6th Grade Disclosure Document
Indian Hills Elementary School 2016-2017
Mrs. Correa
Welcome to 6th grade at Indian Hills! I am so excited to get to know your student. We
will be learning many things this year. This document is intended to be an overview of our plans
for the 2016-2017 school year. This is a fluid document that may be revised as new
opportunities arise throughout the year. Please come to us at any time with questions, concerns,
ideas or suggestions. We truly value your opinion.
Mrs. Mergens and Mrs. Correa share the belief that each student is inherently intelligent.
Each will learn in a unique way. Some will excel in math, others in reading, and still others in
the arts. Each student will have opportunities to share his or her strengths. It is our
responsibility, as teachers, to discover each student’s strengths and improvement area, create an
environment that is safe and accepting, give opportunities to be successful, and create as many
learning experiences as possible. All students will work together to be successful.
ELA
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We are using McGraw Hill Wonders text
Fluency expectation for Spring 120 – 150 wpm with 95% accuracy
DIBELS assessment will occur during the first week of school
o DIBELS assessment will occur in January and end of year
Students will be ability grouped for reading based on individual DIBELS scores
Assessments will include quizzes on comprehension and vocabulary as well as reading
journals ending with culminating projects for end of unit
Students will write in a variety of formats, fiction and nonfiction with a specific focus
on informational writing
Each student will have the opportunity to do research and present findings to the class.
o A culminating writing project will be assigned in the early spring and will require
students to write a personal history in a variety of formats. Writing and editing
will be done in class with illustrations and publishing done at home. This project
will be completed over 8 – 10 weeks. More information will be provided when
the project is introduced.
This year students will work on grammar, punctuation, paragraph structure, synonyms,
antonyms, homonyms, contractions, prefixes and suffixes, root words.
Math
 Students will be assessed and grouped according to ability during the math block.
 A pretest of 6th grade core topics will be given at the beginning of the year to determine
student strengths and improvement areas
 The SAGE test will be given in the spring to determine student growth and concept
mastery.
 Helpful websites for math are eduplace.com, TTM, and zearn.org
 Each math unit will begin with a pretest and end with a posttest, students will be
grouped based on pretest scores and other factors.
 Homework will be given each night. Five randomly selected problems will be graded
daily.
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Homework assignments are worth 5 points total.
Late work will not be accepted after it is due, unless a student is absent.
Test dates will be scheduled up to one week ahead and notice given to students so
appropriate study may be done.
Science
 The sixth grade science core curriculum includes the following topics – phases of the
moon, seasons of the earth, solar system, constellations, microorganisms, heat, light and
sound.
 Science instruction will consist of hands on learning, vocabulary work, field trips,
research, reading and writing.
 Students will spend time this year with Mrs. Li in the Indian Hills science lab.
 Tests will be given throughout the year.
 Ms. Correa will teach all 6th graders science.
Social Studies
 The topics we will cover include ancient world civilizations and European influences.
We will study Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, Medieval Times, the Renaissance as
well as the world wars. The holocaust will also be taught this year.
 Each student will be required to complete research during the year. All research will be
done in class. Rough draft writing, editing, and note taking will also be done during class
time. One research project will be done in conjunction with the library and will have a
finished film as the final outcome. These films will be shown in class for a grade. Social
studies research will typically culminate in some kind of presentation. Parents are
encouraged to attend their student’s presentation.
 End of unit tests will be given throughout the year. Students will be given test dates and
study guides a week in advance.
 Geography tests will be given throughout the year. Students will be required to label
continent maps with individual country names. Spelling will count. Accommodations
will be made for those students who have an IEP or 504.
 Students will also keep a social studies journal which will include class notes,
assignments, and ideas. These journals will be graded on a unit basis.
 Mrs. Mergens will teach all students 6th grade social studies.
Classroom Management
 Classroom management is a blend of B.I.S.T. and Conscious Discipline.
 Each student will be assigned a job to ensure his or her role in the classroom family.
 Students will be encouraged to notice good deeds and positive behaviors of peers/staff.
 If students cannot follow rules, there will be 3 levels of consequences.
 Level 1 – student will move to a safe seat (desk away from others) to continue learning
without distraction/interruption.
 Level 2 – if behavior continues, student will take work and move to other 6th grade room.
 Level 3 – if behavior continues in other 6th grade room, student will visit with the
principal
 All levels will include a parent contact.
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Visits to level 2 &3 safe seats will result in loss of enrichment on Fridays.
Class Enrichment
 Students who complete and turn in all assigned work during the week will have an
opportunity to participate in class enrichment every Friday.
 These enrichment activities are meant to build on academic lessons learned in class and
just plain fun to acknowledge all work being completed. Activities may include cooking,
sewing, art, various snow activities, movies, outdoor games, etc.
 If you are skilled in an area that you would like to share with the class as an enrichment
activity, please let me know!
 Students who have not completed the assigned weekly work will spend the class
enrichment time in study hall so that work may be completed.
Grades
 Students in the sixth grade do not receive traditional letter grades on report cards but will
receive a number mark ranging from 3 as the highest to N as the lowest.
 We will track grades, in the form of a percentage, on spelling tests, math tests and
quizzes, reading journals, vocabulary quizzes and tests, reading comprehension
questions, social studies journals and tests as well as various components of research
projects in social studies, science, and reading.
 Grades will be assigned on the following scale –
3 = A = 92-100%
2 = B = 82-91%
2 = C = 72-81%
1 = D = 62-71%
P = Consistent Effort with Completed Work = below 62%
N = F = No Effort without Completed Work = below 62%
Exceptional Eagle Award
 The Exceptional Eagle Award is a goal program meant to enrich each sixth grade student.
Please choose 10 of the 19 goals with your child to work on during the year.
 Work on these goals at home.
 As a student completes a goal, documentation needs to be sent to school.
 The Exceptional Eagle coordinator will sign off goals as they are completed.
 Awards will be presented at sixth grade graduation.
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Donations There are many different ways for interested parents to donate needed items to
the classroom.
Class Supplies – We are always in need of Kleenex, containers of disinfecting wipes,
packages of dry erase markers, white copy paper, colored copy paper and packages of
glue sticks.
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Field Trips – On occasion, I will send home a small note asking for a monetary donation
for an upcoming field trip. No child will be left behind due to the inability to pay. This
amount will be small, between $1 and $5, and is strictly voluntary.
SCRIP – Purchasing pre- paid gift cards through the PTA provides needed supply money
to the classroom. Please consider using SCRIP for your shopping needs.
We are truly looking forward to spending this year with you and your student. If you
have any questions, concerns or comments please contact us at your convenience.
Thank you for your support,
Jennifer Mergens
801.584.2908 ext. 226 school
[email protected]
Alice Correa
801.584.2908 ext. 227
[email protected]
Please sign and return the bottom portion.
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We have read the disclosure document for 2015-2016 and understand its contents.
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Parent name printed
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Parent signature
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Student name printed
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Student signature
__________ Date
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