Sixth Grade Open HouseMurray ElementarySeptember 9, 2014

Meet the Teacher

Ms. Gaines

•12years of teaching experience •Master’s Teaching Certificate: National Board for Professional Teaching Standard: English Language Arts•M. Ed., Educational Leadership•M.S., Instructional Design & Technology•B.A., Elementary Education •Endorsements: Language Arts, Social Science, Math •Taught grades 1st , 2nd , 5th , 6th , 7th , 8th (language arts)•Literacy Coach

Language Arts

This year in reading we will learn:

•Curriculum: Language Arts- McDougal Littell: The Language of Literature, Social Studies- MacMillan/ McGraw-Hill, Our World Our developmental reading class creates readers and writers who are able to comprehend a variety of selections then analyze, synthesize, and apply what they read through writing and speaking in a clearly developed manner.

Classroom Goals•Read and analyze a variety of genres in class and independently.•Successfully apply various reading strategies for monitoring comprehension.•Write clear, well-developed essays, reports, etc. to enhance comprehension and build your knowledge base.•Effectively prepare and present orally.

Class Expectations•Read assigned selections and complete comprehension activities such as structured overviews, essays, projects, summaries, journals, etc.•Complete daily readings, embedded questions, written assignments, constructed-response quizzes and objective / essay test.•Participate in class discussion and group work.•Learn and apply comprehension skills and literary terminology. 

Sixth Grade Social Studies

 •The Sixth Grade curriculum has the students step back into the ancient world while studying the archaeology of early man followed by investigations into the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and Mesoamerica. These civilizations all share components of culture:•Geography•Economics•Religion•The Arts•Communication•Technology•By examining these ancient peoples, students come to understand the links between past and present societies, with each building on others’ accomplishments, failures, and advances in technology. Teachers target common misunderstandings held by students.

Think Cerca

Think Cerca provides tools and content to enable teachers to be strategic in helping students think critically and make effective arguments about any topic.

Each student was given their log in information. The lesson assigned will be completed in class until the students become familiar with the program. Please do not allow your child to work ahead unless I ask you to.

www.thinkcerca.com

Classroom Rules

• Follow directions first time given

• Change tasks quickly and quietly

• Raise hand and wait for permission to speak

• Keep voice to an inside working level

• Report directly to assigned area

• In addition to the rules, Murray Language Academy is a CHAMPS school.  The CHAMPS acronym stands for "Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation." Each major classroom genre of activity or transition has a CHAMPS procedure associated with to help students know and understand what the teacher expects of them.  We will be reinforcing this program and its elements during the first several weeks of school and will expect full adherence to this program by all of all my students.

Class Dojo

ClassDojo is a classroom tool that helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can share with parents and administrators.

Students were given passwords for themselves and parents

www.classdojo.com

Behavior Management System

•Each student has a clothespin and they all start the day in the middle of the chart on "Ready to Learn." The clothespins move throughout the day. Positive choices will move you up one level at a time. Negative choices move you down. There is a buffer zone between "Ready to Learn" and facing any form of consequence so if a child "clips down" he has the opportunity to clip back up.

1st warning- verbal reprimand

2nd warning- reflection sheet and conference with teacher3rd warning- contact/demerit

Students will earn incentives for displaying positive behavior, turning in homework, and attendance

Daily Schedule

216Start Time End Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 8:40 HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM8:40 9:25 216 Social

Studies216 Social

StudiesArt (Prep) PE (Prep) 216 Social

Studies9:30 10:15 World

Language (Prep)

World Language

(Prep)

World Language

(Prep)

Library (Prep)

Art (Prep)

10:20 11:20 219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts11:20 12:20 219

Language Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts

219 Language

Arts12:20 1:20 216

Language Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts1:25 2:10 LUNCH/

RECESSLUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

2:15 3:15 216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts

216 Language

Arts3:15 3:30 DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL

Daily Schedule

219Start Time End Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:30 8:40 HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM HOMEROOM8:40 9:25 219 Social

StudiesArt (Prep) PE (Prep) 219 Social

Studies219 Social

Studies9:30 10:15 World

Language (Prep)

World Language

(Prep)

World Language

(Prep)

Art (Prep) Library (Prep)

10:20 11:20 216 Math 216 Math 216 Math 216 Math 218 Math (10:20 –

11:10)11:20 12:20 210 Math 210 Math 210 Math 218 Math 216 Math

(11:10 – 12:20)

12:20 1:20 218 Math 218 Math 218 Math 210 Math 210 Math1:25 2:10 LUNCH/

RECESSLUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

LUNCH/RECESS

2:15 3:15 219 Math 219 Math 219 Math 219 Math 219 Math3:15 3:30 DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL DISMISSAL

216 Special Classes

Students will visit six special classes each week. Our schedule is as follows:

Monday –World LanguageTuesday –World LanguageWednesday – Art/ World LanguageThursday –P.E/LibraryFriday – Art

* On P.E. days please make sure your child wears gym shoes and dresses appropriately. If they do not dress appropriately they will have to sit out of P.E. and this does effect their grade.

219 Special Classes

Students will visit six special classes each week. Our schedule is as follows:

Monday –World LanguageTuesday –World LanguageWednesday – Art/ World LanguageThursday –P.E/LibraryFriday – Art

* On P.E. days please make sure your child wears gym shoes and dresses appropriately. If they do not dress appropriately they will have to sit out of P.E. and this does effect their grade.

Grading

•Assessments 35%•Homework 20%•Classwork and Participation 30%•AR 15%

Grade book will be updated weekly and will be accessible in Parent Portal and Student Portal

Assessments

• NWEA –Given 3 times

• (measured from Spring 2014-Spring 2015)

• PARCC – March 2014

• Weekly or bi-weekly comprehension assessments

Parent Involvement

•We will be working with room parents this year. These parents will help organize special projects and events. All parents are important to me. No one will be left out. Volunteers will be called during the year to help with various activities. Occasionally you will receive a note or a call from me for help on various activities or assistance in our classroom. We would like to thank you in advance for your help this year.

LA Homework

•Written homework will usually be assigned on Monday through Thursday of each week. Occasionally, students will bring home a reading assignment to read with you. There will also be several projects and/or writing assignments throughout the year that require more time to complete. For these, I will provide at least a two week written notice of the assignment before it is due.

•Each student should have a homework assignment book which will be brought home each day. I ask that you sign it at home each evening, acknowledging that you are aware of your child's homework assignment. Assignments are written on the white board in the classroom. Students will have one day beyond an absence to submit missing work for full credit.

• Homework assignments may take about one hour or so

 

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219 – Blog will be updated weekly. Please check:mspaulinskiblog.wordprress.comEmail: jnpaulinski@cps.edu

Welcome to a great yearin 6th Grade!