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Frequently Asked Questions About 6th Grade!
Introduction Think back to when your child was in kindergarten: do you remember increased meltdowns and frustration? Perhaps your child needed to nap after school or go to bed early. Then, by mid-year, they settled in and became more comfortable and competent. Expect the same this year (minus the naps!)! 6th grade is a year of tremendous growth, and it comes with increased work and expectations. This is a big adjustment for your family and takes time. Work may be difficult or frustrating where it was not in elementary school, and this is developmentally appropriate! Students will have to work harder and be more independent, but our staff is here to support their learning. We want "our" kids to thrive! PARENT SUPPORT How can I help my child be successful in 6th grade? Sleep and good nutrition are foundations for academic success. Children at this age need 9-11 hours of sleep per night! In addition, students need a good breakfast in order to be able to focus and pay attention.. Students at this age need supervision and monitoring of technology. While we do lessons on how students can be good cyber citizens, each family needs to set their own rules and expectations around technology use. We would also like to suggest that you increase expectations for what your child is able to do at home: clean up after themselves, make simple meals, help with laundry and other chores, and generally be a productive part of the household. Children who are expected to contribute (even if they argue about it!) are able to feel needed and valued. Between all the 6th grade teachers, we have decades years of experience with this age, and we see a direct correlation between doing the work and how well students progress. PLEASE support your child by expecting that there will be homework every night, and by providing a time and space to do their work. HOMEWORK What should I do if my child doesn't understand the homework? You can provide guidance on specific problems, but let your child practice some perseverance! Sometimes math is hard. That's ok! Learning how to get through tough problems is part of the process and intent. Ask your child to reread the question. Read the question to him/her and give a reminder of skills. If it's taking more than 45 min to an hour, have your child stop and send me an email. What should I do if my child doesn't know what the homework is? Your child can: check the planner, check Google Classroom, ask a classmate! If all else fails, s/he can email me. What should I do if my child forgets her/his homework or the homework is late? Turn it in! Most late work is accepted at full credit. We want to make sure that students are doing their work. Turning an assignment in late may necessitate communication to the teacher, especially if the assignment has been graded and is marked as missing in Aeries. It's easy for teachers to miss late work if they don't know it's been turned in. GRADES What should my child do if their grade is lower than expected or desired? Have your child talk to their teacher! In most cases, work can be redone or there is another assignment that can be given in order show proficiency in the concept or standard. How often should I check Aeries? We recommend taking a balanced approach to checking grades on Aeries. Checking once a week gives teachers an opportunity to enter grades, and gives you an overall picture of your child's progress. Remember that grades are a PROGRESSION, and always have the opportunity to be reviewed. Your child can check in with their teacher to find out how to improve a grade. At the beginning of the year, you can check grades more frequently to find out about missing assignments or track progress. (Please be aware that more complex assignments or assessments may take longer to grade.) Why don't we offer extra credit to raise a grade? When working with proficiency scales, we are looking to assess proficiency or mastery of certain standards. Instead of "extra credit," we ask that students show us that they are proficient with the standard. That may look like a student re-doing an assignment to correct mistakes OR a student doing an entirely new piece of work that shows learning and proficiency. BEHAVIOR What is typical 6th grade behavior? This is a year of incredible growth for your child! It is this year where they start to transition out of childhood, becoming more independent, thoughtful, and "grown up." Trust us when we say that your children are very different by the end of the year! This year being so transformative is the biggest reason I LOVE teaching 6th grade! It's also a difficult transition for many children! Please be patient! You can expect that your child will sometimes be moody, uncommunicative, and dismissive of your concerns. It is not unusual for students to avoid the truth or outright lie to avoid "getting in trouble." Typical 6th grade students also have trouble with time management and organization, which can impact work and grades. You should expect that social dynamics will take a bigger role in your child's life, and their choices in friends may be a departure from their elementary friends. THIS IS ALL NORMAL, albeit frustrating for parents! If you have concerns about your child, please do not hesitate to talk to your child's teachers. We are here to work with you to support your child! Behavior Expectations We expect our 6th graders to behave well at school; they have been in a school setting for a number of years and expectations are consistent with the elementary years. In addition, we take time at the very beginning of the year to make sure students not only know the rules, but understand the reason behind them. When students understand that rules have meaning and consequences, those rules are easier to follow. However, we also recognize that 6th graders are prone to pushing boundaries and social dynamics take precedence when considering behavior options. Our behavior plan is consistent, leveled, and developmentally appropriate. What is a Refocus Form? Students who have had reminders about behaving appropriately at school and are not able to regroup will be asked to complete a Refocus Form. They will go to a neighboring teacher's classroom to answer questions about the undesirable behavior and what they can do to regroup and be successful. They have the opportunity to talk with both the neighboring teacher and the classroom teacher about their plan to behave successfully. Why was my child sent to the office? Students who are displaying repeated behavior that is disruptive, dangerous, or disrespectful to teachers or students may be sent to the office to talk through their actions with Mrs. DeWald or a counselor. |