Ms. McNaught-Symmes
Training in Gifted Education (specialist) from
OECTA, York University as well as other professional
institutions
Experience teaching grade 6 P.A.C.E. (last 6 years at
SJM) as well as grade 5 P.A.C.E.
The Gr. 6 Program may include elements of the
following:
*creative problem solving
– encourage students to come up with their own
strategies especially in Mathematics although students
will be taught and expected to use most efficient
strategies.
*traditional and non-traditional research skills
*critical higher level thinking skills (eg.
“How might…?”)
– This will be evident most in reading program this year.
We will utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy where the focus isn’t
on “what is…” but “how might…”. I will be asking
students to conceptualize based on real life situations.
*advanced content, skills and concepts
- For example, depth and breadth…eg. in Science
regular 6 curriculum it asks that students learn about
Canadian contributions to Space and various
characteristics of planets, moon and sun….my class
will spend a week solely focusing on constellations.
- Students are able to explore things like dwarf
planets etc. that go beyond curriculum expectations
- A lot of the content is dictated by student interest.
This is determined at the beginning of a unit through
diagnostic assessment
*interdisciplinary units of study
I will attempt to overlap concepts and subjects so that
learning is meaningful to students (eg. Folklore and Oral
Storytelling in Language and Aboriginal Peoples in Social
Studies)
• Follow the Nelson
Mathematics Program (problem solving) and Envision
Math (more skills based) which was purchased solely for the PACE
classes
•http://mathk8.nelson.com/ Can be accessed at home for study purposes
•Must be assured that students understand the regular gr. 6 curriculum
before we move on with enrichment
•After students have had a chance to practice specific skill…given an
assessment “for learning” to ensure that I can go on with that student. This
means that they will have some form of an assessment for every lesson
(online, key question, performance task etc).
•This means that at times, students may be working at different
pace….however it is expected that they are able to complete the regular
curriculum and make an attempt at enrichment tasks. The enrichment
component will be indicated in the comment section of the report card.
• As P.A.C.E. teachers, cannot go beyond grade level, however, can
introduce “different work”. Enrichment tasks are developed by the
teacher. Some tasks are specified in the “enrichment” section of the
Nelson Program.
• Students will be assessed on grade level expectations. Enrichment
will be marked and evaluation will be noted in the comment section of
your child’s report card
• I may facilitate an enrichment lesson (patterns in Pascal’s Triangle)
or may have students using center-based approach on various
enrichments problems or hands on tasks.
• Enrichment in Mathematics can include learning new information (eg.
Mayan counting system, Narcassistic Numbers), logic-problems in
centers or unique culminating tasks (eg. developing WebQuests, using
•Our program is different because of the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy. I
will encourage higher level thinking when learning about various
reading comprehension strategies.
•Students will be given a variety of texts to explore
•The focus will not just on novels but reading various genres and
forms in an effort to integrate media awareness (magazines,
websites, comic strips, posters, graphic novels, nonfiction).
•Ministry is moving away from novel studies because they only focus
on basic level reading comprehension. PACE program is looking for
students who can implement critical reading strategies using realworld texts
• Pre AP Program stresses critical analysis of texts. Having students
using inferencing, applying the information they’ve learned to new
concepts, a swell as making critical connections with the material.
•We will not spend much time time on recall or summarization
•This year we will have a balanced literacy program which uses
modelled, shared, and guided reading as well as read alouds, discussion
groups and literature circles.
• Our main focus will be critical analysis, inferencing, synthesizing
• Encourage students to read a variety of texts at home and not just
novels
The reading strategies explored will be assessed using CASI system
or similar assessments that have been created. They will be ongoing
and same format and types of questions that students will see on
EQAO
Writing
• Follow the Pre AP Program for Writing (gifted education program for PACE)
• Why Junior Students Write:
-communicate with others for a variety of specific purposes
-Record and retain information
-Express thoughts, ideas and feelings
-Respond to material they have read
-Identify and solve problems
-Reflect on their own learning
•Types of Writing in Gr. 6 P.A.C.E.
-Letter
- Report
-Feature article
- Review
-Narrative
- Expository
-Persuasive text
- Short story
-Poetry
- Summary
-Procedural
- Recount
We encourage students to fully develop their ideas and to
elaborate by adding detail to their writing!!
Writing
Students will be given a level 4 exemplar (deconstruct together as
a class) and are encouraged to look at the assessment sheet. Most
major assessment pieces and instructions will be posted on
the class Wiki for students to refer to at home.
Exemplars of each of the levels can be found on the Ministry of
Education website. Students will be marked against these
standardized exemplars
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/writing18e
x.pdf
• Space and Astronomy
• Diversity of Living Things
•Electricity
•Flight
•Aboriginal Peoples
• Early Canadian Explorers
•Canada and Its Trading
Partners
Each unit usually has a project component to it as well as a unit test.
