Welcome Knights to the Sixth Grade

2014-2015 School Year

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Thomas Jefferson Middle School. We are eager to get started and we are looking forward to a fantastic year! Getting students organized is one of the keys to success and the right materials will ensure students get off to a good start.

Therefore, students will be required to have the following materials as soon as possible:

· Bookbag

· 3 different-colored 3-ring binders – 1 ½ inch rings (NO Trapper Keepers—won’t fit into the cubbies)

· Loose leaf notebook paper for each 3-ring binder

· 2 packs of subject dividers (only for Math and Language Arts)

· 3 composition notebooks

· 2 2-pocket folders with tabs (for core class use)

· #2 pencils

· Non-erasable red pens for checking work only

· pencil pouch(es)

· Colored pencils

· Highlighters

· 2 packs of index cards

· 1 Agenda book—provided by TJMS, given to student at school

· 1 pack of peel and stick name tags

· 1 package of graph paper

· 1 Texas Instruments 34 II calculator (optional—to keep at home)

· Glue sticks—you will use MANY this year

· Kleenex

· 2 pocket folders with prongs (to use in elective classes)

Donations of the following materials are needed for the classroom and will be greatly appreciated!

Ø Candy for incentive rewards

Ø Paper Towels

Ø Clorox wipes

Ø Glue sticks

Ø Colored pencils

Ø Any extra school supplies you are able to provide

Books and materials will be stored in cubbies. All bookbags will be emptied each morning and stored in the classroom.

Knight Values and Behavior Support

We firmly believe that all students can behave appropriately and be contributing members to our team; therefore, we will not tolerate any behavior that will prevent our team from achieving at the highest level. We feel strongly that with a concerted effort, all students can be successful and we pledge ourselves to help each of our pupils to achieve to the best of his or her ability by providing a safe, positive, and engaging learning environment and expecting the student to be responsible for his/her own actions and learning.

Our rules are as follows:

1. Arrive on time.

2. Bring all materials—notebooks, binders, pencil pouch with all writing materials

3. Complete all assignments.

4. Raise your hand before speaking. You may not leave your seat without permission.

5. Do not bring candy or gum to school (with exception of Team Store days in Mrs. Maye’s class)

6. Respect each other’s personal space and property.

Class Discussions

1. One person speaks at a time!

2. Respect one another’s opinions. (Even if you don’t agree with them)

3. Have an open mind.

4. Stay focused on the topic at hand.

Lunchroom Expectations

1. You may go through the lunchroom line only once.

2. Once you have obtained your food and drink, remain seated until dismissed.

3. Lunchroom monitors will be assigned on a weekly rotation and will supervise the cleanup, including wiping tables and sweeping, but they are not responsible for cleaning up your mess!

4. Monitors have the authority to ask you to clean up.

Our discipline procedure is as follows:

1. Warning/student conference with teacher

2. Silent lunch/working lunch/loss of Team Time

3. “Emergency time-out”

4. Parent contact by phone, email, or note

5. After school detention

6. Parent-teacher conference

7. Office referral

(Note: Any of the above steps may be skipped depending upon the severity or repetition of the offense.)

We will enforce the discipline standards rigorously in order to maintain a classroom environment that fosters appropriate learning both academically and socially. Every day students will be expected to be vital members of our team, no exceptions.

Knight Grading Procedures

We expect all assignments to be completed on time. Homework and classwork assignments are important for class preparation and tests. Therefore, late and incomplete assignments quickly lose their value as learning tools. We expect all students to complete all assignments.

Our grading practices/policies are as follows:

1. Grades on late assignments will be lowered 10% each day that the assignment is late.

2. Projects and assignments not turned in on time will result in a lower grade and loss of team privileges until they are completed and turned in.

3. When a student is absent he/she must bring a written excuse and make up missed work. Students must make arrangements to stay after for tutoring on weeks when absences occur to make up missing in-class assignments.

4. If a student is absent on the day a project is due, the project will be turned in on the day the student is back at school.

5. It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher for make-up work. The teacher will not initiate the process.

