eBooks

Students are welcome to bring electronic devices to school to read on, excluding phone - students may not read on their phones. 

I emphasize the reading part.  Reading is the ONLY thing students are allowed to do on their electronic devices from home.  If students are caught doing anything other than reading they will be asked to keep their electronic devise at home and I will notify you by email.  The kids know, 1 strike and they are out – no second chances.  That being said, eReaders are a wonderful resource and I encourage kids to make use of them if they own one!

Here are a few ways to get a hold of free books for your child's electronic reading devise:

1.  Scholastic offers several eBooks through Storia.  I believe you receive 5 free books the first time you order.  They also offer a free eBook each month.  You may order online at the following website  http://store.scholastic.com/landing-page/landingpage/storia/shop-ebooks

2.  The SJSD offers a free digital library.  Students may check out books for their electronic devices.  They will need their student # to do this (most of the kids know their numbers by heart, feel free to email me if you need their number though).  The password for every student is books.  You may check out our district's digital library at the following site http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/domain/3409
You will notice 3 icons at the bottom of the scene. The first is Follet shelf – follow that link for eBooks.  The second is catalyst – follow that link for audio books.  The third is AML – follow that link for research resources. 

3.  The St. Joseph public libraries offer free digital check-outs as well.  You will need the number from your library card to check out an eBook.  http://www.molib2go.org/

Book Club

Book clubs will meet each Friday for a month.  Students vote for books they would like to read and are assigned to a club based on their interest and book availability.  Clubs meet for one month and students are expected to complete their book during that time.  Students do most of the required reading on their own although they follow a reading schedule created by themselves and their club members.  (Reading schedules are recorded on Monthly Assignment Calendars and should be located at the front of your kiddo's binder.)  When monthly book clubs are complete, we start the process all over with new clubs and new books.  Book clubs will continue throughout he school year.

Titles read for book club count towards each child's 40 Book Genre Requirement and make reading even more fun! Friday book club meetings involve group discussions as well as activities.  Talking about parts of the text and encountering the text with a wide variety of experiences enhances students' comprehension, making book club a great avenue for reading instruction.

Talk to your child about his or her book club today!!!

We Love Book Club!!!!

Pictures and explanation coming soon.  :)

Homeroom Pics

40 Book Requirement :)

All 6th graders will be required to complete 40 books this school year.  Students must read a minimum amount of books in each genre to complete the requirement.  Sixth graders should begin working towards their 40 book requirement today and continue working towards it all year long.

I will give the students independent reading time EVERY day in class.  Reading at home will be very important as well.  Please encourage your child to read an average of 20 minutes each school night.

Your child will keep track of their 40 book requirement progress in the his/her binder (behind the reading tab).  Please ask your child about the 40 book requirement today!

40 Book Requirement

Poetry anthologies 4

Traditional literature 3

Realistic Fiction 4

Historical fiction 2

Fantasy 4

Science fiction 3

Mystery 2

Informational 4

Biography, autobiography, memoir 2

Picture book 3

Graphic Novel2

Magazine 1

Audio Book (1 of the 40 books needs to be an Audio book)

Chapter-book free choice 6

Wonderful First Day!!!!!

We had a wonderful first day in sixth grade!  I am looking forward to getting to know all 67 sixth graders this year!!  Parents please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you may have [hollie.mcodwell@sjsd.k12.mo.us].  And please check out this website often; I will be updating it with new information frequently. 

So Excited!!!!!

I'm so excited for another school year to begin!!!! Mrs. Washburn, Mrs. Kennon, and I are looking forward to meeting all of our new 6th grade students.  Please join us at Back to School Night on Thursday, August 14th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at Ellison.  Hope to see you there.  :)

Photos Needed

6th Grade Slideshow

Mrs. Farr will be making a memory slideshow of the entire 6th grade class to show at the 6th grade reception.  Parents will receive a DVD of the finished product.  Please send photos to school by Friday, February 1st.

Each 6th grader will need 2 pictures – one as a baby or toddler and one current picture.  In addition if you have photos of other Ellison activities through the years you may send those as well.  Examples include:  school programs, field trips, talent show, room parties, play day, etc. 

All photos will be returned.  Please put your child's name on the back of all photos.  Photos should not be larger than 5x7.  Contact Linda Stewart for more information.

eBooks

Students are welcome to bring electronic devices to school to read on, excluding phone - students may not read on their phones. 

