Mrs. Baird 6th grade 2016-2017

Goals for 6th Grade *I would like each student to feel successful! *I would like each student to find their strengths and continue to excel in those areas! *I would like each student to become aware of the areas they are not as strong in and work toward improving them! *I would like each student to be prepared for junior high! *I would like to work hard as a class to get things accomplished! Students need to learn a strong work ethic! *I would like each student to have fun!

Classroom management *Students are expected to have good behavior, and they will be rewarded for it. They will get to move their pin on the chart each time they do something to help out around the class, return important papers, and fill out their planner. *Students will also learn about the “Life Skills.” We use these skills throughout the year. *The discipline in 6th grade is the same throughout the grade level. We use the “Behavior Clipboard.” If a student is doing something they shouldn’t be doing, they will be given a warning. If the behavior continues, they will be asked to sign the “Behavior Clipboard.” Once they sign the clipboard, they miss recess. If they sign the clipboard 3 times in one month, they receive a 15 point Bison Ticket. They also miss our 6th grade fun activity.

H o m e w o r k •Students will have 60 minutes/night which is District policy •30 minutes of home reading AT LEAST two nights a week (Two book commercials per term) •Reading Comprehension sheet sent home Monday and to be turned in Thursday morning •Spelling Words •Math Homework Sheet Monday through Thursday •Unfinished Work from class •Special Projects (Science Fair, Country Reports, etc.) LATE WORK POLICY: All homework is due the next day unless otherwise stated. Work will be accepted ONE day late with a loss of 25% credit, after that, work WILL NOT be accepted. Scores become a zero and can’t be made up. Students are given two late work coupons per term. The coupon allows them to turn in their assignment one day late for full credit. REDOS: If your child scores below a 70%, they can redo the assignment for a better score. Sometimes, I will require your child to redo an assignment. If so, they will have a yellow paper stapled to the paper explaining what they need to do. ABSENT WORK POLICY: If a student is absent, their work will be given to them when they return. They have as many days as they were absent, to make up the work.

HOME READING *I will be following the “Book Whisperer” idea in my classroom. Students will be expected to complete a 40 book goal for the year. There will be certain requirements in each genre. *Students will keep a reading journal where they list the books they’ve read and whether they finished them or abandoned them. *There will be no book reports. The students will write short summaries about what they’re reading to keep me updated on their progress. I will also monitor their reading lists where they keep track of the books. *Students will need to do two book commercials per term. A book commercial is where they advertise a book they have enjoyed reading to the rest of the class. *The goal is to get students reading!!! In most cases, students who don’t like reading, haven’t found the right books. That is my job as a teacher…help your child find books they enjoy reading.

Parent/teacher communication •WEEKLY NEWSLETTER I will send you an email with our weekly newsletter. The newsletter lets you know what we will be learning in class that week, and it will also include any information that parents need to be aware of. •PLANNERS Students will fill out their planners every day with their homework that they have for that night. Parents should look at the planner every night, and then sign it once they have seen that their child has completed all of the homework that is listed in the planner. I will check planners every Monday morning. •EMAIL If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me. I check my email several times a day, so it is probably the best way to contact me. My email address is ashepherd@dsdmail.net.

6th grade rotations/tournaments In 6th grade, we rotate in 3 week blocks. Your child will go to ONE rotation Monday-Thursday for 3weeks. Heat/Light/Sound: Mrs. Sorte Microorganisms: Mrs. Padilla Seasons/Phases of the Moon: Mrs. Nolan Solar System/Gravity: Mrs. Baird Science Investigations: Mrs. Fonnesbeck T O U R N A M E N T S We divide all the 6th graders into teams in order to play different sports. They play for points and sportsmanship. In the fall and spring, we usually do our tournaments on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. In the winter, we won’t have tournaments. Students need to make sure they wear proper shoes on Tournament Days! We will remind them!

Classroom supplies *Hopefully you all received your welcome post card that listed the supplies that would help in our classroom. If you have any questions about any of the supplies, let me know. *I am also asking the students to bring a pair of headphones for them to leave at school. They will be kept in their desk so they can use them with the ipads and tablets.

Questions???