Welcome to the sixth grade! We love teaching. And we are looking forward to learning from you as well. A huge part of our success will be working together as a team. Our goal is to grow your child's reading and writing skills this year through LOTS of practice. It is hard work, but reading and writing skills will improve with regular feedback and developing effective strategies.
Daily Routine
Language Arts time is 55 minutes. During these time we will complete the following: Good News, Book Talk, Independent Reading, Writing, Study of Common Core, Time to Create, and Reflection with sharing.
Grading
Final grades will be made up of Formative Assessments 15% which includes quickwrites, reading responses, skill work, and homework assignments. Also Summative Assessments 85% which includes writing assignments, unit tests, vocabulary quizzes, and reading towards personal reading goal.
Supplies
Each students will be provided a 3-subject notebook and a composition style notebook for classroom lessons. The following supplies will be used on a daily basis if you would like to have your own - pencils, pens, glue, tape, highlighters, colored pencils, and a pencil sharpener.
Expectations
We will work together as a class to write a Social Contract. Our Social Contract becomes the agreement for how we all choose to behave and treat one another. Students who consistently make choices that do not follow our Social Contract will experience the following consequences: a warning, 4 questions, parent contact, detention/referral, office.
Curriculum
The Language Arts curriculum focuses on the Common Core. We will not only strive to master each learning target but to also develop skills and strategies in order to work towards academic growth. Please visit curriculum tab for a detailed description of the sixth grade learning targets.
1. Writing - Sixth Graders will work with the following four purposes of writing: narrative, informative/explanatory, argumentative, and short research projects. We will also develop our skills and ideas through daily Quickwrites, conferences and student reflections which allow students to highlight their own strengths and goals met in their writing.
2. Reading - In order to accomplish the Common Core Learning Targets, we will be developing and reinforcing numerous reading strategies. The independent reading goal for 6th graders is 12 books. Students will also be asked to participate in Book Clubs during each of the three Trimesters which will count towards their 12 book reading goal. Textbooks and an Interactive Notebook will be used on a daily basis to enhance student learning.
3. Language - Sixth graders will continue to develop their language skills developing vocabulary, understanding figurative language, and working with grammar.
Communication
We are committed to meeting your child’s needs this year. Communication is extremely important. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. We are available to take phone calls or to meet during our prep time which is 5th hour from 1:07 - 2:03. You may email anytime. Be sure to revisit the weebly site for important information throughout the year. Students will also be completing many assignments on the our google classroom. If your website is registered with the school, we will be able to send you an invitation to join our classroom.
We look forward to working with you this year,
Mrs. Elizabeth Brownell and Mrs. Renee Wirth
Phone: Valleywood 538-7670
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Daily Routine
Language Arts time is 55 minutes. During these time we will complete the following: Good News, Book Talk, Independent Reading, Writing, Study of Common Core, Time to Create, and Reflection with sharing.
Grading
Final grades will be made up of Formative Assessments 15% which includes quickwrites, reading responses, skill work, and homework assignments. Also Summative Assessments 85% which includes writing assignments, unit tests, vocabulary quizzes, and reading towards personal reading goal.
- Homework will include daily reading of 20 minutes along with a reading response.
- Assignments could also include reading, writing, and language skills that support common core standards targeted in class.
- All work is due on the due date. Late work will be accepted but with a reduction in points. All work can be redone. Students will have 1 week from the day you receive your work back to make corrections and earn a better grade.
- Students are expected to meet a personal reading goal. Students will have time each day to read during GRAB and their Language Arts class to meet this goal. Students are also expected to read 20 minutes a night at home.
- Please monitor your child’s grade using Parent Portal.
Supplies
Each students will be provided a 3-subject notebook and a composition style notebook for classroom lessons. The following supplies will be used on a daily basis if you would like to have your own - pencils, pens, glue, tape, highlighters, colored pencils, and a pencil sharpener.
Expectations
We will work together as a class to write a Social Contract. Our Social Contract becomes the agreement for how we all choose to behave and treat one another. Students who consistently make choices that do not follow our Social Contract will experience the following consequences: a warning, 4 questions, parent contact, detention/referral, office.
Curriculum
The Language Arts curriculum focuses on the Common Core. We will not only strive to master each learning target but to also develop skills and strategies in order to work towards academic growth. Please visit curriculum tab for a detailed description of the sixth grade learning targets.
1. Writing - Sixth Graders will work with the following four purposes of writing: narrative, informative/explanatory, argumentative, and short research projects. We will also develop our skills and ideas through daily Quickwrites, conferences and student reflections which allow students to highlight their own strengths and goals met in their writing.
2. Reading - In order to accomplish the Common Core Learning Targets, we will be developing and reinforcing numerous reading strategies. The independent reading goal for 6th graders is 12 books. Students will also be asked to participate in Book Clubs during each of the three Trimesters which will count towards their 12 book reading goal. Textbooks and an Interactive Notebook will be used on a daily basis to enhance student learning.
3. Language - Sixth graders will continue to develop their language skills developing vocabulary, understanding figurative language, and working with grammar.
Communication
We are committed to meeting your child’s needs this year. Communication is extremely important. Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. We are available to take phone calls or to meet during our prep time which is 5th hour from 1:07 - 2:03. You may email anytime. Be sure to revisit the weebly site for important information throughout the year. Students will also be completing many assignments on the our google classroom. If your website is registered with the school, we will be able to send you an invitation to join our classroom.
We look forward to working with you this year,
Mrs. Elizabeth Brownell and Mrs. Renee Wirth
Phone: Valleywood 538-7670
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]