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Welcome Parents/Guardians and Students,
My name is Mrs. El Ghazouani, and I am the social studies teacher for Team Eagle. This year, we will explore:
Map Skills & Geography
Components of Culture
Wabanaki: Indigenous People of Present-Day Maine
Prehistoric Peoples and the Ancient Inuit
Ancient Latin American Civilizations: Maya, Aztec, and Inca
European Exploration & The Clash of Cultures.
Course Overview
Map Skills & Geography
This foundational unit equips students with essential skills for understanding maps and geography. Students will learn to read maps and atlases, understand directions, hemispheres, continents, oceans, latitude/longitude, map scale, and legends. We will also cover geography terms such as archipelago, bay, and isthmus, which will be referenced throughout the year in class and in Weekly Geography assignments.
Non-Fiction Reading Skills
Given the emphasis on non-fiction in our curriculum, we will review and use key features such as the table of contents, glossary, index, charts, graphs, diagrams, headings, and types of print.
Components of Culture
Students will learn the Components of Culture: Survival, Technology, Rules and Regulations, Education, Economy, Communication, Arts & Recreation, Beliefs & Traditions, and Social Structure. These elements will be integrated into our discussions and activities throughout the year.
Wabanaki: Indigenous People of Present-Day Maine
We will study the Wabanaki focusing on the different nations, their way of life (Components of Culture), and the changes they experienced after European contact.
Looking Ahead
Students will also learn about Prehistoric Peoples, Ancient Civilizations of the Inuit, Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, while focusing on the physical and cultural geography of North and South America. We will also explore European Explorers and the Clash of Cultures, helping students understand the impact of European exploration on indigenous peoples and cultures.
PowerSchool:
Updated regularly. Missing work appears as “NHI” (Not Handed In). Students may submit late work or retake quizzes/tests as needed.
PowerSchool Tips: Use it to track grades, missing work, and progress. Flags/symbols indicate if an assignment is late, incomplete or missing.
Weekly Geography Homework
Assigned most Fridays and due the following Friday. Completion and accuracy matter, and students will have a chance to earn partial credit if late. These assignments will utilize the Nystrom World Atlas. We will complete the first Weekly Geography assignment together to familiarize students with navigating the atlas.
Weekly Geography Grading
Weekly Geography assignments will be graded for completion. If a student completes the assignment on time they will earn a:
10/10 (weighted .33) = 100% (Trimester 1)
10/10 (weighted .66) = 100% (Trimester 2)
10/10 (weighted 1) = 100% (Trimester 3)
→If a student did not complete the assignment OR brought it with them to school on the day it was due, they will earn a 0 and it is marked in PowerSchool as missing (yellow flag) and late (red flag). This way you and they can see and understand why they earned the grade they received.
→If a student did not have the WG assignment done on time, they have a choice to increase their score from a 0 to 1/2 credit by completing the assignments within a reasonable amount of time (goal 2 weeks from the due date) If the student chooses to do this, the academic grade will show 1/2 credit, and it will be marked late (red flag) in PowerSchool.
→If a student is absent from school on the day the assignment is due and they did not turn it in early (for me to see that it is done), they will be marked as NHI (Not Handed In) and absent (green flag). This green flag lets me, the student and you know that it was not turned in due to absence and is not marked late. I appreciate your support this school year and look forward to working with your child. Please feel free to contact me anytime.
Grades
Assignments will be categorized as Learning Activity or Summary Activity.
Learning Activity: Assignments focused on participation and learning, these show up as POINT grades in PowerSchool. These contribute to students' Habits of Work (HOW) and academic grade.
Summary Activity: Larger, summative assignments like projects, maps or quizzes, graded as LETTER (A, B, C. etc.) grades that significantly impact the overall social studies grade.
**MORE information about Learning and Summary Activities will be shared in a separate document**
I appreciate your support and look forward to a great year of learning! Please reach out anytime.
Sincerely,
Janelle El Ghazouani, M.Ed, CAGS-Ed.AP
Email: jelghazouani@msad51.org
Website: Janelle El Ghazouani
Dear Families,
I’m excited to share with you our classroom behavior plan for this year. My goal is to create a positive, safe, and respectful learning environment where every student can be successful. The plan is below this letter for your reference.
Our Expectations
We will focus on three simple rules:
Be respectful (to yourself, others, and our classroom).
Be responsible (make good choices and take care of materials).
Be ready to learn (listen, follow directions, and try your best).
How It Works
Positive behavior will be recognized with praise, class incentives, and individual rewards.
If a student has difficulty following expectations, we use reminders and opportunities to make better choices.
Continued challenges may result in a brief reflection time, a note home, or a phone call so we can work together.
Our Goal
This plan is designed to help students learn self-control, make responsible choices, and contribute to a supportive classroom community.
Thank you for partnering with me in helping your child succeed both academically and socially. Please reach out if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Janelle El Ghazouani
Grade 6 Social Studies
Our Classroom Behavior Plan
We follow the GMS School Code of Conduct every day.
In Social Studies, this means we:
Respect ourselves, others, and our classroom.
Take responsibility for our words and actions.
Follow directions the first time.
Stay on task and be prepared to learn.
What Happens if Behavior Goes Off Track
What Happens if Behavior Goes Off Track
Reminder – Teacher will give a quick reminder of the expectation.
Yellow Card – If behavior continues, you will get a yellow card as a warning.
Second Yellow Card – If it happens again, you may change seats or lose a privilege.
Office/Parent Contact – Continued issues or serious behavior will lead to a call home and/or an office referral.
Positive Behavior
Positive Behavior
When you follow the GMS Code of Conduct, you can earn:
⭐ Praise and recognition
⭐ Homework Passes
⭐ Positive note, email, or phone call home
⭐ “Virtue Shoutouts” for showing honesty, integrity, kindness, respect, loyalty, and more!
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