It was a great first week Falcons we made it! I want to thank you all for a great first week. This week in Honors Literature we will start reading "The Dog of Pompeii" by Lois Untermeyer. We have already learned about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. "The Dog of Pompeii" is considered a historical fiction story which means that the characters were made up but the historical accounts are fact.
This coming week we will be covering characterization, figurative speech (similes), concrete and sensory details.
Project for this story: Students will write a historical fictional essay. They will also create a mosaic or bulla.
Technology Literacy this week we will be learning about Blogs.
Reminders:
Students need to wear their school uniforms only--white polo and jeans! No hoodies, pullovers or torn jeans allowed!
The money for the Falcon spirit shirt is due on Monday-Aug. 31
Students interested in signing up for the Reading Club may do so next week. Our students will be reading "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. Those students that read it during the summer will have the opportunity to discuss and analyze the novel with me.
Parents students received a syllabus the first day of school with a list of novels that will be read this year in 6th grade. Parents are responsible to buy the novels for your child. I will be ordering copies of the novels which I will then sell to students.
Mt. Vesuvius--Pompeii
Class Syllabus:
"You
can find MAGIC wherever you look. RELAX, all you need is a BOOK. –Dr. Seuss
Teacher: Mrs.
Aide M. Pena
School Phone #: 956-352-6324
Welcome to the 2015-2016 academic year! Just like all of you I am delighted about this
new academic school year; it is going to be rewarding as well as a challenging
year. My expectations are high but
together we will ensure all of you experience success and achieve total
mastery.
As readers, sixth graders experience more
sophisticated works of literature for study and analysis in the classroom. When you walk in this classroom you will give
and receive respect, attention, and knowledge but in order to ensure an ideal
learning environment everyone must need to follow the rules and procedures set
by the teacher.
Materials:
Some
items will only be brought by my homeroom as indicated others will be brought
by all students as indicated.
Ø 2
composition notebooks (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø 2
packs of pencils (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø 2
boxes of Kleenex (HOMEROOM)
Ø 1
box of crayons or markers (HOMEROOM)
Ø 1
11/2 inch binder (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø 2
packs of notebook paper (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø 2
glue sticks (HOMEROOM)
Ø 1
pair scissors (HOMEROOM)
Ø 1
package highlighters (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø 1
package sheet protectors (ALL STUDENTS)
Ø The
assigned reading novel (ALL STUDENTS)
Goals:
ü Provide
an enrichment program to stimulate the talents of G/T students.
ü Guide
students to develop a healthy self-concept and to acquire complex skills for
collaborative conflict resolution and teamwork.
ü Implement
the principles of divergent thinking and foster higher order thinking skills
such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
ü Promote
creative problem-solving for real world issues.
ü Provide
opportunities for self-directed learning and assessment.
ü Arrange
experiences which promote the ongoing development of tasks commitment and
adjustment to rapid change.
ü Encourage
an attitude of responsible service to others.
ü Promote
a global perspective in which the students can interact with their peers and
with outstanding adults.
ü Assist
students in making career choices which help them to become productive,
well-rounded citizens.
ü Achieve
and maintain an A on ALL reading assignments, projects,
quizzes, and the tests.
ü Achieve
a 90 or above on STAAR exam.
Grading: Class
work homework, class participation, quizzes, projects and weekly reading
journal will be 75% of the six weeks grade.
Six Weeks or Novel Final Exam shall have the value of 25%. A minimum of
2 grades per week will be given. The
semester grade will be the average of the three six-week grades.
I will not assign a grade of “A” for late work. I will count 10 points off per day for late
work. If work is turned in and is of
good quality, it will not be assigned a grade lower than a “70”. Work not turned in will be recorded as NHI
(not handed in) or M (missing) on the student portal so that grade reports will
compute the grade as zero until handed in.
o
REQUIRED MATERIALS. Bring the following materials to class each
day:
-Two sharpened pencils
-Composition Notebooks
-Novel
o ENTERING THE CLASSROOM.
-We enter the classroom in a calm, quiet manner. Sharpen
your pencil if necessary and take a seat.
-Remember: Once the door is closed, you must be in your
seat and working. (That means having the necessary materials out on your desk.)
o ATTENTION SIGNAL.
-When I hold up my hand I will say, "Give me
five." That
means the entire class should be absolutely silent and still within 5 seconds.
o ASKING QUESTIONS.LEAVING YOUR SEAT.GETTING HELP.
-Quietly raise your hand and wait for teacher to
acknowledge you.
o
CLASSROOM
BEHAVIOR.
-Your responsibilities in this class are to: be on time,
be prepared, and be productive.All team
members are expected to be polite and respectful to one another---and that
includes the teacher.
No student will be allowed to disrupt the learning of his
or her classmates.
o
When you finish
assignments early:
-If
you finish all your assigned work early you may: a) read independently; b) work
on extra credit; c) write in your reading journal; d) work on an assignment for
another class.
DO
NOT TALK TO OR DISTURB OTHER
o
MAKEUP
WORK.
