December

Over the three weeks in December we will be completing a short story unit over The Gift of the Magi.  During the unit we will be covering/reviewing the following skills:

• Vocabulary
• Identifying and Proving Theme
• Figurative Language Review
• Plot Summary Review
• Character Analysis 
• Compare and Contrast

We will be reading, writing, cutting, gluing, and watching the Hallmark channel movie...so it will be a busy month in class.  There will be NO SPELLING this month.  There will, however, be a challenging vocabulary list of 18 words.  We will have a vocabulary definition quiz and the words will appear again on the end of unit test as well.  So START LEARNING THE VOCAB NOW! 

You are required to read and test on one free choice book this month.  So, get your nose in a book and knock that out quickly!

Semester tests we be December 18th and 19th.  See your handbook for details about test exemption.

To study the words and definitions on quizlet...CLICK HERE.

To listen to the story The Gift of the Magi on Youtube....CLICK HERE.

November 17-21

Tests from Friday will be passed out on Monday.  If you scored below a 70% and would like to improve your grade you are welcome to come in during lunch on Monday or Tuesday only.  You will need to ask for a note on your own and have your test with you when you come.

The 4th Reading assignment is due on Friday.  You must read a newspaper or magazine article and complete the written response.  I will be grading assignment folders over break.  NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be allowed.

The week will be working through The Color of My Words in our reading textbook. We will review previously learned skills work on summarizing text.

If you would like to read this week's story...Find The Color of My Words HERE
If you would like to study your vocabulary words....CLICK HERE
If you would like to study your spelling words....CLICK HERE

***Parent Note: We could really use boxes of pencils and glue sticks in class.  If you are able to help with one or both of those it would be appreciated very much! ***

Read to Succeed Program

I have registered our classes in the Six Flags Read to Succeed program.  If you would like to earn a free student ticket to Six Flags over Texas in Arlington, fill out the reading log with 6 hours of reading time between now and February 13th!

November 10-14

              The 4th Reading assignment is up and running! The written response papers are available in the back of the classroom anytime you are ready.  OUTSIDE OF CLASS you must find a newspaper or magazine article that can be read and turned in along with the written response.  This is due, in your reading folders on November 21st NO assignments WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE. You should still be reading a library book as well.  Everyone should have an extra credit book read and "tweeted" before Thanksgiving break.

If you would like to read this week's story...Find Buildings in Disguise HERE
If you would like to study your vocabulary words....CLICK HERE
If you would like to study your spelling words....CLICK HERE

November 3-7

           This week we will be finishing the story Smokejumpers from our Storytown Reader.  Here is a link to the online E-textbook if you would like to read it at home... Click Here.  The vocabulary and spelling for this week are found under the weekly objectives heading on the right side of this page.

         The spelling list is made up of commonly mistaken words.  I will do the word sets together on the spelling test to help...as long as you know both spellings any order works for the spelling test.  I will also be giving a "fill in the sentence with the correctly spelled words" page as a separate grade...so you should have a basic understanding of the meaning of each word.  If you would like to use spelling city to study your words....Click Here. (Notice: Spelling city has more words than our list, I have narrowed ours down to 16 words.)

       Our 4th Reading Assignment begins this week.  You are required to find a newspaper or magazine article to read. You will fill out a written response for your Reading Folder.  This assignment is due November 19th.  Because this assignment does not require an AR test...you must be reading your "free choice" books and testing at a reasonable rate.  Remember all extra tests passed will count as extra credit and earn you tickets for the drawing.

October 27-31

              First, let me apologize for the late post.  I was not at school yesterday. A very dear friend lost her battle with colon cancer over the weekend and my family and I attended the funeral in Broken Bow.  She was my age and only received the diagnosis on June 30th.  It just takes my breath away how unpredictable life can be.  She was the mother of a 9th and 6th grader so keep them, along with her husband, in your prayers and give your 6th grader a big ol' hug...even if they don't want it.  :)
           
                 So, all of that along with the copier being down over the weekend has this week off to an unusual start.  We are just going to adjust and be flexible this week.

