Welcome to Curriculum Night! Mrs. Shelton Grade 6 Please fill out the info sheet while you wait for us to begin.
Contact Information 771-5220 or k.shelton@stgabeschool.org Contact me with questions/concerns. If you call or email, PLEASE leave me information in your message so that when I contact you, I can have any relevant information in front of me. I will get back to you as soon as I am able; please do NOT email or call during the day with a change about dismissal. Many days I will not be checking email until after school! I do not typically check school email on evenings and weekends. Thank you for understanding!
Expectations -I expect students to be kind, respectful, safe, and prepared to learn each day. We will spend a lot of time in the first couple of weeks laying groundwork for building a positive classroom environment. -These expectations also hold true in specials and on the playground/in the lunchroom. -If students earn a demerit for missing work or unacceptable behavior, it will be recorded in his/her assignment book. Detentions notices go home on Thursdays or Fridays for the following Wednesday (2:50-3:50 after school). Assignment books are to be signed by parents every Thursday.
Reading Focus is on helping students improve their comprehension and enjoyment of reading (both fiction and nonfiction) Will tie in Social Studies and Writing AR goals each trimester: 30 points-half are due at midterm with a demerit if 15 points are not completed by then. Literature circles and other small groups will work together for reading and reflection. Novels including Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatly Snyder and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
Language Arts Class time is a combination of focus on writing skills, grammar, and vocabulary. We will be working on a mix of short and long writing pieces; most work will take place in class. Students will be writing every day!! We continue the 5 th grade focus on the 6 traits of writing. Informational writing assignment will take up most of our writing time during the 3 rd trimester. We will do editing practice-dol. My focus is for them to understand WHY we make changes. We will work on vocabulary units that will take approximately two weeks. Vocab tests will be on Tuesdays. Grammar is interspersed in our time.
Social Studies Map skills incorporated in each unit Continent Focus: Africa We will start the year with our Africa unit! No text they will have a booklet I have put together for them. This unit takes up our 1 st trimester. Paleolithic Era through the Renaissance/Reformation Development of agriculture, river civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, China/Yellow River), Ancient Greece and Rome, European expansion, Middle Ages IT S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TOPICS! Students will be able to access textbook online passwords will be written in assignment books once we start using the text in 2 nd trimester. Weekly Studies papers will go along with units. Some topics will be done in Reading as nonfiction reading units.
Daily Schedule Start the day with morning work; given each Monday and due the following Monday. Feel free to check those with your child! Blocks of time with Mrs. Huelsman, including snack break Daily schedules are glued in assignment books. Please be careful about scheduling doctor appointments during the day, especially during testing in the spring. Being on time in the morning is critical to starting the day off right! We end each day together by writing all assignments in HW books before packing up.
Technology AR tests can be taken any morning, snack time, and during Reading class work time. ipads will be used during a variety of class times Websites- Vocabtest.com-GREAT website to review vocabulary https://www.vocabtest.com/vocabulary_workshop/level_a.p hp Social Studies text (beginning in 2 nd trimester) we will put passwords in HW books https://www.eharcourtschool.com/
Homework All assignments will be written together during class time and need to be turned in by 8:15. I do NOT accept photocopies of any homework papers. Part of any assignment is bringing the right supplies home! Feel free to check any/all homework! Students will have a variety of assignments from me; I will try not to assign all subjects every night because READING is important every single night!! Homework will often be finishing work that is started during class time. If your child seems to have too much, talk to him/her about how they may be using their time.
Grading Combination of classwork/homework, tests, quizzes, and projects; tests and quizzes are weighted. Grades are determined by points (total number of points earned divided by total number of points possible) At the end of the trimester, I drop the lowest homework or classwork grade. I post grades on Thursday evenings, the same day that graded papers go home with your child. That way, you only have to check grades once a week. Please keep all graded papers at home and have your child bring the yellow folder back on Fridays. Please check Progress Book! You can monitor any missing assignments and praise your child for work well done!
Volunteers/VIRTUS We will periodically need volunteers for classroom events, field trips, and general help needed. ALL VOLUNTEERS AT ST. GABE S MUST BE VIRTUS TRAINED AND MUST BE CURRENT ON BULLETINS TO HELP. All parishes have Virtus training sessions. Check bulletins or the Archdiocese website for times. You do NOT need to be trained here to volunteer here or at your home parish, but you must make sure you select St. Gabriel School as a site when you register online for training.
Extra Information -Feel free to send your child with a water bottle during the hot months! -I will send home a Scholastic Book Order form periodically. Please make checks out to Scholastic if you choose to purchase books or order online with the classroom code. -DARE will begin after Christmas break. More information with come at a later date. -Mrs. Huelsman has also requested a TI-30XIIS calculator. They will use these in junior high as well. -Please sign up with your email address(es) for our weekly update email. -Specials: Monday-Music, Tuesday-Music and gym, Wednesday-Spanish, Thursday-Art and Computer, Friday-gym (and optional band) -Students need gym clothes and deodorant in a gym bag on Tues. and Fri. -Healthy snacks, please! No nuts for snack breaks since kids share desks. -6 th grade lunch time has changed! 12:15-12:35
Supplies -Please have supplies labeled with your child s name. -We will separate where each item goes on Tuesday. I HIGHLY recommend getting a St. Gabe pencil case at Meet the Teacher-they last years! -I will collect the yellow folder for their weekly graded work. -It would help tremendously to pre-assemble your child s binder: Have your son/daughter put their tab dividers and other 4 folders (hole punch them) in the binder. We will label the pockets and tabs in class. -I keep all of their extras here (paper, pens, pencils, glue sticks) When they run out, they can restock from their own supply. We will take stock of supplies they run out of at the end of the trimesters and send a note home. -We try to stay very organized! Please help your child by having a dedicated homework spot at home with supplies.