Mister Roach

Mister Roach

Walter Roach

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Green Sheet 2010-2011: Sixth Grade Syllabus, Room 29

“Green Sheet” — Sixth Grade Syllabus
Mister Walter Roach, 6th Grade, Room 29, 2010-2011 School Year, Norwood Creek School

Classroom Expectations
All Norwood Creek students are expected to make good choices on the playground as well as in the classroom. Each student is expected to agree to the Norwood Creek School expectations, and to sign and date that acceptance.

Behavior & Character
In Room 29, we incorporate Safe and Caring Schools activities, http://www.safeandcaringschools.com, and we find the Six Pillars of Character to define our social interaction very powerful. Please look online at http://www.charactercounts.org/defsix.htm .
o    Trustworthiness,
o    Respect,
o    Responsibility,
o    Fairness,
o    Caring,
o    Citizenship.

Supplies and Materials
Since classroom budgets are almost non-existent and very tight, please bring in supplies, paper, pens, pencils, notebook paper, art supplies, markers, colored pencils, and crayons. Please write me a note if you need financial help. Avoid anything that can be considered a toy or distraction (Specialty pens may be appropriate at home; however, they can be distracting at school). Below are the needed items, as well as optional items.
Needed:
o    3 boxes tissue (Kleenex or other)
o    2 reams of white bond paper (printer paper)
o    No. 2 pencils (at least 2 to start, probably will need up to 20)
o    Pencil sharpener, personal size
o    Ink pens: (black, blue, green, red [essays: pencil = planning, black = draft & final, blue = revise, red = edit, green = peer annotate, purple = family annotate)
o    1 or 2 large Magic Rub erasers
o    Colored pencils, markers, crayons
o    Highlighters, yellow, green, and pink
o    Binder paper, (at least a package for each month)
o    Graph paper (¼ inch grid) (1 to 3 pads of 50 sheets)
o    3 x 5 note cards (2 to 3 packages, more in the Third Trimester)
o    Green Journal for Science (8.5x11 spiral or 8 x 10 sewn, 100 pages, green cover is preferred)
o    ‘Stickies’ (the small or medium ones preferred – 3 pads or more) & Stickie Flags
o    Organization System (binder with tabs, or folders, or accordion file system, or small binders for each subject)
o    Assignment Notebook or Calendar or Planner [Very Important!] (Parents should ask to see it regularly.)
o    Ruler (metric & inches), compass, protractor, blunt-tipped scissors
o    Glue sticks, large (at least one per progress period or trimester)
o    Pencil can, box, or zipper bag
Optional:
o    Graphing Calculator (TI-83 or TI-84 are shown in math book, see page
o    Thesaurus
o    Ink pens: (purple, gel, etc.)
o    Sharpies (broad tip, fine tip)
o    Stapler, staples, tape, tape dispenser, paper clips, hole punch

Homework & Assignments
In all subjects, students are expected to assemble “Portfolios” of work spanning several days or weeks. All accumulated assignments are to be included for each subject, with an artistic cover, a table of contents, appendices, etc. A CheckBric will accompany each project. Since all assignments are focused on mastery of the standards, there is no distinction between homework and assignments. All assignments are given with due dates in the future; all students must prioritize and allocate enough time to complete all assignments by the due dates. NOTE: assignments are independent of the calendar week; there is no specific ‘Friday Folder’ deadline.

All 6th graders should spend 45 minutes of study and preparation at home daily, and spend an additional time of from 20 minutes minimum up to 65 minutes per day on independent reading, aside from textbooks. The Reading At Home is required. That means each child should be spending between 1 hour and 5 minutes daily and up to 2 hours on studying and on completing assignments.  (NOTE: Some students fail to utilize class time appropriately and try to do the work at home at the last minute, while others claim to have done their ‘homework’ at school already. Some may choose to do more work ahead during the week to free up personal time for sports, recreation, and family.)

