Welcome To Grade 6: Week 2

Summer was wonderful, of course, but I am thrilled to be back with my classroom family. Our first week went smoothly. We hope it will not be long before our SmartBoard is repaired and running once again. This is my third year at Holy Cross, but I have over 20 years of teaching experience at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels combined.

Our Class set-up is a little different this year, as I am sharing Room #219 with Mme. Frangione, who is new to our school, but also a well seasoned educator. I am the homeroom teacher and will teach Math, English Language Arts and Religion in the mornings to all our Grade 6 students. Mme. Frangione will teach the Immersion Grade 6 students in the afternoons in the same classroom. The Extended Grade 6s (those not in French Immersion) will move classrooms after lunch to be with Mrs. Lee in her portable.

Homework: I do believe in homework. Students develop work habits, self-discipline, and time management in elementary school. It is much easier for you and I to encourage, model, and reinforce it now, rather than battling with a resistant teen later (I know, I have parented four teenagers of my own!). Good habits will support them throughout the rest of their school "careers". My students will be expected to do homework in Math and English Reading during the week. Unless they fall behind, they should not have homework from me over the weekends. Students are encouraged to use class time wisely. If they finish their class work early, they can work on their homework.

1. Reading: Students are expected to read for 30 minutes at home each evening, Monday through Friday. If they can build it into their bedtime routine, going to bed 30 minutes earlier to read, it will feel less like "work". They are expected to fill out their Reading Logs and I ask that parents/guardians please initial these each night. If a student has a busy evening, s/he can catch up on the other evenings and throughout the weekend to make up their 150 minutes. I will collect Reading Logs each Monday.

2. Spiral Math: Students will receive a Spiral Math sheet each Monday. They will do a column each evening, Monday through Thursday. As you will see, a column is typically 7 or 8 questions. Students are expected to show their work on the back of the sheet, or on extra paper stapled to the back of their math sheet, if they need more space. I will collect the Spiral Math sheets each Friday. Spiral Math circulates different math concepts ensuring that students receive continual practice throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, these sheets can feel challenging, as students may have forgotten some concepts over the summer, or may even not have learned something the previous year. The Spiral Math I use does come from an American source, so on occasion, there are topics that don't quite align with the Ontario Curriculum. I have left these in because they offer an added challenge to students who are ready for this (the American Grade 6 is a bit ahead of the Canadian Grade 6 requirements in Math). I have explained to ALL students that, while I want them to try each question, they are not to panic if they have not seen a certain type of question before, they can skip it, and we will review it in class the following morning together. Reviewing the Spiral Math homework questions will take up most of our math block for the first few weeks, since we take our time and make sure that everyone understands. Once the year gets going, students get use to the process and become experienced with more topics, so our morning homework review moves much more quickly. The rest of the math block will then be used for typical unit coverage from the Grade 6 Ontario Math curriculum. Together, you and I can encourage the students to stay positive and foster a growth mindset.

Work-It-Out-Wednesdays: Every Wednesday, right after the students eat lunch (during lunch recess/my lunch break), I will be hosting a Math-help drop-in for my Grade 6s. I do not make any child attend these, but I strongly encourage them to do so if they are having difficulty understanding any math concept throughout the week. I would like students to become "masters of their own learning" and be able to self-advocate when they need help. They do not have to stay in the whole recess, if they don't need/want to. Often there are also students who attend WIOW who are strong in math, and can serve as peer math helpers, as well.