Welcome to Back to
School Night
Grade 6
Mrs. Gallagher
ELA & Religion
Homework
Homework is assigned so that concepts and material previously
taught will be reinforced. Homework includes both written and
study assignments. Students should work independently on
homework assignments and projects. If you feel your child is
having difficulty please feel free to contact me, so I can make
any necessary adjustments.
It is recommended by the Archdiocese that students in 5th and
6th grade complete 90 minutes of homework each evening. This
is a combination of written work, reading, and studying.
Homework continued
A homework grade is incorporated into the subject mark at the
end of each trimester. Failure to complete homework
assignments will adversely affect the student’s grade. Students
will not be given credit for homework that is missing, incomplete,
or not present during the time of the class. If a student does
not have the competed homework at the time of the class, this is
considered incomplete.
Please note: If a student does not complete 2 assignments
across the curriculum, a demerit will be issued. If a student
misses a 3rd assignment across the curriculum, he or she will be
issued an after school detention.
Homework continued
• If your child absent, it is their
responsibility to obtain and complete the
missed work, whether it is homework,
notes, tests, or seatwork. A “While You
Were Out” sheet will outline what you
missed during your absence and will help
them in making up the missed work.
Grades
• ELA and Religion grades will be based on Quizzes, Tests,
Homework, Classwork, and Projects. Students will be well
informed of upcoming assessments. Test Folders will usually
be sent home on Fridays and must be returned by the
following Tuesday. Please sign all tests and/or the cover
sheet.
• If a student fails a test, he or she will need to complete
corrections and return them with his or her tests. Test
corrections give the student the opportunity to analyze and
understand his or her errors. In addition, he or she will
relearn the material in a way that helps him or her to
retain the information or master the skills better.
•
Curriculum
• The ELA Curriculum may be
individualized to a certain extent and
assignments may be based on the
needs of the students. Your child
may not necessarily have the same
work as the child next to them or
their best friend.
Contracts
• A contract will be sent home for all major
projects and book reports which will contain the
assignment information. Please detach the
assignment portion and be sure to sign and return
the contract. All projects are to be completed by
the due date in order to avoid point deductions.
If a project is turned in one day late, the student
will lose 10 points. If the project is two days late,
the student will receive a 60 and will have to stay
after school until it is complete.
Positive Reinforcement
• Positive reinforcement and praise promote
desired behavior and achievement. I
believe in positive reinforcement and the
students will receive verbal praise,
chances/prizes, and positive emails or
phone calls.
*Any prize donations would be greatly appreciated*
Consequences
• Consequences of minor infractions
such as talking or playing during class
may include, but are not limited to a
demerit. Work may be required to
be finished at home, but additional
work is never given as a punishment.
Respect for teachers and other
students are expected at all times.
Miscellaneous
• It is important that the students
come to class with all necessary
supplies. A student who is
unprepared for a specific activity
cannot participate in that activity.
Curriculum Overview
• Religion
• Confirmation Preparation
• Areas to be covered in Religion this year will be
the Bible, Old Testament, Liturgical Year, Mary,
and Prayer ~ the various kinds and purposes.
Students will also keep a Prayer Journal in the
back of their copybooks for self-reflection and
self-affirmation.
• As a class we will be participating in service
projects throughout the year.
Pay It Forward
• This is a real world learning experience in which students
will find satisfaction from involving themselves in the giving
of their time, effort and thought in doing service for
others. On completion of this project the students will
sense that good will can be done when people give selflessly
of themselves. They will also see how your efforts and
thoughtfulness (no matter how big or small) have
contributed in some way to an improvement in society. It is
expected that this experience and exposure will teach the
6th graders how important and rewarding it is to “pay it
forward.” Project guidelines will distributed after
Confirmation, so students can go out and put their faith into
action with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Curriculum Overview
ELA
Spelling
• In addition to learning to define and spell new words, the
students will also study various phonetic principles, use
context clues to determine the meaning/use of a word or
phrase, learn Greek or Latin roots, interpret figures of
speech in context and use the relationship between
particular words to better understand each of the words,
and apply vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Curriculum Overview
• ELA continued
• English
• Students will learn/reinforce
comprehension of parts of speech and
their syntax, techniques for writing, types
of sentences, how to outline, and how to
write essays, reports, letters, and stories.
English is integrated with reading and
spelling.
Curriculum Overview
• ELA continued
• Reading
• The focus of reading this year will be developing
comprehension skills. Applying vocabulary, analyzing
informational text, and appreciating types of Literature will
also be included. Students will learn how to make
inferences, cite supporting details as evidence of the main
idea, determine themes, summarize plot, and use a variety
of skills and strategies to build comprehension. We will be
reading various novels this year that will needed to be
purchased. I will be sending home more information on this
soon.
Reading Enrichment
• This year all middle school students are going
to be participating in a reading enrichment
class on Friday mornings. There will be four
classes available, all reading different novels.
The hope is that these enrichment classes will
instill an excitement for reading. A letter will
be coming home with the detailed information.
Reading Olympics
• Delaware County Reading Olympics
• Philosophy: The goal of the Reading Olympics is to increase
the quality and quantity of books students read for
enjoyment. Teams of students collaborate to read forty to
fifty books that have been selected by a committee of
librarians, reading specialists and classroom teachers.
These professionals read the books and write questions,
which the teams answer during the competition. The
Olympics are primarily a celebration of reading rather than
a contest. All participants are awarded ribbons. Since the
teams generate much excitement about this reading event,
the experience is rewarding for everyone involved.
• If any parents are interested in assisting me, please let me
know.
Reading & Religion Connections
through Teacher Read Novels
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•
•
Each year I enjoy reading novels to the students as part of my ELA and
Religion curriculum. These novels include: Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan
Hyde, Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo, and Tuesdays with Morrie by
Mitch Albom. As I am reading these novels to the students, I expect the
students to listen carefully, take notes, share their thoughts and opinions,
and discuss various themes and life lessons gained from these novels.
Written and oral assignments and assessments will be given on these
novels. Since I am reading it to the students, I tend to leave out text that
might be above them in some way.
These novels have been well received over the past years and truly
encompass my ELA and Religion curriculum while impacting the students
immensely. Many of the topics and themes covered in these novels are what
the students will carry with them through life.
An additional novel that will be included this year will include Green
Bananas: The Wisdom of Father Bill Atkinson by Steve McWilliams and
Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber. More information and details to
follow
I am looking forward to working with
your children and guiding them
through many exciting and
challenging learning experiences this
year!
• If you have any questions, comments,
or concerns please feel free to
contact me or email me
• bacgallagher@yahoo.com or
• bgallagher@stdots.org
Thanks again for all your support and
I am honored to be working with your
children!