Time on Task
Managing time is an important skill worthy of practice. To help us get better, we will have an incentive program for managing our time, with free time being the reward. At the start of the school year, we will set aside 20 to 30 minutes of free-choice work time most days, probably just before lunch. We can earn extra minutes to add on by being on time and on task. Of course, there are a few strings attached; the free time must be spent on educational activities (assignments, portfolios, math games, reading, computer research, projects, investigations, and enrichment activities). As we practice and get better, we will keep track of extra free time minutes earned every week, and enjoy those extra minutes (usually on Thursday minimum day) because we were exemplary in our time on task.

Seating Charts by Tables & Subjects
At various times throughout the day, we will transition to a different seating chart. A timely transition earns us Free-Choice-Time minutes, after lunch on Thursdays; a sloppy or slow transition will cost us minutes. Periodically, the seating assignments for each subject will be adjusted. The goal is to develop collaboration teamwork skills with everyone in our class. There will be times of the day with open-choice seating, and other times with assigned groups.

Grades: Progress Reports & Report Cards
While flexibility is a must, the overall plan for the year gives us structure. Please notice that each subject’s workflow ignores the calendar week, and some effort is made to have deadlines different to minimize ‘crunch-time’. Late work can carry over for a Progress Report and still count; however, there is no possible carryover on grades for Trimester report card grades. Each progress period is about 6 weeks long, and each trimester is approximately 12 weeks long.

Annual Calendar (subject to ongoing revision . . . )
o    Cut-off Dates
—–                          1st Trimester       2nd Trimester    3rd Trimester    Comments
Trimester begins    8/16/10               11/10/10              03/02/11          about 12 weeks of school.
Cutoff for Progress Report    10/02/09    1/15/10    4/23/10    Late work counted for Trimester
Progress Report Available    10/05/09    1/19/10    4/08/10
Cutoff for Report Card           11/12/09    3/04/10    6/02/10   No late work counted for Trimester
Report Card Available    11/18/09    3/11/10    6/11/10
•    State Testing & District Contest Dates
Math Benchmark Assessments: 10/27-30/09 (chapters 1-3); 2/9-13/10 (chapters 4-7); 5/26-29/10 (chapters 8-11)
District Speech Contest at Chaboya: ???

District Writing Proficiency: 3/3/1- ???

District Science Fair at Quimby Oak: 3/14/10 ???
Science Fair            3/04/10    In class presentation: required
Speech Contest        1/14/10       In class presentation: required Mandated State

Assessments: [STAR/CST/STS]: 4/27/09 – 5/14/09
o    Assemblies:
TBA
o    Dates with no students in class
August 21 & 22; October 15;
November 11 (holiday), Nov. 18 (conferences); November 25, 26, & 27, 2009;
December 21 – January 1, 2009;
Grades, Progress Reports, Report Cards, Honor Rolls (Gold, Silver, Principal)

Grades
Because life happens to us all, there is an automatic one day extension granted (with no loss in points) for due dates of portfolios, posters, and projects. Significant points per day are lost for late assignments thereafter. The exception is report-card cut-off dates; no late work can be counted for Trimester Report Cards. Missed tests must be made up immediately upon returning. In general, each subject’s grade is made up of approximately 25% portfolios, 50 % tests, 20 % quizzes, and 5% collaboration group projects. Progress Report Cards show work-to-date. Remedial work to achieve mastery may add points; however, there is no extra credit.

The Honor Roll is one way in which we recognize scholarship at Norwood Creek. Students in fourth through sixth grade are eligible for the Honor Roll. Honor Roll categories are:
o    Gold – GPA 4.0 (A)
(Straight A’s and no Work Habit or Effort grade lower than an S)
o    Silver – GPA 3.0 (B) (B Average with no grade less than a C  & no Work Habit or Effort grade lower than an S)

o    Principal’s – GPA TBA – (based on teacher’s evaluation of effort and progress towards mastery. Everyone who works hard may achieve honor roll.)

