Hello Parents and Guardians,
This is the first of many weekly email updates you will receive from our team. We encourage you to read through these emails carefully as we try to include all necessary information about class and important dates/events coming up at school. Please feel free to share these with your student(s) as well! As this is the first weekly update, it may be a bit lengthy, but usually we try to keep it short and sweet. So here's a look at what's going on at school this week...
6th Grade Math: This week students will be getting familiar the online math tools they will be using this year. Students will use Digits as their math textbook and IXL to practice math skills. Additionally, much of this week will be spent with important math vocabulary, word problems, and strategies to solve such problems. This will help as the year progresses and the students move more towards problem solving vs. traditional computation problems. (Key words for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) Once Digits is up and running, students will complete a Digits Scavenger Hunt to discover the useful tools and figure out how to use the program.
We will also be getting familiar with our online software programs: ECHO and MULTIPLICATION.COM. Students will have an opportunity to set up their math binders and homework folders on their computers.
HW: Complete 60 minutes of IXL practice (Students should be working on lessons under 6th grade, A1 and A2... place value)
Advanced Math (7th grade): Same as above for this week!
HW: Complete 60 minutes of IXL (Students should be working on lessons under 6th grade, A1 and A2... place value)
Language Arts: Early in the week, students will taking their Achieve 3000 level-set test to determine their Lexile (reading) level. This will help the Achieve 3000 system provide articles at your student's individual reading level. We are beginning our Achieve 3000 requirements this week. Students will need to complete two articles at 75% or higher and compose well-written thought questions by the Saturday. There will be some time given in class to work on this, but this usually requires some time spent at home. Students who do not complete the requirement of two articles by Saturday will receive an after-school detention which we hold on Wednesdays until 3:45pm. Please encourage your student to get this work done early in the week, and check-in with them towards the end of the week to ensure this has been completed.
We will also begin reading the book Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen. As our first PBL project is centered around significant life events of our students, this fits well as the main character in this book deals with some very eventful life events of his own. Throughout the course of reading this book, we will be learning about elements of plot and discussing the theme of the book. Lastly, students will be reviewing and practicing how to use complete sentences in writing.
One last note about reading this year: As a school we have decided to move away from giving grade for Riverside Reads requirements. So much research says this practice has a negative impact on building a student's lifelong love for reading. Instead, students will engage in a non-negotionable 20 minutes of reading every day. During this time, our entire team will be strictly reading for the entire 20 minutes. The 6th graders will be able to choose between silent reading on their own (novels, non-fiction, magazines with written articles, on their Kindles, etc.) or they can choose to read in a small group with a teacher leading the reading. Either way, the expectation is the students will be engaged in reading something of their choice. This does not exempt them from their daily homework of reading 30 minutes each night at home. The importance of reading each night is undeniable. I've attached a PDF chart showing what happens to students who skip daily reading. The consequences are pretty alarming! Please encourage your student to spend some time each evening reading something, anything.
HW: Complete two Achieve 3000 articles at 75% or higher with well-written thought questions, Read 30 minutes each night
PBL Work Time: As a team, we are very excited to begin our first project of the year. This project is titled "Who Am I?" and will focus on your student as a individual. Students will be choosing a significant life event that has made them who they are today. Our entry event consists of two elements: 1) this YouTube video (click to watch) and 2) the attached entry event letter. Students will be working on their Know and Need to Know lists as well as our Problem Statement that will drive their learning.
As the week progresses, they will have some important due dates. The project calendar can be found HERE, but please note some dates and daily work may change based on students' needs. Students will be creating timelines of their significant life event. A rough draft of this timeline will be dueon Thursday at the end of PBL work time. All other due dates can be seen on the linked project calendar. Additionally, the rubric for the entire project has been attached to this email. This breaks down exactly how the students will be graded for this project.
HW: Choose significant life event (if needed), Complete rough draft time of life event (if needed)
Other Important Dates and Information:*Red Folders will be coming home this week. Please look through them carefully as some papers need to be signed/returned to school!
*ECHO Parent Night (information and how-to tutorials) -Thursday, August 21 at 6:30pm. All are encouraged to attend. Bring your student's computer with you to follow along!
*School Pictures - Friday, August 22
*No school Friday, August 29 - Professional Development day for teachers
*No school Monday, September 1 - Labor Day
Don't forget, you can also get information, updates, and see pictures posted on our team's website: http://pblinnovationacademy.weebly.com
We are looking forward to a wonderful week. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email or call any one of us. Thanks for all you do at home to support our students!
