O Your child left a note for you on his/her desk.
Feel free to write a response with the paper in
the center of the table group.
O I have also placed a copy of a survey your
child filled in about him/herself. Please add
anything that you would like me to know….this
will not be shared with your child 
th
6
Grade
Back to School Night
Cindy Jansen
September 8, 2014
All files on “Jansen” class
website –
Parent Resources
Who’s Who…
Principal
Mr. Shawn Ortman
Dean of Students Mrs. Kelly Carter
Guidance Counselor
Mr. Fran Chapman
O Art
Ms. Palmer
O Music
Ms. Mudry
O P.E.
Mrs. Leuthe
O Library
Mrs. Hiriak
O Technology Mrs. Jansen
Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 267-893-3600 and Extension #3655
 The phone goes directly into voicemail during the
instructional day to limit disruptions.
 Email – Checked throughout the day
 Dismissal changes - please contact the office
directly to ensure that we receive the message.
Why Sixth Grade?
Exciting Year…
O Relationships
O Relevance
O Rigor
O Reflection
O Resiliency
Classroom Goals
My goal is to prepare students by helping them to
become active, independent learners.
O Safe = comfortable to try new challenges
O Engaged = involved and motivated
O Challenged = experiences and activities
O Supported = encouragement and strategies
O Confident = belief in abilities and openness to
try new things
Classroom Routines
Class Rewards - "We Rock” for class reward
Plus Cards - (3 pluses earns a homework pass)
O Recognizes individual students
O Randomly given for “Sign and Return” first day
Missing Assignments – helps monitor completion
Choice Cards - Communicates behavior to parents
O Emphasizes the choice the student has made and
what a better choice would be
Learning is a Journey
Descriptors describe the specific learning goals being
reported on. These goals can be observed in several
ways.
• Process: The learning behaviors
demonstrated by students as
they learn.
• Product: The degree to which a
student reaches the reporting
standard.
• Progress: The degree of growth
made by a student over time.
Standards Based
Reporting
Exceeding
Standard
Student consistently performs beyond the standard
(concepts, processes, and skills).
Meeting
Standard
Student consistently achieves the standard (concepts,
processes, and skills).
Approaching
Standard
Student is progressing toward the standard (concepts,
processes, and skills), but has yet to demonstrate
consistent mastery.
Limited
Progress
Student is making minimal progress toward the standard
(concepts, processes, and skills). An L rating indicates the
student’s performance is well below the standard.
CBSD
Effectively Communicating
Student Progress
Resources
Parent
Handbook
Cover Sheet
Conference Report
Progress Report
Marking Periods 1 & 3:
Conference Report
Marking Periods
1&3
Marking Periods 2 & 4:
Progress Report
Marking Periods
1&3
Parent Portal
http://www.cbsd.org/cbelementaryreportcard
Thinking Skills –
To Infinity and Beyond
O Learning is thinking…
O Encourages higher level thinking skills
O Recognize and communicate thinking
Oh!
WOW!
Now I see!
Hmmm….I wonder…
Mill Creek's Homework Beliefs
Purpose: Promote student growth and reinforce what is
learned in the classroom. Students independently practice
what they learned as well as their time management skills.
Assessment: Homework is not graded. However, students
will be held responsible for completing all assigned
homework.
Time Allotment: Homework is assigned Monday through
Thursday. No routine weekend or holiday assignments will
be made. As a rule of thumb 10 minutes per grade level.
Differentiation: Homework can vary depending upon the
specific needs of students. This may include time, amount
and purpose of homework.
Long-term projects: Long-term projects are directly related
to the curriculum. Such projects require children to use
secure skills only. Expectations are clearly defined and
timelines are established and published.
Homework Policy
District Guidelines: 60 minutes/day
Goals: Apply knowledge and develop study skills
O Assignment Book
O About 20 minutes of Reading, 30 minutes of Math, and
10 minutes of Language/Science/Social Studies.
O Tests: announced 4-5 days in advance
O Study Zones: help students learn how to study
O Time Management: Reading Log and Spelling
Reading
Materials:
O Text: Houghton Mifflin Series - Quest
O Comprehension Toolkit
O Read Aloud Texts
O Trade Books: leveled, whole group, literature circles
O Non-Fiction resources in the content areas
Skill Focus Areas:
O Comprehension –verify with illustrative details
O Word Skills –develop vocabulary/apply context clues
O Metacognition – learn what works for them
O Genre studies – Fiction and Non-Fiction
RRAD - Read, Respond, and Discuss
O Independent reading at school and at home
O Flexible time at home (4 times per week)
O Students will read, respond, discuss, and
create projects to demonstrate understanding.
