily warm-up. • When the pledge begins, stop everything and

stand up.• Next, you will be given thirty seconds of silence

and I would like you to remain standing until that time is over. It is just a short time to collect your thoughts and begin your day.

• After the Pledge of Allegiance, you will watch some daily announcements. These announcements are for students. It is like your own Becker News.

• You do not have to do your warm up when the announcements are on because they contain important information. However, you may work on the warm-up if you choose.