6th Grade PBL Facilitators
This is the first of many weekly email updates you will receive from our team. We encourage you to read through these emails carefully as we try to include all necessary information about class and important dates/events coming up at school. Please feel free to share these with your student(s) as well! As this is the first weekly update, it may be a bit lengthy, but usually we try to keep it short and sweet. So here's a look at what's going on at school this week...
6th Grade Math: This week students will be getting familiar the online math tools they will be using this year. Students will use Digits as their math textbook and IXL to practice math skills. Additionally, much of this week will be spent with important math vocabulary, word problems, and strategies to solve such problems. This will help as the year progresses and the students move more towards problem solving vs. traditional computation problems. (Key words for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) Once Digits is up and running, students will complete a Digits Scavenger Hunt to discover the useful tools and figure out how to use the program.
We will also be getting familiar with our online software programs: ECHO and MULTIPLICATION.COM. Students will have an opportunity to set up their math binders and homework folders on their computers.
HW: Complete 60 minutes of IXL practice (Students should be working on lessons under 6th grade, A1 and A2... place value)
Advanced Math (7th grade): Same as above for this week!
HW: Complete 60 minutes of IXL (Students should be working on lessons under 6th grade, A1 and A2... place value)
Language Arts: Early in the week, students will taking their Achieve 3000 level-set test to determine their Lexile (reading) level. This will help the Achieve 3000 system provide articles at your student's individual reading level. We are beginning our Achieve 3000 requirements this week. Students will need to complete two articles at 75% or higher and compose well-written thought questions by the Saturday. There will be some time given in class to work on this, but this usually requires some time spent at home. Students who do not complete the requirement of two articles by Saturday will receive an after-school detention which we hold on Wednesdays until 3:45pm. Please encourage your student to get this work done early in the week, and check-in with them towards the end of the week to ensure this has been completed.
We will also begin reading the book Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen. As our first PBL project is centered around significant life events of our students, this fits well as the main character in this book deals with some very eventful life events of his own. Throughout the course of reading this book, we will be learning about elements of plot and discussing the theme of the book. Lastly, students will be reviewing and practicing how to use complete sentences in writing.
One last note about reading this year: As a school we have decided to move away from giving grade for Riverside Reads requirements. So much research says this practice has a negative impact on building a student's lifelong love for reading. Instead, students will engage in a non-negotionable 20 minutes of reading every day. During this time, our entire team will be strictly reading for the entire 20 minutes. The 6th graders will be able to choose between silent reading on their own (novels, non-fiction, magazines with written articles, on their Kindles, etc.) or they can choose to read in a small group with a teacher leading the reading. Either way, the expectation is the students will be engaged in reading something of their choice. This does not exempt them from their daily homework of reading 30 minutes each night at home. The importance of reading each night is undeniable. I've attached a PDF chart showing what happens to students who skip daily reading. The consequences are pretty alarming! Please encourage your student to spend some time each evening reading something, anything.
HW: Complete two Achieve 3000 articles at 75% or higher with well-written thought questions, Read 30 minutes each night
PBL Work Time: As a team, we are very excited to begin our first project of the year. This project is titled "Who Am I?" and will focus on your student as a individual. Students will be choosing a significant life event that has made them who they are today. Our entry event consists of two elements: 1) this YouTube video (click to watch) and 2) the attached entry event letter. Students will be working on their Know and Need to Know lists as well as our Problem Statement that will drive their learning.
As the week progresses, they will have some important due dates. The project calendar can be found HERE, but please note some dates and daily work may change based on students' needs. Students will be creating timelines of their significant life event. A rough draft of this timeline will be dueon Thursday at the end of PBL work time. All other due dates can be seen on the linked project calendar. Additionally, the rubric for the entire project has been attached to this email. This breaks down exactly how the students will be graded for this project.
HW: Choose significant life event (if needed), Complete rough draft time of life event (if needed)
Other Important Dates and Information:*Red Folders will be coming home this week. Please look through them carefully as some papers need to be signed/returned to school!
*ECHO Parent Night (information and how-to tutorials) -Thursday, August 21 at 6:30pm. All are encouraged to attend. Bring your student's computer with you to follow along!
*School Pictures - Friday, August 22
*No school Friday, August 29 - Professional Development day for teachers
*No school Monday, September 1 - Labor Day
Don't forget, you can also get information, updates, and see pictures posted on our team's website: http://pblinnovationacademy.weebly.com
We are looking forward to a wonderful week. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email or call any one of us. Thanks for all you do at home to support our students!
6th Grade PBL Facilitators
who_am_i__rubric.pdf |
whoamientryeventletter.pdf |
why_cant_i_skip_reading_pdf.pdf |