Dear Parents, Guardians and Students:
Welcome to 6th grade at ISLC! I look forward to working together to create a positive, academically challenging 6th grade experience for your child. It should be a productive and exciting year in which we explore a standards-based curriculum based on international themes. I will be teaching the following classes:
Math: Sixth graders will continue to develop their skills and understanding of number sense and will explore geometry concepts and statistical analysis in further depth. Students will be able to use math strategies and skills to find solutions and will be able to make decisions about how to solve problems.
Science / Health: Students will learn about the earth’s structure, its surface, its energy systems, ecology and resources, while developing their skills in investigation and experimentation. There will also be a health unit in which students examine topics such as personal health and healthy living.
Introduction to Japanese Elective: The focus of the course will be on acquiring basic conversational skills and gaining exposure to various aspects of the Japanese culture.
Sixth graders will be accountable for their work habits, ability to meet deadlines and their good citizenship within the school community. If your child is having any difficulties at school – whether academic, personal or social – please let us know so that we can work together to ensure your child’s success.
I hope to meet with each of you personally very soon. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me via email (mob0227@lausd.net) or phone (323-568-3155).
Sincerely,
Ms. Hawkins
Grade 6 Mathematics, Science and Japanese
Please review the following with your child, as it contains information regarding classroom rules, procedures and expectations:
1. General Information and Procedures:
• All homework assignments should be completed before arriving to class.
• All pencils need to be sharpened before class begins.
• After students enter the classroom, they should copy homework into agendas and begin warmup assignments.
• Students need to raise their hand and wait for permission to speak or leave their seat.
• Students are responsible for bringing all required materials to class every day.
• At the end of the block, students will clean up their work area and wait for the class to be dismissed by the teacher.
2. Classroom Rules: In addition to observing the school-wide policies on behavior, students are expected to:
BE PROMPT: Arrive to class on time and turn in work on time.
BE PREPARED: Bring all required materials to class and complete all assigned work.
BE POSITIVE: Give your best effort and actively participate in class.
SHOW RESPECT: Pay attention; remain in seat; take care of school, teacher and student property; speak politely to everyone; raise your hand before speaking; keep gum, food and drinks (except water) out of the classroom.
Students may be required to serve lunch detention or stay after school (10 minutes) if they are disruptive of the learning environment. Should an after-school detention longer than 10 minutes be required, I will notify you in advance with a note sent home with the student.
3. Assignments:
• The school provides an agenda for each student to keep track of all their assignments, tests and homework. The agenda also provides a space for parents and teachers to communicate on a daily basis, so please check your child’s agenda daily.
• Following an absence, it is your child’s responsibility to find out what they missed by checking the “handouts” folder in the classroom or checking a friend’s agenda. If they have any questions about the missed work, they should speak with me.
• Late work WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Any assignments turned in late will be graded down one letter grade for each late day (unless the reason is due to a verified illness).
• Extra credit assignments may be given upon request, but NOT IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS of the semester. This is to ensure that students do not neglect their daily work throughout the semester, thinking that they can make it up right at the end. The semester final grade should be reflective of a student’s progress throughout the semester.
• Please note that cheating on an assignment will result in a score of zero. This includes copying words directly off of the internet without citing the source, copying from classmates, and “sharing answers” (unless working cooperatively on a group project).
• All returned assignments and tests should be saved in the student’s 3 ring notebook.
4. Grading:
Grades will be computed based on the following point system. Please note that these are the maximum points possible on each type of assignment; actual points earned will depend on the quality of work.
• Tests: 200 points
• Projects: 100 ~ 200 points (depends on the project)
• Notebook: 100 points
• Quizzes: 50 points
• Homework or Classwork assignments: 10 ~ 30 points (depends on the assignment)
• Warm-up assignments: 10 points
In addition, cooperation and work habits grades will be assigned based on the student’s behavior and their ability to follow class rules and procedures. Please note: three or more tardies in a semester will result in a “U” grade (unsatisfactory) for work habits.
The grading scale is:
A = 90% – 100%
B = 80% – 89%
C = 70% – 79%
D = 60% – 69%
F = 59% and below
5. Materials Necessary for Class:
• Agenda (provided by ISLC)
• Blue or black pen for writing assignments (erasable pen recommended)
• Pencil, eraser and ruler
• Two 1” 3 ring binders (1 for Math, 1 for Science) with 3~5 clear sheet protectors in each
• 3-hole punched lined paper (8.5” x 11”; college ruled)
• 1 spiral notebook (70-120 pages; college ruled) for Japanese
Please let me know if you are unable to provide the supplies indicated above. Additional recommended supplies include:
• Dry white out
• Colored pencils
• Handheld pencil sharpener
• Highlighters
• Post-its
