Dream

Big
Phoenix
2016-2017

Phoenix

Welcome to
the Phoenix
Team!
It is so exciting to

have this opportunity to be a

part of your childs learning
experience here at Ladue
Middle School. We will be your
core content teachers for the
coming school year.
Team taught subjects are
Math, Science, Communication
Arts, and Social Studies. Phoenix kids will have our classes
everyday for the whole year.
Literature is off team everyday
and electives are offered through
a rotating blue day- white day
schedule. If there are any concerns about a class in regard to
a schedule change, contact Ms.
Worthington.
Phoenix teachers have
worked on the same team for
five years now. We work closely

to provide your child support in

all areas. Our classrooms are all
next door to each other making
it very easy for our students to
seek us out! We collaboratively plan lessons and events so
that students have a common
language and experience in 6th
grade.
Our classes are organized around Middle School
Skills. This class is considered
home room and meets daily.
This is a time for students to
get organized, study, or seek
extra help. Students may visit
teachers in other rooms at this
time if needed. When there is
an absence, students must use

their 8th hour time to

collect missing work,
learn lessons missed, or
take tests/quizzes. Core
classes cannot be used to
catch up.
There are many
opportunities throughout
the year to get involved.
We go on three field trips
during the year in which
we will need chaperons
to help out. The 6th grade party
is a fun way for parents to spend
time with their child. If you are
interested please contact Ms.
Bickel.
Communication is very
important in order for our students to be academically
successful. Let us know how we
can help make the transition to
the Middle school a smooth one
for you and your family. The
best way to reach us and get the
fastest response is through email.
If you prefer a phone call this
can be done by calling the office
and providing the room number
of the teacher you wish to reach.

lPlease do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to meeting you.l

Subject
Math
Science
Communication Arts
Social Studies

Meet the Teacher Night

Mark your calendars! September 23rd is a night for you to
meet all of your childs teachers.
Doors will open at 7:00. All
1

Teacher/Room
Evy Bickel
114
Karen Harris
115
Nikki Weiss
112
Terri Reber
113
parents will meet in the gym to
pick up your childs schedule.
Parents will be leave from the
gym and head to their childs
first hour class. All class periods
will last for 6 minutes before
a bell will release everyone to

Contact Information
ebickely@ladueschools.net
kharris@ladueschools.net
nweiss@ladueschools.net
treber@ladueschools.net
their next class period. Parking will be limited. Please park
at the Ladue Chapel a ride the
shuttle to LMS. This is a night
for parents only. Refreshments
will be provided in the cafeteria
following 8th hour.

Phoenix
Course Objectives:
Mathematical Practice Standards

Math 6A and 6B
Hi! My name is Evy Bickel, and I teach
math on the Phoenix Team. This year will
be my 17th year in the teaching field and my
14th year at Ladue Middle School, but this
will be my first year in sixth grade. I have
been married for sixteen sensational years. I
have an eleven year old son named Brendan
and a five year old daughter named Brianna.
I enjoy spending time with my family and
my hobbies include scrap booking
and tap and jazz dancing. I
also enjoy movies, bowling
and chocolate! I look forward to meeting you all
soon and having a great
6th grade year!

Course Overview:
The sixth grade
math curriculum is designed to provide students
with a set of mathematical
experiences broader than the
acquisition of simple arithmetic skills.
Students are exposed to a side variety of
methods in which mathematics can help
formulate and solve problems. The math
curriculum emphasizes computation and
problem solving with the whole, rational, and
decimal numbers. Comprehensive tests will
be given to assess progress.
Many techniques will be used to
enhance the curriculum. Cooperative learning, hands-on activities, numerous technologies, and differentiated instruction will be
implemented to best accommodate students
varied learning styles.

