Downs' Disclosure

 

 

Welcome to 6^th grade!  I am excited to have your child in our class this year! Here are a few things that you need to know about our class.  

                                                                                                                                                       

Canvas and Accessing Online Work

• To access the Canvas login page, click on the blue QUICKLINKS button at the top right-hand corner of the district homepage. In that dropdown menu, there is a link to Canvas. You can select student or parent login from that page.
• Most student assignments will be posted in Canvas with access within a homeroom course that will show Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. I will teach them in class how to access and use Canvas.     

 

Schedule and Attendance

• The first bell will ring at 8:50 a.m. with the final bell sounding at 8:55 a.m. School will end at 3:30 p.m. and at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.  We will also have PE, Art, Computer, Library, and Music.  
• Students should arrive on time at school and should be at school for the entire day. 
• Tardiness not only interrupts the individual student’s education, but the education of everyone in our class. 
• Excessive absences and tardiness will be reported to the district office.

Curriculum

• By 6^th grade students should be fluent with their multiplication and division facts. This is a building block which will increase the likelihood that your student will have success with more complicated math concepts. Any time you take practicing with your student will be time well spent. I will put them on the app XtraMath and 99 math in class each day and they can access Clever (from Canvas) at home as well. 
• The Davis School District D.E.S.K. utilizes tasks that focus on using math to solve real-life problems. They will be encouraged to think about how to solve problems in a variety of ways. 
• We will also be reading for fluency, comprehension, and expression.
• Rotations: Social Studies-Mrs. Downs, Science-Mrs. Halm and Buehner, Reading-Mrs. Burns, Writing-Miss Smith. Math, Grammar, Spelling, and vocabulary are homeroom subjects taught with individual teachers.

Read-o-board

• Your student is required to read 800 pages each term. They will keep track on their read-o-board. They may earn extra prizes for getting five in a row, or blackout.  A parent signature is required on each square. Each book needs to be at least 100 pages. Check with me if it's close. This is the homework for each term as well as any missing assignments each day. Your child may read on days when they can. There's no set time a day. (Busy schedules are different for everyone.)

Planners and Homework:

• Every student will receive a planner. This planner will be filled out and taken home daily. I will not require a guardian signature, but it is a good idea to go through it with them every night to check for homework. We will not send home weekly homework packets. Their homework will be to practice vocabulary and spelling, and any work that they did not finish in class.

 

Workload and Assignments

• Assignments are published daily. It is suggested that students follow the pacing according to the due dates that are set for assignments. As a sixth-grade team, we have decided to implement a grade-wide late work policy. Students will have one week to turn in their work after the due date. If the assignment is not turned in one week after the due date, it will not be accepted. If a student is absent, they will have the number of days they missed to get the work turned in.

 

Classroom expectations:

• I expect a respectful and responsible classroom. If there are serious problems, I will contact parents and let them know. Students should be on time to class and have regular attendance. 
• Please don't hesitate to contact me through Remind or email!

 

Classroom Management:

• In my class students have the opportunity to earn tickets for positive behavior. They will use individual tickets for our class store each term. 
• Each term we will have a class reward. In order to go to the reward, they must have at least 1 reward point (party points). Each term students will start with five party points. They can lose party points by talking out in class (way out of line and too much), not following rules and procedures, cheating, continuing problems on the playground, misuse of the computer, bullying or gossiping, and inappropriate language including but not limited to; sexual, race, or disabilities. Party points are kept track on a clipboard in the classroom. Party points cannot be earned back. The class will vote on what kind of reward they want at the end of the term.

 

Birthday Treats

• You may send a store-bought treat with your child on their birthday. We celebrate summer birthdays the last few weeks of May.
• Please do not send individual birthday invitations to school unless the entire class is invited.

 

        Thank you! I'm excited to get to know you and your children this year! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the items mentioned above.