•   There will be NO SPELLING (insert shouts of joy here).  
• We took a reading test today (Tuesday).  I will grade them tonight so that students can come in during lunch on Wednesday and Thursday to make corrections on any grade below a 70.  
• KEEP READING library books.  I did not get an official extra credit reading paper typed to hand out, but read and pass tests on extra books and they will be extra credit.

Oct 20-24

Welcome Back from FALL BREAK, I hope you had a great weekend.

This is a short week again due to NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, October 24th, however, we will have a spelling list/test.  I feel like the list is one you guys can handle and do well. Please, STUDY! :)

This week is Parent/Teacher Conferences on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-6:45.  I WILL NOT BE HERE THURSDAY AFTERNOON for conferences.  I would still like to see as many parents as possible.  I will be sending a note home on Tuesday, please read over it and see if there is a time you would like to meet.  Email conferences and phone calls work too! Sorry for this inconvenience.  

I'm going to allow some extra credit reading assignments since our non-fiction AR reading assignment is a shorter one.  I'll be giving information in class next week.

THANKS!!

Fall Break Week!

I'm a little late posting, but you've probably already figured out.....

NO SPELLING
NO VOCAB
NO STORY  this week.

We are catching up on work, reviewing a few skills,and working on reading assignments in class.
Use the rubric handed out in class to check your own notebook.  They will be turned in Wednesday, October 15th for a grade.  This grade will be recorded twice in the grade book. These lessons are done together in class and the rubric was provided with plenty of time for you to catch up in areas where you were behind.

HAPPY FALL BREAK!

Oct 6-10

Dates: 

October 16-17 No School Fall Break

October 21 & 23- Parent Teacher Conferences

October 24- No School

*** End of 9 Weeks is OCTOBER 10th make every assignment count!

Here are the Highlights for this week:

Monday: Introduce Spelling/Vocabulary for the week, Introduction of Cause/Effect

Tuesday: Cause/Effect Lesson...Interactive Notebook NEEDed in class this day

Wednesday: Practice Spelling Test, Read The Man Who Made Time Travel 

Thursday: Library Lesson Day with Mrs. Gordon about Nonfiction Text Features...we will all be checking out nonfiction books on this day to begin our next reading assignment

Friday:  Spelling Test, Reading Test over The Man Who Made Time Travel

Sept 29- Oct 2

This week at a glance:

Monday: We will take a Reading Test over The Wright Brothers.  As always you will be allowed to use your reader and vocabulary list. This assessment covers vocabulary, locating information in a Biography, and understanding the sequential order of a given text.

Tuesday: We will complete a bell ringer to practice using Informational text structures and complete a Biographical Reading Comprehension practice about Rembrant  that will be turned in and graded.

Wednesday: We will take a Practice Spelling test.  Grades of 70 and above will be recorded in the Grade book. We will also listen to this week's story: Wilma Unlimited.

Thursday: We will visit the library.  You will be able to find a picture or quote for your Biography project on the computer, take AR tests, and check/recheck books.  You will have sometime on this day to work on your Biography Project if needed.  Unless you have received permission from me to have longer...the BIOGRAPHY PROJECT IS DUE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2!!!!

Friday: We will take a Final Spelling test.  We will take a reading test over Wilma Unlimited.  You will be allowed to use your reader to complete the test as well as your vocabulary list.  This test will repeat the same skills as Monday's test and will include a sequencing chart you will fill out based on the story.

** This week will we not have an interactive notebook lesson...so you should take this opportunity to get with a friend and make sure you have all the lessons completed up to this point.  If you missed class...getting the notes and handouts is your responsibility.  So far we have 15 pages noted in our table of contents.

**After you have completed your Biography and the Writing assignment...you can select a free choice book until the next reading assignment begins on Oct 9th. ALWAYS have a book going.  Extra books get you more tickets in the drawing!  

Rearranging...

We were not able to complete everything I had hoped this week so I have rearranged somewhat...
The vocabulary list that is under weekly objectives Sept 15th on the right side of this page will be tested along with the story The Long Bike Ride On Monday Sept 22nd.  As always, you will be able to use the reader and your vocabulary definition lists as resources on the test.

Today was the deadline for our first reading assignment.  NO late work or extensions are being allowed on this assignment as you were given 4 weeks and CONSTANT in-class reminders about reading.  Partial credit will be given for partially read books and partially completed reading passports.

