1. Mrs. Gatti’s Curriculum Night Co-teachers: Mrs. Barodin & Mrs. Brussel 2015-2016 ELA / Social Studies

2. Mrs. Gatti Co-Teachers: Mrs. Barodin & Mrs. Brussell  Contact Information:  gattiv@wantaghschools.org gattiv@wantaghschools.org  516-679-6490 ext. 326

3. 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!

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

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