Math:
We will be using the B-E district sixth grade balanced math curriculum called Connected Mathematics which uses an inquiry-based, discovery-based and student-centered learning approach to everyday math.  With this curriculum we strive to produce independent thinkers who can analyze problems, select appropriate tools to solve them and achieve conceptual understanding of the mathematics behind the algorithms, usually through a real-world context. We will be engaged in these Connected Math units this year: Data About Us (statistics), Prime Time (number sense), Bits and Pieces I,II,III (fractions, decimals, percents), Covering and Surrounding & Shapes and Designs (measurement and geometry), Accentuate the Negative (number sense) and What do you Expect? (probability).  In regards to math homework, students will have homework each night related to the concept covered in class.  All homework is due the following day.  A majority of the math in sixth grade is of a hands-on nature and is difficult to make up if your child is absent. 

Reading:
We use the B-E School District’s sixth grade Trophies Harcourt reading curriculum whichis a balanced, comprehensive, reading and language arts program that provides the full range of resources to deliver research-based, motivational instruction for all learners. The program develops student proficiency in all aspects of reading and language arts, including the key areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, as well as writing, spelling, grammar, listening, and speaking.  Our weekly Harcourt schedule is: Monday- preview selection, Tuesday- read selection, Wednesday and Thursday- lessons focused on fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, and Friday will be the weekly test on the selection.
In addition to the district’s Harcourt curriculum, the sixth graders will engage in class novels.  Every student will have a copy of the novel and we will participate in rich literature discussions as we do read alouds with all students reading along.  Parents are encouraged to read along with us at home by checking out the book from the public library.  The novels we will most likely read this year are: Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codel, I am the Ice Worm by MaryAnn Easley, Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin, Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings, Cages by Peg Kehret, Iqbal by Francesco D'Adamo, and Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.
Also, students will be responsible for a monthly book project report. We will explore a different genre each month. The first book project in September is on a realistic fiction book and it is due Friday, October 5th.  The tentative schedule of genres is as follows:
September- Realistic Fiction
October- Fantasy
November – Mystery/Adventure
December- AR Book
January- Nonfiction Research Oral Reports
February- Historical Fiction
March- Genre of Choice
April- AR Book
May- Biography Wax Museum (Wax Museum date= Thurs. June 5th)
This is the tentative schedule and is subject to change.  During the months of December and April students will be reading an AR (Accelerated Reader) book of choice and taking an AR test on the text.  In order to complete their book projects, Students are also expected to read for about 30 minutes each day. 

Writing:
We will be using the district adopted writing curriculum called WriteSource.  It focuses on the Six Traits of Writing. The traits are word choice, organization, voice, conventions, sentence fluency, and ideas. We will be studying the following genres this year: descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive, creative, and nonfiction. Students will be taking the district writing assessments as well.  For our writing checklist we will use the WASL writing checklist.  We will practice the steps of the writing process which are brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing.

Science:
Each trimester we have a district FOSS science kit.  They are Models and Designs for the first trimester, Mixtures and Solutions for the second trimester, and Earth History for the third.  Students will be using district provided science notebooks to keep their observations and descriptions.  The notebooks will also provide a framework for students to monitor their progress as they work towards the state’s 6th grade GLEs (Grade Level Expectations).  If you’d like to find out more information about the kits we’ll be studying, feel free to visit the FOSS website at www.fossweb.com.  The annual Science Fair is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, March 13th.  The science fair is optional for sixth graders.  Students may receive extra credit in science if they do a project or submit an egg drop entry.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
In Social Studies we will be studying these areas of the world: SW Asia, Africa, Europe, Russia, Canada, and Mexico.  We will use the district’s Harcourt Horizons textbooks as our curriculum.  Much of our Social Studies curriculum is project-based. 

