Parents' Packet of Success - Disclosure



Sixth Grade Sedulous Scholars’ Parents’ Packet of Success!




Mrs. Susan Goers                                                                                       sgoers@gfautah.org
Good Foundations Academy                             www.sixthgradesedulousscholars.blogspot.com
6th Grade Disclosure                                                                        http://www.engrade.com/user/login
(801)393-2950           
Welcome to all the Sixth Grade Sedulous Scholars and Parents!
We are delighted to be serving you as your child’s instructors this coming year. We have many exciting teaching experiences planned that will enrich and stimulate learning in and out of the classroom. We ask that you simply read through this disclosure, sign the back sheet, and send it in with your student to school tomorrow. The rest of the pages are for you to retain at home. We would like to all start the year on the same foundation and know what the expectations are for success.
1. Scheduling and Planners – Your students will be working with planners this year. They are vitally important in teaching time management skills and organization. As parents you will be responsible for signing off on certain homework activities throughout the year (see homework section). Please note that if your child misplaces his/her planner it will need to be replaced within 24 hours at your cost as to not lose track of activities and assignments. The first day of school your student will be filling out their schedules in their planners. Please review this when they arrive home.
2. Field trips/classroom help/visits - Your participation and support during the school year is not only encouraged, but greatly appreciated. If you would like to join us on a field trip, help car pool, come spend a day with us in class, or simply drop in for a visit, please communicate that to us via email. We welcome parents’ participation at any time.
Currently we are scheduling one field trip per quarter and would like parents to join us. Please refer to the Parent Handbook for information on which students will be allowed to participate in Field Trips at the end of each quarter. Your student needs to demonstrate 95% attendance at school in order to qualify to participate.
3. Birthdays – the last in school Friday of each month we will celebrate the birthdays of the students in our room. Please consult our classroom blog (address above) for information on other students with the same birthday month, and WE would ask that you coordinate with those parents what you would like to bring in that afternoon. We will reserve the last 15 minutes of the day to celebrate birthdays.
4. Snacks – We will have a ten minute break in the morning between our language arts and history time to grab a quick snack and use the restroom. Students concentrate better when they are fed and have used the facilities. Please DO NOT send your students with candy, soda, or sugary snacks. Fruit, crackers, or other healthy snacks are highly suggested as to help facilitate the learning process. Also, please be certain your student has a balanced healthy breakfast before starting the day.
5. Homework Policy – Many of us are working parents, and therefore many of us after working hard all day do not desire to go back to work after dinner. However, we are teaching our students responsibility and a good work ethic, therefore there will be some work required of them during the week while at home. Students will be assigned an essay of the week that they will get on Monday, due the following Friday (beginning the end of September). They will also have their own book to be reading outside of class, and a book report due the end of the month. These dates and topics will be in their planners. Please follow the blog so you will know when your student’s planners need to be signed to substantiate that they have been reading during the week, and have worked on spelling/vocabulary and any extra projects that may be assigned. There will be evenings where WE will ask your student to teach the family a particular math strategy. If they get confused please don’t attempt to help them; they will cover it the following morning with me in the classroom.
If your scholar is out ill it is HIGHLY suggested that you either have a sibling pick up their work, or that you come and pick up their work after school. There will be a list on their desk with any handouts and directions. It is in their best interest to not get more than one day behind in work as it tends to be fast and furious in the suite. The more they can complete at home the better!
6. Grading Policy - All homework is DUE on the date specified unless we change that date. Students can hand in their work one day late and get half credit for the work if it is perfect. If they do not hand in their work after that date, they will receive a zero in the grade book, BUT in order to get their quarterly report card they STILL have to hand in the work. Any work assigned is worth doing, therefore they need to be responsible and do the work. Of course special circumstances and sickness will be considered. It is the student and the parents’ responsibility to sign on to Engrade and view grades on a weekly or daily basis. Parents will be notified when homework is not handed in via email, and when a student falls into the zone of a D or lower in a particular class. It is the responsibility of the students and parents to be constantly aware of where a student’s grades are standing.
