The Jigsaw Team

 

 

                                                                                    We fit together to make a better world.

 

 

 

 

Dear students and parents,

 

Welcome to the 6th grade Jigsaw Team!  We are looking forward to a great year at the Linden Middle School.  Our classes for the team this year look like this:

 

            Ms. Beckman  –          Social Studies                                     Room 207       591-0747

            Mrs. Cook –                Science                                    Room 220       591-0740

            Mr. Kimball –              Math                                        Room 206       591-0746

            Mrs. Crumm –             Language Arts                        Room 205       591-0745

            Mrs. Peake -                Language Arts/Advisory        Room 208       591-0748

            Mrs. Smekert -            Advisory                                 Room 220       591-0719

            Staff -                          Math/Advisory                        Room 217       591-0777

 

We, as a team, believe that open communication is an important and vital part of the successful middle school experience.  So, please help us keep communication lines open.  Let us know when there are any questions or concerns.  We welcome your calls and e-mails.  You may call our classrooms at any time to leave a message. Our planning time is from 1:50 pm and 2:30 pm. You can also e-mail us through the Linden Middle School website.

 

Planner – All students are expected to have their planner in class.  They are to write the assignments for each day in the notebook.  The planner should go home with the student each night and be available for parent viewing.  This is a great tool for the students to get them organized and adjusted to the transition. We would like parents to see it and sign it at the end of every week.        

 

Parent Web – Parent Web is available through the Linden Middle School website for the use of parents and family. There you can locate your child’s daily assignments as they are posted daily by your child’s teachers. In order to access, follow the links on the Linden School’s homepage. You will need your child’s Student ID (found on child’s schedule) for your user name and the last four digits of his or her social security number for your password. If you have access to the internet, we encourage you to use it regularly.

 

 

Supplies for all classes – notebook paper, pencils, planner.  Please send in 2 boxes of

Kleenex at the beginning of the year.

 

Policy on late work –

 

  1. Work can be made up after an excused absence or if specified in the student handbook.
  2. Work can be made up if a parent sends in a note stating why the work should be accepted late.  (This note is only accepted on the day that the assignment is due.)
  3. ONE “oops” is allowed per class/per marking period.  NO other late work will be accepted.

 

Student-Led Conferencing – Students on the Jigsaw Team will hold student-led conferences in lieu of the traditional parent-teacher format.  You can expect to receive a personal invitation from your child with the time and dates to share and discuss their work with them.  The goals for the students include:

 

  • Being responsible for reporting to you how well they are doing in school
  • Learning to communicate
  • Learning to evaluate their work honestly and fairly
  • Becoming accountable for work and behavior
  • Learning organizational and leadership skills

 

This is an opportunity for you, as a parent, to display a positive interest in your child’s progress, accept your child’s evaluation of his/her accomplishments and provide your child with support and encouragement for his/her work at school. Both you and your child are expected to attend the conference together.

 

Team Rules –

 

  1. Follow directions the first time they are given.
  2. Respect the rights of others.  Keep hands, feet, objects and negative comments to yourself.
  3. Come to class prepared with necessary supplies.

 

Magazine Sale - As you may know, every fall we participate in a school-wide magazine sale.  Profits form this sale are used for team activities, such as field trips, positive incentives, etc. throughout the year.  With this in mind we encourage you to purchase or renew your magazine subscriptions at this time.

 

Volunteers – We need volunteers for special events and projects.  Volunteers help us provide things that would be impossible without them. Please be aware that any chaperone/volunteer, no matter the circumstance, must complete an “I Chat” through Linden Schools before an event. This is for the safety of your child, as well as the safety of his or her classmates. No chaperones/volunteers will be accepted without one. If you did not give us your information at the open house, please do so as soon as possible. You can call or email with your name, birth date, and home phone number.