I emphasize the reading part.  Reading is the ONLY thing students are allowed to do on their electronic devices from home.  If students are caught doing anything other than reading they will be asked to keep their electronic devise at home and I will notify you by email.  The kids know, 1 strike and they are out – no second chances.  That being said, eReaders are a wonderful resource and I encourage kids to make use of them if they own one!

Here are a few ways to get a hold of free books for your child's electronic reading devise:

1.  Scholastic offers several eBooks through Storia.  I believe you receive 5 free books the first time you order.  They also offer a free eBook each month.  You may order online at the following website  http://store.scholastic.com/landing-page/landingpage/storia/shop-ebooks

2.  The SJSD offers a free digital library.  Students may check out books for their electronic devices.  They will need their student # to do this (most of the kids know their numbers by heart, feel free to email me if you need their number though).  The password for every student is books.  You may check out our district's digital library at the following site http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/domain/3409
You will notice 3 icons at the bottom of the scene. The first is Follet shelf – follow that link for eBooks.  The second is catalyst – follow that link for audio books.  The third is AML – follow that link for research resources. 

3.  The St. Joseph public libraries offer free digital check-outs as well.  You will need the number from your library card to check out an eBook.  http://www.molib2go.org/

Reading Response Letters - Something New :)

1/9/13

Dear 6^th Graders,

We are going to do response letters differently this semester.  You will still be writing 1 response letter a week.  Your letters will need to include the same key points as they have all year.  You will continue to turn your notebook in every other week.  Your notebooks will be due on the same day they have been due all year.  You may be wondering, if all those things are staying the same, what is actually changing???  Well, I’m about to tell you.

         Each month you will write a total of 4 letters - one each week (that part is actually the same).  The part that is changing is who you will be writing your letters to.  Here’s how it will work:        

1.                   The first week of each month Mrs. Washburn’s class will write their letters to a friend in Mrs. McDowell’s class.   Mrs. Washburn’s class will turn their letters in the usual way on the day they are due.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will write back the day they receive your letters.

2.                   The second week of each month Mrs. McDowell’s class will write their letters to a friend in Mrs. Washburn’s class.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will turn their letters in the usual way on the day they are due. Mrs. Washburn’s class will write back the day they receive their letters

3.                   The third week of each month both classes will write a letter to Mrs. McDowell.  Mrs. Washburn’s class will turn their notebooks in that week.  Mrs. McDowell will grade your letters and write you back, as usual.

4.                   The forth week of each month both classes will again write a letter to Mrs. McDowell.  Mrs. McDowell’s class will turn their notebooks in that week.  Mrs. McDowell will grade your letters and write you back, as usual.  

5.                   Mrs. McDowell will assign your letter-writing partner.  Partners will change each month.  

This new response letter process will begin today!  This should be an enjoyable way to tell others about the books we are reading.  Have fun with this!  It will also allow us to continue practicing our meta-cognition (thinking about thinking) skills and writing skills as well.  Remember to always do your best.  All letters – even the ones you write to your 6^th grade buddies – will be recorded as a grade.

Love,

Mrs. McDowell

MUG Shots

We are implementing something new in writing.  Students will complete daily MUG Shot Sentences.  MUG stands for MECHANICS, USAGE, and GRAMMAR.  Students will correct one sentence each day during writing time.  We will check these sentences in class and discuss the grammar rules that apply.

At the end of each week (every Friday) students will correct a MUG Shot Paragraph as a quiz.   The paragraph will have the same types of grammar, usage, and mechanics mistakes that we have been working on through the week with our MUG Shot Sentences. 

Daily sentences will not be recorded in the grade book, but Friday's quiz grades will be recorded.  You may check behind your child's writing tab (in their binder) to see each week's MUG Shot Sentences and Paragraph Quiz.  Paragraph Quizzes may not be corrected before class on Friday, although it is perfectly fine to look over the paragraph with your child before hand and discuss possible errors and corrections. 

Book-It

6th graders must read 400 minutes at home each month to receive their Pizza Hut Book-It.  Minutes should be recorded on the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Book-It Calendar.  Students may color or simply put an X on each day they've read 20 minutes or more at home.  Calendars require a parent signature and are due the last school day of each month. 

6th graders must complete one book review a month. Book reviews must be on a chapter book read by your child that month. Book reviews are due the last day of each month.

Book Review Criteria

_/2 Title/Author     

_/6 Summary = the solution/ending

   Main characters

   Setting

   The Problem

_/2 Genre

_/5 Opinion of the critic (reviewer)

_/2 Who would you recommend the book to? (include ages)

_/2 Quotes from others who have read the book and

possibly a quote from the book.

