Welcome Parents

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Welcome Parents!

• Please grab the handouts by the sink and feel
  free to have a seat where ever you would like.

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Introduction

• Experience
• 5th year of teaching, 4th year at Wilson
• Bachelors Degree in Education from the UofA
• I have taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade
• My Teaching Goals
• Maintain a safe, well-managed, nurturing and
  organized classroom
• Inspire students to become life long, inquisitive
  learners
• Prepare all students for 7th grade by meeting
  state standards and teaching them responsibility
• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs and
  learning styles of all students
  (challenge/modify)

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Rules/Behavior

• Rules for Mr. Smerzs Classroom
• 1. Respect everyones right to learn.
• 2. Respect school and personal property.
• 3. Model good listening.
• 4. Follow safety rules
• 5. Stay on task.
• 6. Try your best.
• 7. Be Prepared
• Consequences
• 1st Time a check mark on the behavior chart and
  a verbal warning
• 2nd Time a second check on the behavior chart
  and possible moving of seat
• 3rd Time a third check on the behavior chart
  and a DAY of LUNCH DETENTION, and a call home.
• 4th Time Referral to the principal and a
  behavior journal, lunch detention for 2 days.
• 5th Time DONT EVER REACH THIS POINT! Focus,
  stay positive, be kind, and work hard. Then this
  wont happen. (It would be a week of lunch
  detention!)

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Grading

• Standard grading scale
• A 100-97
• A 96-94
• A- 93-90
• Late work
• - 11 off the first day and it is graded
• - up to a week for 50 credit and not graded!

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Communication

• Communication
• Email hsmerz_at_amphi.com
• Classroom phone
• 696-5859
• Website
• http//www.amphi.com/teachers/hsmerz/home.html
• Grades online
• Forms/Handouts

• Agenda
• Students are expected to write their homework in
  their agendas on a daily basis
• Great tool for being organized
• Prepares them for their future
• Homework Hotline
• 696-5800

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Language Arts Block

• Reading and writing are taught during a daily 80
  minute block (Tuesday 55 minutes)

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Writing

• Writing a program that is very concrete and
  skills-based teaches them HOW to write
  Teaching Writing Structure Style
• Throughout the school year Students will be
  given writing prompts and will practice
  completing the writing process.
• Q1 Basic skills of writing and composing
  different types of letters (business vs.
  friendly)
• Q2 Poetry Unit
• Q3 Creative Stories
• Q4 Research Project
• Grammar/Fix It!/Vocabulary for Achievement/Roots

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Reading

• Reading building comprehension strategies and
  skills
• Read Aloud
• Book Study (Novels)
• Mini skills lessons to improve comprehension
  strategies also incorporated in Vocabulary for
  Achievement workbook
• Continuous vocabulary development through Fix-IT!

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Language Arts Homework

• Reading and Writing
• Vocabulary for Achievement (assigned Monday due
  Thursday Monday test every other week)
• Grammar packets (assigned Tuesday due Wednesdays)
• Fix It! (a type of DOL practice - prepare for
  weekly Friday tests)
• Root words (2 per week 8 derivatives) assigned
  Thursday due Tuesday (starting mid September)
• Writing projects
• Oral Presentations
• Nightly reading 20 minutes min.
• 1 Book Report per quarter (use of technology to
  present their book)

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Social Studies

• New State Standards (2006)
• All students have a SS book at home.
• Geography Unit Maps (differences, purposes, how
  to read them, vocabulary, how to evaluate
  locations based on the 5 themes of geography)
• Ancient Civilizations
• Ancient Mesopotamia
• Ancient Egypt, India, China, America
• Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations
• Medieval Europe and Africa
• Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment
• Major Religions (tied to their influence on
  cultures and civilizations)
• geographic origins, founding leaders/teachings,
  traditions, customs, and beliefs

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Social Studies Homework

• Mapping Activities
• Map locations (memorize for quizzes)
• Textbook reading assignments
• Study for tests (using notes from units studied)
• online support www.jat.glencoe.com
• Completion of tasks started in class
• 5 paragraph Essays (Writing in Content Areas)

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AFT (Academic Focus Time)

• The purpose of this time is to
• Allow students to work on homework
• Help students with any school work or concerns

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Donations Needed!

• Give Fundraisers the boot not fundraising.
  Each family is encouraged to make a donation to
  PTO (this is not AZ tax credit donation, but is
  still a tax deductible donation).

• Notecards and more notecards!
• Colored Notecards
• Yeah, we need thousands and thousands!
• Ink cartridges

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Thanks for coming this evening!