Dear Brand New 6th Grade Families, Welcome to 6th Grade at Cherryland Elementary! It takes courage to begin any new endeavor, and this year is no exception. You and your child are entering a new platform of learning (Distance Learning) that is growing, expanding, changing constantly. Each one of us is an integral building block for this new type of learning, and while that is exciting, it is also a big responsibility for students, parents, and teachers alike. I want to introduce myself, speak about the course, and a few expectations I have for my 6th grade students.
Class Time: Class will start everyday at 8:15 a.m. where I will take roll. If they log on late, I will mark them as "late" per district instructions. REMIND: I start off the year by using "Remind". It will be the fastest way for me to get in contact with you, and likewise you to me. Expectations - From students, I expect a willingness to grow, to realize that no matter what your past school experience has been or where you are on the academic continuum, there is always room for us all to learn and become better people. I expect students to treat each other with respect. I expect students to strive to be visible and valuable in and out of class, and to be ever mindful of their own contribution to our growing culture of learning. We are all responsible for what kind of school Cherryland Elementary ultimately becomes. From the parents, the biggest thing I can ask for is patience. As with any new endeavor, the ability to be flexible and adjust on the fly is invaluable. Please assume best intent from me. I want to be deeply invested in every child I teach, and I want exactly what you want--namely, the best learning and growing environment your child can have. Teachers, students, and classmates will spend an awful lot of time together over the course of a school year, and if there are conflicts, concerns, or needs (and there will be), please approach me as teammates in raising and educating your child. Respectful cooperation is the best example we can present to our kids. From me as a teacher, you can expect me to come to know your child well on an academic and a personal level. You can expect me to make decisions based upon your child’s best interest. You can also expect me to help them, to guide them, to encourage them, to model the things I ask of them, to build them up, to communicate, to push them to do more than they ever thought they could. Most of all, you can expect me to love them. Every now and then it may look like tough-love, but it’s always love. My goal for every student is that they will be a better person for having been a member of my 6th Grade class. After we get settled into the year, I will be sending information on how you can access classroom information and assignments. In the meantime, here are some basics to get you started for each of your child’s core academic classes. English-Language Arts - In Language Arts class this year, students will read a lot, write a lot, talk a lot, and think a lot. We will work through at least two Expeditionary Learning modules--extended units of study centered around a novel and other related texts. Our first module will begin in two weeks. Students will be given the proper materials as the schedule permits. Normally, students will read a selection for classwork/homework and be ready to do work relating to that selection in class the next day. We’ll discuss the procedures in class and I will send a heads-up when we are ready to start. Beyond that, we will do other projects throughout the year with plenty of info to come as we go along. Science - In science this year students will explore a range of physical, and earth science topics as a lens through which to learn the process of scientific inquiry. By the end of this course students will know basic principles of ecology and geology. The units and lessons are designed to help students experience the power of scientific discovery through a little hands-on learning, scientific inquiry, and definitely critical thinking. Students will be evaluated based on in-class work, projects, tests and quizzes. Math - Sixth grade math expands upon previous knowledge while introducing and developing new “middle school” concepts. The district’s curriculum includes concepts of rate and ratio, number system operations, expressions and equations, geometry, and statistics/probability. A great deal of this material will be new to students entering sixth grade. Therefore, I encourage you, the parents, to be involved with your child’s work and maintain active communication with me. The overarching goal of this course is to integrate Common Core into the realm of Expeditionary Learning so that students are ready to tackle problem solving in the real world. Projects and activities will focus on real-life application, collaborative learning, and integration of multiple subject areas through various expeditions. I will try and support a variety of learning styles in the classroom by offering multiple means of material presentation and student engagement. Critical thinking, problem solving, and creative input are highly encouraged! Social Studies - We will study the Ancient world. We will focus on geography by using the themes of location, place, movement, human-environment interaction and region. An exploration of these themes will help them to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations and societies from the beginning of human existence to the Age of Exploration. Students will be provided reading materials. We will use Ancient History textbook as a base for our studies throughout the year. Students will be evaluated based on classwork, projects, and we will utilize the internet for a weekly current event grade. Finally, thank you for choosing to entrust me with your child’s education. We have all landed in this great place we call Cherryland Elementary together and I look forward to helping this be your child’s best school year yet! I can’t wait to get to know them and to watch them grow, and become great students. Please feel free to be in touch with me as the need arises and I will do the same. It’s going to be an exceptional year! All the best, Mr. Dorsey 6th Grade Teacher Cherryland Elementary |