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August 18, 2016
Dear Parents,
Please take the time to read the following classroom policies and procedures for social studies this year. Most of the sixth graders will already be familiar with most of these, but there are a few changes. It is our goal at RMS to help the new students transition easily to the middle school. Many of the policies and procedures will be uniform throughout the middle school this year. Hopefully, this will help students, parents, and teachers!
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail or phone (front office 918-321-3533). I look forward to working with you and your child this year!
Sincerely,
Janet Neal
School Supplies for 5th and 6th Graders
All Students:
2- 1 inch 3 ring binders OR 1 large Trapper Keeper
6 rolls of scotch tape with dispenser
1 package of plastic dividers with pockets
6 pocket folders with holes (no brads)
2 composition books
20 pack of yellow pencils (for class use)
1 pack of 3X5 index cards (500 count)
4 boxes of tissues
1 pack of highlighters
2 packs of wide rule notebook paper
1 package of eraser toppers
4 Elmer’s Glue sticks
1 package of mechanical pencils (for personal use)
3- 3 subject spiral notebooks with pocket dividers in the middle
5thGrade Only:
Boys ONLY:
4 pack of Expo Markers
1 package of multi colored 3X3 Post-It Notes
Girls ONLY:
Crayola Crayons
Colored Pencils
1 package of small tab Post-It Notes
6th Grade Only:
Boys ONLY:
3 pack of Clorox Wipes
Crayola Markers (thick)
Girls ONLY:
20 pack Crayola Markers (thin tip)
4 pack of Expo Markers
Sign up for Text Message Reminders
REMIND is a simple way for you to stay informed and up-to-date with what’s happening at school. By joining REMIND, you are choosing to receive class messages via text message. Your phone number will not be shared with anyone else in class. You will not be able to “reply” to these messages. To sign up, you will will need a cell phone with texting ability.
5th grade:6th grade:
Text this number: 81010Text this number: 81010
With this message: @rongeyms5With this message: @rongeyms6
Grade Checks
Students and Parents should check grades on a weekly basis using TeacherEase. Be sure that you have the correct username and password to log in to your student’s account. If you have any trouble logging in, please e-mail me at and I will reset your password.
E-mail alerts will be sent when students have missing work or when students have done exceptionally well on an assignment. Please make sure your e-mail is up to date in order to receive these e-mails.
Grades are recorded as points rather than percentages. Grades will be updated before Monday morning each week.
Website
The Kiefer Public Schools website contains pages for each classroom teacher. Please visit this website to
get valuable information such as lesson plans, PDF files of handouts or worksheets that will be handed out in
class, classroom schedules, classroom policies, and links to important websites. This website is a very
valuable source of information. Once you are on the website, go to “Rongey Middle
School” – “Middle School Teacher Pages” - “Mrs. Neal”.
Assignments and Grading Policy
➢Make-up work: Make-up work will be recorded and available for students to pick up upon returning to school. All make-up work will be placed in the RED file organizer hanging next to Mrs. Neal’s desk. Students will have the same number of days to complete the work as the number of absent days. STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE WORK AND TURN IT IN TO GET CREDIT!
➢Homework: Most social studies assignments will be completed during class time. However, there will be times when students will have homework. Any homework assignments will be recorded on the board, and students will be expected to copy these assignments into their agendas.
➢Notebooks: Students will keep all social studies papers in their social studies spiral notebook. At the end of each chapter (test day), students will turn in their notebooks for a grade.
➢DOGS: Daily Oral Geography is a weekly assignment. Students will be given their DOGs each Monday morning. Each day, students will complete 2 questions. DOGs will be turned in on Friday; they are worth 10 points. At the end of the nine weeks, DOGs will be up to 90 points total.
➢Late Work: Students will receive 1 social studies homework pass each nine weeks. Students may turn in an assignment one day late with no penalty if a homework pass is stapled to the assignment. Students may earn more homework passes by earning ten 100% papers in my class. Any homework passes that are not used by the end of the nine-weeks may be turned in as extra credit.
➢Projects: We will be doing projects throughout the year. Many of these projects will be completed in class. However, some projects will include work that is required at home. No one student should ever be responsible for all of the group work. Each student will be responsible for his/her part of the group work based on his/her job in the group.
No Name Papers
Students are required to write their names in the upper right hand corner of each paper. If there are multiple students with the same name, students should include their last names on their papers.
