Welcome to Sixth Grade Parent Orientation

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Welcome to Sixth Grade Parent Orientation!

• Sixth Grade Teachers
• Natalie Wheeler and Rob Sanford
• Jana Gardner and Hoa Tran
• Holley Zenns, Lori Lomker Gearinger and Diane
  McLane
• Patty Crabb and Cheryl Lavery
• Jen Clark, Christina Battle and Sue Henderson
• Sue Wiegand- Sixth Grade Counselor

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Transition to middle schoolWhat to
expect!Natalie Wheeler and Rob Sanford

• Early morning routines mean earlier bedtimes!
• More freedoms and responsibilities- it is
  encouraged that students keep their own planners
  up-to-date.
• Weekly organization of binders and take-home
  folders is encouraged.
• Time-management during study hall and homework
  time is crucial!
• We encourage sixth graders to become
  self-advocates. It is important for your child to
  learn to approach teachers regarding questions or
  concerns, especially before seventh grade (when
  there are many more teachers to be accountable
  to).
• The incentive of recess is not a daily reality of
  middle school. Parents may need to provide a
  carrot or a stick, as the
• only incentive teachers generally have is the
  number grade.

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SchedulesPatty Crabb

• Each team consists of two content teachers
• one is responsible for reading and social
  studies
• one is responsible for English and science
• all 6th grade teachers teach a section of
  math
• Daily Schedule
• school begins at 735 AM and ends at 205 PM
• students attend eight, 40 minute classes with
  four minutes
• of passing timelunch is from 1038 to
  1108.
• classes consist of reading, English,
  social studies, science, math
• and special areas, including PE, art,
  music, technology
• home and careers, computer, health, band
  and/or chorus
• some students may have a study
  hallthis is an important time
• for students to spend on homework, free
  reading, studying, organizing
• or seeking out extra help from
  a teacherthis time provides the
• opportunity for students to develop the
  skill of self-advocating
• some students may have reading/writing
  lab or math laba time for
• concentrated work in ELA or math skills
• due to the day beginning earlier students may
  find that they need energy
• to get them through the
  dayeach team will determine a time for

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Organization Diane McLane and Sue Henderson

• Important items needed
• Binders and spirals
• Pencil pouch
• View binder for portfolio
• Expandable/accordion folder
• Homework folder (to-do and done sides)
• Jump or Flash drive (label)
• Locker Ladder

• Items to replenish regularly
• Loose-leaf, wide lined paper
• 2 pencils
• Blue or black pens
• Dry eraser markers
• Colored pencils

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Organization (continued)

• Please know that supplies will be labeled within
  the first few days of school.
• All textbooks need to be covered throughout the
  entire school year.
• Paper or fabric book covers (JUMBO size) are
  preferred. (Adhesive book covers are discouraged,
  as they have potential to destroy the cover of a
  textbook, and the student may be charged at the
  end of the year.)

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Communication Lori Lomker Gearinger

• Classroom web pages are used by most sixth grade
  teams.
• E-mail is an excellent way to communicate with
  teachers. However, please note that most of our
  day is spent teaching and planning- we will try
  to return both e-mails and phone calls within
  twenty-four hours.
• Weekly e-mails for the purposes of student
  up-date need be initiated by parents. Teachers
  will respond as promptly as possible.
• There will be four interim reports and four
  report cards sent to parents throughout the year.
• Parent-teacher conferences will be held in
  November.

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Procedures for staying afterHoa Tran

• Students may stay after with teachers if they
  have provided teachers with twenty-four hours
  notice. Teachers are generally available on
  Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, depending
  upon meeting schedules and personal commitments.
• Verbal bus passes are NOT allowed. A written note
  indicating parental permission must be sent to
  the office in the AM. Students are discouraged
  from making last-minute plans to stay after.
  Students may leave either on the 245 or the 400
  bus, when available.
• Students may also have a permanent bus pass on
  file for the full year in the office. Please feel
  free to complete one of these notes before
  leaving the auditorium tonight.

