RCMS Life Skills Class 2017-2018
Dear Families,
Welcome! My name is Jackie Barfield and I will be your child’s teacher this year. I am excited to get to know you and your child throughout this school year. Learning is a top priority at Ronny Crownover Middle School (RCMS), so I would like to begin the year by clarifying my behavioral expectations and routines. All RCMS students follow the CHAMPS guidelines in common areas of the school, and within the classroom. CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management that focuses on treating all people (students, teachers, and parents) with dignity and respect.
My class expectations are:
1. Work Hard
2. Treat self and others with respect.
3. Always know that I can succeed.
I will teach these expectations on the first day of school and review them throughout the year. To encourage students to follow the classroom procedures I will continuously model good behavior traits, as well as work with parents on home/school interventions that will help your child be successful.
Students will have the opportunity to earn points in each classroom for positive classroom behaviors. CHAMPs rewards sheets will go home every day in their daily CORE notebook along with any other important papers. Each student can earn points per class period for following their CHAMPs expectations. I will encourage and give your student strategies for being successful in this area as well. Please initial at the top of the page each evening and have your child return it the next day. Students may cash in their points every Friday in our rewards store. We also welcome any donations to our rewards store!
Each day, students may enter the building at 7:45 am, enter the classroom and begin the morning routine. Come in at voice level 1 or 2, place items up, chose one item to work on until 8:15 a.m. bell rings. Students who arrive to school after 8:30 a.m. are considered Tardy. It is important that your child be at school every day. If your child is absent, the office needs to have a note with the date and reason for the absence.Students who are absent for more than three days in a row must bring a doctor’s note for the absence to be excused. Unfortunately, when students miss school they miss a lot of great learning. However, to help your child make up missed work, I make sure the student is caught up by working one-on-one with the student.Each day, students will be dismissed at 3:35 p.m. to go home.
Your child’s classroom is using Unique Learning System® (ULS)as the classroom curriculum. The curriculum program has been designed specifically for children with special learning needs. While the foundation of Unique is the academic content standards (reading, writing, math, science and social studies), the lessons are modified to make sure that all childrenhave a way to participate and learn. There is a strong emphasis on life skills that are embedded in each lesson.
Each month there is a new topic built around a science or social studies theme. Lessons include stories, chapter books, comprehension activities, writing activities, math lessons for time, money, counting and problem solving, as well as recipes, craft projects and science experiments. Materials have been created withSymbol Stix™, which is a graphic library of symbols to help children who learn best withpicture supports. The primary goal of ULS is to give each child a way to participate, learn and succeed in the classroom. The syllabus outlines our monthly curriculum and assessment schedule. There is a space at the end of the syllabus for you and your child to acknowledge that the information has been read. Please tear off that portion and return.
Sincerely,
Ms. Barfield
Life Skills Teacher
940-369-4815
Life Skills Class Schedule:
8:15-9:05 a.m. 1st Period - Electives
9:08-9:53 a.m. 2nd Period - Math
9:56-10:41 a.m. 3rd Period – Science/Social Studies
10:51-11:37 – Partner P.E.
B Lunch – 11:37-12:07
12:10-12:56 p.m. 5th Period - English
12:59-1:44 p.m. 6th Period – Living Skills
1:47-2:32 p.m. 7th Period – Reading
2:35-3:35 p.m. 8th Period – Electives
Ms. Barfield’s Conference: 10:51-11:37
Curriculum & Assessment Schedule:
Math:
- Story Problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- Calculating Time and understanding Schedules
- Geometry
- Money
- Algebra concepts
Assessments will be every other week on Thursday/Friday with reviews given to the class the day before.
Reading – News 2 You & Unique Learning Systems:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Vocabulary
- Guided Reading Lessons
- Story Elements
Assessments will be every other week on Thursday/Friday with reviews given to the class the day before.
English – News 2 You & Unique Learning Systems:
- Punctuation
- Parts of Speech
- Spelling
- Sentence Writing
- Paragraph Writing
- Writing Process
Assessments will be every other week on Thursday/Fridaywith reviews given to the class the day before.
Science and Social Studies – Unique Learning Systems Cross-Curricular Units:
September – Unit 1 (Government)
Explores the rules and laws and the people who make them.
October – Unit 2 (Physical Science)
Explores the motion of objects by looking at variables such as height, weight and material.
November – Unit 3 (World History)
Compares physical and human-made features of the past and those of today.
December - (Christmas Fundraiser and Holidays around the World)
Explores Holiday traditions around the world.
January – Unit 4 (Health/Life Science)
Basic health practices for teens.
February – Unit 5 (History)
Focuses on the events that led to the formation of the U.S.
March – Unit 6 (Earth and Space Science)
Explores Earth and its atmosphere, water, and weather.
April – (STAAR-ALT 2) Review and Assessment window
Unit 7 (Geography)
Investigations positive and negative changes people make to the environment.
May – Unit 8 (Life Science)
Explores behaviors and structures of living things.
Assessments will be every other week on Thursday/Friday with reviews given to the class the day before.
Living Skills:
Students will practice daily social and living responsibilities through games and role play.
------
My child (child’s name) ______and I have read and understand the expectations outlined in the syllabus.
Parent Signature: ______
Student Signature: ______