Room 13 Rules
1. Respect the rights of
others.
2. Use indoor behavior.
3. Speak appropriately.
4. Follow directions carefully.
5. BE YOUR BEST!
Positive consequences of following the rules:
1. Get "Caught being
great!"
2. Have fun!
3. Learn more!
4. Earn class parties and other fun events!
Negative consequences of NOT following the rules:
1. Warning.
2. Isolation from classmates.
3. Student conference with teacher.
4. Loss of priviledges and independent behavior contract.
5. Conference with parent/s and student.
Grading:
This year the Palo Alto Unified School District has a new report card that will be used throughout the entire district. Information regarding the new report card can be found on the PAUSD web page. PAUSD The new report card is standards based, making it very easy to assess student performance.
Most tests, projects, and other assessments in Room 13 will still be graded using a rubric and/or letter grades. Rubrics will change according to the assignment. The percentage grading scale for letter grades is as follows:
| 100% | A+ |
| 90 - 99% | A |
| 80 - 89% | B |
| 70 - 79% | C |
| 69% and below | N (needs improvement) |
All graded assignments will be sent home in student take home folders on Mondays for their parents to sign. This is NOT a chance for parents to show off their signature! My intent is that parents will use this time as an opportunity to discuss their child's performance with them. This not only shows their child that they care about them, but also reinforces the importance of their efforts at school. Students should return the signed papers to school the following day.
Students will compile their
work in a portfolio at school. The main objectives of the portfolio
are: to illustrate to students their growth throughout the year,
and to aid students in developing life-long organizational skills
. Parents are welcome to stop by and view their
child's portfolio at any time.
Homework Policy
I believe that homework is necessary to reinforce what is learned at school and to instill good work habits. I rarely give assignments that are not begun in class together. This ensures that students will come home knowing exactly what is expected of them. Therefore, some students may complete the majority of their homework in class. Parents should notify me if they feel that their child is not doing enough homework and I will work with their child to develop appropriate extensions.
I expect that students will work on homework for at least 40 minutes each night, Monday through Thursday. In addition, I expect that they read for a minimum of 30 minutes each night. I feel very strongly about not assigning homework over the weekends. I prefer that students have adequate time to spend with family and friends. However, students may have homework if they have late work or choose to put off long-term assignments.
It is the responsibility of the student to do his/her homework on time AND bring it to school. In conjunction with the Duveneck School policy regarding student telephone use, I cannot allow a student to call home to request that their parent bring homework to school. Even if an assignment is already late, it must be turned in. Students who do not complete their work on time will become members of the "Recess Club" until all work is completed.
To help ensure that students are keeping up with their assignments, I request that parents check their assignment book nightly. There is a place for parents to sign each night. This provides an excellent opportunity for me to keep in touch with parents on a regular basis regarding their child's performance. Even if a student has completed their homework at school, all their work should be brought home to show to their parent. A parent signature in a student homework calendar indicates that the parent has checked their child's assignments that night. I greatly appreciate parent support with this, as it is essential in the development of student responsibility and accountability.
A Typical "Hike" in Room 13
Opening
1. Am Paper (review of previously taught skills)
2. Collection of homework
3. Class meetings
4. Other classroom business
Math
1. Dale Seymour Investigation Units
2. Mathematics Unlimited
3. Algebra
4. Replacement/Enrichment Units
Language Arts
1. Reading novels, stories (Houghton-Mifflin, core literature,
other books)
2. Reading Comprehension Skills
3. Language and Grammar Skills
4. Writing of all types
5. Spelling Program
6. Vocabulary Building (Jeopardy and content area vocabulary)
7. Daily Silent Reading
8. Student Journal Writing
Penmanship (cursive practice)
Social Studies (Houghton
Mifflin Oh California curriculum)
1. California Geography
2. California Indians
3. Missions
4. Gold Rush
Science (Foss Science
curriculum)
1. Water
2. Magnetism and Electricity
3. Animal Studies
Teacher Read Aloud (selected novels, usually related to curriculum)
Calendar (we fill out of homework calendars together daily)
Other:
PE
I feel strongly that Physical Education is an important part of
the daily curriculum. Students will also have PE twice a week
with a PE teacher.
ART
In addition to the art lessons that I teach, we have Spectra Art
every other week.
COMPUTERS/TECHNOLOGY/LIBRARY
We will have weekly library lessons in the library computer media
center. Students will learn to use multimedia programs to create
a variety of projects throughout the year. Students will also
learn how to use the library independently.
MUSIC
Students will have music class two days a week. I also incorporate
music into the content areas of the curriculum whenever possible.
MONTHLY PROJECTS/BOOK REPORTS
Monthly projects are meant to be completed at home. Assistance
from family members is appropriate, and may at times be necessary
to some extent. Finished projects should be neatly done, and rough
drafts and and recopying will almost always be necessary. In addition,
since an important part of these assignments is presenting the
project to the class, students should also plan to practice their
presentation at home.
Monthly projects will usually be assigned on the first Monday of the month, and be due at the end of the month. (The due date may vary because of holidays, vacations, and special activities.) Assignments will encompass writing skills, as well as speaking and listening skills. Since students usually have an entire month to work on these projects, I will expect that they will learn to budget their time to meet a deadline, and will not wait until the last minute to do the entire project. The first monthly project will be assigned in October, and the last project will be assigned in May. Please contact me if you have questions about these assignments.
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