2. GRADE 6 English and History Ms. Harris Back to School Night

3. Ms. Harris  Background…  Room 40A  Email is best to get in touch: aharris.teacher@gmail.com  Call and leave a message or write a note anytime

4. History Course Summary  Ancient Civilizations  Geography and Map Skills, Early Humans, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Israelites, China, India, Greece, Rome, (Americas?)  Government, culture, religions, contributions, geography of each region  Projects, oral presentations, computer projects, tests, notes packets

5. History Homework  STUDY and review notes at least 15 Minutes EVERY night!  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays  Reports and projects- step by step  Book assignments and questions  Notes Packets due at the end of each unit- keep all notes! The 8th grade CST has material from 6th, 7th, and 8th history!  Studying for tests  Current Events

6. English Course Summary  Reading, writing, speaking, and listening  Literature books and novels  Types of writing: narrative, expository, persuasive, descriptive, response to literature, poetry  Projects, oral presentations  Vocabulary and spelling

7. English Homework  READ 30 Minutes EVERY night!  Independent reading books- approval form  Reports and projects- step by step- set up a schedule!  Sentences, vocabulary, practice skills  Study for quizzes

8. Grading  Grades are based on homework, class work, projects, journals, notes, participation, tests, and quizzes  Test and Project grades require a parent signature!  To earn an A, students must go “above and beyond” the assignment  Progress reports every 5 weeks

9. Grading Continued  Work Habits grade (E, S, U) based on work completed  Missing work can earn a U in work habits (even with good grades!)  Cooperation grade reflects behavior in class  Excessive tardiness= a U in work habits  Refer to district Criteria for Marks Rubric- sent home with course syllabus

10. Absences  The student is responsible for seeing me to make up work missed- “What did I miss?”  Nutrition, lunch, before or after school some days  Get notes from a peer and from me  Check my website AND check with me  Two days to make up work missed  Excessive tardiness = a U

11. Policies and Procedures  “Rules For Life”: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Honest, and Be Positive  One verbal warning  Nutrition detention with me  Parents notified and/ or office referral  Plagiarism will not be tolerated. It is a serious offense and has serious consequences!

12. Policies and Procedures Continued  No Gum Chewing! Consequence= scrape tables!!  Use agendas!  No late work accepted as a general rule- BUT students should come speak to me, especially when a big assignment is late  Tests and projects not signed may earn “F”  As a general rule, there is no “extra” credit, but sometimes it’s built in…

13. Materials  STUDENTS NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR CLASS EVERY DAY!  Three-ring binder with folders and paper  Students MUST have: Pencils, pens, erasers, colored correcting tool, colored pencils, agenda  You might want to have: pocket dictionary, set of safety scissors, markers, highlighters

14. Materials at Home  Students should have access to the following materials at or close to home: pencilspensmarkers colored pencilserasersnotebooks scissorsposter paperruler Glue/glue sticksdictionary thesaurus - Folder(s) with 3 prongs for Notes Packets encyclopedias or reference materials Current magazines, newspapers, or access to current news events online

15. Contacting Ms. Harris  Email me when possible (I try to check it daily!)  Call and leave a message  Write a note (can be on a test or project signed or in student agenda)  Check out my webpage!  Fill out a question form for questions  Fill out a conference request form for conferences

16. Tips for Parents  Contact me whenever you feel it’s necessary- even just a check in!  Look at my website (you can subscribe!)  Ask to see your child’s agenda  Know when test or project grades come home to be signed  Ask for an update of grades  Know when projects are coming up  Help your child set up a study SCHEDULE and SPACE. Help them establish a routine.

17. Tips for Parents Continued  Get involved in the PTSA and other councils at the school  Read the books your child reads so you can have discussions about them!  Help your child study for tests and quizzes (he or she may not really know how!)  Work on creative ways to study EVERY day  Ask your child to tell you what he/ she is learning about in school  Know when progress reports go home!  Attend our parent meetings- dates?