Wester Middle School 6 th Grade 2015 2016
Wester Middle School Mission Statement Wester Middle School will collaboratively create a positive learning environment committed to equipping society with empowered learners. Core Values Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence RISE UP WESTER!
Mrs. Glendenning* - Science Mrs. Anderson - ILA Mr. Baldia - ILA Mr. Munsami - Math Mr. Brewer - Social Studies Mrs. Ballesteros- Science *denotes team leader and parent contact person
Mr. Muecke ILA* Ms. Reid - Science Mrs. Holmes - ILA Mrs. Willis - Math Mrs. Lopez - Social Studies *denotes team leader and parent contact person
Study Skills: Room 601 Mr. Hobbs Ms. Risoli Tech Apps: Room 622 Mrs. Tarbet Please visit them in their rooms tonight along with your child's other elective teachers.
Curriculum Overview: Our sixth grade Social Studies class will focus on: Geography Culture Economics Citizenship Government World History New Textbook: National Geographic, Online version coming soon Key Resource: World Cultures Student Learning Hub Site - Lesson Plans -Blank Packet - Class notes -Test Review Materials - Flipped Assignments (Online Homework)
Curriculum Overview: The main focus in 6th grade is physical science. We will cover safety, measurement, scientific method, chemistry and life science during the first semester. Second semester, we will cover energy, physics, earth and space science. You will have many opportunities to reinforce, extend, and apply what you learn with fun and meaningful investigations and activities. And you can rest assured that this program meets our state and national standards for science! Collaboration is the key. Everything you will need to help you along the way can be found at our Science Class Student Learning Hub Site.
Curriculum Overview: We will cover general math concepts. We will concentrate on problem solving skills and strategies with a focus on number sense, pre-algebra, geometry and measurement as well. Pre-AP students and On-Level students will cover the same material and TEKS as outlined by the state of Texas. The differentiation between the classes occurs in the classroom through guided discussion and justification of processes. Students will likely have homework every night. We usually have a few minutes to work on homework during class time. This gives the students the opportunity to have my help while they get started. Students will also have a math essential each week, given Friday and due the following Friday. Textbook website: On-line
Curriculum Overview: We will be practicing writing in various genres this year such as: Personal Narrative Expository Persuasive Short Story Poetry Students will be exposed to multiple mentor texts, in a variety of genres, as we learn reading and writing strategies modeled by professional authors.
Where do I go to get information? 1.Wester Website- FISD Student Handbook, Wester Addendum, Wester Newsletter, School Calendar 2.Student Learning Hub- Lesson Plans, Major/Minor Grade Calendar, reviews, notes, videos, quizzes, etc. 3.Home Access Center (HAC)- grades, (more information to come later!) http://schools.friscoisd.org/ms/wester
The Student Portal allows your student to access all of their resources in ONE place. This includes: E-mail, The Learning Hub, Home Access Center (HAC), and many more. Watch this short video on how to access the Student Portal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxsnbxie6hs
Easy way for parents and students to communicate, stay informed and monitor academic performance. Grades are posted in a timely manner. Usernames and passwords will be handed out to students at progress report time. Do not change the password without sharing the new password with your child. They will need to be able to access this at school.
Students will use this for: Major/Minor Grade Calendar Resources/Notes Videos Assignments Quizzes Lesson Plans http://studentlearninghub.friscoisd.org/ Parents will have general access. Please do not enroll in any courses yourself. You will be able to see what your child sees without enrolling. Using Google Chrome or Firefox works best!
BYOD Not Required!!! Used for educational purposes only, not for texting or making phone calls during the day. Access to the school Wifi- no need to use cellular data. Google Apps- Google email- All students are provided a school email address. It is highly recommended that they check their email several times a week. Students will be collaborating using Google Apps for assignments. Highly Recommended FREE Apps QR Code Reader- Important for tutorial sign in. BrainPop Google Calendar- For students AND parents to keep up with assignment due dates.
One of the biggest struggles in 6 th Grade is staying organized. Students should have some sort of organization system: Taking pictures of the Weekly Classroom Agendas with their phone To Do List/Spiral notebook Paper agenda/calendar
Tutorials are offered before and after school for ALL students. Monday Friday 7:55 8:15 a.m. & 3:35 4:05 p.m. Students must be in tutorials by 8 a.m. If your student is late, they will not be admitted to tutorials (with the exception of bus riders traveling on late arriving busses). Absences- If your child is absent, they are responsible for picking up work from each class. Students will sign in to tutorials via a QR code link in the classroom using their own device or with the teacher s device.
All chaperones and volunteers must complete a background check with Frisco ISD. The form can be printed from the FISD website. You must fill out a new form every year.
Please be sure that you signed in. Make sure you have picked up your handouts. Don t forget to visit your child s classes tonight and to follow us on Wester s Newsletter, Facebook and Twitter @Westerwildcats!