Rebecca White

I find email the quickest way to maintain contact with parents when there is a need to discuss a student. However, if you would prefer a call, you can call my school phone and leave a message. I will get back to you as soon as I can. (rwhite1@dryden.k12.ny.us / or 844-8694 x4364)

Curriculum: We will cover 5 units this year: Grammar & Language Skills, Writing for Purpose, Introduction to Research, Test-taking Skills, and Oral Traditions. Although we will work on all language arts (speaking, listening, reading, writing) the emphasis of this class is on writing.

Class Routine: In class, students will become used to a consistent daily routine. This will include a “Caught Ya!” grammar activity, vocab/spelling development, a mini-lesson, and writing tasks. The writing approach we will use this year is called the “6 Traits” Model. This program emphasizes ideas, voice, word choice, organization, fluency and writing conventions. Students will be writing narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository pieces. We will also incorporate technology whenever possible. We have an interactive whiteboard with an accompanying class set of individual remote controls for responding. Lessons seem to be more engaging and fun with this tool!

Agendas/Homework: Students will copy the class activities into their agenda book so you know what we worked on in class every day. When homework is assigned, it will be placed in the Purple Homework Folder; the homework is called “White’s Weekly Writing”. Please look for it or ask your child to share it with you so you become familiar with the expectations. Please check your child’s agenda book regularly to support their efforts.

Grades: I use a “total points” system for grades. This means simply that a student’s grade will be based on how many points they earn out of the total points possible for all tasks within a marking period. Assignments such as writing tasks, vocabulary quizzes, homework, and “Caught Ya!” grammar activities all are worth a certain weighted point value. Students will be regularly assessed on their ability to apply the 6 Traits of writing.

Curriculum: We will cover 9 units this year: Pre-requisite Skills & Review, Numbers & Numeration, Algebra, Fractions, Rate/Ratio/Percents, Measurement, Geometry, Probability, and Graphs & Statistics. There is additional 7^th grade material included with each unit.

Behavioral & Academic Expectations: We will be learning an entire year of 6^th grade math and half of 7^th grade math in one year. Because we work in 40-minute class periods, every single minute of instruction counts. We will be moving through concepts quickly and striving for mastery in all of our units. Students in this class need to work hard and be serious about doing their very best. Students should put every effort into allowing class to run smoothly. If a student’s poor behavior is causing the pace of the class to slow down, a parent conference will be requested. Students need to try and maintain an average of at least 90% each marking period to remain in the Accelerated Math Program.

Class Routine: We will have a daily routine for each class which will include a P.O.D. (Problem Of the Day), going over homework, a lesson, and practice & class work activities. We have an interactive whiteboard in our room, and I will try to incorporate it into lessons as much as possible. This tool will make some math lessons more exciting and fun!

Agendas/Homework: There will almost always be homework. Please expect it. Students will make sure homework is placed in the Purple Homework Folder and that the assignment is copied down in their agenda book. The homework is always due at the beginning of the next math class. I will try to give some time at the end of class to start homework, but this isn’t usually possible. Please check your child’s agenda book regularly.

Curriculum: Mostly, we will be READING. However, when we are not deep into a great novel, we will also cover a few other units: realistic fiction, nonfiction, test-taking strategies, and word play (similes, metaphors, alliteration, homonyms, idioms, etc). We will cover the other language arts (listening, speaking, writing) although the emphasis of this class is on reading and comprehension.

Class Routine: I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to teach a high level reading class. There are some truly amazing novels for this age group that are at or above grade-level. Unfortunately, we only have around 40 minutes a day, so we will get in all the reading we can! This is the “pilot” year for this program, so my plan at this point is to give the students some silent reading time at the start of class followed by a whole-class novel, and end the period with some skill application activities. We will often have whole-group discussion but will frequently split into smaller groups for book chats, and students will also reflect on the literature through individual reading journal responses.

Agendas/Homework: Students will copy the class activities into their agenda book so you know what we worked on in class every day. In addition, students will be reading one additional novel per marking period on their own. They will choose a book from a particular genre and turn in homework questions at specific intervals as they read. This will begin with marking period 2. During the first marking period, students will be working on a project based on the book they read over the summer for our Summer Reading Program.

Grades: I use a “total points” system for grades. This means simply that a student’s grade will be based on how many points they earn out of the total points possible for all tasks within a marking period. Assignments such as writing tasks, reading comprehension quizzes, homework, classwork, and projects all are worth a certain weighted point value.


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