-Make sense of problems and persevere in

solving them
-Reason abstractly and quantitatively
-Construct viable arguments and critique the
reasoning of others
-Model with mathematics
-Use appropriate tools
-Attend to precision
-Look for and make use of structure
-Look for and express regularity in repeated
reasoning

Content Coverage:

-Numerical Expressions
-Factors
-Algebraic Expressions
-Algebraic Properties
-Areas of Polygons
-Ratios and Rates
-Integers
-Coordinate Plane
-Equations
-Inequalities
-Surface Area
-Volume
-Statistical Measures
-Data Displays
-Graphing

Supplies:

Students are expected to come to class with the

following supplies
Loose-Leaf Paper
Pencil Pouch
Pencils
Red Pen
Highlighter
Planner
1 Pack of Dry Erase markers
Calculator(4-function only)
2

Phoenix

Social Studies
Greetings from Ms. Reber
I am the social studies teacher on the Phoenix
team. I started my teaching career 15 years ago
after graduating from Trinity University in San
Antonio, Texas. I left Texas to return to St. Louis
and be close to family. Ive had the pleasure to
6th and 7th grade Social Studies at Ladue. It
is truly the most rewarding job I have ever had.
During my 13 years here at the middle school I
have grown to love the community and feel that
Ladue is my second home. Before I became a
teacher, I graduated from Maryville University
and worked as a physical therapist for 13 years.
When Im not teaching I enjoy reading, hiking,
and the outdoors.
This past summer
I was able to hike
through Yellowstone
National Park. It was
amazing! I look forward to working with
you. We are going
to have a great year
together.

SOCIAL STUDIES
COURSE
OVERVIEW
Sixth grade social studies students study early
civilizations in the Eastern Hemisphere chronologically as they appear in history. Geography,
religion, achievements, politics, economics and
social structures (GRAPES) of the civilizations
will be covered during most units. The major
units of study are culture, early man, Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome.
Various techniques will be used to enhance the
curriculum. Simulations, hands-on activities, Differentiated Instruction and Thoughtful Education
learning strategies will be used to complement
student learning styles. Interdisciplinary lessons
will allow social studies content to be combined
with other disciplines skills and content in order
3

to reflect a more holistic and realistic framework

for learning.
During the year we will
be studying ancient world
civilizations in the Eastern
Hemisphere.
Such as, the Roman Empire, Ancient China, India,
and Greece. If you have
any cultural knowledge about any of the civilizations we will learn about, I always welcome new
ideas or even better....Guest Speakers! If you are
willing to participate please email me.
COURSE OBJECTIVES / ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
Geography influences a civilizations way of life.
Religious beliefs affect the daily life of its people.
Achievements reflect a civilizations greatness
and lead to the advancements of future civilizations.
Government structures are necessary for stability and protection in a civilization.
Trade contributes to the spread of goods and
ideas.
Social structures brought order to early civilizations.
Civilizations rise and fall.
MATERIALS/INSTRUCTIONAL
ACTIVITIES
World History: Ancient Civilizations, Holt,
Rinehart, Winston
History Alive!: The Ancient World, TCI
History Alive materials
Variety of History Channel videos, educational
videos

Phoenix

Earth Science
Our major units of study are:
Astronomy

Hello Everyone!

My name is Mrs. Karen Harris.

This will be my seventh year at
LMS. I am very excited to be
exploring all the amazing
wonders of Science with you.
We will be learning science
through many hands on labs
and group demonstrations, so
bring your goggles for these
great adventures. Besides my
passion of teaching science,
I love spending time with my
family. I am married and have
three children, Brant, Rehgan,
and Rylee. We all are very active. Some of the things we do
regularly are travel, hike, snow
ski, boat, camp, and swim. I
absolutely love nature and any
time I can experience what the
outdoors has to offer, I DO IT!
We are going to have a great
year together.
See you in August!

Scientific Inquiry

Geology

SCIENCE CLASS
OBJECTIVES AND
PURPOSES
The science program of the
Ladue School District is not
limited to a factual knowledge
textbook approach. It has as its
major purpose the involvement
of students with the world about
them from a scientific point of
view that emphasizes the use of
process skills in all science activities. There is a major emphasis place on real world scientific
learning experiences through
many hands on labs.

