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Kelsey Nelson » Parent Letter

Parent Letter

Hello and welcome to 6th grade English/Language Arts! It is my pleasure to be your teacher this year while we learn together. This is my 9th year of teaching ELA and I am so excited about the year ahead. I know that middle school can be a bit of an adjustment period, but I fully trust that by working together as a team (myself, students, and parents), this will be your best year yet. 


Materials needed every day:

  • Plastic red folder with prongs
  • Pencil
  • Notebook paper
  • Charged Chromebook (for real, charge it at night)
  • Highlighters (I suggest at least 4 colors)
  • Student workbook (to be left in class each day)

Expectations:

  • Be Prepared
  • Be Respectful
  • Be Responsible
  • Be Accountable

These expectations encompass a lot of different things, but they are all designed with one goal in mind: success for your student. Being prepared makes for a better learning environment. Being respectful is necessary in every part of school. Being responsible helps ensure that you can be your best self in the classroom each day and that you contribute positively to the classroom learning environment. Being accountable means that you own your actions and recognize that your actions have consequences both to yourself and others around you. 


Grading:

The grading scale will be as follows:     


A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: 0-50


In lieu of a weighted grading system, I use a total points grading system. While it is a total points value, some assignments will be worth a higher point value than others. For example, an essay may be worth 200 points, while a reading check may be worth only 50 points. 


Work we do both in class and outside of class are important and will all count towards a student’s final grade in this class. On a related note, students will have independent homework on a weekly basis. Class time is spent on learning and collaboration, so any work taken home is an extension of what we learned in class that day. I don’t believe in busy work, so if it is homework, then it is important. 

 

Absence Policy: 

Students that are not at school are expected to check their daily email and to visit Google Classroom to view each day’s assignments. Students will need to submit work online or upon return to school. For each day that you are absent, you will have one day to complete the missing assignments. Please don’t let being absent become an excuse for not staying on top of your schoolwork-you are expected to complete it. There will be an absent folder at the front of the classroom with all absent assignments. 


ELA Curriculum
This year, we will be using My Perspectives English Language Arts for Grade 6, published by Savvas Learning Company, as our curriculum.  Although tough, students will be able to become familiar with the program and gain skills that will be used for years to come. Students will be required to read, analyze, debate, and present in an individual and group format. This will come through a physical workbook that we will use in class. The workbook will be kept in class and used all year, however there will be times students tear pages out of it to take home for homework or other various assignments. I also supplement the curriculum with various texts and activities. 

 

Communication

I take great pride in having open and daily communication with both students and parents. Starting the second or third week of school, you will receive a daily email from me that tells what we did in class that day, what the homework is, and other important information. Both students and parents will receive this email, so please be sure your email information is correct on Skyward and on the sheet that you send back to me. This is my way of letting parents know what is going on in class and so that parents, students, and myself can all be on the same page. If you ever have any questions or concerns, email is the quickest way to reach me. I check my email daily and will respond within 24 hours unless I am out of the building on sick leave or it is a weekend. 

 

Ways to Help:

Every year, many parents ask how they can help our classroom. The two biggest ways to help are through our Amazon wish list and through Scholastic orders. I have an Amazon wish list that I add to throughout the year that has our needs and wants. Ordering through Scholastic helps us earn “points” for our class to get free books on our classroom library shelves. I also always accept donations of Jolly Ranchers, post-it notes, pencils, and paper. 

 

Independent Reading:

This is an English/Language Arts class. Readers are leaders and it is important that students are reading independently both in and out of the classroom. It is an expectation that students have a book of their choice with them at all times. We will try to find time every two weeks to visit our school library, but I also have a classroom library boasting hundreds of books for your student to access. I encourage you to read as a family at home and to quiz your students about what they are reading. The best way to get better at ELA and writing is to read. Seriously, it is that easy.