Welcome Parents! Please feel free to have a seat.

Introduction Experience: 12 th year of teaching Master’s Degree in Language, Reading, and Culture, from the UofA Endorsed as a reading specialist My Teaching Goals: Maintain a safe, well-managed, nurturing and organized classroom Inspire students to become life long, inquisitive learners Prepare all students for 7 th grade by meeting state standards and teaching them responsibility Differentiate instruction to meet the needs and learning styles of all students (challenge/modify)

Rules/Behavior 3 Rules: –Respect yourself and others at all times (no put downs, shut ups, laughing or rolling eyes at)! –Always give 100% by believing that “I can and I will.” –YOU are responsible for your materials and homework. School Focus: –Be responsible, respectful, and a problem solver Consequences: –1. Warning 2.behavior journal/call home 3. assistant principal –ZAP (Any missing work = ZAP Room during Lunch) –Pink Slips (3/wk= Tuesday After School Katch-up TASK or lunch detention – if no HW missing)

Grading Standard grading scale: –A –A –A Late homework= 60% off (not graded—but must be complete!) Late projects= 11% off per day

Agenda –Students are expected to write their homework in their agendas on a daily basis Great tool for being organized Prepares them for their future Communication – –Classroom phone (please no transportation messages) –Note in agenda Website: chers/kmoody/home.htmlhttp:// chers/kmoody/home.html –Grades online (not currently working) –Weekly newsletter (my blog) –Homework calendar –Forms/Handouts Communication

Writing Writing: a program that is very concrete and skills-based – teaches them HOW to write and improve their 6 Traits of Writing – “Teaching Writing: Structure & Style” Q1: Basic skills of writing and composing different types of letters Q2: Poetry Unit (Poetry Anthology) Q3: Creative Stories (PhotoStory/Movie Maker or Picture Book) Q4: Research Project (combined with Biography “Documentary” Movie Project in reading class) Grammar/”Fix It!”

Writing Homework Grammar packets (assigned Tuesday due Wednesdays) “Fix It!” (a type of DOL practice - prepare for weekly Friday tests) Writing projects Oral Presentations

Social Studies Newest State Standards (2006) –All students have a SS book at home. –Geography Unit: Maps (differences, purposes, how to read them, vocabulary) –Ancient Civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt, India, China, America Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations Medieval Europe and Africa Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment Major Religions (tied to their influence on cultures and civilizations) –geographic origins, founding leaders/teachings, traditions, customs, and beliefs

How we learn… Daily Geography QuizGeoBee Challenge - National GeographicGeoBee Challenge - National Geographic Textbook Reading Hands-on Learning (mummies, masks) Computer Simulations (Decisions, Decisions)FeudalismFeudalism Project-based Learning (6 th Graders Teaching 1 st Graders) Research

Social Studies Homework Mapping Activities Map locations (memorize for quizzes) Textbook reading assignments Study for tests (using notes from units studied) –online support: Completion of tasks started in class 5 paragraph Essays (Writing in Content Areas)M:\Social Studies\Ch. 4 and 5 Greeks\Five Paragraph Essay for the Greeks.docM:\Social Studies\Ch. 4 and 5 Greeks\Five Paragraph Essay for the Greeks.doc

Reading Reading: building comprehension strategies and skills Read Aloud and Book Study (Novels) Mini skills lessons to improve comprehension strategies and learn the elements of a different genres –Q1 – Mystery, Realistic Fiction –Q2 – Fantasy, Science Fiction, Poetry (tied to Poetry Anthology in Writing class) –Q3 – Historical Fiction –Q4 – Biography (tied to Biography “Documentary” Movie in Writing class) Focus on Functional Text (lowest area on AIMS) Continuous vocabulary development through roots and derivatives

Reading Homework Root words (2 per week + 8 derivatives) assigned Monday due Thursday (tests every other Thursday) Nightly reading – 20 minutes min. 1 Book Report per quarter (use of technology and creativity to present their book)

Fostering creativity and critical thinking skills… Students will take each of the following four courses throughout the course of the year, or will be provided the opportunity to receive additional, specialized instruction in a math or language lab.

Agency: As members of ad "agencies," students learn about methods of communication (e.g., written, oral, and symbolic) by designing billboards and magazine ads, analyzing commercials, and developing entire campaigns for given products, all the while reacting to Fate Cards delivered by the teacher that change their plans.

BizTown: JA BizTown® encourages students to learn about the free enterprise system by participating in a simulated town. Student experiences vary from working in a bank, a television station, or a retail store, to managing personal finance, writing checks and accounting. Students realize the relationship between what they learn in school and their successful participation in a simulated economy. Field trip on March 17th, 2010…mark your calendars!

Game Factory: Students work in pairs performing hands-on experiments with spinners, dice, coins and cards to test the probabilities of “loaded” games. The flip of a coin or the roll of the die determines the moves they make as they advance through the course, examining games for fairness. As they find problems, they make modifications and record reasons for their decisions. In the final project, student pairs design their own games and present them with an explanation of their fairness. If time permits, the course will also include instruction in common “strategy” based card and board games.

Forum: As Greek exiles from the land of Podium, student "families" journey back to their homeland by completing speech—seven different public- speaking experiences—and Family Fate activities. The amount of cargo families take with them is determined by how well they do on pantomimes, word definitions, and listening-skill activities. After studying the elements of speech writing, students write their own presentation, introduction, acceptance, informative, and persuasive speeches, all in different settings. If time permits, the course will also require students to engage in formal debates.

Donations Needed! Give “Fundraisers” the boot – not fundraising. Each family is encouraged to make a donation to PTO (this is not AZ tax credit donation, but is still a tax deductible donation). PTO money has purchased smartboard software, printer, and supplies for my classroom!  See board out in hallway!

Thanks for coming this evening!