Teaching Methods

In history we will be beginning the year with a unit on the Enlightenment. This unit will serve as an introductory unit to our History curriculum, and we will spend some time introducing how we will take notes in class. The unit will primarily focus on the thoughts of various Enlightenment thinkers as a prelude for the French Revolution, and as contextualization for the American Revolution.

In literature we will start with The Scarlet Pimpernel, a novel which will set the stage for our later study of the French Revolution. This book features the Scarlet Pimpernel, an Englishman who takes it upon himself to rescue French nobles from the guillotine. Students will explore this story through the eyes of Marguerite, a French actress who has gained status through her marriage to an English nobleman. Over the course of the story she will have to discern between conflicting loyalties and come to grips with the nature of heroism.

For math, students will refresh themselves on basic arithmetical principles in order to build a vocabulary that will help them understand the higher-level concepts we will be coming to later in the year.

In Science we will begin by exploring the processes by which the Earth is formed, examining the structures of the earth and the forces that shape the landforms we see around us.

Our grammar lessons will begin with a couple sections of review on principle elements and modifiers. We will be refreshing them on old content they studied next year, and then we will be layering in some extra levels of complexity as we are able.

I will enter your student’s grades weekly in Powerschool.  Be sure to check the online system frequently to stay up to date on your student’s progress. Login information will be provided by our Registrar.

As 6th graders, your students’ grades will not be sent to a college, nor will they determine their future. The value of grades lies in their ability to signal to the students what they do and do not know. As such, the following will be my expectations for letter grades:

A: The student is performing excellent work; work which far exceeds the expectations for 6th grade.

B: The student’s work is admirable and solid. He or she has not only achieved the mastery expected of a 6th grader, but is still pushing and seeking to improve further.

C: The student is on track with what is being taught. He or she is achieving what I hope for from my 6th grade students, and will be ready for 7th grade.

D: The student is close to what is expected of a 6th grader, but needs to make a few corrections to get back on track. There are probably one or two aspects of the class that the student is struggling with.

F: The student has some large-scale corrections to make in order to reach 6th grade standards. He or she absolutely does not understand some large parts of what we are doing and needs to make some major changes to get back on trac

Because of our focus on developing the character of our students, a central part of their school grades depend on how they comport themselves in the classroom and push themselves towards the love of learning and virtue. This constitutes what we call the scholarship grade, and it will be 10% of my students’ grades in their classes.

Scholarship is a measure of the intangible academic skills that a student needs to cultivate to thrive in the classroom when things are challenging. These include organizational skills, intentional questioning and inquiry, attentiveness, and the ability to ask for help. Every student must develop these habits, as they are what will bolster and support the student when they tread into unfamiliar academic territory.

The scholarship grade is not a measurement of virtue, nor is it a subjective evaluation of my personal feelings towards students. Rather, it is a thoughtful reflection of the habits of a good scholar your student displays. Grades will include not just a diagnosis of where your student is, but also recommendations on how they can grow. Every student is here to learn, and every student will have space to grow.

It would be a great help to me and to your children if you would reinforce the importance of this to them, and help us work together towards a healthy classroom environment through your conversations with them at home. If you have any questions or concerns about a grade, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I will happily discuss these matters with you.

If a student cannot turn in work due to an excused absence, they will have one day for each day they missed to complete projects and to retake any tests they missed. They will not be responsible for ordinary classwork and homework, though it will be worth their while to complete it. Projects and tests missed because of an excused absence will be entered in the gradebook as a 0 temporarily. This is not a punitive measure, but is meant to ensure they aren't forgotten.The student will have a chance to make up all the points. I will be sure to be in touch with the parents to alert them to the work that they may help their child complete what is necessary.

If a student has an unexcused absence that results in them not being able to turn in work on time, if they fail to complete it on time, or if they leave it at home, their grade will be entered into the gradebook as a zero. If they complete the work and turn it in, they may receive partial credit for it. If work is turned in within a day after the assignment is due it may receive a maximum of 95%. If within two days, 90%. Three, 85%, and so forth. A student may not receive credit for a homework assignment turned in over a week late.

If a student is chronic in failing to turn in assignments to the point that it may result in retention, I will request a meeting with the parents to discuss effective methods to help the student in question. I may also keep the student in at recess to give them an undisturbed opportunity to complete the work in question.

If your student is struggling with some of the curriculum in my class, I am available after school to meet with them in tutoring Monday or Wednesday.

This is valuable time, and if it is to be useful for your child, some boundaries have to be set in place:

• You must contact me at least the day before in order to set up tutoring for your child.

• The tutoring must be with an express learning objective in mind. We must be working on something specific, so that we can determine when the tutoring's purpose has been accomplished.

• If we agree that tutoring would be helpful to your child, you must update SchoolPass accordingly.

If you update SchoolPass for tutoring but have not contacted me, I will not be equipped to use the time well. Because of this, your child will be sent to the lobby after carline. Please be diligent about contacting me first.

You may reach out with me via email to schedule tutoring.

I will also be asking your student to have a free read book with him or her each day. I will expect your student to have this available by Friday, August 30. This book ought to be of a 6th grade difficulty level. It should be prose, and it should be primarily narrative, not pictures. This means that it will not include manga, comic books, or illustrated books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This is not because I have any particular distaste for this style of book, but because I would like my students to be continually pushing themselves toward more challenging and rewarding material.

I have many quality books in my personal library that students are welcome to check out as their free read book. Please help me keep your students accountable.