Happy New Year!

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a wonderful break. I know I am feeling refreshed after the time spent with my family, but I am also excited to be back. The students also had a very good first week back, but I have a couple of quick notes before getting into our plans for the coming week: please review school expectations with your students at home. Remember, we have weekly writing homework (assigned Monday and due on Fridays), along with the expectation that students are reading at least 30 minutes each night. 

Also, I have noticed a lot of students not eating lunch. We have a very long afternoon, without any breaks. Many kids are complaining of headaches at this time. Please make sure your kids are coming to school with lunch or lunch money. I know I would not be able to function without a good lunch!

An Ode to Yo-Yo's

Don't get me wrong, I love Yo-Yo's. I can also appreciate the students' new found passion for Yo-Yo tricks.  However, there have been times that Yo-Yo's have been out during class. These are fairly isolated incidences, but I would like if families could talk with their students about keeping toys at home. I have given permission for the kids to use Yo-Yo's at morning recess, but they should be put in backpacks for the rest of the day. Yo-Yo's seen in class will be held until the end of the school year. Thank you for your help.

What Are We Working on in Class?

This week we will be finishing up a persuasive writing piece on the issues surrounding keeping pit bulls as pets. The students have done a excellent job of researching, note taking, and writing about whether or not pit bulls should be kept as pets in Scappoose. Their analysis of this complex issue has been very impressive; I am excited to see their finished works.

In language arts we have started unit three. Our first selection is about the Great Chicago fire, and focuses on arguments and claims made by the author and figurative language. On Wednesday we will begin "Airborn", an exciting science fiction story about a hot air balloon rescue. Our students will be looking at plot development and point of view. 

Next week, we will be starting a new social studies unit and research project on Ancient China. The students will be placed into "Tsings", or clans, and will complete a variety of projects to learn about the longest organized civilization on Earth. It is a fascinating unit, which culminates into a multi-media project on one of the dynasties in China's history.

In addition to all this, the class is now with Mr. Jeremiah for their physical science unit. He sends home some homework. Please check planners for updates. We are also continuing our health work with Chapter 2: Mental and Emotional Wellness.

Have an excellent week,

Ms. Kinsman

Christmas Break is Nearly Here!

This week there are quite a few event happening around the building. Here they are, in order!

Monday

Today the students are starting their Unit 2 Tests (these are the long ones that you saw at conferences) and will be finishing up our reading work from last week. While I hate having to give a test before winter break, it is an important tool in gauging our students' ongoing progress. 

I did not assign any writing homework this week! However, there are many students with missing writing homework assignments that can be made up. If your student is missing an assignment, they have been informed and given a new copy. 

Wednesday

Students will have a chance to visit Santa's Workshop, conveniently located in the sixth grade hall. We are scheduled to visit from 9-930. All items are only a $1.

In addition, we will be attending the 5th and 6th grade band concert in the afternoon. This will be held in the gym at 2:00.

Thursday

On Thursday afternoon, we have our school-wide, canned food drive assembly. This should be a lot of fun. If we reach our building goal, Mrs. Hessong and Ms. G, will be completing super hero training! 

Friday

On Friday afternoon, we will be holding our Christmas party from 1:45-2:45. We are still looking for parent volunteers to help pass out food, monitor students, and help clean up. If you are interested in helping, please let me know. 

Also note, Mrs. Angelo will be holding a gift exchange (new socks or a new/slightly used book) in her room during the party. If you students would like to participate, please have them bring a wrapped gift on Friday morning.

Resources

ASPCA

Cesar's Way

Dog Bite Statistics

Animal Planet Video

Pet Finder

New Yorker Article

Time Article

Pit Bull Video

'Tis the Season

We have had a great start to the month. Once again I have found my classroom decor seriously lacking in holiday spirit, but I am committed to do a little decorating at the end of the week. I'm exciting to get the classroom a little more "Christmas-y".

6th Grade Spirit

Our sixth graders have earned a grade-wise Hootie surprise. On Wednesday, we will be headed to the high school to watch a movie for the afternoon. I am looking forward to this special treat. 

We are also off to a nice start to the school-wide canned food drive. Our class has set a goal of two cans per student by the end of this week. Thank you to the families who have sent in items with their children; this is a great opportunity to get into the spirit of giving.

Christmas Events & Supplies

We will be holding a grade-level Christmas party on Friday, December 18. Again, if you would like to volunteer, please send an email and I will put you on "the list". All of your support makes the celebration a lot of fun. I will be sending home letters later this week with more details.

I am also asking for students to bring 1-2 rolls of high quality toilet paper for a Christmas craft. We will need these this Friday. Mr. Jeremiah, who has done this craft a few times, recommends the Charmin two-ply brand. Any small decorations, like extra bows, ribbons, and ornaments are also welcome. 

