6TH GRADE PARENT ORIENTATION: THE LIFE OF A 6TH GRADER WELCOME!

THE AGENDA The agenda is an organizational tool in middle and high school. Your student is asked to write the homework assignment in the agenda every day at the very beginning of class. Project reminders, book order dates, club information, and special event dates are often included.

THE HOMEWORK FOLDER The homework folder, like the agenda is required in every class, every day. It is an organizational tool. One folder for all homework and papers to be brought home to parents. The only materials that should be in the folder are work to be done and work completed.

THE FINISHED BOOKS LIST AND READING HOMEWORK Read every night for 20 minutes or more from a library book of choice. The book must be 4th grade level or above. The goal is to complete a library book every 2 to 3 weeks for a total of 3 to 4 books every 9 weeks. FINISHED BOOKS LIST: Add the title, author, and total number of pages of each book completed on the Finished Books List. It is collected each quarter for a homework grade.

READ ALOUD Read aloud is a listening activity. New genres are introduced. Discussion revolves around comprehension, making connections and predictions.

WARM-UPS Sometimes called “bell ringers” the warm-up is a way to get students’ heads into the game. Reading warm-ups revolve around skills such as editing, working with figurative language, types of sentences, vocabulary in context, and parts of speech.

READING CLASS Genre exploration: Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, media studies, expository, drama Literary Devices: Figurative language, plot development, poetry devices, theme, tone, mood Summarizing and Generalizing Slide shows & Power points Video presentations Comprehension skills Dictionary skills Vocabulary skills Study skills Test taking skills Book reports Accelerated reader

LITERATURE TEXTBOOK ON-LINE Go to: my.hrw.com Enter the student’s user name and password. There are additional tutorials and games to help students with vocabulary and comprehension, as well as the text we are using in class. You can access your student’s literature textbook on-line. All students have a user name and password already taped inside their agendas

LATE AND ABSENTEE WORK There is no penalty for work turned in late due to absence. The student will have the number of days absent as an allowance for make-up work. In other words, two days absent equals two days to make-up the work with no penalty. Teachers will send work home if there is an extended absence and someone can pick the work up from the office. Work not turned in on time will be docked 10 points a day up to three days. After three days, work will be accepted for another two days for a grade of 50. Work not turned in after five days will receive a zero and cannot be made up. Pre-AP contract rules do not allow for any late work unless there is an absence.

TUTORIAL Tutorial is offered two mornings a week, Monday and Wednesday, from 8:00 – 8:20 AM. However, if I am here, the light is on, and the door is unlocked, students are always welcome to come in for help. Tutorial is mandatory to make up for absentee work, missed tests, and for all grades below a 70%. Work that is redone, with me, in tutorial, within three days of the work being returned, will be raised to a passing grade.