6. We recommend establishing a homework buddy to help with missed assignments.

7. Daily assignments are posted on our websites.

In cases when a student is absent more than one day, please call the guidance office. Assignments will be available the day following the call.

We believe that communication between home and school is vitally important. It is the student’s responsibility to take home to parents any after-school notices, agendas with daily homework noted, and other communications. Every Wednesday, Team Packs will go home. These packs include graded assignments, notifications, permission slips, progress reports, etc. The envelope is to be signed and returned by that Friday. Parents are also encouraged to access PowerSchool regularly to check on their child’s grades. A hard copy of the progress report will automatically be sent home every three weeks for all students.

We welcome telephone calls/emails and are available for conferences on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1:00 or 1:30. Contact us through the main office at 703-4222 or at the following email addresses:

Cindy Booth (Language Arts)

Duncan Maye (Math)

Jenny Church (Science)

Carleen Mooney (Social Studies)

Language Arts Curriculum

Writing prompts throughout the year will fulfill the requirements of the writing portfolio.

I. Literature studies following the CCES will prepare for the End of Grade Reading Test.

A. Novels will be utilized. (Part will be read in class/part will be read at home)

B. Literature will be the core of the Language Arts program.

1. Genre covered will include short stories, dramas, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, mythology and folklore.

2. Comprehension and vocabulary assignments will accompany the literature studies.

II. Language study will include the following.

A. Basic grammar skills, sentence and paragraph construction will be covered.

B. Daily Grammar Exercises will review and extend concepts as well as build vocabulary.

III. Vocabulary study will include a weekly vocabulary list and activities.

MATH CURRICULUM *Note: Textbooks will only be used in-class. An online version is available and students will create accounts at the beginning of the year.

First Quarter

· Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide Fractions

· Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide Decimals

· Divide multi-digit numbers

· GCF, LCM, distribution of GCF

Second Quarter

· Ratios, unit rates, equivalent ratios (proportions), percent of a number, ratios with different measurement units

· Expressions: evaluate, write, identify parts, equivalencies, create real-world problems

· Properties

· Equations and Inequalities: substitution of numbers, variables, solve real-world problems

· Create tables, graphs, and equations using dependent/independent variables

Third Quarter

· Measure Volume

· Describe/categorize geometric shapes based on properties

· Classify geometric shapes based on hierarchy

· Find Area of triangles and quadrilaterals

· Find Volume of right rectangular prisms with fractional edges

· Create nets of 3-d figures to find Surface Area

· Distribution of data (center, spread, overall shape)

· Measure of center and variation

· Dot plots, histograms, Box and whisker plots

· Quantitative measures of center

Fourth Quarter

· Positive and negative values

· Coordinate plane: ordered pairs, plot points

· Compare and order rational numbers; absolute value

· Find distance between points on Coordinate plane

· Draw polygons in Coordinate plane and find length, width, and area of figures

· EOG review

SCIENCE CURRICULUM

First Quarter

· Forces and Motion: Properties of Waves/Wavelike Properties of Energy (Earthquakes, Light, and Sound)

Second Quarter

· Matter: Structure, classifications, physical properties, and change

· Energy: Conservation and Transfer and Interactions of matter and energy

Third Quarter

· Earth In the Universe: Earth/Moon/Sun System and Celestial Bodies in the Universe; gains from space exploration

· Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes: Interactions of constructive and destructive forces that have changed Earth’s surface and the relationship of humans and the lithosphere

Fourth quarter

· Structures and Functions of Living Organisms (Plants)

· Ecosystems: Flow of Energy (Biotic and Abiotic Factors)

Social Studies Curriculum

Human Geography Islam & the Muslim Empire

Early Humans Culture & Kingdoms of Africa

Ancient China Classical India

Ancient India Imperial China

Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia Feudal Japan

Ancient Greece Medieval Europe

Ancient Rome

Assignments will incorporate a variety of materials.

· Research Materials

· Project Materials

· Tests and Quizzes

· Worksheet handouts

As most of the reading selections on the EOG Reading Test are content area (nonfiction) selections, we will be reading many selections in Science and Social Studies with that format in mind.