6th Grade Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies

GUIDELINES
2015-2016 Mrs. Petit apetit@stjohns-vermillion.com
Welcome to 6th grade! I hope that you will learn a great deal this year, and
have fun in the process. I know that I will learn a great deal from you. The following information is
intended to clarify my expectations and requirements. Please let me know if something is not clear.
Please note that based on the needs of the class and individual students, the details in this outline may
change. I will communicate these changes to everyone involved.

CLASS TIMES / LOCATION

In general my teaching times will be: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:55-11:45 and
Wednesday from 9:55-11:45 in the conference room. I am excited about this block schedule; as it will
provide us the flexibility to complete lessons without having to stop every 45 minutes at the bell. This
means we may have any class 0-180 minutes on any given day depending on our needs.

DAILY SUPPLIES
*Pencils (sharpened / plenty of lead) *2 line scientific calculator
* Highlighter and Dry Erase Marker *Assignment book
*Folder (with assignments and weekly *Red pen for correcting
newspaper) *Snack

TEXTBOOKS
Minnesota Studies Weekly
We will be studying Minnesota History this year. The lessons will be guided by the Studies Weekly
newspaper and Northern Lights curriculum. One newspaper will be completed every 5 days or so. The
completed paper is due the day before the test. I will take three grades each week: newspaper
complete, performance assessment in the form of a craft/project/writing, and a 10 question online quiz.
The quizzes and online newspapers can be accessed at: www.studiesweekly.com.

Holt Mathematics Course 2 (Blue Book)

This is the text used by both the Hastings Middle School and SEAS math students. There is a lot of
support available on the Holt website for the students and the parents. This support includes tutorial
videos and additional sample problems. The answers to the odd problems are in the back of the student
book and online.

Holt McDougal Literature Grade 6 Common Core Edition

This is the same text as used by the middle school, but this is the 2012 Common Core Edition.
Both the math book and literature books are available free of charge to you online: http://my.hrw.com/.
You will have a textbook to use in the classroom. They are quite large and heavy. It will save on wear of
your back, backpack, and the books if you can access both books online instead of bringing the
textbooks home. Username: Password:
 LAPTOP COMPUTERS
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The 6 graders have the privilege of using IBM ThinkPads in the classroom. We
have 5 laptops to use.

CLASS GOOGLE ACCOUNT

A class Google account has been created for the students to log into their saved assignments, our
bookmarked links, and class projects. Since this is a class account, all 6th grade students will have access
to everything saved here. (You may save your work to a personal gmail account if you have one and
know how to access it on your own.)

CLASS/SCHOOL WEBSITE
I have a class website: http://grade6-sjbschool.weebly.com/ Our class weekly news, links to all
textbooks, and other resources can be found there. Pictures and student projects will be added to the
site from time to time.

HOMEWORK
Homework is used to practice and reinforce concepts and skills learned in
class. Parental support is critical! Reading skills should be practiced every
night. Papers and projects will also require some work at home, and
require the student to plan accordingly. 60 minutes of homework per
night, 5 nights per week, is a reasonable expectation for 6th grade.

The daily assignment for math will include 5-6 problems from the days
lesson as well as completing the Test Prep and Spiral Review. The following day we will discuss any
questions you may have, correct the assignment, understand any errors, and have a quick 5 question
quiz. You will be responsible for making sure you understand the lesson or ask for help prior to the
lesson quiz. There are many resources in the text and on the
text website to help understand the days lessons beyond the
assignment. The answers to all odd questions can be found in
the back of the text. Students needing additional help on a
skill will be given an intervention assignment.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
The goal of differentiated instruction is to meet each student
at their level and to help you grow from there. This means
that you may get different assignments based on where you
are academically. Sometimes you will get to choose your
assignment. My hope is that you will choose an assignment
that will help you grow academically, not simply the easiest or
quickest choice.
 ASSIGNMENTS
It is important that assignments are completed on time. Most assignments will be corrected by the
student in class on the due date. Loose leaf assignments should be labeled as follows:

Name
Date
Class Assignment (Problems)

Typed assignments should be formatted as follows:

Name
Date
Assignment or Title
Please only use Calibri, Ariel, or Times New Roman font in no larger than size 12, double
spaced, 1 inch margins, and indent 1 tab or 5 spaces for a new paragraph. (MLA format)

ASSESSMENTS / TESTING
A variety of assessment practices will be used throughout the year. Formative assessments (daily work
and quizzes) will be used to assess student readiness for testing. Summative assessments (Chapter and
Unit Tests) will be assigned at the conclusion of most chapters or units. Most of these tests will be
completed online using the textbook websites. Performance assessments will be assigned regularly in
Social Studies and Language Arts. These projects will be both individual and class assessments. Group
projects will be completed primarily in class. You will be taking the NWEA tests in the fall, winter, and
spring.
RECOVERY POINTS
You may have the option to recover missed points on assessments. Re-dos and re-takes must be within
reason, and I will decide with you what is reasonable. All recovery points and re-dos are due the week
before the end of the quarter in order to avoid an incomplete on the report card.

ABSENCES
When you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what work you missed. View the assignments
online, talk to a classmate, and check in with me. Try to have assignments that are due the day you
return, completed. That way you can correct them with the class.

SCHOOL BASICS / DRESS CODE

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As 6 graders, you are role models for the rest of the students. Please be sure you follow the school
basics. The other students will be watching you. This also includes following the dress code. You are
expected to wear your school spirit shirt on all school spirit days. The school logo must be showing at all
times. You may wear non-school spirit shirts under your school spirit shirt, but not on top. Also
remember that Mass days are dress-up days. Shorts are not allowed at Mass. You may change into
shorts after Mass, if done quickly prior to coming to class.
 RESTROOMS / SNACKS
We will not be taking a specific time for a restroom or snack break. You may use the
restroom or get a drink in the Community Room during quiet work time. A small healthy
snack or milk may also be eaten during this time. Candy is not allowed as snack. You must
bring your snack with you to our classroom before the 8:55 bell. You will not be allowed to
go to your locker or the 5th grade classroom to get a snack; however, you will be allowed
to go to the Community room to get a milk for snack if one was ordered.

ELECTRONICS
If you bring electronic devices to school you should know that the school insurance does not cover the
cost of replacing personal items.
Cell phones, iPods, Tablets/E-Readers (Kindle, iPad, Nook): These are for educational use only (primarily
reading books). Use of these items is a privilege not a right. Game playing will not be allowed at any time
during class and will result in confiscation.

Additional tips for success:

*Ask questions...participate in class...always be wondering and thinking! Be engaged!
*Listen carefully. Be aware of the people around you.
*Come to class prepared with the needed supplies,
homework, books, and enthusiasm to learn.
*Keep organized.
* Turn work in on time!
*Plan ahead! Some assignments or projects will take
time--don't wait until the last minute to do them.
*Take care of our classrooms.
*Don't hesitate to talk to me! I am here because I love
learning, and care about you. If you have questions or do
not understand something, please arrange to see me at
school, call me, or e-mail me.
We are embarking on a new adventure. I am looking
forward to an awesome year in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and beyond!

Mrs. Petit

Student Signature _________________________________ Date _____________

Parent Signature __________________________________ Date _____________