Teacher: Mr Humbert
Dear Parents
We have now settled into another year and are well into Term 1. Routines are running smoothly and the children are well aware of their responsibilities and the expectations required of them.
This year, it is my policy to encourage and develop within children independence, responsibility, consideration and rapport through taking pride in their work, themselves, the classroom and the school.
A flexible timetable has been designed to allow for the coexistence of specialists with fixed subjects as well as for the convenience of other teachers and support teachers.
In year 6 I take the view that children are old enough to choose to do the right thing with regards to their behaviour. If they choose to try hard then they are rewarded for their efforts... and consequently if they choose to disrupt other children who want to learn in the classroom then they are suitably reprimanded.
Classroom Rules
If a student chooses to break one of these rules the following procedures will be strictly followed. These punishments are in line with the Canter system of behaviour management and are in accordance with the Rosalie Primary School MSB (Managing Student Behaviour) policy.
Note: In cases of gross disobedience, disruption or abuse, the child shall be sent immediately to the office where their parents are to be contacted.
In addition to the above behaviour management I will be employing an anecdotal recording system with the purpose of tracking histories of recurring misbehaviour.
The Canter behaviour reinforcement system works particularly well when combined with suitable positive reinforcement techniques. For this reason, I use a system termed 'class money' to reward students for their good behaviour. Students who model acceptable behaviour are awarded denominations of class currency which they may then exchange for certain privileges. As the year progresses and the children become increasingly familiar with the concept, a classroom economy will begin to develop. In addition to reinforcing good behaviour, the system provides a perfect opportunity for the students to gain experience with the workings of basic economic structure.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MATHEMATICS?
A Math lesson has been timetabled for every day of the school week. (See our class timetable)
The children are using the MTS books most of the time, however this will be supplemented with other activities eg. compass work, measurement activities and problem solving exercises across a variety of subject areas.
The students have not been cross-set (grouped) based on ability levels. This year we are privileged to have the support of Mr Moebius for our Math lessons every Monday and Tuesday. This support is to be used for both extension and remediation purposes. Primarily, the support will be offered within the classroom. Occasionally, Mr Moebius will withdraw students in need of assistance from the classroom and work with them in the library where they can receive the necessary instruction.
To help the children develop an understanding of basic number facts I use a system which advocates speed and accuracy. Three times a week the students are given a "Maths Speed Test" consisting of 50 questions. All Maths Speed Tests have been sequentially designed to drill students on a variety of basic number facts. As a further supplement I will be issuing certain students with 'Tables Folders'. The folders will be issued to students who need extra practise in order to recall their times tables with greater speed and/or accuracy.
Silent Reading
We do 10 mins of silent reading every day, immediately after lunch (USSR). We read to keep interest levels up, to extend knowledge, for enjoyment and because the kids are often revved up from playing at lunch and this gives them a chance to settle down before the next lesson.
After silent reading the children are given an opportunity to share their reading with the class as they are encouraged to explain what they are reading and whether they have enjoyed it.
Home Reading
The children have been issued with a 'Home Reading Record Sheet" which you will find inside the front cover of your child's Homework book. It is recommended that the students complete at least 20 minutes of reading each day (either silent or oral reading) from a source of their choice. To begin the year I have issued each child with the same book "Time Flies". The book, which is to be completed by all children in room 7, is related to some language activities we are currently completing in class.
For information on best practise for Home Reading please read the attached sheet entitled "Home Reading: A Parent's Guide".
Reading Lessons
We read a balance of Fiction and Non Fiction materials.
Strategies used in room 7 to teach reading:
Once more, we have secured the assistance of Mr Moebius who will provide remediation for a small group of students. In order that these children receive the necessary help, Mr Moebius will conduct the language support lessons in the privacy of library.