In addition, we are needing donations of egg cartons. We use these as paint palettes and are running short. If you have any lying around the house, please send them our way.

Blog Title

Okay, so we had a blog title recommendation at the very beginning of the year. Hence, the title change. I did ask the students to come up with a few more ideas, but they tended to be a bit to "assertive" for the content. Examples included, "Our Blog is Better than Yours", "We are the Best", and others that incorporated Star Wars. I think the new title is nice. Thank you for the suggestions.

Learning Targets

I have noticed that my own children's teachers include the weekly/monthly learning targets in their newsletters. I would like to start sharing this information at the end of each post, in order to keep families more up-to-date on what is happening in sixth grade.

• Writing: Students are working on a argumentative essay, "Should certain breeds of dogs (pit bulls) be outlawed?"
• Math: Students are comparing and completing different operations with fractions (ratios), decimals, and percentages.
• ELA: Students are comparing and contrasting, evaluating arguments and claims, and identifying author's purpose in non-fiction text.
• Health: Students are learning about how they can build their health skills.

Conferences

I hope all of you are having a great start to your Thanksgiving Holiday Break! I love this time of year, and am excited to be a part of a community that can really embrace the spirit of the season. We have an upcoming food drive, which will begin on November 30th, and a Christmas party in the works. More information will be coming soon. 

As you are probably well aware, tomorrow we will begin our fall conferences. I will be here from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., both Monday and Tuesday. If you need any changes made to your conference time, please do not hesitate to call or send an email. I will be available on and off throughout the day. Due to the 20 minute time slots for each conference, it is important that we all try to stay on time (I'm prone to talking up a storm). I will have the conference schedule posted outside my classroom. 

I will also be passing out your child's report card during our meeting. However, I would like to encourage you to take a look before your arrival (here's the link: Synergy ParentVue). If you have any concerns about your student's performance, we can address those questions at the beginning of the conference. In addition, I have invited the students  to join their parents. Many of the kids were surprised hear I wanted them to attend, but I think being a part of the discussion helps them take more ownership for their learning. If other plans have been made, I completely understand. 

Have a great week,

-Ms. Kinsman

The Week of Veteran's Day

For a short week, we have a lot going on in the coming four days!

Music Program

Please remember the sixth grade music program will be held on Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Students performing in the program will need to arrive by 6;15 pm, with their recorders in hand. We will also have a dress rehearsal performance for the school on Tuesday afternoon, from 1:30-2:00. If you cannot make the evening performance, you may want to join us in the afternoon.

Veteran's Day

On Wednesday, we will have no school in observance of Veteran's Day. Because of the shortened week, the students will have a shorter writing assignment for homework. I also want to remind the student to be sure to have their parents sign their planners each night. As we have adjusted our schedule, the planner filling time has shifted to different parts of the day. We now have a dedicated five minutes at the end of each day to fill out our planners. If you are not seeing lists of assignments, or the planners are not coming home each evening, please let me know. 

Upcoming Conferences

We will also have no school the week of Thanksgiving. Monday and Tuesday, November 23rd and 24th, will be dedicated to conferences. I have received scheduling sheets or email requests from about half the class. Please let me know what times work best (I'm here from 8:00 am- 8:00 pm both days) for your conference. 

Reports cards will be passed out at conferences. This was a district-wide decision. At that time we will be able to discuss your child's progress and goals for sixth grade. I would like to invite students to join us at conferences; I think it is important that they play a role in their planning for the year.

I hope everyone had a great three day weekend! I look forward to seeing you all soon,

-Ms. Kinsman

Grade Week

Music Program

On Tuesday, November 10, the sixth grade will hold their annual evening music program. Students will need to be to the high school auditorium by 6:15 p.m. We will be holding rehearsals this week, but I would like to encourage the students to practice at home, as well. I'm excited to see their performance.

Synergy

I want to thank all of the families for being patient while I navigate using ParentVue this year. There have been a few kinks, yet you have been patient as we work through the problems. I now realize more information (like a video guide) would be helpful in teaching students and parents how to best use Synergy. As time allows, I might try to make such a video. If you have suggestions on what information would be helpful, please leave a comment in the "Comments" section below.

Grades

On Friday we have no school for report card preparation. While it has not yet been officially decided, we will likely send home report cards before conferences. This will give families an opportunity to look through the grades before they meet with teachers at the end of the month. I will keep you updated on the date for report card distribution.

Conferences

Last week, conference scheduling sheets were sent home. These are due back next Tuesday. If you have any special requests, please feel free to send an email. I will do my best to accommodate schedules.

Have a great week!

-Ms. Kinsman