Mrs. Gatti’s Curriculum Night Co-teachers: Mrs. Barodin & Mrs. Brussel ELA / Social Studies

Mrs. Gatti Co-Teachers: Mrs. Barodin & Mrs. Brussell  Contact Information:   ext. 326

Be Prepared  Your child needs to have these materials in class every day.  Binder with supply of loose leaf paper and folders  Writing utensils  Agenda  Textbooks  Reader’s and Writer’s Notebooks.  The book your child is reading.  Post-its  Be ready when the bell rings!

Backpacks  Your child is assigned a locker so he/she can store textbooks when they are not needed.  Students are allowed to bring string bags or purses to class.  Students are given 4 minutes in between classes.  Take am books and switch for pm books after lunch.

Homework  Students are expected to complete homework assignments daily (Mon. – Thurs.)  Occasionally, weekend homework may be given.  Social Studies:  Everyone starts with a 100 homework average.  Incomplete or missing homework will result in a deduction of 5 points.  The homework grade will equal one quiz grade.  ELA  Your homework will be graded based on a rubric.  The number of points you earn on your reading logs, homework assignments, post-it notes, conferences, etc., will make up your final grade.

Grades  Tests count twice, quizzes count once.  Tests will be announced at least one week in advance and information about them can be found on my webpage.  Tests and quizzes will be returned to students and all grades will be available to view on the parent portal.  Quarterly ELA grades will be based on quizzes, reading logs, notebook pages, conferences.  Rubrics will explain the amount of points each assignment is worth.

Extra Help  Extra help sessions will be held after school from 3:05 – 3:40 on Wednesdays.  If your child would like to come to extra help, please let me know.  Extra help is a time when questions for clarification can be asked.

Absences and Lateness  If for any reason your child misses class, it is your child’s responsibility to make up the work.  It is your child’s responsibility to make sure all notes are completed.  If your child arrives late to class, he/she will have to get a late pass from the office or the teacher that kept him/her.  If any work needs to be made up or clarified, your child can accomplish this in extra help.

Class Rules -Show respect for yourself and others. -Be prepared and involved in class. -Every student has the right to learn. -Do not abuse the privilege of leaving the room for the bathroom. -Food, drinks (other than water bottles), candy and gum are not permitted in the classroom.

Questioning to Illicit Critical Thinking “Think and wonder, wonder and think.” Dr. Seuss

ELA Curriculum  This year, the sixth graders will prepare for their ELA test in April.  We will be focus on: *Inferences *Conclusions *Forming opinions *Context clues *Using text based evidence

Reading  We have started our Reader’s Workshop. The novels will be student chosen and the skills will reflect a mentor text that we will be using.  Your child’s Reader’s Notebook is a place for your child to write about their reading experiences.  The focus of these journals should reflect the Teaching Point of the day. “ Encourage your children to read. Reading can unlock the keys to a whole world of information.” Unknown

Writing  An emphasis will be placed on process writing as well as ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and presentation.  Modeling of excellent writing and author studies will enhance student awareness and allow for creativity and risk taking.  We will also work on improving our grammar and editing skills through our written pieces.  We will be incorporating Writer’s Workshop into our writing curriculum this year.

Listening and Speaking  Listening / Speaking – Several times throughout the year, your child will be given the opportunity to verbally present to the class. A critique sheet with suggestions and / or comments will be given after each verbal presentation in order to make your child aware of areas that need improvement and areas that are successful.

Social Studies  The focus of our study is World History.  We will use a combination of two text books.  Eastern Hemisphere  The World  Your students will use notes from the Power Point Presentation to understand the given lesson.  All notes are posted on my webpage.  We will also be utilizing the Smart Board this year to enhance our curriculum.

Note Taking  Students will view good notes, through the power point presentations, and begin to develop strategies that will help them take notes on their own.  The importance of note taking will strongly be emphasized.

Writing  Our Social Studies curriculum allows us to blend writing into our study.  There will be many chances for students to combine the subjects of writing and history.

Skills Based Learning  Our Skills Based Learning class will target ELA skills.  Reading and writing skills will be addressed here.  It allows us to work closely with the students on the skills they will need to reach success. This is a pass or fail course.  Read About – This program will concentrate on non – fiction pieces of literature. It will work to both support and enrich nonfiction reading skills.

Parent – Teacher Conferences  Report card conferences will take place on:  Thursday, November 13 th  Tuesday, November 18 th  Wednesday, November 19 th Please sign up for a conference tonight in Mrs. Gonias’ room. If your child has an IEP, please sign up for a conference with Mrs. Barodin or Mrs. Brussell.

Thank you!  You are your child’s first teachers, thank you for all your hard work and dedication to his/her education.