1. Welcome to 6 th Grade! Thank you for your support and interest in our curriculum.

2. Communication Communication is an important part the school experience for your child. It best builds the student/teacher/parent relationship, helping to ensure that your child learns and grows to his/her full potential. It also sets a real-life example for your child to learn how important it is for significant stakeholders to communicate with each other. If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call before or after school. You can also email me. If your issue is time-sensitive, please call the office to contact me directly.

3. Notebooks/folders per each subject area Coyote Planner Organization Tools Monday Class Activity/ AssignmentHomework Reading  Math  Language  Social Studies  Science  Other  How was my behavior today?

4. Homework Policy  Homework is the responsibility of the student  It is assigned for such purposes as completing regular classroom assignments, reinforcing skills, learning responsibility, and developing creativity  Your student should expect no more than an hour’s worth of homework each night. Please let me know if your child is taking longer than this.

5. Homework Policy (continued)  Our school’s policy: Students may not call home for homework to be brought to school  Notes, emails, or calls from home are appreciated when things take an unexpected turn. It may help qualm your child’s fears about coming to school the next day, if they know you’ve left me a message about a missing assignment.  Late assignments may result in the loss of points on the assignment

6. Absent Students  It is the student’s responsibility to ask the teacher for missing assignments, to make them up, and turn them in  Per Mesa Public Schools policy: Students will be allowed one full day to complete assignments for each day absent  It is recommended that students check teacher websites

7. Homework Tips  Have a snack before starting  Find a quiet place to work  Keep location and time consistent

8. Grading Achievement 90 – 100 %Excellent, outstandingA 80 – 89 %Very good, above averageB 70 – 79 %Good, meets expectationsC 60 – 69 %Below average, needs improvementD 0 – 59 %Student is having difficultyF Effort 4- Outstanding2 – Improving/ Not Consistent 3 – Satisfactory1 – Area of Concern

10. We ask each student to… Classroom Expectations - care about themselves, others, and their work -follow school expectations outlined in the student handbook

11. Consequences Positive  Verbal Praise  Individual Rewards  Whole Class Rewards  Working Lunch Negative  Warning  Check Mark on Planner  Logical Consequences

12. World History Topics  Geography  Ancient Greece  Ancient Rome  Renaissance  Mesopotamia  Mesoamerica  Egypt  India  China

13. Science  Cells to Systems  Space Integration Module  Oceanography / Extreme Weather  Powering Our Future  Tonto National Forest  Engineering is Elementary

14. ELA: English Language Arts Reading Goals:  To help students discover the joy that comes from reading.  Provide the necessary support that allows children to become successful readers.  Expose students to a variety of genres and texts.  Allow reading experiences in a variety of settings: small group, individual, partner, and whole class.

15. ELA Focus   Vocabulary  Understand the meanings of words  Fluency  Read text accurately and quickly  W ord Analysis  Decode words  Speaking & Listening  Conventions  Grammar and usage  Comprehension  Literary Text  Various genres: fiction, plays, fantasy…  Informational Text  directions, newspapers articles, graphs  Writing  Argument,  Informative/Explanatory  Narrative

16. Prewriting  Planning and organizing ideas Drafting  Use prewriting to create a first draft Revising  Evaluating and refining first draft Editing  Proofreading and correcting Publishing  Preparing writing for presentation Writing Process

17.  6 traits of writing  Rubric for scoring is based on these traits  Each trait is scored on a 1 to 6 scale, 6 considered the highest, or best, score  Different pieces of writing are assessed for specific traits Writing Elements

18. 1.Ideas and Content 2.Organization 3.Voice 4.Word Choice 5.Sentence Fluency 6.Conventions +1 Publishing 6 + 1 Traits

19. Enrichment Activities -Presentations -Performances -Brain Busters & Logic Puzzles -Venn Perplexors -Publishing -Mentoring Opportunities -Vocabulary Enhancements -Literature Studies -Quest

20. Quest Rewards The two students with the highest number of points in each classroom will receive a free paperback book. Each student who earns 50 points will participate in a lunch time treat for each academic quarter.

21. Quest End of Year Rewards Each student who earns at least 200 points by the end of the year will participate in a movie party. Students with 300 points by the end of Quest will earn a trip to Barnes & Noble.

22. Field Trips Space Simulation: Fremont Jr. High October 23 Chaperones not allowed Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant Dec. 15 3 Chaperones Camp Tontozona: Payson March 30-April 13 Chaperones Cosmic Bowling: Gilbert May (last week of school) 4-5 Chaperones

23. Las Sendas Web Page  Please visit our school web page at http://www.mpsaz.org/lassendas/

24. Math Classes  We create math classes which meet students’ needs according to data accumulated through AIMs, Acuity, and district MA10 placement testing data.

25. All math classes…  Emphasize & practice basic math facts  Align lesson objectives to Arizona state standards and the Common Core  Enhance and/or remediate lessons, as needed  Promote the use of multiple strategies to solve problems  Allow students to work in multiple formats: individually, with a partner, or in small groups  Challenge students to explain their thinking

26. All math teachers…  Want your child to enjoy math  Have high expectations for students  Understand that you may not have done this kind of math for many years  Will help your child work through difficult material  Assign homework to promote the retention of lessons and strategies learned in class

27. MA10 Strands  Ratios & Proportions  The Number System  Statistics & Probability  Expressions & Equations  Functions  Geometry  Mathematical Practices