- If you are absent you are expected to make up any work
you missed. On
the day you return, check with the teacher for missed assignments.
o
HOMEWORK.
-Homework, when assigned, will be due at the beginning of class. Have
it out on your desk ready to be picked up.
Make sure the assignment has your full name, class period, and
date.
o
END OF
CLASS DISMISSAL.
-Two minutes before class ends, I will tell you to start
getting packed up. We will straighten the room. Then, I will give you any last
minute instructions and I will dismiss
you.
o TARDINESS. You are expected to be in your seat when I close the door.
If you come in late and do not have a pass, quietly sign the tardy sheet at the
front of the room. You are allowed four unexcused tardies for the six weeks.
The fifth unexcused tardy will result in a referral and a call home.
Tardies 1-4—Teacher
records and warns student
Tardy 5—Referral
to administrator. Parent Contact
Tardy 6- Referral and Parent,
Teacher, Administrator Meeting
Tardy 7- Referral and ISS at home
campus (if provided)
Tardy 8+ - Referral and student will
be transferred to home campus.
o RESTROOM PASSES. You are expected to use the restroom between classes. No bathroom passes (or any
passes) will be issued the first 15 minutes of class and the last 15 minutes of
class. You are allowed two passes (of
any kind) per six weeks. Use them wisely.
CLASSROOM
RULES:
1.
Follow
directions quickly and the first time they are given.
2.
Raise
your hand before speaking or leaving your seat.
3.
Keep
hands, feet, and objects to yourselves.
4.
Respect
your classmates and your teachers.
5.
Adhere
to district uniform policy at all times.
6.
Keep
your Teachers Happy J
Consequences:
Everything
we do in life has consequences. Consequences
are the things that happen to you when you choose not to obey the rules. This
is what will happen if you choose to violate one or more of the classroom
rules.
1.
Verbal
Warning/Reassignment of seat
2.
Student
and Teacher Conference
3.
Parent
Contact: Letter or Phone call
4.
Parent
and Teacher Conference/with Student
5.
Referral
to Principal
-During
special circumstances first 4 steps can be bypassed.
TO:
PARENT/GUARDIAN AND STUDENT
Parent/Legal Guardian by signing below you are
acknowledging that you have read and fully understand the content of the
syllabus/procedures and rules of this classroom and are in agreement of the
possible consequences.
This is not a formal contract simply a tool being
utilized to help assure student success at our campus.
Students have to be held accountable for their
decisions and actions in order to ensure a positive and safe learning
environment for all.
This document will be used to assist in determining the
student’s future at Ac2E
Middle School.
6th Grade Honors Literature
Teacher: Mrs. Aidé
M. Peña
Class Period: _______________
Student Name:
_________________________________________________________
Student Signature: ______________________________________________________
Parent name:
___________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature:
________________________________________________
Contact Phone Number: __________________________________________________
Thank you for your cooperation, and together let’s
make this academic year a special one.
Cheating Policy:
Anyone
who participates in cheating on a test, project or other assignments will
receive a zero for that grade. There is
no reason why cheating is ever excusable.
If you did not understand an assignment, then let me know and I will
explain it to you and grant you an extension.
Projects:
There
will be several projects throughout the six weeks based on the novels we are
reading. Students should be prepared to work on their own or in groups. Projects will consist of classroom activities
as well as project that will be assigned to done at home. The students will be given the information
for the projects ahead of time and will be given plenty of time to complete
them.
Attendance:
Being
present in class every day in important.
Every day will build on skills needed for completing assignments. It is imperative that you attend class on a
daily basis, as failure to do so will result in you missing out on important
information. AFTER 3 ABSENCES, STUDENT
WILL BE REFERRED TO ADIMINISTRATION.
Blog:
This
class will have a blog where I will be posting reminders, due dates, discussion
questions, quotes to be discussed in class, and other topics that pertain to
the class. Sometimes it will be daily
and sometimes will be weekly depending on the information that needs to be
given. Students and parents should check
the blog daily to make sure that no new information has been posted. Students will be able to comment on the blog
and participate in discussions on blog. www.ac2emsperezpena.blogspot.com
Contact:
If
you have any questions feel free to come in and see me during my 8th
and 9th planning periods which are from 1:50 p.m. to 3:35 p. m. You may also call me at 956-352-6324.
REQUIRED
NOVELS:
1st
Six Weeks-- 1st Novel “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
2nd
Six Weeks--2nd Novel “Esperanza Rising” Pam Muñoz
3rd
Six Weeks--3rd Novel “Out of the Dust” by Karen Hesse
4th
Six Weeks--4th Novel “Once” by Morris Gleitzman
5th
Six Weeks--5th Novel “The Cay” by Theodore Taylor
6th
Six Weeks--6th Novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling
***Students are
required to purchase their own novels.
They may purchase novel on electronic device. However, they may NOT purchase audio version
of novel***
If you have any
questions or concerns please let me know.
“Today a READER, Tomorrow a LEADER”