SPECIALISTS:
This is our weekly specialist schedule:
Monday- PE with Mr. Reese from 10:45-11:30
Tuesday- Health with Ms. Nelson from 9:00-9:45
Wednesday- Music with Mr. Taylor from 10:45-11:30
Thursday- PE with Mr. Reese 11:30-12:15
Friday- Music with Mr. Taylor from 10:45-11:30
& Library with Mrs. Cannon from 1:20-1:50
Please be sure that students dress appropriately for P.E.- wearing sneakers or running shoes and no skirts/dresses.
Sixth graders have two music performances, one during the day and one in the evening.  The performances are: Veterans Day Assembly on Friday November 9th in the morning and an evening spring program on Thursday, June 5th in connection with the Wax Museum.

ART:
I am a part of the MoNA Link Art program through the Museum of NW Art (MoNA) in LaConner.  Last summer I attended an art instituted at the museum and my students were able to visit the museum as a supplement to our art program.  We will be doing the same this year as well.  We will be taking three trips to the museum to view each of their upcoming exhibits and then doing follow-up art lessons back in our classroom.  In addition to the MoNA program, students will learn the elements and principles of art through hands-on projects in class.

CONFERENCES:
During the week of Nov. 15-21 I will be meeting with each of you individually to discuss your child’s progress in sixth grade.  At that time we will look at your child’s Data Folder of work to inform us on how they are doing.  A sign-up sheet for conferences was at Curriculum Night.  I will be contacting you if you haven’t signed up for a conference yet.  I will send you a reminder/verification note when the dates get closer. 

SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR PROGRAM AND OUR CLASSROOM’S PURPOSE STATEMENT AND CODE OF SUCCESS:
This year, Bay View is implementing a Positive Behavior Plan and Building-Wide Expectations for both adults and students.  The plan is making all expectations uniform across the entire K-8 building.  The expectations are things that students already know it’s just that now there is a common language building-wide for all.  There are five levels for students that need support with their choices in regards to the expectations.  They are:
Level 1: Student chooses to have a quiet, private reminder from the teacher.
Level 2: Student chooses a behavior that leads to them being moved to the back table aka “The Think Tank” to take some time out to think about their behavior choices.
Level 3: Student chooses a behavior that returns them to “The Think Tank” with an Eagles SOAR Form (a problem solving form to reflect on their choices).
Level 4: Student chooses a behavior that leads to a phone call home.
Level 5: Student chooses a behavior that leads to meeting with Principal Darragh.

Within our own classroom, students have created our “Sixth Grade Purpose Statement” and “Code of Success” which they have all signed. It was an amazing process to see them come to the consensus of what they value in their classroom environment and I felt proud to be a part of their brainstorming process. This is the Purpose Statement that they developed: “We believe that the purpose of sixth grade is to learn new skills and improve in all subject areas.  Getting a good education will give us the opportunity to accomplish our dreams, whether that is passing the WASL, getting into 7th grade, going to a good college, or being prepared to be successful in the real world.  Ultimately our purpose for getting an education is to be able to have a great life and improve the lives of the next generation.  We also believe that the purpose of sixth grade is to get along with everybody as we make new friends and have fun together.” Our Code of Success on how we will conduct ourselves so that we can successfully achieve our 6th grade purpose statement is:

BIRTHDAYS:
Birthdays are a special time for everyone, especially students.  If students would like to bring something in celebration of their birthday, they may do so and share it with all of our students at lunch time in the cafeteria.  Remember to follow the federal food nutritional guidelines.
Also, please do not hand out birthday party invitations at school.  This disrupts the learning environment and excludes children who are not invited.  Thanks for understanding this sensitive issue.

Assessments:
Assessments guide my instruction and inform me on what students need to learn.  At the beginning of the year we are assessing to see where students are and what individual needs they each have.  In September we will also do individual assessments on reading fluency using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy). These assessments help teachers tailor instruction for individual students. Then throughout the year, we are assessing to monitor students’ progress towards the statewide GLEs (Grade Level Expectations). 

WASL:
As you know, all students in grades 3-10 across the state participate in the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning).  Sixth graders will take the WASL only in the areas of reading and math.  The test is usually after Spring Break in mid-April.  Prior to then students will be learning basic test-taking strategies and doing some practice activities.  To see sample tests, parents may go online to the state’s OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) site- www.k12.wa.us, click assessments, WASL, choose a subject area (reading or math), and then click on sixth grade.

