1. Renaissance Gifted Academy
Welcome to Mrs. Behrens’ 6th Grade Class
at Esperanza

2. Communication
My Website
mrsbehrens.weebly.com – Announcements, important dates, weekly news, homework assignments, curriculum, links to resources
Take Home Folders - Use for students to bring home papers from school. Please empty weekly.
Planners – Students use planners to record homework, assignments, and reminders.

3. Communication
, Phone, Notes
Please use one these methods to contact me as needed. I will contact you by these methods as needed.
Conferences - Conferences will be held at the end of the first and third quarters. Third quarter conferences will be student-led.
Additional meetings can be scheduled as needed.

4. Classroom Management
Make Your Day – Parent Handbook for Expectations and Consequences
No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or well-being of others.
Do what’s expected and do your best.
Six Pillars of Character: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, citizenship
Collaborative Group Work preparation, participation, character

5. Organization
Organization is an important skill for success!
Planners
Students should record homework assignments and reminders in their planners.
3-Ring Binder System or pocket folders
- to store and organize papers that are not part of the spiral student notebooks

6. Students Notebooks
Students will use spiral notebooks for each subject.
Notetaking, creating thinking maps and webs, recording and analyzing data, summarizing and journaling, reflecting and clarifying their thinking, and personal processing of information.

7. Monday through Thursday (10 min. per grade level)
Homework
Monday through Thursday (10 min. per grade level)
Math – Daily independent practice
Independent Reading for novel studies/book clubs
Word Study-assigned on Friday, due Thursday
Wordly Wise
The Word Within the Word
Alternating every other week
Long Term Projects

8. Grading
Grades are weighted as follows:
Assessments and Major Projects – 50%
Assignments – classwork and homework – 50%
Student learning will be assessed by tests, quizzes, and rubric points for written and oral work, projects, labs, and performance tasks.

9. Volunteering
Volunteer Training is required for -Chaperoning Field Trips -Room Parenting -Mentoring and Coaching This is for everyone’s safety and protection!

10. An Invitation to Share Your Expertise
Gifted students benefit from connections with adult mentors!
45-60 minute presentations
Mentor students in areas of interest through or internet
Give interviews during the I-Search project

11. Our Schedule
9:00-9:15 Announcements, Attendance, Morning Work/Brain Warm-Ups 9:15 – 10:00 Specials 10:00-11:45 Language Arts Block 11:45-12:30 Recess/Lunch 12:30-1:30 Math 1:30-2:45 Science/Social Studies 2:45-3:30 Flex time for academy activities, projects, or additional science and social studies time
Changes will sometimes be made to accommodate special events and availability of resources

12. Themes/Concepts
Language Arts – Change
Social Studies - Cause and Effect
Science – Systems
Themes will carry across disciplines.

13. New Common Core Standards
Literature Cite evidence, analyze elements of literature, compare contrast (literary response)
Informational Text Research, Persuasive Analysis, Text Structure
Writing Persuasive, Expository Research, Narrative,
Speaking and Listening Oral persuasive discussions and Persuasive and logical Presentations
Language Grammar, sentence structure, style and tone, vocabulary development

14. Curriculum – Language Arts
Reading Resources
Jr. Great Books - Shared inquiry, Socratic seminar
William and Mary- Persuasion
Gifted unit in Language Arts
Mythology Unit – Echoes From Mount Olympus
Jr. Great Books Literature and Thought Series
Literature Studies with trade books
whole group, small group book clubs
Expository - Social Studies and Science textbooks
Poetry – Poetry & Humanity (Michael Clay Thompson)

15. Curriculum – Language Arts
Language Development
Wordly Wise Level 9
Systematic vocabulary and spelling program
Latin and Greek Roots, Affixes, Stems
Word Within the Word (Michael Clay Thompson)
Vocabulary Development in Content Areas
Social Studies, Science, Math
Structure of Language (Grammar)
The Magic Lens (Michael Clay Thompson

16. Curriculum – Language Arts
Writing Resources
Write From the Beginning/Write For The Future
William and Mary-Persuasion Unit
Persuasive Writing will be a major focus
Literary Response
Research and Expository
Narrative and Creative
I-Search Research Project

17. Curriculum - Math Mathematics Math Connects Course 2
7th Grade textbook and standards
Problem-Solving and process standards will be integrated.

18. Curriculum - Science
FOSS Science Units (Full Option Science System)-Inquiry-based science curriculum
Weather and Water
Diversity of Life
William and Mary Unit – Something Fishy
Problem-based unit focuses on the various systems involved in the pollution of a body of water.
Scientific Habits of Mind – curiosity, creativity, objectivity, openness to new ideas, skepticism

19. Curriculum - Social Studies
Glencoe World History – Journey Across Time
Early Humans and Early Civilizations (Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Israelites
Ancient Civilizations  (Greece, India, China Rome, Islamic Empires, Ancient Americas)
Middle Ages (Medieval Europe, Africa, and Asia)
Renaissance
Geography Bee - December

20. Academic Goals for Students
Acquire a solid foundation in the content areas of mathematics, language arts, social studies, and science.
Work at an advanced level within these content areas.
Produce work within these areas that reflects individuality and creativity at a level that is advanced in relationship to other students in the same grade.
Use technology as a productivity tool.

21. Cognitive & Affective Goals
Problem solve, and think creatively, critically, and logically; make connections between ideas.
Acquire the knowledge and skills of learning and organizing.
Acquire advanced research skills to gather, analyze, and apply information and ideas.
Acquire the knowledge and skills to communicate effectively both within and beyond the classroom.
Acquire the knowledge and skills to make decisions and act as a responsible member of a community.