TIME MANAGEMENT is a huge part of learning in the 6th grade year. It is essential for us to help coach the students through the first quarter to hand in items on time and to manage time to not be rushed. By second quarter you will still be signing planners, but we are not expecting you to check each piece of work. By third quarter your student should be into the swing of things, and you should only need to sign their planner, not inspect schoolwork. You will be notified if you sign a planner but the work is not complete. By fourth quarter the scholars will be pros at managing their time and getting things done decently and in order! J By working as a team we can constructively coach your student into being more responsible. During the fourth quarter you will not be notified if your scholar did not complete homework, they need to be responsible and keep track by that point in time.
Also by FOURTH QUARTER any work handed in without a name will be granted a 0%. It is important for students to have developed this responsibility by then. When they move into Jr. High they will not have the option of going and finding their papers without their names!
7. Contact Information – Please feel free to contact me via email or the school phone number listed. If there is an emergency please contact the office and they will get to me immediately. Please also follow our classroom blog as we will be updating it weekly with what we’re learning in class, as well as pictures of our day! You must become a member of the blog in order to comment. All comments come through me before posting. Please respect my time and the fact that we work 60 – 70 hours per week during the school year. Do not show up after school expecting my time and attention unless you have requested it first. Most items can be handled through email and we will respond to you within 24 hours. If your question/concern is addressed on the blog you will simply get a response email stating “please see blog”.
8. Behavior – In keeping with our Charter, Good Foundations Academy will be encouraging students to behave in accordance with our standards of respect, cooperation, citizenship, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and responsibility. As a family you may want to go over these traits and discuss them before school begins. Any student who has consistent trouble exemplifying these behaviors will be referred to the Dean, and parents will be notified. Scholars who are sent to the Dean for a classroom infraction (not specials or recess) will not be allowed back in the learning community until we have met with the Dean and his or her parents. This is a new standard being set at GFA this year for 6th graders as we expect their behavior to be exemplary and reflective of the Foundation Stones for the younger students. We take behavior seriously and will not tolerate infractions. Several management techniques will be used in the classroom prior to sending a scholar to the Dean. Once this has occurred further action on the parents’ part will take place in order to foster the vital Parent/Student/Teacher relationship that marks a charter school environment.
9. Attendance Policy – It is mandatory that parents read and understand the attendance policy. Ten unexcused/excused absences results in being referred to the Dean for counsel. More than 10 unexcused/excused absences can result in the student’s progress being placed in jeopardy. Please read it carefully. Teachers are not expected to approve vacations during regular school days unless a student is in good standing, and the teacher has had a two week notice. Please respect the policy. Also pay attention to school times and the tardy policy. School begins at 8:00 a.m. and teachers will not repeat work for students who are late. Three tardies becomes an absence. Please consult the School Parent Handbook for more information.
10. Parental Involvement – In order for your student to be successful this year, we highly encourage parental involvement in the classroom. With this in mind, WE am looking to have parents who are interested and available, to come and visit our room for a small presentation on their career field where they are currently working. The students will be writing research papers this year investigating a question in regards to what they may want to do for a career. WE would like to broaden their horizons and give them the opportunity to hear about various careers. If you are willing to share with us, please include your career field with your signature below. Thank you.
11. Clothing – Please refer to the parent handbook regarding dress code. ALSO, if your student is one to easily get muddy, dirty, or tear his/her clothing, please send in an extra set of pants, shorts, and polo to leave in their locker in case of emergencies. If they have no change of clothes and are covered in dirt/mud, etc after recess they will be sent to the office to call home. It would save parents a trip if students have extra clothing in their lockers.
12. Forensics and Science Event – ALL sixth grade students will be required to participate in forensics in the classroom AND the first competition with a speech emphasis. The competition will take place in November and students will prepare in class for their speech. There is also an opportunity for those who would like to compete, to travel with the Grandiloquent Guardians Forensic Team. We will be meeting from 3:30 to 5:30 on Thursdays for practices and then traveling to high school tournaments to observe. There will be middle school competitions available, and if enough students qualify, a trip to nationals next year is on the horizon.
The science event is also required for all sixth grade students. It will be decided by the team who is running it this year what exactly the emphasis will be, but the top three sixth graders will move onto the Jr. Ritchey Science Fair at Weber State University in March 2013.
Students will be graded for both their forensics participation and tournament as well as the science event project and participation.