HOMEWORK POLICY:
Sixth graders should spend about 60 minutes a day on homework. Often when a child is spending too much time on homework it’s because time is not being used effectively in class.  Most of the time spent on homework will be Mon. –Thurs. evenings, with the exception of large academic projects and preparation for tests. Occasionally projects might require work on the weekends.  Our traditional homework routine is a reading packet, spelling packet and spelling pretest of missed words written 5 times which are all due every Friday and then each night students will have math homework which is due the next day. 
I encourage you to plan, with your child’s involvement, a consistent evening study period which should be spent in a quiet but supervised place. If no other work needs to be done, (and please check the student agenda to verify), this time period should still be used for organizing the notebook, silent or shared reading, review or practice work, project preparation, or writing. If your child is spending more than an hour on homework, there is most likely a problem that has nothing to do with “too much homework,” and I encourage you to speak to me about it so that I can re-teach missed concepts and we can discuss any other necessary interventions.  Homework needs to be turned in first thing in the morning on the assigned due date. 

Missed classes, missed assignments, and late work:
Students need to be here in order to keep up with what we are studying. My job is to teach students through a variety of strategies and to accomplish this I teach lessons, give demonstrations, guide experiments and activities, provide opportunities for learning through discussion and group work, and use many other approaches. It is very difficult, for example, for me to give you all the work that your child missed or will miss on a non-school holiday trip or vacation, as I can’t necessarily repeat whatever learning opportunity your child missed.  These learning opportunities more than likely involve much more than the pages in a textbook or a packet of worksheets. To the benefit of our students, I don’t think anyone teaches like that anymore. This is especially the case with Connected Mathematics and the FOSS Science curriculum kits which always require classroom participation.  Late assignments (from unexcused absences) will only be accepted as half credit (50%) and will only be accepted up to a week past the original due date.  Also, students are strongly encouraged to save the corrected work that is returned to them until the end of the trimester. If there is a discrepancy in their grades, they need to provide the assignment as proof that they completed it.  Each student will be assigned a ‘Getting-Better-Buddy.’  Their buddy is responsible for collecting and keeping track of their missing work from being absent.  The buddy is also a resource for students to call when they need help on an assignment, need to know what the spelling words are, need to know the guidelines for a project, or any other time they need the support of their classmates.

STUDENTS’ GRADES:
Students’ grades and some assignments can be accessed online at from the Burlington Edison School District Website.  To access your child’s assignments that might be online go to: www.be.wednet.edu/OurSchools/Bv/staff.cfm  Scroll down to find Amy Staudenraus.  Then click on the Assignments link to the right side of the screen to view monthly book project directions, weekly assignments, and the monthly newsletter.  The district is implementing a new grading program, so more details will come soon on exactly how that will work.  Every three weeks or so parents will be receiving a copy of their child’s grades.  The district’s retention policy in sixth grade states that if students do not pass sixth grade they are REQUIRED TO ATTEND SUMMER SCHOOL.  If they do not pass Summer School, they will be retained in sixth grade. 

Parent Volunteers:
I appreciate parent volunteers in the classroom for special projects, parent generated lessons, field trips, clerical work, etc. Please indicate your interests by signing up on the back table or by sending me a notification that you’d like to volunteer.  We also need someone to be our roomparent(s).  Parents are also encouraged to volunteer at the school-wide level through PTA sponsored events.  The sign-up for these events is up by the main office.  Also, please remember that the Burlington-Edison District field trip policy prevents parent drivers from driving for field trips.  This year there are new background check forms that need to be completed by all school volunteers.  Once cleared, the clearance is valid for two years.  These new forms are also available at Curriculum Night or in the office.

Field Trips:
All of our field trips are not scheduled yet, however we know about a couple of them.  One of our first field trips is the annual sixth grade Harvest Skating Party on the afternoon of October 31st at Skagit Skate.  Details will follow in regards to this trip and any future field trips, such as our three art visits to the Museum of NW Art (MoNA) in LaConner. We will need a few parent volunteers.  In the spring we will go on the annual outdoor education experience.  As we did last year we will be going to Camp Killoqua located in Stanwood.  We will not need any parent volunteers for this field trip.