Update on Re-Takes and Re-do

In an every growing pursuit to provide students an opportunity to master content standards, my grading policy has adapted. Students are still permitted to re-take or re-do any assignment up until ten days before the end of the grading period. However, in order to increase student mastery, the sixth grade team has created this study plan and contract. Students will need to print this file, obtain the necessary signatures and complete their proposed plan of study. Make-up test can be taken during our Lunch and Learn sessions which will be announced each week.

This plan will assist students in the mastery process while developing important life skills such as organization, responsibility, and independence.

Book Trailers: Skyping

We Skyped with people in Hueytown Middle School to talk about the book trailers we are publishing. We gave them ideas and they gave us ideas on tools, books, and management tips. They told us what books they were doing, so we did too. In some of the book trailers, people drew it, took pictures of people who acted as the characters in the book that they were doing, or they took videos too. We really enjoyed when they explained what books they were doing. Some of them we hadn't even heard of! The ones that we did, but hadn't read, sounded really good. They got good ideas from us.We cant wait to see how there book trailers are going. Skyping was a great way to learn from people who aren't in our class...and it's fun! ~MD and TB

Spirit Week

Last week we had the one and only... Spirit Week. Spirit Week is when the students get to dress up in the theme that we have for the day.  On Monday we were supposed to wear our PJ's. On Tuesday, we wore spirit clothes to represent Rock Quarry Middle School. On Wednesday, we wore country or country. By that, I mean country as in "yehaw" and country as in red, white, and blue. On Thursday, we wore tacky clothes.. It was a strange school day. On Friday it was... drum roll please. (imaginary drum roll) Character Day!!!!!!! We had lots of fun. We got to dress up in strange and funny clothes and we got to express who we really are. Here is the strange part. The teachers even dressed up!!! Mrs.Ramsay went full out. Here is some more about it.

Monday was Pajama day. People wore all different types of pajamas. Comfy slippers, Pajama pants with a random shirt and so many more that would take too long to name. Anyway, we believe that this day was a great way to start of the week, and it was. People were excited to go to school. We know. Strange, right?

Tuesday was Spirit Day. We showed off our Rock Quarry Jag pride. We had a pep rally and the grade with the most pride got a spirit stick. 6th grade won! Not a surprise! People went full out. They painted their faces and wore blue tutus.

Wednesday was Country or country. Okay, listen to us very careful. It was country as in cowboy boots, cowboy hat, and the words "yehaw" or country as in red, white, and blue. Most people choose country "yehaw."

Thursday was tacky day. It was a strange day. People wore some of the strangest and ugliest clothes. Most people wore tacky clothes. That is pretty much all to be said about that.

Now, the one and only.................. CHARACTER DAY!!!!!!!! This was the most exciting day of the week, at least in our opinion. People dressed up like princesses, witches, heroes, movie characters, and so many more. It was the best school day ever!!!!!!

That was pretty much all of spirit week. We had lots of fun and really hope that we can do something like that again.

Blog you later!!!!!        -SC & TD

Global Read Aloud- Everyone Getting Together

The Global Read Aloud is when students and teachers anywhere in the world get together and read the same book(s).  It is really cool because people all around the world get to experience the same emotions while reading a certain part of the book. It doesn't really matter which chapter you're on, we'll all be on the last page, sooner or later. Together, we get to experience the exact moments in the book when the character finally fulfills his goal, or when something tragic happens. The Global Read Aloud allows people, some who don't even speak the same language, to understand each other through the book.

This year, for the Global Read Aloud, Mrs. Ramsay's class(and many others) are reading two books;  Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Out of My Mind is about a girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy, a condition where her body can't function properly. Even though her body has problems, her mind functions perfectly. Melody hates having her thoughts stuck in her head. She wants to be able to speak her mind, but her condition prevents that.

Wonder is about a boy named August who was born with a horrible face deformity. Everywhere he goes, he is always stared at. When August comes of age to attend fifth grade, his mom decides to enroll him in Beecher Prep. School instead of homeschooling him this year. August is scared because everyone at the school will stare at him.

Melody and August both want to be perceived as 'normal'. So far, both books are very interesting. The Global Read Aloud has been a great experience for me. It is really fun chatting with classes all over the world about these two special books. I will be sad when the Global Read Aloud ends, but I can't wait for a new one next year! ~MS

Book Collages 2013

Here are the Book Collage projects created by 1st/2nd period. They were a lot of fun to create.

Book Trailer and Scanner Collage Book Project Rubrics

We are currently working on book projects which will have students showing evidence of mastery of multiple ELA standards. The honors classes, along with students from Hueytown Middle School, are creating a collection of Book Trailers to recommend and promote reading in both schools. The on-level, sixth grade class is creating Scanner Collage Book Projects (some examples can be seen here: Sample 1, Sample 2, Sample 3.

In our class, the students create the rubric and design the projects with Mrs. Ramsay's help.

Here is the rubric for the Book Trailer project and the Scanner Collage project.

FYI- Progress Reports, Grading, and Projects

Here are a few reminders regarding grades, projects, and progress reports:

• Please take a minute to review my re-take and re-do policy.
• Each grade does not have the same weight. Please see our class syllabus for details.
• Any tests that need to be made-up or re-done, can be done on any Friday up until 10 days before the end of the grading period.
• Please sign progress reports and return them to school on Monday.
• With my guidance, all class projects are student-designed and assessed by a student-created rubric. All students have a copy of these rubrics. This practice ensures that students have ownership of their learning.
• A majority of work on projects will take place within the classroom with my supervision and guidance. I will regularly meet with each student one-on-one to answer questions and provide the support that he/she may need.