The projects may include collaborative or individual outcomes.
I encourage students to create differentiated “product” outputs for
projects…most assignments are open-ended and I enjoy seeing
creativity!
Technology
•Powerpoint/Prezi
•Claymation, Animoto
•Digital Comic Books
•Videos
•Math Trek
•Wiki (gr6pace.wikispaces.com & gr6paceparents.wikispaces.com)
•Blogging, Glogging, Vlogging, Tweeting
•Nelson online activities
•WebQuests
•Developing Websites
•SmartBoard and Promethean Board
•Soundscapes
•Podcasts/Voicethread
Communication with parents
• May send any questions/concerns via a note in the agenda (respond
to daily)
•May call school (905) 474 –0284.
• Wikis
Student wiki http://gr6pace.wikispaces.com
Parent Wiki http://gr6paceparents.wikispaces.com ----PLEASE JOIN!!!!
•Send home progress reports with respect to learning skills and
academic achievement each term.
•All major assessment tools sent home to be signed in FRIDAY
FOLDER. Students will record their effort and achievement. Please
return the following Monday.
Communication with parents
• I ask that parents check the agenda and/or Wiki every night to ensure
students have completed all homework (as sometimes students don’t
record everything). It lists homework for day, important information
and reminders, upcoming events like Pizza Day, Missing Work section
for late tasks or things that haven’t been signed and returned to school
•
All major assessment tools are sent home in the FRIDAY FOLDER
each week. Parents are to sign off on the Effort and Achievement
chart which is returned the following Monday (assessments must also
be returned with the Friday Folder).
• The Effort and Achievement chart helps the students keep a running
record and it will allow them to self-reflect with respect to where they
need to establish goals. Major concerns - I will call.
What our class wiki
looks like ----
Class Wiki
• Students use the classroom wiki web tool as a forum for
discussion (interactive classroom)
• All homework is posted on the Wiki daily so there shouldn’t
ever be a comment that homework was not known. Also
given 10 mins each day to write down work from the homework
board.
• Assignment instructions, exemplars and assessment pieces are
posted on the class site
• Students can post questions about homework to one another
and receive responses online
• There are pages for them to post their work online if required
•Homework is used for reinforcement of skills taught
during the day
•The YCDB policy is approx. 60-70 minutes per night.
Some students may have more or less depending on how
much able to accomplish in class and ability.
•Consequences for incomplete homework – note to inform
parents, call home, meeting, administrator intervention
•If know homework is late – must have a note signed from
parents for legitimate reason (extracurricular activities
are not a reason for work not being complete)
YCDSB Policies for Late, Incomplete,
and Missed Assignments for Gr 6
• Two-day window of opportunity
• placeholder of “0” for missed assignments
• 5% mark deduction each day (excluding weekends)
• A closure date will be established at which point
assignments will not be accepted  encourage a culture
of responsibility
• Reflected in the learning skills and work habit section
of the report card
• May also result in insufficient evidence for evaluation
York Catholic District School Board
Assessment and Evaluation Procedures, 2011
Use of “I” and “R”
• “I” = insufficient evidence is available to
determine a grade. May be used because
– Student enrolled in school very recently
– Issues or extenuating circumstances beyond the
student’s control
• “R” = indicates need for extensive
remediation, in the absence of an IEP,
program modifications, or other remedial
programs
– Achievement level is below Level 1
York Catholic District School Board
Assessment and Evaluation Procedures, 2011
Reporting Student Achievement
• Grades 1 to 6 student achievement of the
overall curriculum expectations will be
evaluated in accordance with the achievement
charts in the provincial curriculum and
reported using letter grades.
• The following conversion chart shows the
levels of achievement aligned to letter grades.
York Catholic District School Board
Assessment and Evaluation Procedures, 2011
York Catholic District School Board
Assessment and Evaluation Procedures, 2011
Possible
• Astrology Presentation (Sept 25)
Trips/Activities
•Scientist in the School in Feb (Electricity)
•Aboriginal presentation?
•Urban Quest in downtown Unionville
•Dance program?
•Toronto Marlies anti-bullying trip
•Arts trip/Theatre trip (October)
•Ski Trip
•Camp Muskoka (overnight trip from Feb 3-5)
(more details about this trip will be sent home with your child at a later date)
• Education Quality and Accountability Office issues a standardized
assessment that measures the achievement of students across Ontario in
reading, writing and math
•Written at the end of May or early June. Please ensure that your child is
in school during last week of May and first 2 weeks of June, as they MUST
write the test.
•Important that they are present during the year so that they are well
prepared for the testing. Please keep this in mind when planning family
vacations this year.
FORMAT
•Reading – 4 short selections and one long reading selection followed by MC
and open response
•Writing – MC, one long response (2 pages) and two short responses (1 page)
•Math – MC and open response that cover all five strands of math
•www.eqao.com