1. Welcome to 6th Grade English
Team Athena
Krystal Wettstone
Team Leader

2. Communication – My Professional Goal
Team Blog – Feel free to check that out. We will be updating it shortly with new information about the upcoming units.
Attached to the team website
Google Classroom will be used, so please encourage your child to share their drafts with you. The communication feature within Google Classroom will be used.
Social Media – Twitter will be used to share what is going on in the classroom and around school.
My goals is to share positive stories throughout the year as well as communicate concerns.

3. Welcome! Meet the Teacher
Professionally: This is my 15th year teaching – 11 th year in Lexington. Outside the classroom I am the coach of Varsity field hockey team. I am a co-advisor for the Student Council along with Josh Sideman. I am a co-advisor for the Diamond Dispatch.

4. Units of Study This year’s goal is to introduce the students to a variety of genres, both reading and writing.
Writing
Reading
Narrative Writing (Personal)
Reading Narratives (Short Stories)
Responding to Literature
Reading Fiction
Argumentative Writing
Responding to Literature (CCEAL paragraph)
Poetry
Language
Historical Fiction
Speaking and Listening
Traditional Literature (Myths)

5. Learning Targets (4 points)
Standards Based Grading Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Progressing, and Developing
Learning Targets (4 points)
Writing
Reading Comprehension
Speaking and Listening
Language
Academic Habits (10 points)
Readiness
Reflection
Collaboration/Participation
Responsibility
Because the overall grade is based on the standards, these points will be use for communication with myself, the student, and home.

6. Standards based Checklist

7. Writing Workshop
This year we will be following a writing workshop model. The students will be engaged in developing their writing abilities as they work through the writing process to produce various pieces such as personal narratives, argumentative essays, and informational pieces. They will have multiple opportunities in school and at home to practice this craft. Students will write about what interests them. At times, they will be working with more than one draft until they “find” the one that they are ready to “work” with. Writing conventions and grammatical usage will be reinforced and expanded.
W3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W4. Clear and Coherent Writing to task and audience
W5. Writing Process with support from adults and peers

8. Argumentative Writing
English
Science
Social Studies
Common Language
Research / Committee Work

9. CCEAL Paragraph – Argumentative Writing

10. Reading Workshop – Realistic Fiction unit (Lit. Circles)
A variety of short Stories (Introduce CCEAL paragraph and Argumentative Writing)
Literature Circles (Select from a list) of books
Freak the Mighty – Mentor Text
Objectives
 2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
 3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

11. What about Grammar/Mechanics?
Goal: 6th grade students will understand and define the basic parts of speech and sentence structure.
Grammar/Mechanics are taught within the context of writing and reading.
Our Do Now is being used to directly teach grammar and mechanics. The threads will be assessed throughout the year.

12. Scholastic Book Clubs CLASS CODE: NDBTG
VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code (top of this letter)
SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books, value packs, and Story Books
SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom
All book orders will be shipped to our classroom, and your children will bring home their orders as soon as they arrive

13. Ext 67805 kwettstone@lexingtonma.org
Questions?
Please feel free to leave your name and address on the index cards.
Feel free to ask any questions, and I will definitely answer in a timely manner.
If you need to contact me you can write a note, or phone me. The best communication is because I check it daily.
My contact info:
Ext

14. Thank you for taking the time to attend Back to School Night!
I look forward to working with your child and know this year is going to be filled with exciting learning opportunities.