The seven major process

skills integrated into the program are as follows:
Observing: taking in information about the world through our
senses.
Classifying: arranging objects
or events in order according to
some property.
Measuring: thinking about
properties in a quantitative way.
Inferring: interpreting and
explaining what we observe.
Predicting: forecasting what
will be observed in the future
based on inferred data.
Experimenting: changing
objects and events to see what
happens.
Communicating: putting the
information obtained from our
observations into a form that
someone else can understand.
SCIENCE CONTENT
The content of the Sixth Grade
Science program allows students many opportunities for
scientific inquiry, hands-on
experimentation and research.
The curriculum is aligned with
the Missouri State Standards
and the National Science Standards.
The topics covered in the program include:
1. Introduction to Scientific
Methodology
2. Geology and Fossils

Meteorology

3. Oceanography
4. Weather and Climate
5. Astronomy and Space Exploration
6. Scientific Measurement and
Data Collection

Phoenix

Hello Everyone!
I am Ms. Weiss, your
communication Arts
Teacher
I am excited to have you on the Phoenix team. This is my sixth year at Ladue Middle School. Before teaching on the Phoenix
team, I taught first, third and fourth grade at
Reed Elementary and Fort Zumwalt School
District. Peoria, Illinois is my hometown, but
St. Louis has been my home for the past 28
years. Some hobbies of mine include sewing,
gardening, hiking, theater, and reading. I love
spending time outside, attending concerts in
the park, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals play at Busch Stadium.
I mostly enjoy having fun
with my four children, husband, and my dogs named
Chance and Lucy. I am looking forward to a new school
year.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
FOR COMMUNICATION
ARTS
Communication arts emphasizes student growth in writing, as measured by improvement in meaningful content
and application of conventions and vocabulary acquisition. Required writing includes
argumentative and informational/explanatory essays, personal narratives, and other
genres. Instruction in parts of speech and
parts of sentences ground students in proper grammatical usage. In this class, students
also learn how to conduct short research projects, as well as interpersonal communication,
and effective oral presentation skills. Gram5

mar and the conventions of

written language are taught through the context of students own writing.
COMMUNICATION ARTS OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
write arguments to support claims with clear
reasons and relevant evidence
write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas. concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content
write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event
sequences
produce clear and
coherent writing in
which the development,
organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

develop
and
strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
MATERIALS:
Students should bring a 2 inch binder, two
spiral notebooks along with a glue stick, variety of pencils, colored pens, and highlighters
to class daily. Information recorded in the spiral notebooks will be used to prepare assignments, and students will need the information
to study for quizzes and tests.

Phoenix

Citizenship
CITIZENSHIP
General citizenship expectations include the following
objectives, which are based on
the schools Five Ps criteria.
See the Student Handbook or
the link on our team website for
specifics on Citizenship Expectations and Grading Criteria.
There are encouraging posters
located throughout the school
and hung in teachers classrooms
that describe expectations. Citizenship grades will be updated
regularly, and then posted as a
final grade each quarter.
Students should:
-come to class prepared with
all supplies necessary for that
period including homework
-promptly be in their seats
before the tardy bell rings not
moving around the room socializing

- must express a positive attitude at all times

-must be productive throughout the entire class period

Grading Criteria

5 Ps
Prepared!
Polite!

On student reports card

there will be a grade for citizenship. This can be monitored through Infinite Campus.
In the student handbook on
page 24 there is a detailed description of the grading scale.

Prompt!
Prod

uct

ive

Positive!

Can You Do It?

-promptly begin any bellringer activity or other quiet reading immediately upon entering
the room
-be polite and respectful to
classmates and teachers at all
times
-be prepared with all necessary homework or other activities, must be completed by the
assigned deadline

At the end of the year there

will be a Citizenship Ceremony
for all students who earn 10
or more Outstanding grades
throughout the semesters.

