Dear PBL Parents and Guardians,
The next two weeks of school will very busy jam-packed full of fun and important events. As we near ISTEP, please check-in with your students about their assignments at school and homework/reading at home. Our goal is to help the students stay focused and have a positive attitude these next two weeks.
Please note: With a practice ISTEP test on Tuesday, and testing all next week, computers will NOT be allowed to go home the next two weeks of school. Computers and chargers should be left in the students' homeroom computer carts to avoid and frustration.
To help get the students in a positive mind frame, each student will be drawing the name of another PBL student, and this will be their "ISTEP Buddy." The ISTEP Buddies are meant to be a SECRET until the end of the week. The students will be encouraged to send their buddy positive messages, put encouraging posters on the person's locker, and help them feel good about taking ISTEP next week. This does not need to be gifts or anything other than positive words.
Additionally, there are three weeks left in the quarter, and many students have not been completing their Riverside Reads requirements. Please check in with them about their progress on this, and encourage them to finish their tic-tac-toes. All final books must be approved by Monday, March 17, and final book reviews are due on Friday, March 21.
As there is a lot going on this week, please look carefully through the week's plan, so you can help your student stay on track!
6th Grade Math: Students will be working on formulas. This IS NOT in Digits, but rather in-class practice and activities. There will be some ISTEP review done as well, but no quiz this week.
HW: 60 minutes of IXL
Advanced Math: Students will be working on formulas. This IS NOT in Digits, but rather in-class practice and activities. There will be some ISTEP review done as well, but no quiz this week.
HW: 60 minutes of IXL
Language Arts: This week we'll be reading short stories and answering both short and long written responses about the story. We will be practicing writing in all of the genres we've learned about this year: narrative, persuasive, and descriptive. Because students cannot take their computers home this week, we will also allow for some time in class to complete Achieve 3000. We will also spend some time improving their writing for their blogs in PBL.
HW: Complete two Achieve 3000 articles, Read 30 minutes each night
PBL Work Time: Wow, this week will be BUSY! To help the students stay focused and on track this week and next, we will be sharing a Blogging Assignments Calendar. I've attached this to the email so you can keep up with the work as well. Because there will be many events going on, your students will have to use all of the available work time wisely in order to complete their work. The great thing about this project is that we have scheduled many speakers and experts to talk with the students about their ecosystems. For example, on Tuesday we have a Notre Dame graduate student coming to talk to the students about her work in the Arctic. Later we will Skype with an expert from EarthWorks, and the Potowatomi Zoo will visit as well.
Links to the students blogs will be sent later this week. We'd love to have parents, grandparents, older siblings read and comment on the blogs to show the 6th graders that people are actually reading their work!
HW: Complete any blogging writing and work not finished in PBL Work Time
Other Important Dates and Information:*ISTEP Practice Test will be held on Tuesday morning, March 4. *ISTEP Kick-Off Assembly: Thursday, March 6 at 2:20. *Relay for Life 6th Grade Project Kick-Off: March 7 at 1:30. We'd love to have family members attend this if you are free! *Relay for Life fundraisers at school will begin next week. Ask your student about these fun events! *ISTEP Testing will begin Monday, March 10 and go on the entire week. *3rd Quarter ends on Friday, March 21. *Spring Break: March 24-28
Thanks for all of your time and efforts at home. Here's to an exciting week!6th Grade PBL Facilitators
The next two weeks of school will very busy jam-packed full of fun and important events. As we near ISTEP, please check-in with your students about their assignments at school and homework/reading at home. Our goal is to help the students stay focused and have a positive attitude these next two weeks.
Please note: With a practice ISTEP test on Tuesday, and testing all next week, computers will NOT be allowed to go home the next two weeks of school. Computers and chargers should be left in the students' homeroom computer carts to avoid and frustration.
To help get the students in a positive mind frame, each student will be drawing the name of another PBL student, and this will be their "ISTEP Buddy." The ISTEP Buddies are meant to be a SECRET until the end of the week. The students will be encouraged to send their buddy positive messages, put encouraging posters on the person's locker, and help them feel good about taking ISTEP next week. This does not need to be gifts or anything other than positive words.
Additionally, there are three weeks left in the quarter, and many students have not been completing their Riverside Reads requirements. Please check in with them about their progress on this, and encourage them to finish their tic-tac-toes. All final books must be approved by Monday, March 17, and final book reviews are due on Friday, March 21.
As there is a lot going on this week, please look carefully through the week's plan, so you can help your student stay on track!
6th Grade Math: Students will be working on formulas. This IS NOT in Digits, but rather in-class practice and activities. There will be some ISTEP review done as well, but no quiz this week.
HW: 60 minutes of IXL
Advanced Math: Students will be working on formulas. This IS NOT in Digits, but rather in-class practice and activities. There will be some ISTEP review done as well, but no quiz this week.
HW: 60 minutes of IXL
Language Arts: This week we'll be reading short stories and answering both short and long written responses about the story. We will be practicing writing in all of the genres we've learned about this year: narrative, persuasive, and descriptive. Because students cannot take their computers home this week, we will also allow for some time in class to complete Achieve 3000. We will also spend some time improving their writing for their blogs in PBL.
HW: Complete two Achieve 3000 articles, Read 30 minutes each night
PBL Work Time: Wow, this week will be BUSY! To help the students stay focused and on track this week and next, we will be sharing a Blogging Assignments Calendar. I've attached this to the email so you can keep up with the work as well. Because there will be many events going on, your students will have to use all of the available work time wisely in order to complete their work. The great thing about this project is that we have scheduled many speakers and experts to talk with the students about their ecosystems. For example, on Tuesday we have a Notre Dame graduate student coming to talk to the students about her work in the Arctic. Later we will Skype with an expert from EarthWorks, and the Potowatomi Zoo will visit as well.
Links to the students blogs will be sent later this week. We'd love to have parents, grandparents, older siblings read and comment on the blogs to show the 6th graders that people are actually reading their work!
HW: Complete any blogging writing and work not finished in PBL Work Time
Other Important Dates and Information:*ISTEP Practice Test will be held on Tuesday morning, March 4. *ISTEP Kick-Off Assembly: Thursday, March 6 at 2:20. *Relay for Life 6th Grade Project Kick-Off: March 7 at 1:30. We'd love to have family members attend this if you are free! *Relay for Life fundraisers at school will begin next week. Ask your student about these fun events! *ISTEP Testing will begin Monday, March 10 and go on the entire week. *3rd Quarter ends on Friday, March 21. *Spring Break: March 24-28
Thanks for all of your time and efforts at home. Here's to an exciting week!6th Grade PBL Facilitators