October 5, 2009 2

Week 7

Dear Parents: 

Hello:  

Hello there.  First things first!  I must apologize for letting the Website go for two weeks.  There have been program changes, schedule changes, lunchtime changes, and we have all been hopping to keep things going in the right direction. So, having said that:  Welcome to Week 7 of the 2009-2010 School Year.   It's almost time for First Trimester Progress Reports. 

This has been an exciting and scary time for your new 6th graders: they have a new teacher, new rules, (especially since they are role models for younger children), new activities, new friends, and higher academic and behavior expectations.   They have been given tasks that require more independent work,  time management, and responsibility, but also opportunities to explore their individual interests. They have also been expected to follow the Classroom's basic rules, "Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe".

I have completed Reading Fluency, and Comprehension assessments for Language Arts.  These assessments measure your childs progress towards meeting the 6th Grade Standards.  As you know, Progress Reports are sent out approximately six weeks prior to the Trimester Report Card.  If your child is meeting interim Standards you will NOT recieve a Progress Report in the mail.  If not, then I will contact you to come in and conference with me so we can help your child improve performance prior to the First Trimester Report Card.  . 

There are a few children who are not doing their homework.  Homework is assigned to give students practice and help them gain mastery of a skill. Please check their planners for assignments and schedule time in their day to help your child complete them.  Spelling homework is necessary to teach spelling, grammar and word usage in their writing. Your child willl be taught high-level Math skills during the year, and it is important that these skills are learned and retained. Homework provides the practice to accomplish mastery.  Mastery of these skills, is essential to success in 7th grade math or pre-algebra. Please check your child's assignments, and look over corrected homework and tests. 

Volunteers: You are always welcome to volunteer in the classroom.  We do go on field trips that will require drivers and chaperones.  If you are planning to go with us, please have all the paper work completed and turned into the office two weeks prior to the trip. 

Spelling Tests:  I will send home the Spelling Test given to your child on Friday for your signature on the following Monday.  I will also send home corrected Spelling homework stapled to the test.  If you do not receive corrected homework back from me, it is due to your child not turning it in. Please initial that you have seen it, and send it back to me on Tuesday. This shows your child that homework is important and that you care what they are doing in school.  Corrected papers will come home every Monday for the rest of the year, unless there is no school on Monday. I file initialed items in your child's folder, we will go over it at conferences, so that you can see the progress your child has made.

conference schedule (pdf file - 38kb)

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