Last Tuesday morning, I told the sixth graders we were going to get back on a "normal" schedule and really accomplish something over the course of the week. HAH! Mother Nature laughed and did her number on us! Well, we're finally back, and this week, the sixth graders are getting ready for a math test on Friday, March 27th. Today, they got their study guide which they worked on in class; it needs to be completed by class time tomorrow (Wednesday). The study guide also outlines how your child can prepare for his/her test at home. There is an explanation of how your child can earn extra credit on the test included in that study guide. We will play a review game on Wednesday.
I had originally planned on giving the test on Thursday, but after checking the Checkpoint assignment which was handed in today, it is obvious that some students are not ready for the test. Corrections to that assignment will be made on Thursday; if your child got a D or an F they will need be redoing the whole assignment. I am concerned by the lack of quality work that is being turned in. I have taught these skills thoroughly, reviewed them many times, and we have played games to reinforce the skills taught. If you child does not understand their assignments, they need to come talk to me. If they are simply being careless, they need to step up. There is a lot of material that needs to be covered before the end of the year so that your child is prepared for seventh grade. Right now I feel like we are getting bogged down by a lack of effort on the part of many students. This is not fair to the students who are working hard and are ready to move on. If you are concerned with your student's progress or have questions about what is going on please contact me.
I feel that this note has a rather negative tone, but there are also some sixth graders who are developing some bad habits when it comes to turning in work on time. Please remember that it has been the policy all year that if work is not turned in on time, the student will serve a detention after school that day. Several students have two or three detentions to serve this week since they have late work. Some owe detentions to both Mrs. Suntken and myself. You will be receiving a call if your child needs to make arrangements to stay after school. We hope we can get this problem nipped in the bud before it becomes an even bigger issue.
Mastering math and reading skills is important, but Mrs. Suntken and I strongly believe it is even more important to develop good work habits which will carry on into the real world. We want students to produce quality work that they are proud of. Being responsible and meeting deadlines is a skill required of successful people. This is a great group of sixth graders and we want to help them meet their full potential. Hopefully, we can get past this mid-winter lag quickly and back on track. We want to make these last months of sixth grade a positive experience!
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