A Long Post for the Start of the Third Quarter

Sorry for the span of time since the last blog post. It has been a very busy couple of weeks!

Report Cards
Report cards will be coming home with your students tomorrow. Please be sure to go through the envelopes carefully, as a number of other important documents will be included. In addition, please make sure you read through the Oregon Student Wellness Survey form. We will be completing the survey next week during our scheduled computer lab time.

If you have any concerns about your student’s performance, please do not hesitate to reach out. Most students are on track to meet, and in some cases exceed, sixth grade standards by the end of the year. At this point in the year, my primary focus will be getting the kids ready for middle school. This means I will be asking the students to be more mindful of the quality of work turned in each week. My goals for the next quarter are to:

1. Hold students accountable for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors in all assignments. Some work may need to be resubmitted if poorly completed.

2. Work to ensure that all students are reading at least 30 minutes each night. As the reading expectations become more demanding, it is important to spend as much time with text as possible.

3. Improve writing scores! We definitely need work in this area. After this week, I will be asking parents to sign writing homework assignments. Please take a few minutes to read through your student's work before it is turned in on Friday. If you notice large amounts of errors, please have your student spend time revising their drafts. Remember, all writing homework assignments can be submitted through Google Docs.

Valentine’s Day
I will send home a list of student names in the report card envelopes. Students are not required to make Valentine’s for their classmates, but if they do I ask students to make sure to include everyone in the class. If they would like to participate, I will provide students with a large envelope to decorate at home. This will be sent home on Friday as a weekend project.

We will also be holding a sixth grade Valentine’s Day party on Friday, February 12 at 1:30. We will have an informal dance in the commons area, crafts, a fun story project, games and technology. Snacks will also be provided. If you would like to volunteer, please let me know. More information will be sent home soon.

Pencils

We have completely run out of new pencils. While the pencil program (eight pencils checked/refreshed each week) is still in effect, the design of the classroom desks has made it nearly impossible for many students to keep a solid pencil supply. As a result, we are out of new pencils. Pencil donations would be welcome at this point. I appreciate your help in keeping the classroom supplies stocked for the students.

Our Studies

Social Studies: We have just started our new social studies unit on Ancient China. Students are working in groups to complete activities relating to how geography impacted cultural and economic growth in China and how its government changed over time. In the coming weeks, the students will begin a research project one of the ancient dynasties. Their studies will be showcased in a multi-media project near the end of the month. 

Language Arts: Over the next two weeks we will be reading Freedom Walkers, a non-fiction narrative about the Montgomery bus boycotts. Students will be completing a number of comprehension and writing activities relating to the text.

Math: Most students are now working on mastering operations (multiplication and division) with fractions. Please check in with your student to see if they math homework each night.

Science: Students are working with Mr. Jeremiah to learn more about physical science. Please watch for homework.

Health: For the third quarter, we will be covering the chapters on nicotine, alcohol, and drug abuse. 

Movie Night

Please join us on Friday, February 12th for a family movie night. We will be showing Inside Out.