Standards-Based Instruction
All classrooms in Evergreen School District adhere to the California Academic Content Standards of Instruction. Details may be referenced online at http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/. We strive for Proficient (80%) mastery of the standards by all students by the end of the school year. Remedial and alternative assignments will be given as needed.
Scope & Sequence Overall Plan

[Because there is a 5th/6th combination class for 2010-2011, there will be times when some 5th graders will come to Room 29, and times that some 6th graders from Room 29 will visit Mrs. Blackman's class in Room 18.]
o    Writing (8:45 – 9:00 daily prompt and oral report; 9:00 – 9:30 writing skills lessons and practice)
Writing proficiency is measured regularly on several types of writing. Sixth grade standards call for the ability to write from 500 to 700 word compositions that are well organized with effective spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics.

o    Reading (9:40 – 10:00 English Language Enrichment; 10:00 – 10:40 Reading Skills, Strategies, Grammar)
There are 6 themes in the reading anthology; with 4 selections in each. Since we will normally spend six days on each selection, the due date for the portfolio is predictable. To wrap up each theme, there is a writing assessment as well as skills summative assessment (test) to verify the degree of mastery of the included standards that is at least 50% of the academic grade. The so-called “Sixth Week” may be less than 5 days; however, there will be individual assessments as well as group projects to close each theme.

o    Physical Education (10:40 – 11:00 daily)
We will share leadership among many students in calisthenics, conditioning, team jogging, running, jumping rope, and periodic team sports. We meet at our designated spot and work until recess daily for 20 minutes average per day. Some days will be spent studying nutrition, with activities and quizzes.

o    Mathematics Hour (11:20 – 12:30 regular days; 11:20 – 11:55; 12:25 – 1:00 on minimum day Thursdays.)
We will be working towards mastery of all State Standards before testing, using California Mathematics by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. We plan on spending 70 minutes of instruction time daily implying significant homework and study. There is math study and homework daily; if the current lesson is already mastered, then each student is to accelerate to additional enrichment content, up to and including 8th grade Algebra.
o    History/Social Studies (1:30 – 2:00 PM daily, M, T, W, & F for 1st trimester)
Initially, for the first trimester, we will be spending less time per week on History; however, the time will shift each trimester with less Science per week towards the end of the school year. In sixth grade we study Ancient Civilizations. Notes for studying are very important; tests require memorizing to a level of mastery of the standards. During the second trimester, the time will be approximately balanced between History and Science. The emphasis is very intense on History for the final trimester, when the large individual research term project is planned.
o    Science (2:00 – 2:55 PM daily, M, T, W, & F for 1st trimester)
We start right away by studying heavily in Science; a heavier emphasis is placed on Science at the start of the year. In sixth grade science, we study Earth Science, which includes plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formations, climate, erosion, deposition, as well as Earth’s ocean, especially the depths. [The first chapter test is on Day 8: Wednesday, September 2; the tests are usually found to be difficult.] We will be taking the chapters out of order somewhat. The first chapter to study deals with plate tectonics, Chapter 6. Note-taking skills will be emphasized; home study of each lesson is essential to mastery. There are Science Fair Projects due each trimester, earning points for Science Board, Science Project Portfolio, and Oral Presentation.
o    Academic Free Choice Time (11:20 – 11:50 Fri.)
Learning to manage personal academic time requires practice.

o    Art & Music
Meeting State Standards in Art and Music is difficult; field trips to performances are essential to achieving some progress towards the standards.
Field Trips & Excursions
In order to achieve maximum learning experiences, several field trips are scheduled. Parent chaperones and volunteers are needed and welcome. (So far, the first excursion is a walking field trip to the Evergreen Library for a tour on Friday, September 5, 2007. We leave school at 8:50.) As much as possible, costs of field trips are kept to a minimum, which includes using public transit (VTA) two or more times during the year.
Computers, Technology, Keyboard Skills
Using the laptop computers daily, at a ratio of 1 computer for every 6 students, each student will have significant time to use computers and other technology appropriately. Since we do not take class time for developing keyboard skills, it is important that each student practice touch-typing keyboard skills at home. All use of technology in class must support the mastery of educational standards; computer games, chat, boards, personal email, personal web pages, and recreational ‘surfing’ of the Internet are not allowed. A graphing calculator is useful for preparing for Algebra study.
Textbooks, Library Books, Replacement Costs
During the school year your student will be using textbooks currently adopted by the Evergreen School District. (The following is from the District Office).

