Dear Parents,
I would like to welcome you to sixth grade. This will be a remarkable year in your child’s education. My goal is to give each student many meaningful experiences that will contribute to him/her becoming a productive and successful citizen. My role as a teacher is to help them think, question, and have an opinion about the world around them.
I expect your student to follow the agreements and procedures of our classroom. Every student has the right to feel safe at school. In order to provide this, the class will follow this one rule.
1-Always be and do your best!
By following this rule, an atmosphere of mutual respect and caring will develop between the students and me. Collaborative skills (active listening, respecting others opinions, and working together effectively) will also develop.
Technology:
I believe that technology is an effective tool for learning. Through technology students are engaged, they have access to unlimited information, they become better prepared to live in the 21st century and they have fun. For these reasons I will allow the students to bring their own devices (iPods, iPads, reading devices, Smart Phones, etc.)
I will control the use of these devices. Students who bring their own devices will give them to me at the beginning of the day. I will lock them up in a safe and secure spot. When it is appropriate to use them, I will hand them out to the owner. When it is time to put them away, I will collect them and lock them up. At the end of the day I will give them back to the owner. I will not allow them to use their devices at recess or lunch and they will not be allowed to play games they have downloaded. They will use them as instructed, or they will not be allowed to bring them. By following these guidelines these devices will become a successful tool for learning. Students will also have the choice to keep their device at their desk. However, this can enhance the chance of it being stolen or damaged. The school will not be reliable if this happens.
It is okay if your child does not have a device to bring to school. In our classroom we will have six Kindles and five tablets that any student can use. This year we will be sharing fifteen iPads with the three other sixth grade teachers. We will also be using the Chromebooks that the school shares.
If you allow your student to bring a device, please put their name somewhere on the device (You can use masking tape or address label). As the parent or guardian, you get to decide if your child brings their device to school. If you have any questions or concerns about your student bringing a device to school, you may contact me through email. A permission slip will be sent home soon. Before your child brings his/her device, you will need to sign and return the permission slip.
Homework/Reading:
Homework will be assigned on a day-to-day basis. I expect the students to complete and turn in homework on time. Assignments will be written in the planner along with their due date and will be turned in during class. If students do not complete homework they will miss recess until it is complete.
School wide, students will be expected to read everyday for at least 20minutes. Students or parents will need to login to the Road to Success website and put in the days they read that week.
This year students will be expected to read 40 books during the year. 5-7 of these books will be read in class (class reads and literature circles). If a student reads a book that is 300 pages or more it will count as two books. The books they read can come from home, the school library, or the public library. They will write critiques of each book (one paragraph) on their blog they will create at school. There is no page limits on the books, but the books must be grade appropriate.
Blog:
The main purpose of the blog is to post information about the class. There will be a math blog that is separate from my class blog and a link can be found in the “Math” tab on my blog. The math blog will have videos of lessons to help you and your child understand how to do the math. You can access my blog through the school website or at
Contact:
I look forward to this upcoming year. I am confident that it will be a successful year for your student. If you need to contact me the best way to do so is through email. If you need to set up an appointment to meet with me please email me beforehand and we can meet before or after school.
Sincerely,
Mr. Stephens
Email: