Friday, December 10, 2010

Falcon Friday with Reading Room (instead of Study Hall) will resume next week. Teachers will be looking at the current week RC, December 13 to 17, to determine who will be in the Reading Room and who will attend a Falcon Friday activity. Students may have one mark on their RC for the one week and still attend the activity. Two or more marks on their RC and students will read in one of the Reading Rooms for 45 minutes.

From the disclosure statement each parent and student signed at the beginning of the year:

"RESPONSIBILITY CARDS: Each week your child will be given a Responsibility Card (RC). Late assignments will be listed on one side and marks for misbehavior will be on the other side. Students are responsible to keep track of the RC for the week. If it is lost, students will be given a “gray card” and privileges will not be available to them. The RC must come back each Monday signed by a parent. Notes saying parents saw the card are not acceptable. Only the original card is acceptable. The RC will let you know if your child is doing his/her work, what rules he/she is having problems with, and the overall behavior and citizenship of your child. Every other Friday, students who have no more than two total marks on their RC for two weeks in a row will attend the Fun Friday activity, and those with three or more total marks on their RC will attend an Independent Study Hall."

We have changed Study Hall to Reading, because students are not using the Study Hall time wisely, and every student can use the opportunity to read more.

Homework:

Planner signed: 12/13
RC card signed and returned: 12/13
Read 30 minutes

No math homework :)

Language Arts: "Do You Want Fame?" Essay due: 12/13. Students have until Monday to work on their essay and continue to improve their scores. They should focus on their organization and mechanics. Christmas Story Oral Presentation due: 12/13. Students may use the grading rubric that was given to them in class as they practice reading the story orally to family members/friends. Remember to practice it "Loud, Slow, and Clear."

Thank You! --- for helping with Tool Day

Our students had a great time today learning all about different professions and the "tools" that are used for the different jobs.

Congratulations kiddos for doing such an EXCELLENT job on our Asian country quiz today! We have one more section and we'll know all of the Asian countries.

Homework

Planner signed due 12/10
Read 30 minutes

Soc. Studies: If you forgot your progress note today, remember to bring it tomorrow.

China packet pg. 29 due Monday Dec. 13 Southeastern map due Tues. Dec. 14 (You may choose your own colors for each country. Follow classroom instructions.)
Asian Countries Quiz #3 Wednesday Dec. 15.

Countries to study: Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, China.

Language Arts:Christmas Story Oral Presentation due: 12/13. A copy of the grading rubric was sent home so students can have family members/friends help them practice. Remember to practice it "Loud, Slow, and Clear." "Do You Want Fame?" Essay due 12/13. Students have until Monday to keep improving their essay scores. I will print the computer report of their scores Monday night. So far, the scores have really improved from the first essay, and I anticipate that they will continue to improve over the weekend. My Jordan District Trainer is VERY impressed with how our sixth grade is doing so far. WAY TO GO SIXTH GRADE!!!!

READING: Spelling WS 146+ 147. Most students finished the worksheet and just needed to work on the "Pet Guidelines" part. Due to correct on Monday before the spelling/vocabulary test.

December 8, 2010

Homework:
Math- Pg 570 # 1-20 except 9,10,11 and 5 problems from the board.

Planner signed: 12/9
Read 30 minutes

Language Arts:"A Yule Tale" Wkst. Due: 12/9. Persuasive Planning Guide Section #4 filled out. Due: 12/9. Christmas Story Oral Presentation Due: 12/13. Students should be practicing at home by reading the story out loud to family members. "Do You Want Fame?" Essay Due 12/13. Students should be working on their essay 10-15 minutes each night.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

HOMEWORK


Read for 30 minutes
Planner signed: 12/8

MATH- Worksheet- Parking at the Mall + the three problems from the board.

READING: The story we are going to read is "Where the Red Fern Grows" which is an excerpt from the novel with the same name. Spelling ABC order and vocabulary definitions are due tomorrow, 12/8. Spelling WS 144-147 and Vocabulary WS 139+148 are due Monday, 12/13, right before the tests.
Spelling words: balance, lawyer, sheriff, author, minus, method, item, require, supply, whisper, spirit, tennis, adopt, instant, poison, deserve, rescue, journey, relief, laundry, enhance, delete, precious, structure, decade.
Vocabulary words: provisions, determination, depot, urgency, wares, cheap.

Language Arts: DOL Sentences #3-4 Due: 12/8. (Most students finished this in class.) "A Yule Tale" Wkst. Due 12/9. (Wow! Many students are already finished with this, too!) "Do You Want Fame?" Essay Due: 12/13. Several students have stopped working on this and their scores are not very good. Students are encouraged to work on it 10 minutes a night (so they're not spending HOURS on it the Sunday night before it is due.) Christmas Story Oral Presentation due: 12/13. The grading rubric was sent home today, so students know how they will be graded in class. Students are encouraged to practice reading their stories out loud to family members at home. Remember: "Loud, Slow, and Clear!"

December 6, 2010

Homework
Math Pg 568
#1-23

Planner Signed - 12/7
Read 30 minutes

Science - Light Review Packet and study information in binder for test about light - 12/7

Language Arts: DOL Sentences #1-2 Due: 12/7. "A Yule Tale" Worksheet Due: 12/9. "Do You Want Fame?"Essay Due: 12/13. Christmas Story Oral Presentation Due: 12/13.

Soc. Studies: Middle East map due 12/7 Quiz #1 Asian countries (This is only a quiz. If you can sing the song like we did in class today, you'll get 100%.)

Reading: Handed out December calendars because students need to keep track of their 30 minutes per day (minimum) reading, even while off for winter break. It is important to get in the habit of reading EVERY DAY. The sign in my class says " You only have to read on the days that you eat." Book reports and calendars will be due January 3, 2011.

PTA Needs Help with Tool Day

"Tool Day" is scheduled for December 9 from 8:45-11:00 am. Unfortunately, the PTA may need to cancel this activity. If you feel that you could come and present a "show and tell" about the kind of work that you do, please call the office at 801-446-3200.

Homework:

RC and Planner signed due Monday, Dec. 6
Read 30 minutes

Soc. Studies: Students should work on memorizing the first set of Asian countries. Find a fun game on line and have some fun this weekend. Countries are posted on a previous blog entry.

Language Arts:Students need to choose a Christmas story that they would like to read before the class. They will read only 2 minutes of the story. It does not need to be memorized. They should not choose "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" or "Twas The Night Before Christmas." They will be graded on the following:
***Volume
***Speed
***Fluency
***Expression
We will practice in class. However, it would really be helpful if the students practice reading the story to family members. The book is due: Monday, December 6.

"Do You Want Fame?" Essay (650+ words) due 12/13.

December 2, 2010

Students performed some creative Egyptian ceremonies for our mummified chickens today. May the chickens forever rest peacefully in the afterlife.

Homework:

Read 30 minutes
Sign the planner due 12/3

Soc. Studies: We had fun today enjoying our Egyptian "feast". Thank you parents for supplying olives, cucumbers, etc. at the last minute. Students were assigned the Middle East map. It will be due Tuesday, Dec. 7.


Language Arts: Students need to choose a Christmas story that they would like to read before the class. They will only read 2 minutes of the story. It does not need to be memorized. They should not choose "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" or ""Twas The Night Before Christmas." They will be graded on the following:
***Volume
***Speed
***Fluency
***Expression
We will practice in class. However, it would really be helpful if the students practice reading the story to their family members. The book is due: Monday, December 6.

"Do You Want Fame?" Essay due date has been moved to Monday, December 13. Today students worked with partners and helped each other edit their essays. Students will need to enter the corrections/suggestions into their essays at home over the weekend.

November 30, 2010

Homework:

Planner signed: 12/1
Read 30 minutes

Language Arts: No new assignment was given. Many students still need a printed copy of their essay, "Do You Want Fame?" This is not their final draft. We will use it to practice editing skills in class. Students should also have 650 or more words written.

Soc. Studies: Some students may be concerned about not finishing their test today. They will have time to finish their test tomorrow. The "in" day made things a little crazy today. No homework was assigned. Our next unit of study is Asia. Students can begin to learn the countries. There are many games available to teach geography on the Internet.

Reading: Egypt spelling test was given today. We will finish Egypt Game this week. Book reports are due tomorrow. December's book report will be due January 3, 2011. Students may choose the genre and must have 150-200+ pages in their books.

November 29, 2010

Homework

Planner signed: 11/30
Read 30 minutes

Science - please bring a small flashlight or a laser pointer if you have one for an experiment - due 11/30

Math: Pg 562 #11-18 and # 35-39. Show all your work.

Language Arts: 650 words due on "Do You Want Fame?" Essay 11/30. Also, students need to bring a printed copy of their essay for class practice in essay organization. This is not the final draft of the essay! It doesn't have to be perfect! In fact, I hope there are some errors, so they can practice editing skills.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Homework

Planner signed: due 11/29
Responsibility Card signed - due 11/29
Read 30 minutes

Math: Math review worksheet - completed in home base class today. No homework for the holiday!

Language Arts: 600 words on "Do You Want Fame?" Essay due: Monday, November 29. If students can't remember their username or password, they may email me. Students should focus on improving their organization, mechanics and conventions.

Reading: Spelling and vocabulary words were given in social studies, test Tuesday. Book report due December 1st, Wednesday.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Homework
Math pg. 558 # 15-63 odds

Planner signed: 11/24
Read 20 minutes

Language Arts: 600 words minimum on "Do You Want Fame?" Essay due: Monday, November 29. Final essay not due until Thursday, December 2. Today students were shown more tools they can use to improve their writing in class. Ask your student to show you what they know so far about myaccess.com. Most of the students seem pretty excited about it.

Social Studies: The majority of students are nearly finished with the "Egyptian Card Information" activities. Their answers are due Monday, Nov. 29. Students will have Monday to complete their activities during class. When they finish, they will be able to have some class time to study for the test. Egypt Test Nov. 30. There is a spelling and vocabulary component to the test. The words are listed on a previous blog.

Mummy Message Clue: How do you punctuate possessives? Example: The man's car. A man's eyes. All of life's duties.

November 22, 2010

Homework
Math Pg 550 #4-24

Read 20 minutes daily
Planner signed daily

Science: (if not finished after 15-20 minutes in class) - Light Vocabulary: angle of indence, angle of reflection, reflection, refraction, prism, spectrum (definitions can be found in Science binder behind the pink Heat/Light/Sound divider on the buff colored reading packet) - due 11/23

Language Arts: "Do You Want Fame?" Essay 400 words due 11/23. The students know how to keep track of their word count on myaccess.com.

Reading: Spelling and Vocabulary words were given in Social Studies last week, so there will not be lists in reading until next week. We are trying to finish Egypt Game.

November 19, 2010

Homework:

Read 30 minutes
Planner signed

Language Arts: Continue working on essay "Do You Want Fame?" We will work on it in class on Monday and Tuesday. If your student has written less than 200 words, they are behind. The essay is due December 2. Students have been given plenty of notice in advance to decide if they want to finish the essay BEFORE the Thanksgiving vacation or AFTER.

Social Studies: Students should study for the Egypt test 5-10 minutes.

Mummy Message Clue: The words may be correct but the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is not. Proof! Do you know what an appositive is?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

HOMEWORK (Due 11/19)
Read 30 minutes
Signed planner

CLASS AGENDAS: (Possible homework if not finished in class.)

READING:
WS 109+110 What Really Happened? theme final. If it wasn't finished in 45 minutes of class, it will be students' responsibility to complete for checking on Monday, 11/22. Spelling test Monday, also.

MATH:Math test on Friday, November 19.

LANGUAGE ARTS: DLP Sentences #9-10. Students completed this in class and turned in the worksheet. Thirty minutes of class time was spent working on their essay, "Do You Want Fame?" Students are encouraged to work 10-15 minutes on their essay every night. We will also be working on the essays this coming Monday and Tuesday. The essay is due after Thanksgiving.

SOCIAL STUDIES:The Egyptian packet is due Tues. Nov. 23. We have worked on finding the information together in class. The majority of students are nearly finished and will have minimal homework. Students will have more working time Monday. Students should study for the Egypt test each night. Part of the test will be a vocabulary/spelling test.

Mummy Message clue: What do all sixth grade teachers look for in your writing? Why are you practicing two a day in lang. arts? How should you write proper nouns?

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

HOMEWORK DUE 11/18:
Read 30 minutes
Sign planner

CLASS AGENDAS: (Possible homework if not finished in class.)

Reading: Spelling list given. ABC order/WS 22-24 given 45 minutes in class which is plenty of time for "on task" students, due to correct Monday 11/22. Study words for test on Monday would be student's responsibility.
Social Studies: Gods/Goddesses book due 11/18. Most students have 5-10 minutes of homework in order to finish their books if they did not finish during class. Some students are behind with their Egypt map. This was homework LAST THURSDAY. They will have some extra homework tonight. All students should study for the Egypt TEST five minutes a night. Most of the actual test questions will be chosen by the students in class tomorrow.

Mummy Message Clue: Ancient Egyptian prayer to the sun god/ left>right>left

Become an Egyptologist: Pass a test of Egyptian trivia with 87% or higher and it counts towards your Falcon award. (Questions/Answers are on the white study guide)

Math: No math homework tonight- Multiplication math game in class today. Test review tomorrow. Unit 3 math test on Friday.

Language Arts: DLP Sentences #7-8 Due: 11/18. Most students finished this in class.

FYI: Today, the students tried to log into myaccess.com to begin their second essay, and we discovered that all usernames were changed by the District for security purposes.(The District forgot to notify the teachers. Oops!!!) So most of class was spent in learning their new usernames and being introduced to the new essay topic.

The persuasive essay, "Do You Want Fame?", is not due until after Thanksgiving. However, since the essay is saved on line, they may work on it as much as they want BEFORE the Thanksgiving Break. We will use class time to work on the essay tomorrow, next Monday, and Tuesday. After that, it will be up to the students to keep working on the essay if they want to improve their scores.

Way To Go Sixth Grade!!! The average score for all five classes on their first essay, "A Favorite Hobby" was 4.9/6.0. That's pretty high for a first score! Parents can log into their student's account, see how well their student did, and then compare with the sixth grade average.