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AbsencesChristina Battle

• Students missing full or partial days of school
  are required to make up any and all missing
  assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. Please note
  that, whenever possible, we would like it to be
  the students responsibility to request
  assignments (whether due to band lessons,
  sickness or vacation). This small act can
  contribute a great deal towards the self-advocacy
  skills that students will need in their futures.
• Please see parent handbook for descriptors of
  excused and unexcused absences.
• For each day missed, students will receive the
  same number of days to make up missed work. For
  example, missing two days of school allows a
  child two days to make up work. We ask that a
  request not be made for missing homework until
  the second day of absence. This request may be
  made by calling the main office. This allows ALL
  teachers in the students schedule to be
  notified.
• If your child will have an extended absence due
  to vacation, please request homework at least
  three days prior to your childs leave.

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GradingCheryl Lavery

• Students will receive number grades for all of
  their core classes. The main office will use
  these number grades to determine honor roll (an
  average of 83 and higher) and high honor roll
  (93 and higher). All classes are calculated
  except for math lab and reading/writing lab.
• All sixth grade teachers will assess students in
  the areas of homework (approximately one hour per
  night), projects, quizzes/tests, and (possibly)
  preparedness or participation.
• Grades can be greatly dependent upon the number
  of assignments fewer assignments means that each
  assignment counts more heavily.
• All sixth grade teachers will use a point system
  to assess the areas above. Activities that have
  high point-values are heavily weighted those
  with lower point values have lesser impact on
  students grades.
• The decision to allow corrections to any grades
  are left up to the discretion of each individual
  teacher.

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Reading Street ELA programJen Clark

• provides consistent instruction across ALL 6th
  grade teams.
• provides differentiated instruction for students.
• integrates ELA skills with content areas using
  informational text. (Program focus 60
  informational text/40 fictional text)
• builds positive character traits using the rich
  themes built within the program.
• provides continuous home/school connections via
  weekly home newsletter and ideas for parent
  involvement on the bottoms of all worksheets.
• generates and organizes data so that guided
  reading groups can be created and flexibly
  maintained.

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Common math expectationsJana Gardner

• Topics are similar to 5th grade with significant
  time devoted to operations with fractions,
  decimals, and percents.
• Support can be found in Math on Call
  additionally there is a text website that offers
  tutorials, extra examples, skill checks, etc.
• Students will need a calculator. (The blue TI
  from Manor is fine.)
• Grades will be based on homework, quizzes, weekly
  reviews, and unit exams.
• All classes will take common unit assessments,
  which will allow teachers to generate data for
  the entire sixth grade student population.
• Weekly Reviews
• provide the opportunity for students to
  continuously revisit previously taught material
  and act as a refresher for the state and final
  exams.
• Handed out on Friday and due back the following
  Tuesday for the first check.
• may correct any errors final check is at the end
  of the week.
• worth 10 points/week.

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Final examsHolley Zenns

• The common, comprehensive final exams taken in
  June will be determined during the school year.
  Revisions to final exams will be needed due to
  the changes made to state testing schedules.
• Sixth grade exams provide students the
  opportunity to practice the skills necessary for
  success when faced with future, more heavily
  weighted, finals.
• Any final exams given will be counted as one unit
  test grade (typically between 100 and 200 points)
  for the fourth marking period.
• Study guides will be provided for any
  content-area exams that will be given.
• Any ELA (reading and English) that may be given
  will be skill-based exams, and it is not expected
  that students need to memorize and/or study
  content if ELA finals are given.
• Corrected tests, writing pieces and major
  projects will be helpful materials for all exams
  and therefore should be kept in expandable files
  for study purposes.

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Try-AngleShawn Williams
Students
Parents
Teachers
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Student Success Depends Upon

• Students
• Parents
• Teachers

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Thank you for coming!

• We look forward to a successful sixth grade year
  with both you and your students!