Grade 6 ELA Mrs. Melia

Contacting Me Email is best dmelia@cohassetk12.org To schedule a meeting with your child’s team of teachers, contact Cate Nelligan. If you have a question on an assignment or due date, please check the class web page. My website can be found on the Cohasset Middle School website (Academics/Teacher Websites/Mrs. Melia) Student grades will be online through iPass. Mr. Scott is in Room 169 tonight to help parents get log-ins.

Grade 6 is all about building foundations. Grade six is a critical year for your child to develop the academic skills that are necessary for success in middle and high school. Reading skills Writing skills Grammar Roots – Where do words come from? Learn word parts that unlock the meanings of many words. Research Digital Writing

What have we been working on? Organization, organization, organization *Please double check that your child has a binder with 5 labeled dividers and is filing classroom handouts accordingly. ***Beware of stuffed agendas and overflowing homework/accordion folders*** *We do not have a textbook in ELA, so the binder is VERY important! Writer’s Notebook – thinking on paper! Informal, no grading, practice. Summarizing and analyzing literature using academic vocabulary words: setting, character, plot, conflict, etc. Literature Circles

How are students’ grades calculated? 50% writing assignments and projects 40% tests and quizzes 10% Homework and 21st Century Skills (collaboration, positive contributions to the learning environment) Please note: All of my grades are out of 100. Homework grades appear as a percentage on iPass. Can students re-take a quiz or test? Yes, if they get extra help first during Utility Block or after school.

Very Important! Your child will need a way to share documents between home and school. Google Drive with Gmail account is best. Do not give them your Gmail account! They can also use a memory stick/flash drive. We use only Microsoft word at school, so Pages and other word processing programs can not be used to share documents. Write all of their usernames and passwords in the same location (agenda book, notes on smart phone) Students need a working printer at home. Please email me your child’s paper to print in an emergency only. We will be using a lot of technology in the classroom. (See Curriculum handout) Students will be asked, not required, at times to “Bring their own device.” Cellphones are prohibited in the classrooms unless a student is using an audiobook for reading. I encourage the use of audio books, especially for reluctant or struggling readers.

Independent Reading Students are asked to have an independent reading book at all times. Many students will need help choosing book that interests them and is at the appropriate reading level. Find books: Paul Pratt Library, CMHS Library, my classroom Daily Reading Log DEAR (“Drop Everything and Read”) Time Wednesday and Friday during Utility block. Social interactions energize reading. When they finish a book, students will be asked to share it (Book group, Book talk, blog, Padlet, teacher interview). Your support is greatly appreciated!