Students are expected to:
•    Be responsible for taking care of textbooks
•    Have textbooks at school every day
•    Pay for lost or damaged textbooks
•    Write name, room number, and school year on bookplate in ink
•    Notify teacher now about damage from previous years to avoid being charged for damage
•    Keep a record of the textbook number for each book
•    Return textbooks assigned at the end of the school year
•    Fines for Hardcover Damage:
o    Slight Damage – writing stains, bent pages, dirty, bent or torn pages        $5.00
o    Moderate Damage – writing, stains, torn pages, water damage – 50% of Replacement Cost
o    Heavy Damage – missing pages, destroyed cover, stains, water damage, mold –cost of the textbook

Language Arts – Houghton Mifflin Reading California Edition
Triumphs Grade 6 (hardcover)                $75.00
Practice Book (consumable)                $10.00
Reader’s Library Booklets                    $10.00
Theme Paperbacks    (various titles)            $10.00
Math – California Mathematics: Concepts, Skills and Problem Solving – Grade 6
California Mathematics Grade 6 (hardcover)            $75.00
Homework Practice Book (consumable)            $8.00
Social Studies – Houghton Mifflin California Edition
World History Ancient Civilizations    (hardcover)    $55.00
Ancient Civilizations Electronic Text    (CD-Rom)    $10.00
Ancient Civilizations Activity Book    (soft cover)    $10.00
Science – Holt California Edition
Earth Science    student text (hardcover)            $70.00
Directed Reading Worksheets (consumable)            $13.00

Fines for Paperback Atlases, Practice Books, Workbooks, Activity Books Damage:
•    Slight Damage – writing, bent pages, dirty                    $3.00
•    Moderate Damage –     writing, stains, torn pages, water damage        $6.00
•    Heavy Damage – missing pages, destroyed cover, stains, water damage, mold -cost of workbook
Fines for Lost Books:                             Replacement Cost

Getting Ready: 2010-2011 School Year

• Important Dates for the planner:
  • School starts: 8/18/2010; ends: 6/9/2011
  • Columbus Day is not a holiday for Evergreen School District
  • Inservice Day: 10/13/2010 (students are not in class)
  • Conference Day: 11/17/2010 (students are not in class)
  • Thanksgiving Week: 11/22/2010 to 11/27/2010
  • Christmas-Winter Break: 12/20/2010 to 12/31/2010
  • Presidents Week: 2/21/2011 to 2/25/2011
  • Easter-Spring Break: 4/22/2011 to 4/29/2011
• District official Progress Report dates and report card dates reflect the new Language Arts adoption pattern. Each of these dates reflects the end-of-unit assessments. The actual reports will come home a few days later.
  • Cut off dates – first trimester: progress report on 9/30/2010; report card on 11/10/2010
  • Cut off dates – 2nd trimester: progress report on 1/13/2011; report card on 3/4/2011 [NOTE: all State Standards are covered through first four units; remaining curriculum reviews and reinforces key standards.]
  • Cut off dates – 3rd trimester: progress report on 4/4/2011; report card on 6/3/2011 (please note that the final assessment week for Unit 6 starts on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, if we are to use the adoption with fidelity.)
• Unit 1 in the Language Arts starts immediately with 5 weeks of new literature for each unit, and a week of intensive assessments.

1. The first Unit 1-1 starts on Friday, 8/20/2010. A portfolio of activities is expected for each week’s work.
2. Unit 1-2 starts on Friday, 8/27/2010 with a portfolio due at the end of 5 days.
3. Unit 1-3 begins 9/3/2010 with the portfolio due on 9/10, Friday
4. Unit 1-4 begins on 9/13/2010, on Monday, with everything due by Friday.
5. Unit 1-5 kicks off on 9/20 and its portfolio work is due by Friday of that same week.
6. Unit 1-6 is Assessment Week with various one-on-one, small group, and individual tests of various sorts. All of these assessments go into the First Trimester Progress Report that cuts off 9/30 and should go home the following Monday, 10/4/2010.

