The School District of Newberry County
2025-2026 6th Grade Accelerated ELA
List teacher’s name: Crystal Boyd
School phone number: (803)321-2640 ext. 16615
Email address: cboyd@sdnc.org
Best time to contact: 1:30-3:00
Website address: https://sites.google.com/newberry.k12.sc.us/cboydnmscrystal-boyd/?usp=sharing
Catch-up Cafe: During lunch; Days may vary
After-school assistance schedule: Available upon request if scheduled one week in advance; 3:30-4:00 (transportation home required by approved parent/guardian); Thriving Tigers After School if signed up and approved 3:30-6:00 (bus transportation provided if bus contract is completed)
I. DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
Students entering sixth grade are developing critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and creativity. During the year, sixth-grade students will read longer texts and continue to draw conclusions based on inferences while analyzing how an author’s choices impact meaning in various types of print and multimedia texts. Students will make inferences and analyze how an author’s choices impact meaning in text. Students in sixth grade will be introduced to the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, and the types of reasoning an author may use to support claims. Students will read a variety of fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and drama from across cultures and time periods. Throughout the year, sixth-grade students will also learn how to communicate to a variety of audiences through written and oral communication. Students will write shorter and longer narratives, arguments, and informational texts. Lastly, students in sixth grade will participate in academic discussions and learn how to communicate appropriately to a variety of audiences.
II. TEXTBOOKS AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
State Adopted/Course Textbook(s): Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Literature
Supplemental Materials: William and Mary Integrated Curriculum for Gifted Learners, CommonLit, various student and teacher selected novels
Other Required Materials: Laptop, Composition Notebook, folders, & Agenda (all provided), headphones/earbuds, and a pencil
III. Goals/Objectives
The student will:
Read and write for a variety of purposes, including academic and personal, for extended periods of time.
Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.
Make inferences to support comprehension.
Collaborate with others and use active listening skills.
Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.
Create quality work by adhering to an accepted format.
IV. UNITS OF STUDY
Unit 1: Discovering Your Voice
Unit 2: Finding Courage
Unit 3: Through An Animal’s Eyes
Unit 4: Surviving the Unthinkable
V. ASSESSMENTS - Common unit assessments will count as a major grade.
VI. GRADING
The grading scale is as follows: Grades will be classified into three categories:
A (100-90) Major (50%)
B (89-80) Minor (40%)
C (79-70) Daily/Homework Effort (10%)
D (69-60)
F (Below 59)
VII. HOMEWORK
Students will need to use Schoology to access their daily assignments, these can also be downloaded prior to leaving school. A variety of assignment types will be used and may range from but are not limited to, extra practice on topics, tutorial videos, journaling, vocabulary work, and supplemental reading. Assignments in the homework category are graded for effort/completion and cannot be made up. If the student was absent when the assignment was made, it will be excused.
VIII. RULES AND PROCEDURES
Students are to enter the classroom in a timely and orderly fashion going straight to their seat, get their agenda out and start on the bell work.
A hall/office pass will be issued when deemed necessary, but students must have a pass to leave the class.
The students will be required to be seated quietly and all trash off the floor before they are dismissed by the teacher.
Students should come to class with all their materials (books, pencils, binder, agenda, ID, and paper).
The dress code will be followed according to the handbook.
The students are expected to not interrupt the educational process for other students in the classroom.
The tardy policy will be followed according to the handbook.
IX. Missing Work / Late Work
If a student is absent on the day an assignment is due or a test is taken, a 0 will be entered until work is made up.
When absent, students will have 5 days upon return to turn in missing work to receive full credit.
Students are expected to make up work missed while they were absent. They will be given full credit for work done that satisfies the conditions of the district policy for make-up work. Immediately upon returning to school, the student must contact teachers concerning arrangements for making up work. A zero will be given for work that has been required by the teacher and has not met guidelines for make-up work.
After the student has been absent for three days, the parent/guardian may request make-up work by calling/emailing Kristina Cannon to collect work from all teachers for the student.
When an absence occurs, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about, complete, and return assignments. Students should expect to do more paperwork than those who were in attendance because it is necessary to make up for classroom experiences missed. The following is offered as a timeline for make-up work.
1 day absence 1 day after return to school
2 day absence 2 days after return to school
3 day absence 3 days after return to school
4 day absence 4 days after return to school
5 day absence 5 days after return to school
Students absent more than five (5) days must make arrangements with their teachers for making up the work missed within one week (5 school days) after their return to school. Late work guidelines also apply to make-up work when not completed in a timely manner.
When in-school suspension or discipline program assignments have been given a predetermined date, no extra days are given for make-up work. If students are absent on a predetermined due date, the material is due the day the student returns to school.
Late Work Policy
Major and Minor Assignments—all major and minor assessments will not be accepted after 5 consecutive school days after their due date. This includes but is not limited to: quizzes, presentations, projects, tests, daily assignments and essays. 10 points per day late will be deducted from the assignment for up to 5 days. If you are absent on the day of a project, test, quiz, or presentation, you will be expected to complete it/turn it in on the day of your return.
X. Cheating/Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism offenses will be handled according to the district discipline policy:
1st offense
2nd offense
3rd offense
Redo assignment; parent contact; maximum grade 75
Redo assignment; parent contact; maximum grade 50
Parent contact & zero for assignment