Important Dates
October  -  FIELD TRIP  - Heat, Light, Sound TBA
November 15 – Grandiloquent Guardians’ Speech Tournament- GFA (mandatory)
December TBA  EVENT  7:30 pm – Terrace Plaza Playhouse, Ogden – A Christmas Carol (voluntary) $7 students, $9 adults.
January TBA  FIELD TRIP  Clark Planetarium, Seasons/Moon phases
February TBAEVENT School chapter competition Math Counts
February 6 -  FIELD TRIP – Mrs. Cavanaugh’s Chocolate Factory – Chemical Reactions
February 8EVENT  Sedulous Scholars Coffeehouse – (mandatory) 6:30 pm  location TBA
February TBAEVENT Date to be confirmed – Regional Math Counts Competition – Utah State University. Top math students will be invited to compete as individuals and a team.
February  TBA  EVENT - GFA Science Fair Grades 4 – 6.  (mandatory) Gymnasium 6:30 pm
March TBA  EVENT – Junior Richie Science Fair – Weber State University – Top Sixth Graders invited to participate
March TBAEVENT – date to be confirmed – Math Counts State Competition SLCC all day
May 17EVENT – Lagoon Physics Day Competition – mandatory. Grant has been applied for in order to cover SOME expenses of entry fees for the day.
May TBAEVENT – National Competition Math Counts, Orlando Florida.
May 29 – EVENT – Graduation Ceremony - voluntary





Homework and Rigor
So that there’s an understanding of what we are talking about in reference to your scholar’s learning of time management and being able to handle a rigorous load, let’s clarify what we mean when discussing middle school homework.
Your scholar is no longer in elementary school where they are being babysat and watched over constantly. We expect parents to be coaches and help students by signing planners and reminding now and then that there are always book reports to be done, and projects to be worked.
Your scholar will have a number of assignments going at one time, and a number of items to juggle. It will be in their best interest (it will behoove them) to always be looking a couple weeks ahead in their planners and working on projects and studying all the way through. They will be expected to read every night, and work on their spelling and vocabulary every night. Some scholars can get those things done quickly, others need more time. If your scholar finishes their book report book in two weeks and is not currently reading another novel, please provide him/her with a newspaper, Time Magazine, World Magazine, Discovery Magazine, or some other quality piece of media where they can read and learn more about current issues. Popular Science and Popular Mechanics are a hit with the young men, as well as computer magazines. As long as they are reading 15 minutes undisturbed each evening they will keep learning. Once they have finished looking through Spelling City, and reading, then they can move to whatever else THEY need to study. They are being taught how to self monitor and are being reminded daily that if we cover a lesson and they are not sure of what we learned, it is THEIR responsibility to either get help, or go over their notes at night.
Math work will be assigned daily, but those scholars that are quick to learn will have time to work on their homework during class. They may not need to bring it home every night if they get it done.
Every week, somewhere, sometime, there will be a “pop” quiz. we rotate the classes that we post the scores under, so if you see “pop” quiz in Engrade, you will understand what that is. Basically this is a 10 question quick quiz that covers the entire spectrum of what we are learning. There may be a couple questions from each course. This quiz is worth 100 points, therefore it will behoove your scholars to be in school every day that they can be there.
So what if they are sick? WE very HIGHLY suggest that you find someone in your family, or carpool that would be willing to come up to the suite and pick up the stack for your scholar at the end of the day. Every scholar will have a full listing of what they missed and what they need to make up. They will have a day for every day they missed to get their work in, UNLESS it is something that was already on the calendar and already due. That includes projects and book reports. They are due the minute your child returns, or sooner. That is, if you can send in their work, please do so. Most times we will hold a student back from recess until the work is complete; we can’t afford to lose time. We will never hold back the rest of the class due to one student not being present. We have MUCH to cover in very little time, and this year will virtually fly by!
Thank you for partnering with me to make your scholar a success here at GFA. They will be proud of their accomplishments come May 29, 2013!


We have read, discussed, and agreed to the disclosure for Mrs. Goers’ class of 2013.
Signature of Parent______________________________Date_________________

Signature of Student_____________________________Date_________________


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