Currently we are using a spelling programme developed last year for West Australian children called "Spelling: Teaching Children How to Spell". The objective of the programme is to take the kids back to the basics, covering a variety of spelling rules and draws its bank from a phonetically based library of high frequency words. At the beginning of each two week unit, the class is given a pre-test. Students who demonstrate adequate prior knowledge are issued with a spelling unit more suited to their needs.
Some other spelling strategies used in room 7:
"Have a go pads". Shortly, all students shall receive a small pad into which they 'have a go' at spelling difficult words when they are writing. The objective of the pad is to develop more independent spelling habits.
I also encourage the children to become enthusiastic dictionary users. We often have 'Dictionary races' where class currency is issued to those children who are able to locate specific words first.
Over the year we will cover a variety of genres (styles of writing) including:
Note: All of the writing to be integrated with reading and spelling
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN T.A.G.S.? (Talented and Gifted Students programme)
This programme shall be made available to certain students which have been identified from a test given by Mr Moebius in week one of term.
Children who are selected for the programme will be withdrawn from the classroom on Thursdays 1pm - 2pm (see timetable) where they will complete extension activities. Students who participate in T.A.G.S. are also expected to complete any normal class work that they miss during their absence.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH STUDENT PROJECTS?
The children will complete 3-4 projects throughout the year. The projects are aimed at fostering independent research strategies and will be assessed based on:
A small amount of class time will be allotted for completion of the projects, however, children are expected to complete the majority of the work as homework.
The presentation format (i.e. poster form, booklet form, web page) of such projects is left entirely to the discretion of the individual child.
I will be teaching the class a series of research skills, i.e. how to take notes, how to present work. The project itself is designed for children to demonstrate their ability to apply the research skills they have been taught during class time.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE USE OF COMPUTERS?
Each class has been allotted a minimum period of 40 mins per week for computer use.
As the computer lab is often free of classes in the afternoons, we shall be taking advantage of the lab and library area for research, and various class projects.
My objective is for the children to use computers as tool for learning. An example of this might be a pair of students who wish to use a computer to type and print-out a report including a picture they have captured from the Internet. It is therefore crucial that the students be equipped with a series of skills that will permit them to achieve their objective with a degree of independence. I intend to familiarise the children with several applications and strategies for computer use. At the beginning of the year familiarisation will often come through structured lessons, however, as student computer literacy increases, they will engage the computers on a more 'need to use' basis.
WHAT'S THIS VIRTUAL CLASSROOM THING?
The Rosalie Primary, Room 7 Virtual Classroom, although in its infancy, is intended to act as an information kiosk for both parents and students. From the homepage a user may read classroom announcements, view our class timetable, peruse student work samples, obtain assistance with projects (using useful Internet links), see what homework is due and when it is due, and if necessary, send Email to myself. I hope to add several features onto this site. One element I hope will appear soon is an Internet chat area for room 7 students to discuss homework and liaise with one another regarding classwork, homework and project work.
Our classroom Web site is currently at:
www.angelfire.lycos.com/room7/
ARE THERE GOING TO BE ANY EXCURSIONS THIS YEAR?
Yes, there will be approximately 4 excursions throughout the year.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HOMEWORK?
Each student has been issued with a homework book in which they are encouraged to complete set homework.
For homework children should complete at least 20 mins of written work per night. The purpose of such activity is twofold. Firstly, the homework set is relevant to topics currently being covered in class. Secondly, there is evidence to suggest that regular homework at this age is beneficial to students in future years (i.e. secondary and tertiary education).
This being said, our current timetable does not allow much time for assessing and remediating children's homework. For this reason, children are free to choose whether or not they complete the set homework. Those who decide to complete the set homework are given an in-class reward and are recorded in the marks book as having done so. This mark will in turn be reflected on each student report under the criteria "homework". The children are aware of the conditions and are encouraged to take on the responsibility of completing as many homework assignments as possible.
Written homework
When projects have been issued, set homework will decline as children are expected to complete the majority of project-based research in out-of-school time.
|
|
|
|
