River Trail Middle School 6th Grade Curriculum Night 2014-15 If you have a question, write it on a post-it note & leave it on the board at the end of this class.

COMMUNICATION ~Students must advocate ~Students may email teachers too! ~Students accessing websites – Check everyday, even when absent! ~Check website first and then email the teacher.

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 TEACHER WEBSITES -www.rivertrailmiddleschool.org - “Staff” - “6th grade” STEP 2 -Choose team STEP 3 -choose teacher

HOME ACCESS CENTER (HAC) ~Receive your Home Access ID & log-in from front office. (Must show driver’s license.) ~Students & parents should look at Home Access together ~Place log-in info somewhere so that students and parents can look at grades frequently. ~Some common codes in HAC: NHI= Not Handed In EX = excused ABS = Absent (doesn’t affect grade) ~If it’s left blank it also means not handed in or teacher hasn’t entered the grade yet. ~Some teachers leave it as a zero and some do not.

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 www.fultonschools.org -Fulton County site “Students & Parents” “Home Access” STEP 3

PLAGIARISM Definition: To claim other work or ideas as your own. ~It includes copying & pasting text and not citing sources correctly ~Students should write ALL assignments in their own words. This includes everything from projects to homework assignments.

River Trail’s Plagiarism Consequences: First Offense ~Conference with administrator, parent, teacher, & student. Receives a 0 until they make up the work– highest grade will be 50% Second Offense ~Conference with administrator, parent, teacher, & student. Receives a 0 (if recovery is needed the assignment can be completed if student is eligible). Academic detention after school. Third Offense ~Receives a 0. Loses all extracurricular activities AND receives one day of ISS (In School Suspension)

PROJECT PACING ~Students are given at least 1-2 weeks advanced notice of projects. ~Strategies to try are chunking assignments & checking students’ agenda.

PROJECT PACING

TIME MANAGEMENT ~Homeroom is a study hall. ~If absent, make up assignments in a timely manner. ~Students shouldn’t be spending hours completing assignments. If they are, communicate with the teacher. ~Help Sessions ~Each subject has specific days for tests so as to not overwhelm students. Quizzes, however, can be any day of the week.

IXL ~2 IXL lessons are assigned every Friday and are due the following Friday ~No additional time is given to complete these, so students should start as soon as they are assigned ~Late IXL assignments are NOT accepted ~School computers are available, but advanced notice is needed.

IXL

HOMEWORK ~Homework should be done on a daily basis, however, it may not always be a written assignment. If there is not a written assignment for a class, then the homework would be to review what was done in class. ~One way to review is to have your child teach you the material. ~Students should expect about an hour of homework each night. ~Students should be reading a minimum of 2 hours a week.

HOMEWORK

STUDY SKILLS ~Most students struggle with organizational skills, so they will need your help with this. ~Plan ahead for tests & projects. ~Check your student’s agendas to make sure they’re writing down assignments. ~Make students check teacher websites. ~Flashcards, re-writing notes, videos, online textbooks are all great ways to study.

SCHOOL PROCEDURES

ATTENDANCE ~If students need to be absent or checked out, they need a hand-written note to turn in to the front office. ~When students are absent, they may have missed group work, class activities or direct instruction. Completing a worksheet doesn’t necessarily get them caught up. Consider bringing them in to a help session ~Students should contact teacher regarding work that needs to be made up.

ATTENDANCE

SCHOOL PROCEDURES ~Students may have a cell phone, but it must remain turned off and locked in their locker. ~Students may not be dropped off before 8:15. ~All other school policies can be found in the student agenda.

Thank you so much for coming tonight! Please leave any post-it notes on the board as you leave.