_/2   Other books by the same author or book comparisons

or sequels

_/1   Awards the book or author has won

_/3 Cliffhanger questions

_/25 Total Score

Writer's Notebook Expectations

Notebook Expectations

Students are expected to… ð  write daily in their notebooks at school and at home 2 times a week. ð  ”find” topics for their notebook writing from their life, from reading, and from natural curiosity.  Students are expected to make decisions about their writing topics on a daily basis. ð  try strategies from the mini-lesson before continuing with their own work for the day. ð  fold over any entry they deem too personal to share with the teacher.  (Students may not staple, glue, or tape this page shut). Any folded-over entries the teacher cannot read will not be considered an entry toward their required number per week. ð  respect the integrity of the notebook by taking care of it and having it in class EVERYday.  Students will respect other notebooks by only reading entries they are invited to read by the author. ð   practice what they know about conventional spelling and grammar.  Entries must be legible. ð  discover how writing can enrich their lives.

Students can depend on the teacher to… ð  provide time each day for students to write during writing workshop.   ð  teach writing strategies as ways to discover writing topics.  Teachers will also confer with students to help nudge their thinking and writing when students get stuck. ð  teach a mini-lesson each day to teach students how to be better writers. ð  respect the folded entries.  The teacher will respect the privacy of the writer unless there is reason to believe the student is being hurt by someone, is going to hurt someone, or is going to hurt him or herself. ð  have her notebook in class on a daily basis.  The teacher will also share some of her writing throughout the year to establish that she is a writer too! Mrs. McDowell will not lose notebooks she collects, write all over entries in red ink, or get chocolate smudges on them. ð   teach the rules of grammar that will enhance student writing.  Teachers will recognize that the notebook is a place to practice new conventions and words and to master conventions and words students already know. ð  discover how her life is enriched by the writing of each student.

Writer's Notebook Scoring Guide

Writer's Notebooks will be due next Friday, Sept. 7th.  After that, notebooks will be due every other week.  Students will be required to complete 7 entries/week.  5 at school and 2 at home.

Writer’s Notebook Scoring Guide

	10	8	7	6
Flexibility and Fluency	Most entries are completed.  Writer uses a variety of strategies and topics.	Many entries are completed.  Writer uses strategies from class and shows some topic variety.	Entries are left unfinished.  Topics and strategies may vary.	Entries are underdeveloped.  Little or not variety in writing strategies.
Thoughtfulness	Entries are thoughtful and reflective, revealing new insights to the writer’s thinking.  Writer practices proper mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling (MUGS).	Entries tend to be thoughtful.  They may reveal new insights to the writer’s thinking.  A pattern of topics develops over a number of entries.  Writer practices MUGS.	Entries resemble a diary format or bed-to-bed-type stories.  Little or no reflective thinking is evident.  Writer does not give attention to MUGS.	Entries are difficult to read due to handwriting and /or MUGS.  Writer does not demonstrate reflective thinking.
Frequency	90% of required entries.	80% of required entries.	74% of required entries.	70% of required entries.

We Love Book Club

Writer's Notebook

All 6th graders will be expected to keep a writer's notebook this year.

We will use our writer's notebooks to
1.  Practice writing => We will write in our notebooks everyday!
2. Learn about writing => We will take notes in our writer's notebooks.
3.  Record ideas => We will look back through our notebooks often and chose entries we would like to turn into full writing pieces.

I tell the students that writing is like playing football or doing gymnastics, or anything else for that matter, if we want to get better we have to practice!  Right now we are learning strategies for our writer's notebook, strategies that will help us practice writing.  These strategies help your child look at his/her own life and world in a way that seeks out stories, poems, and ideas.  Unlike a prompt, a strategy can be used again and again in different contexts with different results. 

The following strategies can be used by your child when they are writing in their notebook.

1. History of a Name

2. Writing from a List

3. Questioning/Wondering

4. Writing off Literature

5. Observations

6. Writing from a Word

7.  Rereading and Highlighting

8.  Lifting a Line

We have not covered all these strategies yet, but we're working on it.  Within the next couple of weeks your child will have been introduced to each of these strategies.  They should be recording examples of each of these strategies in their writer's notebook.  After students have practiced each strategy at least once on their own they will be set free to chose their own strategy and what they would like to write about.  At that time we will talk about notebook expectations and grading requirements.  Look for information about notebook expectations and grading requirements to come home in the next couple of weeks. 

