1. Miss Fonnesbeck 6th Grade 2015-2016 Please write down the following on your child’s index card: 1.Parent/Guardian Names 2.Email 3.Phone Number 4.Anything I need to know about your child

2. Goals for 6th Grade  Students will feel successful and truly enjoy the learning process!  Students will find their strengths and continue to excel in those areas!  Students will become aware of the areas they are not as strong in and work toward improving them!  Students will be prepared for junior high!

3. Classroom Management ◦I have high expectations for each student ◦Students will begin to manage themselves ◦Respect between teacher and student will always be maintained ◦Follow routines and procedures

4. Classroom Management DISCIPLINE Students get one verbal warning Next step is to sign behavior clipboard and miss recess If student signs clipboard 3 times within a 3 week period, he/she receives a 15 point ticket and misses 6 th grade activity If student receives a Bison ticket for another reason, then they will also miss the 6 th grade activity Same program throughout 6 th grade

5. Homework Students will have 45-60 minutes/night Students will be assigned math and reading homework three to five times a week. A math journal, with the day’s notes, will be taken home each night to provide help with math homework. 30 minutes of home reading is expected. (Mon-Thurs) Spelling Words Unfinished Work from class Special Projects (Science Fair, Reflections, Country Reports)

6. Homework 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 85%, they can redo the assignment for an average score of the two assignments. Must be turned in within the assigned week. 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.

7. 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 to me in their journal every other week to tell me how the reading is going. I will respond to their journal entry. 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.

8. 40 Book Requirement ◦Realistic Fiction 4 ◦Historical Fiction 3 ◦Fantasy 4 ◦Science Fiction 3 ◦Biography/Autobiography/Memoir 3 ◦Nonfiction 3 ◦Poetry 2 ◦Classic Literature 3 ◦Mystery or Graphic Novel 2 ◦Chapter-book Choice 13

9. Math Pilot ◦Our school was selected to pilot a new math program. This program has been designed specifically by the district and is based on the most recent research. This will include: ◦Daily homework ◦Different strategies ◦Deeper thinking

10. TTM-Think Through Math ◦Adaptive ◦Competitive ◦Interactive ◦Teaches different strategies ◦Approximately: 30 min to finish full lesson ◦30 lessons by the end of the year ◦I will send home information so you can create your own account and monitor how your child is doing!

11. PARENT/TEACHER COMMUNICATION CLASSROOM UPDATES ◦These emails usually will include dates of upcoming events and pertinent information you will need to be aware of. Please don’t overlook these emails. 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. 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 afonnesbeck@dsdmail.net

12. 6 th Grade Rotations In 6 th grade, we rotate in 2 week blocks. Your child will go to ONE rotation each day for 2 weeks. ◦Technology/Science: Mrs. Sorte ◦Science: Mrs. Baird ◦Science/Social Studies: Mrs. Padilla ◦Science/Social Studies: Mrs. Nolan ◦Science/Social Studies: Miss Fonnesbeck

13. Tournaments We divide all the 6th graders into teams in order to play different sports. They play for points and sportsmanship. In the summer and fall, we do our tournaments on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. In the winter, we do them on Fridays.  Students need to make sure they wear proper shoes on Tournament Days! We will remind them!

14. Questions?