Just wanted to let all of you know that the sixth graders will be taking their first science test on Friday this week. Today we will go through our science packets and highlight the topics that need to be studied for the test. On Thursday, we will play two review games to help prepare for the test. Our in class activities will help ready your child for the test, but a bit of review at home will help ensure that your student is confident and set for the test on Friday!
We are looking for two sixth grade parents to serve as chaperones for next week's field trip to Living History Farms. If you are interested in going with us, please contact me or Mrs. Suntken as soon as possible. Please remember that we will not be back in Belmond until 4:30 and bus transportation will not be available. If your child is not a walker, you will need to make plans to pick him up at the school.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Living History Trip
On Wednesday,
October 10th the Belmond-Klemme sixth graders will be traveling to
Des Moines to visit The Living History Farms.
This trip helps students see the changes in agricultural practices, Iowa
life, and technology over the years. We
are very fortunate that the Belmond Community Service Women are covering the
cost of the trip.
We will leave
promptly at 8:15 Wednesday morning.
Students may enter the building at 8:00 and take restroom breaks so we
can depart in a timely fashion. Sack
lunches will be provided for all the sixth graders so no one needs to worry
about packing a lunch or bringing food! Students
may bring their iPod, Nintendo DS, etc. for the bus ride, but we are asking
that they leave their cell phones and cameras at home. Please remember that they bring these
electronics at their own risk.
We have a full
day planned at Living History Farms and will not depart the Farms until
2:30. This means we will not be back in
Belmond until 4:30. Students who
normally ride the bus will need to make arrangements for someone to pick them
up. Bus transportation will not be
available.
This is a
wonderful trip and opportunity for the sixth graders. Please encourage your child to be a good representative
of the Belmond-Klemme Schools. If you
have questions about the trip, please feel free to contact me.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Johnson's Journal September 3,2012
I trust you all had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. I hope this coming week is just as awesome as the past week-and-a-half was. I am definitely enjoying getting to know all the new sixth graders, and I think they are settling into the routine of a new year nicely. I am most pleased with how responsible they have been when it comes to handing work in on time! The sixth graders are very proud of the fact that 100% of the assignments I have given so far have been turned in on time! That is a great record which I hope to see continue!!!
This week we will continue reviewing math concepts. We have worked with place value and big numbers (up to the trillions) and exponents. This week, we will focus on ordering and comparing numbers and rounding. We will continue to use the Rocket Math program again this year to help the students build speed and accuracy with their multiplication and division facts. Having mastery of those facts is so important in sixth grade as much of our work involves several steps and "layers;" when students struggle with the basic facts, they struggle with the complex skills we tackle in sixth grade. More info on the Rocket Math will be coming in future blogs!
In Social Studies, map skills will be the focus of our work. We are using both the scheduled times for Social Studies and Science these first few weeks to get a good start on Social Studies and Daily Geography Practice (DGP). The first DGP is due on Wednesday, and there will also be a quiz on Wednesday in which the students will be asked to identify the continents and oceans of the world, as well as spell those names accurately. They received a study guide for the quiz last week. Next week, we'll add Science to the mix.
If you aren't seeing your learner's Take Home folder on a regular basis, please ask them to bring it home and share it with you. I tell the kids that there are no rewards given for the fattest, fullest folder! I hope you find it interesting to see what we are doing in sixth grade.
Again, if you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. Don't forget that our first early dismissal of the year is coming up on Wednesday.
Ruth Johnson
This week we will continue reviewing math concepts. We have worked with place value and big numbers (up to the trillions) and exponents. This week, we will focus on ordering and comparing numbers and rounding. We will continue to use the Rocket Math program again this year to help the students build speed and accuracy with their multiplication and division facts. Having mastery of those facts is so important in sixth grade as much of our work involves several steps and "layers;" when students struggle with the basic facts, they struggle with the complex skills we tackle in sixth grade. More info on the Rocket Math will be coming in future blogs!