Reading Response Letters

6th graders are required to write one reading response letter a week about the book they are reading independently.  Students may not write about the book they are reading for book club.  Student letters are due on different days.  Your child's due date should be written on the front cover of their reader's notebook.  Check with your child the day before his/her letter is due and make sure they have completed it.  You may also want to remind your child to turn in their letter on the day it is due.  I will be checking in with students and giving them reminders here at school as well, but I say the more reminders the merrier!!!  Especially in the beginning as we are working on forming new habits. :)

While students are required to write one letter each week, I will collect and grade response letters every other week.  Students must be responsible and disciplined to make sure they complete their letter even on the weeks I do not collect their notebooks.  Please encourage your child to stay on top of his/her response letters, and ask about how their letters are coming along. 

Students may use independent reading time in class to write their response letters, although some students may need to work on their letters at home as well. Your child should have a copy of the scoring guide in the middle section of their notebook, along with a copy of this letter:

9/11/13

Dear Sixth Grader,

            This year you will be writing letters to me once a week during Reader’s Workshop. Your letters will be a response to the book you are reading independently.  You will always write these letters in your reading notebook.   Your letter will be due on the day of the week recorded on your notebook.  Late response letters will not be accepted.  These response letters will be a major part of your reading grade this year.  Please do your best each time you write me a letter.  This will be a fun way for you to share your thoughts about the books you are reading with me.

            You will need to write these letters using the friendly letter format. Your letter will need to include the title and author of the book you are reading (don’t forget to underline the title).  You will need to summarize what you’ve been reading in your book that week.  Remember summaries include the setting, main characters, problem, and important events.

Most importantly you will need to share some of your thoughts with me as they relate to the text you are reading.  Remember READING IS THINKING!  Good reader’s think about several things while they are reading. 

1.                       Good readers make connections.  You will need to write about connections you made while reading (text to text, text to self, or text to world) in each letter. 

2.                       Good readers ask questions.  They also know when they don’t understand what they are reading.  You can write about questions you have while reading. 

3.                       Good readers make predictions and inferences.  You can write about what you think will happen next or write what you think about certain characters or events based on clues the author gives you. 

4.                       Good readers Visualize.  You can write about how you pictured parts of the book in your mind.

5.                       Good readers decide what is important.  You should write the most important details and events you’ve been reading about.  If it’s a fiction book make sure you include the problem and what is getting in the way of solving the problem.

6.                       Good readers summarize.  Always write a summary of what you’ve read.  Summarizing helps us to understand what we are reading and helps us to remember important information.

7.                       Good readers monitor their understanding. You can write about how you thoughts changed about certain characters or events as you read. 

I will expect you to use your best handwriting while you write in your response journals. I will also expect you to use 6^th grade conventions.  You’ll need to follow the rules we learn about in writer’s workshop as you write your letters. Each letter you write me should be 1 full page.  Please do not skip lines and do not write too big or too small.  I can’t wait to read your letters!

Your teacher,

Mrs. McDowell

Reading Notebook

Each 6th grader has a reading notebook.   We will keep this notebook all year long.  

Our reading notebook is divided into 3 sections.

SECTION 1

*Book List 

- students record all books (title, author, genre) the day they begin reading it
- students record the date on the date they complete their books
- ALL books should be recorded on this list, including books read aloud to the student

 *Reading Interest List
- students record topics and authors that interst them as well as titles of books they would like to read

*Genre Notes 
-Students are required to read 40 books this year :)
-Students will keep a record of the # of books read in each genre with tally marks.
- Notes on each genre can be found in this section as well.
- Students will refer to these notes as they record the genre of the books they read.

 
*Reading is Thinking Notes
- Good readers think while they read!  
-Notes on what good readers think about while reading can be found in this section.
- Students will refer to these notes often as they write their weekly reading response letters.

SECTION 2

*Students will write weekly reading response letters in this section.
*Letters will be collected and graded every other week.

SECTION 3

*Book Club - students will record book club notes and activities in this section.
*Book Club Calendars should be kept in this section.
*Students will refer to Book Club Calendars for club reading assignments.

Scholastic Book Orders

Ordering from Scholastic is EASY!!!! CHEAP!!!!!  And MAKES READING MORE FUN for your child!!!!  Kids love reading new books they have chosen!!

PLUS ordering from Scholastic earns our class free books (ordering online earns us even more free books)!!! 

Check out your child's Scholastic book order today.  There are great, teacher recommended titles to chose from and even more titles on their website!

Follow this link to place your order online.    www.scholastic.com/readingclub
Our class code L74PP.  You'll need that the first time you place an order online.  You may also send orders and $ to school if you'd rather not order online.