Any NO NAME papers will be hung up on “No Name Lane” for a period of 1 week. If the paper is not claimed, it will be filed in the circular file (aka the trash can)!
Discipline Policy
My goal is to provide a safe learning environment that will allow all students to be successful!
●Be Respectful to all people and all things
●Be Responsible for your actions
●Be Ready to learn
**Parents may track their child’s behavior record by logging in the DOJO website (classdojo.com).
All students will receive a username and password in order to access their accounts.
Lockers
Students will be allowed to visit their lockers 3 times throughout the day- morning, lunch, and end of the school day. Students are expected to keep their lockers clean and organized. Except when visiting lockers, doors should remain closed at all times, and no trash/papers should be sticking out of a closed locker. Locker checks will occur randomly throughout the year. Students that have clean lockers on a regular basis will receive special “locker passes” that will allow them to go to their lockers during class time. Students that do not maintain clean lockers will be at risk of losing their lockers.
Break Time
Students will receive 5 minutes between each class period. During this break time, students should take a bathroom break, get a drink, and prepare for class (sharpen pencil, make sure they have all needed supplies, etc.). Since class time is only 45-50 minutes, it is important for students to remain in class. Students will receive one “emergency bathroom pass” per nine weeks. Students that do not use their pass may turn it in for extra credit at the end of the nine weeks.
5th grade Overview
We will be using the History Alive program as we study American History this year. It is an excellent program that engages students and truly brings history alive! This year, your 5th grader will be learning about:
➢Geography of the United States- What can geography teach us about the United States?
➢Early English Settlements- What challenges faced the first English colonies?
➢Colonization- How were the three colonial regions alike and different?
➢Slavery- What was the impact of slavery on Africans?
➢Life in Colonial Williamsburg- What were key parts of life for Southern colonists in the 1700s?
➢Tensions between the Colonies and Great Britain- What British actions angered the colonists in the 1700s?
➢Declaring Independence- What were the arguments for and against colonial independence from Great Britain?
➢The American Revolution- How did the colonists win the American Revolution?
➢The Constitution- What are the key features of the U.S. Constitution?
➢The Bill of Rights- What are the basic rights and freedoms of the American people?
➢Manifest Destiny-How did the expansion of the United States affect people inside and outside the country?
➢Westward Movement- What drew new settlers to the western part of the United States in the 1800s?
6th grade Overview
We will be using Geography Alive to learn about the Western Hemisphere this year. This is an excellent program that requires critical thinking skills and cooperative work in the classroom. This year your 6th grader will learn about the following topics:
➢Tools of Geography- How do geographers show information on maps?
➢North America Mapping Labs
➢Canada- How does where you live influence how you live?
➢Great Lakes- How can people best use and protect Earth’s freshwater ecosystems?
➢Urban Sprawl- How does urban sprawl affect people and the planet?
➢Consumption- How do American consumption patterns affect people and the planet?
➢Mexico- Why does spatial inequality exist in urban areas?
➢Latin America Mapping Labs
➢Developed vs. Undeveloped Countries
➢Migration- How does migration affect the lives of people and the character of places?
➢Indigenous Cultures-How do indigenous peoples preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life?
➢Andes Mountains- How do people adapt to living in a mountainous region?
➢Amazon Rain Forest-How should the resources of rainforests be used and preserved?
➢Hurricanes- What causes extreme weather, and how do people deal with it?
➢National Parks- What features make national parks special and worth preserving?
Computer Lab grade Overview
Each student will have one semester of computer class. During this semester, students will learn and/or
improve basic typing skills. In addition to typing skills, students will learn to use the computer in a
productive and responsible manner.
Students will be using an online course called “Typing.com” to become proficient in keyboarding skills this nine weeks.
- Students will be given a username and password, and may access the program at home if additional practice is needed.
- Students will take a pretest at the beginning of the nine weeks and a post test at the end of the nine weeks to track their progress.
- The goal for all students will be to type at or above 30 words per minute with a 95% accuracy.
- Words per Minute and Accuracy will be recorded in the grade book for each lesson completed.
Students will become proficient in using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point.
Students will learn how to use their Google accounts to e-mail, share work, and save work to Google Drive.
Students will create multimedia presentations.
Students will learn internet safety.
Students will learn how to use the internet in order to research effectively.
Please Return this form and parent letter to Mrs. Neal by Monday, August 29th.
Student Name______
Parent/Guardian Name______
e-mail address______
Parent phone number/s______
Questions or Concerns?
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