Instructor: Mrs. Bosanac
Room: 58, Bungalows
Email: / Instructor: Ms. Wrobleski
Room: 21, Building B
Email:
WELCOME STUDENTS AND PARENTS!
OBJECTIVE
Sixth grade and the move to middle school can be a frightening, yet exciting, time for both students and parents. With your partnership, we believe the emphasis will be on “exciting”! We will be exploring the 6th grade English, social studies, Earth science, health, and math standards through a variety of learning experiences designed to encourage academic, social, and emotional growth. Emphasis will be placed on nurturing the entire student while they are acquiring the necessary curriculum knowledge required by the state of California. Students will:- Strengthen their ability to read and understand a textbook and other educational materials (in preparation for high school)
- Improve their note taking and organizational skills
- Learn new ways to study and prepare for tests
- Further develop their reading ability to foster a long term love of casual reading
- Interact with fellow students in groups and as a class to improve social awareness
- Learn about such topics as Earth’s physical features, plate tectonics, energy, ecology, and the importance of preserving Earth’s resources for future generations
- Continue adding to their bank of math knowledge as preparation for advanced math concepts in future years
- Understand how past events have helped shape today’s world
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Math 6The major purpose of this course is to serve as a vehicle by which students will master the four arithmetic operations with whole numbers, positive fractions, positive decimals, and positive and negative integers; and will accurately compute and solve problems. They will apply this knowledge to statistics and probability, and geometry. In this course, students will understand the concept of mean, median, and mode of data sets and how to calculate the range. They will analyze data and sampling processes for possible bias and misleading conclusions; they will use addition and multiplication of fractions routinely to calculate probabilities. Students will work with ratios and proportions. Students will continue their study of geometry, including complementary and supplementary angles, the sum of the angles in a triangle, the concept of the constant pi and its applications to the formulas for area and circumference of the circle.
Science 6
The major purpose of this course is to provide all students with standards-based science and health concepts that build upon the students’ K–5 experience. Emphasis is placed on Investigation and Experimentation and the Science Standards which will prepare students to lead successful and productive lives, in addition to preparing them for future science courses. The middle school course uses a balanced (inquiry/text) approach and establishes connections between the various disciplines of Earth/Space Science, Physical Science and Life Science, with a focus on Earth Science in this introductory secondary science course. The standards in grade six present many of the foundations of geology and geophysics, including plate tectonics and earth structure, topography, and energy. The material is linked to resource management and ecology, building on what students have learned in previous grades. This course includes 6 weeks of embedded health instruction.
English 6
In the sixth grade, students focus on active engagement with the text. They are required to analyze, identify, define, explain, and critique rather than merely understand, describe, use, know, and distinguish as they were required to do in the fifth grade. However, the standards still require students to read aloud narrative and expository text fluently and accurately and with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression. The English 6 course is divided into four units: Narrative, Expository, Response to Literature, and Persuasion. Each unit includes reading selections recommended by the District Design Lessons in addition to teacher selected components. The domains to be emphasized across all units at the sixth-grade level are Reading, Writing, Written and Oral English Language Conventions, and Listening and Speaking.
World History and Geography 6: Ancient Civilizations
Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds.
COURSE TEXT(S)
The text(s) used for this course are Math : Math:Course 1 (McDougall Littell) English: Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes (Prentice Hall) Science: Earth Science (Holt) Social Studies : History Alive! The Ancient World (TCI) Health : Teen Health: Course 1 (Glencoe)GRADES
LETTER GRADES:Letter grades will be determined using a weighted category point system. The assignment categories and corresponding weights include: Tests/Quizzes…65%, Class work/Homework…35%
The following scale is used to calculate category grades as well as the overall academic mark:
100-90%=A, 89-80%=B, 79-70%=C, 69-60%=D, 59% or below=F. Please Note: Grading is cumulative….Each progress report (at 5 weeks, at 10 weeks, etc.) includes all work since the beginning of the semester and indicates student achievement toward a final grade for the entire semester
WORK HABITS GRADE:
Work Habits grade will be determined based on Effort, Responsibility, Attendance, and Evaluation. Exceptional demonstration in these areas=E, Satisfactory demonstration=S, Unsatisfactory demonstration=U.
