WELCOME TO SIXTH GRADE VERBAL GATE Please sign in and complete a survey. Mrs. Ingargiola

FYI:  I have been teaching at Hammarskjöld for 15 years.  I have extremely high expectations for my students, and I do not intend to lower them!  I never expect perfection… just excellence and effort.  This will be (and should be) a challenging yet rewarding year for your child.  I promise that if your child works hard, he/she will see tremendous growth in both reading and writing. Try to remember that growth is important, not just grades!  I can’t do it alone - please help at home by encouraging your child to work hard!

THEMES OF 6 TH GRADE VERBAL:  Ethical Issues/Mystery -Agatha Christie’s – And Then There Were None (November & December)  Justice - Harper Lee’s - To Kill a Mockingbird (March, April & May)  Tolerance - Todd Strasser’s - The Wave (June)

ADDITIONAL UNITS OF STUDY:  Short Stories: This is our first unit of study; its purpose is to teach students how to analyze text for the elements of literature and eventually, how to write a literary essay.  Trials: Students will participate in a mock trial using familiar fairy- tales. Students will learn courtroom procedures and complete an entire trial - start to finish.  New York Times: Exposure to non-fiction is paramount for our children. Students will read from the NY Times every Wednesday in class to practice critical non-fiction reading skills.  Cultural Scrapbooks: Within our unit on tolerance, students will complete a scrapbook highlighting their culture and family. (More on that later!)

CULTURAL SCRAPBOOK:  Students will complete a scrapbook that chronicles their family history, their culture, and their lives.  Work will begin in early March.  Students will work with a published author and former journalist in a Writing Residency program to develop interview skills, non-fiction writing skills and revision techniques.

Verbal GATE Grading Policy: Grading CategoryPercentage of Grade Homework Stop & Jots, Paragraph Drafting, etc. 5% Word Work & Grammar (SAT Prep: College Board & Princeton Review designed for the new SAT) 15% (Assessments twice per quarter) Reading Workshop (Literary Essays & Multiple Choice in response to Reading material) 40% Writing Workshop (Process piece writings per unit of study) 40%

READING:  Students must always have an IR book in class. They are required to read at least 5 times a week for 30 minutes.  Teacher and student conferences are held frequently. Each marking period, running records are completed during conferences. The goal is to move every child to be an independent reader!  Reading Journal – Notes and thoughts are completed on a daily basis. Journals should reflect understanding of the concepts taught in each unit of reading instruction. Journals are a valuable student resource. Post- It notes are assigned often, but are not a daily requirement.  Throughout a unit of study and/or at the end of a unit of study, students will complete an assessment to demonstrate their ability to apply/use the skills taught in class. Assessments are designed to better prepare students for PARCC.

WRITING:  Students write on a daily basis.  Mystery, poetry, drama (trial script), genre of choice pieces.  PARCC Preparation: (Narrative, Literary Analysis, Research Based Simulation)  Research Paper – Civil rights topics

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION:  Scholastic Book Orders – Offered throughout the year. You can order online - follow the link from my webpage! CLASS CODE = GQKRD  Plan ahead for upcoming units of study (for now, look for mystery independent reading books). Orders are accepted any time!  Classroom Library/Media Center – Students are welcome to borrow books from either.  Note: Students must read on their reading level!  Please use my class webpage! Subscribe to the Newsflash for updates!

B&N FESTIVAL:  This year, Verbal students will have the unique opportunity to present their cultural scrapbooks at Barnes and Noble in East Brunswick.  An evening of scrapbook presentations will take place Tuesday, May 24 th and Thursday, May 26 th from 7:00-8:30 P.M.  Stations will be set up throughout the store and students will have a schedule to follow informing them of where and when to read.  Our program will receive a percentage of all sales from the evening to be used on purchasing new books for our classroom  We hope you will help!

SUGGESTED APPS:  These Apps are a great (& FREE) investment for your child if she/he has a Smartphone, tablet, etc.  NY Times – Students can read up to 10 free articles per month! A great source of up-to-date nonfiction reading material.  Dictionary.com – Students will receive the “Word of the Day” and use this App to define unfamiliar words in NY Times articles and IR texts.  The Official SAT Question of the Day – Designed by College Board, this app allows students to practice a vocabulary, language, (or math) question on a daily basis.

QUESTIONS? CONCERNS?  Please me: Thank you for stopping in tonight!