October 16, 2015

Dear Families

This has been a short but productive week.  Just a reminder that the Independent Book Log Assignment, or the “12 of 18”,  is due Tuesday October 20^th.  There is an expectation that all the work is of high quality.  Please check in with your child to be sure that they are keeping up and that they have completed or will have completed 12 of the 18 by Tuesday October 20^th.  It is important that students read and adhere to the scoring rubric.  Remember that: neatness counts,  spelling counts, and punctuation counts.  Students should also be keeping track of their independent reading in the Weekly Reading Log.  This is due each Wednesday.  The new POW (math Problem of the week), Things I’ve Been Pondering, is due Wednesday October 21^st. 

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Friday November 6^th.  Please read the information sent home with your child on Friday about Parent Teacher Conferences.  Please fill out the sign-up sheet about possible conference times and return it to me by Friday, October 23rd.

Have a great weekend.  Ellen

October 9, 2015

Dear Families,

            Just a note to remind you that our classroom newsletter is posted on our blog at  http://emeslearningportal.blogspot.com.  The newsletter contains information about classroom happenings, homework and due dates,  and photos. 

            There is no school for students Monday October 12 and Tuesday October 14^th. 

            Literacy:  Students continue to work on their personal narratives.  Students are working on creating a powerful lead, a lasting ending, zeroing in on a small moment and stretching out the important part of the story.  As always editing is very important for any writer, 

            Students were assigned the 12 of 18 Independent Book Project.  This is due Tuesday October 20.  Students were given the 18 options to choose from and the scoring rubric. 

            Students were also given a reading log.  6^th graders should be reading on average 30 minutes a day.  This is in their binders for easy access at home to record their daily reading.  The reading logs will be due each Wednesday.  Reading is the single most important thing your child can do in their life.

            Math:  In math, we reviewed rounding and the rules for rounding.  We are now beginning fractions.  In order for students to be successful in 6^th grade math, they must know their multiplication facts.  The new problem of the week, Greenhouse Gasses, is due Wednesday October 14^th. 

Have a great long weekend.   Enjoy the foliage.      Ellen

           

October 5, 2015

Dear Families,

October is off to a busy start.  Everyone is settling in to the rigors of sixth grade.  It is important for students to keep track of long range projects and to work on them a little at a time.  The design your own island maps are displayed in the hallway and the classroom.  The most important thing for students to remember is to follow the rubric. 

Literacy:  Students are working on a personal narrative writing piece.  We discussed how to write a lead for the narrative to keep the reader interested.  We are also working on increasing elaboration and writer’s craft in a personal narrative.  It is important to show the reader with words what feeling or emotion the person is experiencing.  We will also discuss adding transition words to writing.   We finished or read aloud, Harris and Me.  I think we were all sad to see the book end.  Today we started our next read aloud, Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick.   

Students were also assigned an independent book project, referred to as the 12 of 18.  This is due Tuesday October 20, 2015.  Students should work on this a little each night.  Ask your child to see the assignment and the rubric. This project is based on a book students have read independently with in the last few weeks or one that they are currently reading.

Math:  Students are continuing their work with factors, multiples and division.  It is critical that your child knows their multiplication facts.  Having a solid command of the multiplication table is the basis of sixth grade math. 

Science:  Students conducted their own bubble experiment.  Experiments included adding baking soda or milk or carbonated water, to name a few items, to bubble solution to see what kind of affect it had on blowing bubbles.  Some students compared four different colors of Dawn dish soap!  Ask your child what their experiment was.  Students also presented their findings to the class. 

With dewy grass and wet weather approaching, it is important for students to have two pairs of shoes at school.  This keeps dirt out of the classroom and keeps the school easier to clean.  Thanks for your help with this.