Next week begins our 2nd LIBRARY BOOK ASSIGNMENT.  Each student will be reading a Biography and completing a written response to the book.  The assignment is due in two weeks, on OCTOBER 2nd.  More information will be given in class about the project next week.

PLEASE BE AT SCHOOL!!!!!!!! We do SO much in class whole group and in our interactive notebooks. It is not stuff that can be made up at home.  When you miss class you miss out on learning and it's hard to catch back up with the same understanding of the content that you would get in class.

HOMECOMING SPIRIT WEEK!!

This week we will be showing our school spirit by dressing up in the following ways:
Monday: Twin Day
Tuesday: Camo/Nerd Day
Wednesday: Senior Citizen Day
Thursday: Throwback Thursday (50s,  60s, 70s, 80s)
Friday: BLACK AND WHITE DAY

Please top the week off by attending this Friday's homecoming football game against Harrah at 7:00pm!!!

Other Notes:
You should have AT LEAST one AR book read and tested on by Friday.
There will be a spelling test of 15 words this week...study.
This weeks reading test will be on Thursday and library day will be Friday.
I will be sending home book orders this week.  They are due Sept 25th.

Follow By Email

I found an error in the "Follow By Email" link on this page.  If you encountered an error...give it another go...hopefully it will work! :)

LIBRARY BOOKS!!!

The due date for your first AR Assignment is SEPTEMBER 19th.

No exceptions, no extensions. You should be READING AT HOME! 

At this point, you've had 2 weeks and should be about half way through your book.3

Don't forget that your spelling and vocab words are located on the "Sept 8" link to the right if you need them this week!

Hope You Had a GREAT Long Weekend!!!

This week, due to the shortened work week, we will NOT be having a spelling test! (Insert cheers here)

We will be taking a reading test over the story Befiddled on Thursday which will include the vocabulary list from last week.

If you would like to order books from the book order the money is due tomorrow, Tuesday Sept 2.


BRING YOUR LIBRARY BOOK TO CLASS EVERY DAY!!!!

Library Visit and Homework

            On Friday we were able to visit the library for the first time this year!  We took the STAR reading assessment and checked out books.  If your child was unable to check out a book, please help them locate their lost book from last year or contact the school about paying the fine. Your child needs to read and test for a class assignment so we need to get a book in their hands very soon.
       
Homework for 6th Grade Reading this year will be:

• Study for Spelling Test...First Chance test on Wednesday...Test on Friday if Needed
• Know the Vocabulary words given Monday for Friday's Test
• READ A LIBRARY BOOK...DON'T WAIT until the last minute to start a book.
• Unfinished work from class or missed assignments from absence

If ever the Vocab/Spelling handout from Monday is lost check the "Weekly Objective" link on the right side of the page with the correct date.  Please let me know if there is a week I fail to post the lists on here and I'll get it there ASAP.  

First Tests!!!

This week has been a great start to the year!  We've been working hard in the classroom and figuring out lockers in the hallway. :)  This Friday, August 22 will be our first official tests of the year.  We will have a reading test, a spelling test, and will be doing the STAR Reading Assessment online, so attendance is very important...DON'T MISS!

Spelling Words:                                Vocabulary Words:
drenched                                            crestfallen
album                                                 perishable
system                                                hysterical
against                                                ecstatic
absences                                             lamented
rapid                                                   ricocheted
plastic                                                 mirth
pulse                                                   incapacitated
publish
snack
solve
feather
cabinet
circuit
biscuit
chess
bronze
nozzle
glimpse
depth

Supplies

For class this year you will need:

• Pencils
• 1" Clear-view Binder
• Loose-leaf Notebook Paper
• Composition Notebook
• Folder with Brads

If you are willing to donate one or any of the following items to our class, it would be greatly appreciated. These are things I don't need every student to bring and THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED.  I understand that this time of year can be a challenge getting kids back to school, so if you would like to wait until next month on one or any of these that would be totally fine.  I appreciate your help!

• Clorox Wipes
• Card Stock
• Small Tip Markers
• Large Glue Sticks
• Boxes of Tissue

Welcome To 6th Grade Reading!!!

Check back here for more information about our classroom!