Language
Being a Writer / Writer's Notebook
O Daily model, practice, and sharing
to focus on the craft of writing
O Pre- and Post-Assessment
O One formal Process Piece per unit
Units of Study
O Narrative, Persuasive, Informative, Creative
O Research and Oral Presentations
Writing Process
O Focus, Content, Organization, Style, Conventions
Language Skills
Grammar:
O Build a common language and knowledge of Parts of
Speech and Sentence Structures
O Apply understanding during the editing and revising
processes
Spelling:
O Patterns, Base Words, Word Roots, Affixes,
and Homophones
Editing/Mechanics:
O Mentor Sentences and Paragraphs
O Importance increases as writing becomes more complex
English Language Arts
and the Content Areas
Skills:
O Using Non-fiction texts
O Note-taking
O Study techniques
O Test-taking skills
O Presentation skills
Social Studies
History Alive: Ancient Civilizations



Early Man (Hominids)
Mesopotamia
Egypt, India, and China (2 out of 3)
Online Textbook – www.learntci.com
Students have tested their login and passwords 
This curriculum provides a foundation for studies of
Greece and Rome in 7th grade.
Science
Earth's Changing Surface
O Rivers/streams- Erosion and Sedimentation
O Landforms and how they are formed
O Plate Tectonics
Water Pollution
O Point/Non-point Source
O Hydrologic Cycle – pollutant movement
O Water Quality: Macro-invertebrates, pH scale
Body Systems
O Cells, Tissues, and Organs
O Human body systems
Health Topics
O Yellow Dino - Internet Safety
O HIV/AIDS
O Human Growth and Development
O TOAD – Tobacco, Alcohol, and other
Drugs
Looking ahead…
Sixth Grade Assessment
Testing Window: February 23 to March 10, 2015
O Pre-search Topic (choose topic, explore, write question)
O Research: Find information and develop sub-topics
O Write: Plan, edit and revise a 5-paragraph essay
O Visual: Create a PowerPoint for the information
O Oral Presentation: Share information with an audience
PSSAs
O English Language Arts (ELA) - March 13-17, 2015
O Math - March 20-24, 2015
PSSA – ELA
(English Language Arts)
Standard Categories:
O Foundational Skills
O Informational Text
O Literature
O Writing
Text Dependent Responses:
Reading responses will be
assessed for their writing quality.
PSSA – Math
Reporting Categories—
O Numbers and Operations
O Algebraic Concepts
O Geometry
O Measurement, Data, and
Probability
O Problem Solving
Mathematical practice - application is critical; it’s
not just about computation
Technology
Internet Safety
Communication
O Word Processing
O Presentations: PowerPoint and SmartNotebook
O Projects: Audacity, Video Editing, and PhotoStory
Research
O Finding and evaluating sources
O Simulations to location information
Student
Login
Reference
Sheet
Class Webpage
Our classroom website is a resource for you and
your child. Go to the district site, www.cbsd.org, and
type “Jansen” in the search box. The first option will
open to our class page.
6th Grade Activities
O Monthly Activities: Halloween Howl,
Highpoint, Bowling, and Survivor Nights
O 6th Grade Social
O Geography Bee
O Promotion
Ropes
Course
Field Trip
Thursday, October 2nd and Friday, October 3rd
Challenge By Choice
Low Ropes Course
The low ropes support:
O Team problem solving
O Planning and cooperation
O Focus for task completion
O Safety awareness and
encouraging others
O Communication skills
High Ropes
Course
These activities:
• Create individual opportunities to
“stretch” beyond perceived limitations
• Encourage to accept challenges
• Teach responsibility for others’ safety
• Strengthen communication skills
Almost There 
Supplies – Thank you, Thank you
Homeroom Parents/Parties – Mrs. Rossi
Conference Sign-ups - Online
Questions???
Math Class – 7:45 p.m.
Math Classes
Mrs. Brown
Room226
Emma Cicchiello
Zach Conklin
Katie DeMaria
Matthew Farris
Zachary Feldman
Julia Hopely
Sarah Johnson
Erin Kelly
Aarushi Kumari
Mrs. Jansen
Room 224
Alex Bouchard
Zayd Hossain
Amy Liu
Alex Meyer
Bryce Roach
Kyle Rychlak
Luke Shank
Ryan Smith
MattTimofeev
Mrs. Johnston
Room 228
Julia McDemus
Amanda Miller
Parth Patel
Matt Piotrowisc
Ashley Rossi
Maxi Umansky
Lizzie Walsh