In Social Studies, map skills will be the focus of our work. We are using both the scheduled times for Social Studies and Science these first few weeks to get a good start on Social Studies and Daily Geography Practice (DGP). The first DGP is due on Wednesday, and there will also be a quiz on Wednesday in which the students will be asked to identify the continents and oceans of the world, as well as spell those names accurately. They received a study guide for the quiz last week. Next week, we'll add Science to the mix.
If you aren't seeing your learner's Take Home folder on a regular basis, please ask them to bring it home and share it with you. I tell the kids that there are no rewards given for the fattest, fullest folder! I hope you find it interesting to see what we are doing in sixth grade.
Again, if you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. Don't forget that our first early dismissal of the year is coming up on Wednesday.
Ruth Johnson
Monday, August 20, 2012
Johnson' Journal August 21,2012
Sixth grade procedures to be aware of …
* Before School –Students will go straight to the playground. The only students to be inside are those eating breakfast; after breakfast, students will head straight outside. Students will line up after the third whistle at 8:05 and be admitted to the building. If you need to see me, stop in the office and Mrs. Goeman or Ms. Negrete will let me know you are here.
*Homework due by 8:15--Study Buddy session after school w/teacher if work is not turned in on. No afterschool sessions on Friday – those will be rescheduled for Monday.
*Be organized for class.—Bring the following folders to class:
A.M. –Composition notebook, free reading book, Take Home folder, Reading folder, Math
folder
After RTI – Composition notebook, free reading book, Take Home folder ,Language folder, Social Studies folder, Science folder
Students who do not have the necessary materials for class will be asked to perform community service during their next recess.
*Addressing Adults—ALL adults in the building will be addressed by Mr., Mrs., or Ms. and their last name. All adults are to be treated with the utmost respect.
*There will be silence in the hallways of Jacobson Elementary. Students will walk on the bold black line
at all times in the hallway.
*Correction Cards—Students will be given a non-verbal reminder (Correction Card) if their behavior needs to be changed. Teaching will continue and the class’ learning will not be interrupted.
*Codes for Jacobson
Code 0 = Silence
Code 1 = Raise your hand and participate in our class discussion
Code 2 = Talk only to your partner
Code 3 = Talk only to your team – other teams should not be able to hear your ideas
Lunchroom Rules -After all students have been served there will be five minutes of silence so students can focus on eating. There will be no trading or sharing of food. Keep hands and feet to self!
SIT and eat. If students need to get up from their table, they will raise their hands and get permission. You will be dismissed by table (not by GRADE) once your table and the surrounding area are cleaned up. On green days you will need to change out of your PE clothes and shower before you go out to recess.
*Recess – Except for an occasional special circumstance all students will go outside for noon recess. We have AWESOME new playground equipment to use this year. Please take 3.8 seconds and put it away when you are done.
*Classroom Blogs—Please subscribe to Johnson’s Journal and Suntken’s Stars to keep current as to what’s going on in 6th grade. Go to the BK homepage, click on the Classroom Blogs tab at the top of the page, and then on Mrs. Suntken’s tab, as well as mine. When you subscribe to our blogs you will automatically receive an email update as soon as we add new info.
*Campus Parent Portal—I strongly encourage you to check your learner’s progress on Campus frequently; keep track of how they are progressing in class. Questions can always be answered in a timely fashion if you check their grades regularly. If you don’t have access to Campus, I will be glad to help you set up your account.
I know this seems like a lot of rules but if we can establish good habits and routines early in the year, we can focus on all the exciting activities, projects, and learning that go on in sixth grade.
“Fences can be freeing.”
If you ever have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. I will be glad to work with you; it is my goal that each sixth grader has a positive year. I look forward to working with you and your child this year.
Ruth Johnson
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Welcome
Welcome to the first posting of the 2012-2013 Johnson Journal. Even though this is my 30th year of teaching, I still find the first days of school exciting. I look forward to working with all of the new sixth graders and their families. If you ever have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at 444-4300 ext. 334 or ruth.johnson@bkcsd.org. I am more than willing to work with you to make this a successful year for your child.