• Ms. Roberts’ ELA Syllabus & Critical  Information 

    Parent Involvement is all about children. Participation in your child’s education is proven to boost his or her achievement in school. We are committed to treat parents as partners while keeping lines of communication open and focused on the needs of your child. Mutual trust and respect between parents and teachers is required to maintain a positive learning experience at any school. We believe that your trust in Arrowhead is required to ensure your child’s success.

    Standards and Topics
    Please take a look at the quarterly plan of topics. I teach one standard at a time to ensure all students are learning at high levels. If you have questions about what each ELA standard is, or the district's expectations of ELA, please use the links below:   

    DVUSD English Language Arts Resources for Parents https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/5389

    What is Depth of Knowledge https://www.ascd.org/blogs/what-exactly-is-depth-of-knowledge-hint-its-not-a-wheel

    Arizona State Standards for 6th Grade ELA
    https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/english-language-

    Writing
    This is an amazing resource for writing. It explains and gives examples of grammar, citations, MLA and APA writing forms, and so much more! This is the number one writing source for middle school students. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

    Lexile Information
    This link is where students can register and locate books at and above their current Lexile level.  The site explains all about student Lexile scores and lists resources for students and families.   https://www.lexile.com/ 


    ELA Overview 
    During our 90 minute ELA block, we will use the newly adopted Collections program. Students will be exposed to a variety of genres, including several Newberry awarded novels. We will also work on vocabulary, writing, grammar, and spelling, as well as speaking and listening skills. Students will be given nightly homework that will alternate weekly between grammar review and comprehension passages. Students should also be reading nightly for 30 minutes. Students will have many opportunities to improve their writing ranging from poetry to five paragraph essays. Please see Ms. Roberts’ website @ https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/4584  for more specific information about the ELA program.


              Quarterly Plan subject to change depending on standard mastery. 

    Novel Studies: There will be two novel studies taught throughout the school year.
       
    1. The Giver by Lois Lowry        

    2. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

    The Giver is a fiction book in which The Giver follows the story of a 12 year old boy named Jonas. He lives in a colorless society of "sameness" that at first, appears to be utopian.  However, as the story progresses, society is revealed to be a dystopian.  Jonas feels forced to decide whether or not he can continue to live in a society with so many secrets. 
    The Lightning Thief is a light-hearted fantasy about a modern 12-year-old boy who learns that his true father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.  Percy sets out to become a hero by undertaking a quest across the United States to find the entrance to the Underworld and stop a war between the gods.

    Homework
    Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework is essential for increasing and reinforcing student learning and achievement for course standards. Homework may be differentiated to meet the needs of our varied learners. The intent of homework is to practice, extend learning, and provide opportunities for students to develop critical, independent study skills and self-discipline     for their life-long educational journeys. ELA homework should never take more than 20-30 minutes. At times some class work may be taken home to finish. 

    Grades
    Grades are a reporting tool utilized to reflect what a student  knows and is able to do in a content area. We measure achievement, not effort or behavior, in our grading system. Grades will be equitable, accurate, specific, consistent. A student’s grade should reflect academic learning and should never be used as a  punitive tool. Grades are for reporting the status of academic learning, not behavioral conduct. The primary purpose of assessment and grading is to  provide detailed feedback to inform and support student learning. Learning is a process that takes place over time and at different speeds for different students. PowerSchool is an essential resource for parents and students. It is not only a tool for communication regarding grades, it is a resource for our students and parents to check progress, missing work, and what is being taught/learned regularly. In 6th grade  if an assignment is missing, a zero will be recorded in the gradebook and an “M” for missing will be noted until submitted. If the assignment has not been turned in by one week prior to the end of the grading quarter then the score will be changed to a 49% (F).  If a student scores a low percentage on a summative assessment, then no score lower than a 50% will be recorded. Actual score will be noted in the comment. *Effort, participation, and attitude will not be included in final grades, but may be reported on the report card. Please ensure that you and your child have access (separate accounts) and even sign up for the app and push notifications or weekly email updates as an option in PowerSchool.  https://ps.dvusd.org/public/  

    Help with Student Logins
    Login to DVUSD sites with your DVUSD student username & password.
    USERNAME: First Initial + Middle Initial + first 3 letters of your last name + last 3 numbers of student ID (lunch number)
    PASSWORD: Student ID (lunch number)

    Citizenship marks will be used with an  E/S/N/U
    E = Excellent 
    S = Satisfactory
    N = Needs Improvement
    U = Unsatisfactory

    Grading Scale
    A =  90-100%
    B =  80-89%
    C =  70-79%
    D =  60-69%
    F =   0-59%

    Assessment This category includes all items used to measure a student’s  proficiency toward  the learning standards once the student has had sufficient practice and at a specified point in time. This category can include summative tests, performance assessments, reports, unit or module assessments, quizzes, long-term projects, short-term projects, presentations, capstone projects, research papers, and lab reports.