Spring Science Fair – Room 29

Science Fair projects are due on Thursday, May 27. 2010, and have been assigned for 6 weeks or more. Grade points are accumulated for the Science Board (please type all entries), the Science Project Portfolio, as well as for the Oral Presentation to the class.

Science Boards are $2 each, please.

Math Benchmark III: 5/25/2010

Please prepare a portfolio of all review materials from Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11. It is due on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 just before we take the Math Benchmark III.

A/R Quizzes for all stories: 5/25/2010

Please re-read all stories in the final Theme and take the Accelerated Reader quiz for each. The cut-off is Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

Ancient Civilizations Research Report due 5/5/2010

The research report is due on May 5, 2010. It should be typed double-spaced with 1″ margins, and Times New Roman 12 point font or its equivalent. The needed parts are:

• Title Page (does not get a page number)
• Table of Contents (to be typed LAST for accurate page numbers; include: 1) introduction, Q1 title, Q2 title, Q3 title, Conclusion, Bibliography, Appendices [maps, timelines, hand drawings, etc.])
• Introduction ( approximately 1 to 3 new paragraphs to introduce the 3 investigative essays: Q1, Q2, and Q3) Use ‘Introduction’ as the subtitle, left-justified. The Introduction starts on page 1)
• Q1 – first investigative essay (essay title becomes the subtitle for the section) [indent each paragraph, double-spaced, no extra spaces]
• Q2 essay with title
• Q3 essay with title
• Conclusion (new section that summarizes the concluding paragraphs of Q1, Q2, and Q3 essays. Minimum is one good paragraph.)
• Bibliography (see Write Source 2000 for formating; it is okay to use the 3 separate bibliographies from the 3 essays (Q1, Q2, and Q3) to avoid re-typing.)

6th eNews published

To help keep track of the myriad details, deadlines, and activities for the end of the school year, there is a newsletter for families. To subscribe, visit the link http://eepurl.com/tSd

Past issues are available after opting-in. It is very easy to opt-out as well. The first issue, dated April 26, 2010, was sent out on Tuesday morning, 4/27 to allow for a bit of time for new registrations.

Progress Reports: 4/26/2010

Because Mister Roach has been out several days with Mrs. Roach’s surgery and recovery, our grades, Schoolloop, and progress reports will be delayed. Instead of coming home on Friday, April 23, they will be coming home on Monday, April 26.

On a related note, all due dates as of Monday, April 26, until the end of the school year are firm dates. There will be a 25% loss of points for one day delay, and will not be accepted thereafter. We are working to prepare our students for seventh grade expectations as well as working within the end-of-the-school-year crunch.

Science Fair Project #2 – Due 5/27/2010

Create another Science Fair investigation with science board, portfolio report, and oral presentation on topic of your choice. If you experience difficulty deciding on a topic, consider the labs and mini-labs in our Science textbook.

All parts of the Science Board are required; typed please. Please bring any models, experiments, the science board, portfolio report, and oral presentation 3 x 5 cards on Thursday morning, May 27, 2010. There will be no late science fair projects accepted, since the grades cut-off is 5/27/2010.

Ancient Civilization Research Report

There are three essays expected from questions of inquiry about a specific time period from an ancient civilization. Each essay is to have:

• 3 x 5 cards with notes on front and source on the back
• 4 sources of information minimum ( 2 test and 2 Internet)
• bibliography is required
• plan a 500 to 700 word essay using the 5 paragraph model.
• after the draft, re-read for revisions (blue ink) and later edit for GUMS (red ink). Allow peer and family editing comments in green or purple, as desired.
• Before typing the essay, have Mister Roach read your work. Make any required changes before typing.

First essay is due 3/24/2010 through revisions and editing. Typed is due no later than March 29.

Using a second question of inquiry (Q2), develop a second essay like the first. It is due to Mister Roach no later than April 1 in revised and edited manuscript. Typed version is due 4/6 or thereabouts. See http://no.schoolloop.com for specific overall plan.