The range for grades are as

follows:
O= Outstanding
S=Satisfactory
I=Needs Improvement
U=Unsatisfactory
In order to receive an O, students must:
-Demonstrate an exceptionally cooperative and positive
attitude
-Understand and respect the
unique abilities, opinions and
ideas of others
-Models positive leadership
skill in the classroom and social
settings
-Arrive to class with all needed
materials, uses class time wisely,
and is actively engaged in class
activities

Phoenix

Academic Grades
HOMEWORK AND STUDENT
RESPONSIBILITIES
The purpose of homework is:
1) to master or become more proficient in a skill
2) to solidify learning
3) to prepare for or extend a lesson taught in
class
Completion of homework increases student
achievement. Work habits (meeting deadlines,
communicating a lack of understanding, and following directions) are critical for success in school
and in life. Assignments are expected to be turned
in on the assigned due date. Late work will be
accepted up to two weeks from original due date,
but it will result in a 30% grade reduction in total
points. Any assignment turned in after the two
weeks will be recorded as a zero. Citizenship
grades will also result in a penalty for late work.
GRADING
Grades can be monitored through Infinite
Campus. The following coding system will be
used to denote the status of missing assignments:
M -- Missing -- Due date has passed; assignment
has not been turned in. The grade will be averaged in as a 0 until the paper is completed.
When the assignment is turned in, the late grade
policy applies.
L -- Late -- Assignment has been completed but
was turned in late.
E -- Excused/Exempt -- Student is not responsible for completing this task.
I -- Incomplete -- Assignment was turned in but
student needs to revise, redo, or add to the task
for a higher score.
T -- Assignment has been turned in. Grade will
be posted soon.
7

GRADING SCALE
Academic grades will
be issued at the end of
each quarter and semester. Students who
demonstrate proficiency in the skills addressed in
each unit will earn grades based on the following
LMS grading scale:
Percentage
Letter
98% - 100%
A+
92% - 97%
A
90% - 91%
A88% - 89%
B+
82% - 87%
B
80% - 81%
B78% - 79%
C+
72% - 77%
C
70% - 71%
C68% - 69%
D+
62% - 67%
D
60% - 61%
D0% - 59 %
F
Communication
Grades will be updated regularly on line by
teachers through Infinite Campus. This requires
an account setup through our technology offices. Please contact the office for a user name and
password to gain access. Students and parents
should use this as an ongoing record of students
progress. There are private accounts available for
both students and parents.
The the end of each quarter students will
receive grades. There are no semester grades,
only quarters. They may be viewed through
Infinite Campus or the office will mail records to
the home address that has been provided. Please
make sure that your information has been updated within our system.
For further questions, call Carol 341-965-7865

Phoenix

August
Sun

Mon

Tues
1

Wed
2

15

Opening
Day for
Teachers

14

Thurs

10

Fri
4

17

MSPacket Pick
Up

11

12

22

13

MSCommunity

Night
4:00
18

Opening
Day for
Students

21

MSPacket Pick
Up

7th and 8th

grade new
student
orientation

16

Sat

19

20

Parent
Coffee
All grades
8:30

23

24

25

26

27

Meet the
Teacher
Night
6:30

28

29

30

31

After School 6th Grade

Activities
Camp Parent
begin with
Meeting
late buses
7:00

September
1

Picture Day

Phoenix

Team Activity
Going on a Field Trip

Planting in the Garden

Camp Lessons

Roller Skating

Phoenix

Collecting Data in Science

Rock and Mineral Show

Dont
forget
Parents
to
lunch
Sept. 2

Challenger Learning Center

Game Day

Blue Ribbon Day

10

Phoenix
*Required

Phoenix Team Course Expectations Agreement

Please check the box below to signify that both parent(s)/guardian(s) and student
have read, and agree to abide by, these course expectations for all classes listed
above. *
We have read, understand, and agree to follow the Phoenix Team Course Expectations.

Student Signature and Acceptance

Your name here indicates that you will do your very best to follow these policies all year long.

Parent or Guardian Signature and Acceptance

PARENT or GUARDIAN: Please check the one box that applies to your home. *
If you have any additional information to share with the teachers, please type it in
the Other box and check that box as well.
We DO have Internet and printer access at home
We do NOT have Internet and printer access at home
Other:

Please submit this form by August 20th

If you need further information, email the Phoenix Teachers.
We look forward to a great year!
Thank You,
Karen Harris
Evy Bickel
Terri Reber
Nikki Weiss
11

Click to submit your information