    Coursework This category includes formative work that provides students with the opportunity to learn content and skills and to receive feedback on their learning.  Coursework is assigned to provide meaningful, independent practice, reinforce learning targets, and extend learning. This category can include in-class assignments, quizzes, exit tickets, checks-for-understanding, and daily activities.

    Practice  This category includes formative student work that a student completes while in the process of learning specific skills.  Student work that is done inside and outside of the classroom, such as classwork and homework, falls into this category. 

    Student Absences
    Upon returning from any absence, it is each student’s responsibility to obtain class work and homework, as well as arrange any test make ups with each of their teachers.

    Procedures for Re-Assessment & Late Work
    If a student does not master a standard on an assessment, The expectation is they will receive reteaching of that standard in a small group setting, and then retake the test. I want all my students to grow and learn to their highest potential.
    *All retakes will be taken in class.
    * Students will be afforded extra time for learning; however, there is an ending point for each course in which final reports on a student’s learning must be conveyed.
    * Students are required to show evidence of learning and applying the teacher’s feedback in order to earn a reassessment opportunity.
    * In order to accurately reflect a student’s academic     performance level, teachers will accept late work and missing work for full credit if the work is submitted within the timeframe and procedures developed by the school and before the end of the grading period.
    * A notation of “M” for missing or “L” for late work will     also be noted in the gradebook.
    * Students will still be responsible for turning in late work & absent work in addition to their current coursework, which results in the natural consequence of a heavier workload. The primary consequence for students not completing the work is to complete the work.
    * Students become self-directed in learning about themselves as a learner. They have to analyze their own study habits to figure out what actually works for them. This helps students retain knowledge.

    Attendance
    Attendance is very important in sixth grade. Please help your child make every effort to attend school regularly. The most important work we do in sixth grade is very difficult to make up when missed. This includes specific skill instruction, science labs, and class discussions during

    reading in all subjects. Students are responsible for making up all assignments that are missed during an absence including getting notes and catching up on class reading. For each day a student is absent, they have one day to complete the make-up work.

    Student Responsibilities
    Students need to request help to understand concepts that are misunderstood.  Complete all assignments in a timely manner.  Take advantage of opportunities to redo assignments or tests to show mastery of standards or to show exceeding/excelling of standards.  Arrange time to redo assessments.  Check PowerSchool regularly to monitor progress.


    All Things EQ We have implemented a philosophy called “All Things EQ.” IQ is your book smarts or school smarts. EQ is your emotional quotient or self-smarts. The EQ philosophy focuses on the following key questions:

              *How can I be kind and helpful at this moment?
              *How are you showing up at school today?
              *Am I making an honest effort?
              *Am I focusing on solutions instead of problems?

    Summary
    IQ stands for Intellectual Quotient. EQ stands for Emotional Quotient and is equally as important. Every week, there is another skill taught that raises everyone's EQ for the better.  This program teaches kids positive, emotional skills that they can use throughout their life. Every week, students focus on a motto centered around a quarterly focus.  They listen to daily video reminders and strategies that can be applied within school and other life situations.  E.Q. is often referred to as social and emotional learning.   *Social and Emotional Skills Each Week * Building a Positive Community Culture. Students benefit from the weekly insights and enjoy the program. Watching students take ownership in their school and coming to class with a purpose is incredible. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the culture shifts from “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I help?” and that shift occurs faster when the school has positive student role models on campus.  All Things E.Q. Webpage: https://app.allthingseq.com/

    Canvas
    Canvas is the district adopted platform for K-12 in Deer Valley and Canvas will be our learning platform for work in 6th grade. Canvas is where you can locate absent work and follow along with your child’s daily work. Although Canvas is where you can locate absent work and follow along with your child’s daily work, please think of CANVAS as a workbook and PowerSchools as the gradebook. The students will work through Canvas, however monitoring grades and checking on missing assignments should be done through PowerSchools. 

    Need help with Canvas? https://www.dvusd.org/Page/48958


    Device Protection Plan
    DVUSD will be offering an Optional Device Protection Plan for families of 4th-8th graders utilizing take-home devices. Enrollment in the plan is optional with the understanding that if students/parents do not enroll in the protection plan they may carry full liability for the student device (iPad or Chromebook) in the same way they do for other damaged or lost school property, such as textbooks.
    Flier: https://url.dvusd.org/DeviceProtectionPlan
    Protection plan online at https://url.dvusd.org/PaymentPortal 

    Lunch Account/Meals
    Student meals for the 22-23 school year will no longer be free. Breakfast will cost $1.50 and Lunch will cost $2.95. You may go to www.EZSchoolpay.com to apply money to your student's meal account. (The service fee will be waived through September 30th.) Students will use their student ID number to access their meal account to pay for their meal. Free and reduced-price meal applications are available online at www.EZMealApp.com. Parents must reapply each school year. You may find more information at www.dvusd.org/mealassistance.

    Teacher Communication
    Please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at heather.roberts@dvusd.org or call the classroom phone at (623) 376 - 4176 and I will respond in a timely manner.