Welcome to 6th Grade at Sky Ranch
Dear Students and Grownups,
I hope that you had a wonderful summer vacation. This year your student will have three teachers:
Reading / Writing – Mrs. Patrick
Science / Geography – Mrs. Williams
Math – Mrs. Argenbright
You will notice that we do not use the term parent or guardian in our letters. We use the term grown-up. We
understand that the makeup of a family is not nearly as simple as parent/guardian. Our students include step
children, foster children, grandchildren, neices and nephews, etc. Whoever you are, you are your student’s
grown-up. Our goal is to make sure that no student feels left out or in any way inferior because of who is
raising them.
Our goal this year is to provide every student the opportunity to deeply understand how education can shape
their future, to provide a wide range of career options that utilize the skills they will learn this year, and give
them the ability to succeed at these skills.
Communication: We encourage communication between students, their grownups and teachers. We have set
up several methods of communication to make sure you can always get in touch with us and we can always get
in touch with you.
1.
Remind.com. To receive messages via text, text @skyranch-6 to 81010. Or to receive
messages via email, send an email to skyranch-6@mail.remind.com.
2. Email. Our email addresses are
1.
Tammypatrick@mooreschools.com
2. Marilynwilliams@mooreschools.com
3. Wendyargenbright@mooreschools.com
3. Phone. Our office number is (405)735-4460. Our plan time is at 11:10-11:45. Please make sure
that we have a good emergency contact number during the day.
4. Web. You can access our websites at www.mooreschools.com. Mrs. Argenbright’s website will
contain a weekly blog, assignments, important forms and documents and other relevant
information throughout the year. If you missed something from your Thursday Folder you can
find a pdf copy on this website.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Rules - Our classroom rules are very simple and if your student attended Sky Ranch in previous years, we are
sure you have heard them:
Be Responsible
Be Respectful
Be Ready to Learn
Everything that happens in our classroom can be aligned with these three standards. We will use them for
our classroom rules as well as our behavior policy. If your student is not following one or more of these rules,
we will work with them to find a way to correct the behavior in the future. Although there is no longer a
detention time before or after school, your student may be asked to use their Recess Time (6th grade has
recess on Fridays) to work on a discipline plan with their teacher. This plan will be sent home and will detail
the problem and our solution. Please sign and return the discipline form the next day. Communication
between grownups and teachers is extremely important to ensure an effective classroom environment for
everyone. Please know that if you receive a written discipline form we have made several attempts to resolve
the matter in class and are letting you know that the behavior has escalated to the point of disrupting the
learning of others.
Class Norms – Sky Ranch uses the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Students to help build strong students ready
to become amazing adults. You may hear your student talking about these or we may refer to them when we
talk to you about your student.
1.
Be Proactive (You are in charge of yourself)
2. Begin with the End in Mind (Have a plan)
3. Put First Things First (Work first, then play)
4. Think Win-Win (Everyone can win)
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen before you talk)
6. Synergize (Together is better)
7. Sharpen the Saw (Balance is best)
Homework – As a rule, we will allow students ample time in class to finish their assignments. If your student
needs extra time they may bring their classroom assignments home to finish. However, if your student is
absent it is their responsibility to make sure that any missed work is completed and turned in when they
return. Missing assignments will be awarded an "F" and can result in your student working on these
assignments during normal Recess time.
Cell Phones - Sky Ranch has a clear policy for Cell Phones. With parent’s permission phones will be allowed at
school but ONLY powered off in the bottom of a student’s backpack. The phones should not be taken out
during school hours or while in the classroom. Any phone found on or out will be held for the parent to collect
at the end of the day. If you feel your student’s phone is not secure in their backpack it may be locked in the
front office each day. Students are NOT allowed to have their phone in their pockets, purses, binders, etc.
In the event of an emergency the school has phones in the office that students are allowed to use. In the
event of a school wide situation, MPS uses the automated dialer system to get information out to all parents
in a timely manner.
Supplies – We know that school supplies are always an issue in class. You spent a lot of money buying supplies
and we want to help make sure they last the entire school year. This year every student will have their own
supply cubby. Their supplies will be labeled and will be their responsibility. If we see that your student is not
being responsible with their supplies we will let you know so that we can find a solution. We do not tolerate
purposeful destruction of any property, including pencils and paper. A student will never miss an assignment
for not having the necessary supplies but there may be natural consequences to being unprepared. We can
work out unique solutions for each student. If you are not able to afford supplies for your student please
contact the counselor, Mrs. Demeter, she has resources available to provide supplies as needed.
Agendas – Every student is encouraged to have an agenda. They are very affordable and available from the
PTA. This is your way of knowing what was taught in school that day. When you ask your student "What did
you do in school today?" and you receive the same response that most parents receive: "Nothing". You can
follow up with "Let's look at your agenda". This can be an excellent way for you to begin a conversation with
your child about their day. We will be checking every morning to see if the agenda was shown to the student’s
grownup and signed. When you see the agenda, please initial on the date. Students who use their agenda and
discuss their day with parents are much more likely to succeed in school.
Food – Food is not allowed in classroom, including gum. Water is allowed but must be in a sealed container.
We have a new water dispenser in the cafeteria that is designed for water bottles. It dispenses very cold
water and can be used by students during the day.
Reading – Read as much as you can, as joyfully as you can. Students should read at home for at least a half an
hour each day, seven days a week. Find books that matter to your student. Try new books, authors, subjects,
purposes and genres. Don’t read a book you don’t like. Don’t waste time with a book you don’t love, when
there are so many great titles out there waiting for you. Each month we will assign a book report to be
completed on an assigned genre such as: fiction, mystery, etc. Each quarter you will be assigned an AR goal to
complete. Points are earned by reading an AR book and taking a short test on comprehension. However, we
encourage you to establish your own AR goals and work towards these goals yourself as a reader.
Science - We will be doing lots of fun activities in Science. We will also be learning about World Geography.
Ask your student about what they learned in Science today. Science can be very engaging and interesting.
Encourage your students to identify the Science around them. Point out maps and landforms when you watch
Television or listen to the news. Information about the Science Fair will be sent out later in the year.
Math – This year we are starting a Math Club for students who are interested in learning just how far they
can go with math. We will be meeting before school once a week. More information will be sent out soon.
Keep an eye out for information in your student’s Thursday folder. It is important for your student to see
the math all around them. Please refrain from saying things like “You won’t use this ever again” or “I wasn’t
very good at math either”. We must be our student's Champion. They mirror the attitudes of those they
care about. If you are positive about math, they will be positive as well. We understand that Math can be
difficult and your experience with it may not have been the best, but with your help we can make sure that
every child is open to learning. Every child can learn math! It may occur at different rates and with
different efforts. There is no “I can’t” in math class. There is only “I can’t… Yet”. We will make every
effort to ensure every student understands math and how it can help them be more successful and more
independent as an adult.
Thank you for entrusting your student to the 6th Grade teachers and the staff at Sky Ranch. We are beyond
fortunate to be teaching at such a wonderful school with such amazing students. We promise to do our best
to make sure this is a successful year for your student. With your help, we can do amazing things!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Patrick
Mrs. Williams
Mrs. Argenbright