COOPERATION GRADE:
Cooperation grade will be determined based on Courtesy, Conduct, Improvement, and Class Relations. Exceptional demonstration in these areas=E, Satisfactory demonstration=S, Unsatisfactory demonstration=U.
MAKE-UP POLICY
Students with excused absences (verifiable through attendance reporting systems) will be given the opportunity to complete the missed coursework, homework, or test (with other equivalent assignments if necessary) and will be given credit equal to that which they would have received on the original assignment or test for the same quality of work. Due date(s) will be extended 1 day for every verified day of excused absence, unless teacher specifies otherwise.Exceptions to this policy will only be allowed if prior arrangements are made with the teacher.
BEHAVIOR / CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
Students are to be in their seat, ready to work (with materials out), when the bell rings. Food, drink, candy, gum, grooming and applying make-up are not allowed in class. Students share the responsibility for maintaining a clean and safe classroom learning environment.Classroom Rules:
1.Follow directions
2.Be a good listener
3.Work safely, quietly, and always do your best
4.Respect yourself and others
5.Keep to your own space
When the period is over, the teacher will dismiss the class.
Minimally, the following items should be brought to class daily:
Frost agenda book, subject specific notebooks, lined paper, 2 or more pencils, workbooks (supplied by school), correcting pen, pencil sharpener with lid. Additional required items will be indicated with sufficient notice in advance of the date needed. /
Recommended Materials
2” or 3” 3 ring binder with 4 dividers (pocket dividers would be helpful!)
300-500 sheets of 8 ½ x 11 paper
1 spiral notebook and/or composition book (composition book required for English) for each academic subject
Two or more blue or black pens for writing; 1 dozen pencils
Eraser
4-6 red pens for correcting
Highlighters
Colored pencils or crayons (not markers)
Pocket dictionary
1 small ruler, 1 protractor; 1 compass
1 hand held, self contained pencil sharpener
Calculator
Glue sticks
Individual tissue packets
1 package of 3x5 index cards
COMMUNICATION
The agenda book…. Assignments are written on the white board in the classroom and posted on the Frost web site. Students are expected to copy the day’s assignment in their agenda at the beginning of each class. The best way to help your child is to check the web site or their agenda to find out what the homework is for the night. Ask to see it when the student is finished! The agenda book can also serve as a method of communication between school and home, especially if you do not have access to email.
Email…The best method of communication between school and home!! Mrs. Bosanac’s email address is and Ms. Wrobleski’s is . If you have any questions, concerns, etc., just send an email…we will respond within 24 hours.
One of your child’s first assignments will be asking you to send a short email from your preferred email address with your child’s name in the subject line. This will permit us to save your email address for efficient classroom communication. In addition, fill out and return the last page of this letter so we have a paper copy of with your email address (if any) and the best phone number(s) to reach you if necessary.
...What a great tool ! Visit the Frost website for the latest information about our school. Additionally, you will find our web pages. They contain valuable information such as:
- link to homework assignments
- copies of paperwork that has been distributed in class
- links to valuable, subject-related web sites
- link to individual student grade reports (password protected)
- email access to us as well as all other teachers
- lots of other current information related to your child’s success in our classes and Frost in general. (Instructions for accessing all of this information will be emailed to you soon and a “hard” copy will be available for the parents that don’t have access to email.)
We encourage you to spend some time getting familiar with everything that the Frost website has to offer.
We are looking forward to meeting you on Back to School Night !
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bosanac Ms. Wrobleski
6th Grade English/History Teacher 6th Grade Math/Earth Science Teacher