WELCOME TO 6th GRADE!

Please take a seat at your child’s desk.

NANCY MAGUIRE 30th YEAR TEACHING (2ND-HIGH SCHOOL) UCI TEACHING CREDENTIAL MASTERS IN EDUCATION IUSD DISTRICT TEACHER OF THE YEAR 1992 PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN

TEACHING MATH 1994 and 1995 NOMINATED FOR THE DISNEY AMERICAN

TEACHER AWARD 2002 DISTRICT MATH MENTOR, TEACHER TRAINER,

AND CURRICULUM WRITER WESTPARK SCHOOL’S TEACHER OF THE YEAR

2008

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION

SCHEDULES ATTENDANCE WEB PAGE CONDUITS NO LATE WORK BLUE MOONS ABSENT WORK TABLE POINTS, PIZZA PARTIES

HOMEWORK POLICY 90 minutes per

night 15 minutes looking for assignment 11 minutes calling a friend for the assignment 13 minutes explaining why the teacher is mean 8 minutes in the bathroom 10 minutes getting a snack 7 minutes checking the TV Guide 16 minutes telling parents that the teacher never

explained the assignment 10 minutes at the kitchen table waiting for a family

member to do the assignment Long Term Assignments are always given the night

before they are due

6TH GRADE MOTTOS PERSONAL BEST: “Never settle for

less than your best!” HOME COURT IS IN SESSION: Where

people feel encouraged and supported to risk and do their best, just as they do if competing on their home court.

MAKE AN EFFORT, NOT AN EXCUSE: Encouraging Responsibility

AIR: Accountability, Integrity, Respect

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD:

Encourage organization and responsibilityAvoid rescuing/helping too much Be the coach on the sideModel thinkingValue learningExpectations

FOCUS CHANGE IN MATH

IUSD is moving towards more blended assessments in math

because this is the direction the state is moving. Our students have become expert multiple

choice test takers and they need to become more in-depth

thinkers who can handle open-ended, complex, application

problems.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

The Common Core State Standards seek to better prepare students across the nation for college and careers, raising both expectations and achievement.

National Standards (46 states have adopted) 2014-2015 Smarter Balanced Assessments

MATHEMATICS Blue book/Green book Hands-on activities Teaching for understanding Problems of the Week Brain Book Thinking Transitional Year

6th Grade CCSS Math

Ratios and Proportional Relationships

The Number System Expressions and Equations Geometry Statistics and Probability

STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and

critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in

repeated reasoning.

Currently:•6th Grade Math•Pre-Algebra•Algebra 1

Common Core Math:•6th Grade Common Core•7th Grade Common Core•8th Grade Common Core•Algebra 1

Current 7th Grade Common Core

8th Grade Common Core

Algebra 1 Geometry None

California Algebra 1 25 Standards

2 7 10 1 5

ACCELERATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Common Core Standards for Gr. 6-8 are comprehensive, rigorous, and non-redundant. Acceleration will require compaction and not the former strategy of deletion.

The previous models for acceleration will no longer be viable, so that critical concepts are not omitted and that the continuity of the mathematics learning progression is not disrupted.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP “Read like a Writer.

Write like a Reader.” WRITING PROCESS PLEASE DO NOT HELP WRITING KEEPSAKE: HARDBOUND ANTHOLOGY CCSS: Argument, Research, Narrative

CLASS NOVELS JR. GREAT BOOKS:

Collection of Short Stories LITERATURE CIRCLES TRIMESTER BOOK PROJECTS Historical Fiction; Biography; Informational Text

CCSS: Foundational Skills, Reading Literature, Reading Informational Text

LITERATURE

LANGUAGE SKILLS Vocabulary: Classical Roots Grammar: Easy Grammar

SOCIAL STUDIES

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND

PROJECTS RESEARCH SKILLS CIVILIZATIONS PROJECT:

Big Book

SCIENCE Vicky Anthony vanthony@iusd.org Science Website HANDS-ON EXPERIMENTS PARTICIPATION REQUIRED SCIENCE

FAIR PROJECT: see samples in the science room tonight

TEXTBOOK/Tests

OUTDOOR SCIENCE SCHOOL

November 20-22th (Wednesday-Friday) Pali Institute near Lake Arrowhead Parent Information Meeting:

Tuesday, August 27th at 6:00 pm

in MPR Popsicle sales help pay

for the busses.

COMING ATTRACTIONS D.A.R.E. (Officer D’Alena)

Leadership Opportunities:• Valets• Green Team• Student Council

IRVINE JR. GAMES MATH FIELD DAY SPECIAL 6TH GRADE

END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITIES (Parent meeting in May)

Volunteers Needed:

Conduits: Thursday In Class Help: Clerical (copying, stapling, cutting, etc) At home jobs: Scholastic Book Orders,

correcting papers, project preparation Special activities and fundraising WISH LIST CONTRIBUTIONS FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Nancy Maguire E-mail: Nmaguire@iusd.org Phone: (949) 936-6428

No Perfume Please!

DON’T FORGET ... Goal Setting

CONFERENCE:August 26-30

Note to Child PTA support Shoe Drive Fundraiser