 

Modified Schedule – The 6th grade will have a modified schedule. This is done to incorporate a time for a study skills class. The schedule is as follows:

Schedule for Tuesday

 & Thursday

 

Advisory         7:50-8:09

1st Hour           8:13-9:08

2nd Hour          9:12-10:07

3rd Hour           10:11-11:05    

4th Hour           11:09-11:32

Lunch              11:32-12:02

4th Hour           12:07-12:38

5th Hour           12:42-1:37

6th Hour           1:41-2:36
 
 


Schedule for Monday,

Wednesday, & Friday

 

Advisory         7:50-8:09

1st Hour           8:13-8:59

2nd Hour          9:03-9:49

3rd Hour           9:53-10:42

4th Hour           10:46-11:32

Lunch              11:32-12:02

Study Skills     12:07-12:38

5th Hour           12:42-1:37

6th Hour           1:41-2:36

 

During study skills, students are expected to work on homework or unfinished work from

any of his or her classes. All academic teachers will be available during this time to

answer questions and help when needed. The purpose of this time is to help with the middle school transition and the extra work load that students will need to get accustomed to in the 6th grade.

 

Meet Your Teachers -

 

Mrs. Cook                   Room 220

810-591-0740

 

Welcome to the Jigsaw Team and to sixth grade Science!  You have an exciting year of investigation, experimentation and collaboration ahead of you.  This year we will begin our journey with The Nature of Matter.  From there we will explore Electricity and Magnetism, Animal Diversity and finally, Ecology.

            Science knowledge is gained in a variety of ways.  Expect reading, labs, journaling, group collaboration, projects and interactive note taking. 

            Lastly, this science class is a place to open your mind to a wide variety of concepts and ideas.  Please give it your all!  The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.  Have fun and enjoy yourself.

 

 

 

Breakdown of Assignments:

Homework – We will have homework every Monday and Wednesday.  Homework will consist of concept reinforcement activities and will be graded based on a points system.

Projects – Periodically there will be an out of class project assigned in which you will be responsible for completing on your own.  Instruction sheets and rubrics for these projects will be provided.

Journals – You will be required to keep a science journal for each chapter.  Topics for these journals will be given in class and they must be turned in with your test to receive credit.

Notes – Notes are essential to keep yourself organized for study.  We will take notes in a variety of ways, including, two-column notes and Foldables.  Each student will have the choice on test day whether they would like to use their notes on the test, or turn them in on test day for extra credit.

Labs – Labs will be done in class and may or may not be done in groups.  These will be graded according to their point value.

Quizzes and Tests – A test will follow each chapter.

 

Missing Assignments:  I know that sometimes we may lose or forget an assignment.  This is why the Jigsaw Team offers one OOPS per marking period.  An OOPS may be used to turn in one missing assignment.  Any other missing assignments will not be credited.  (Except for assignments missed due to absence.)

 

Rewards and Incentives:  Evaluating your work and improving is very important.  Students who consistently show improvement will be individually rewarded. 

A class reward will be given to the class period that has the fewest number of missing assignments each marking period. 

One student each marking period on the Jigsaw Team will receive the Super Scientist Award.  Student names will be placed in a jar for a variety of reasons.  At the end of the marking period one student will be chosen.  To earn your name in the jar you can:

 

have no missing assignments

100% on any test or quiz

participate productively in class discussions

work cooperatively in groups

help clean up around the classroom

teacher’s choice

 

Extra Credit Options:  Bonus points are always available.  Throughout each book there are Try at Home Mini-Labs.  You may do any of these you wish, and complete the lab sheet that goes with it.  Only quality work will earn extra points.  Turn them in at the end of the marking period to get credit.

 

About Mrs. Cook:  This is my fourth year at Linden.  I graduated from the University of Michigan-Flint with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and from Walden University with a Master’s Degree in Science Education.  I grew up in Byron, so this town feels like home. 

 

I am looking forward to this upcoming year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Kimball- 6th grade math

 

Hello, my name is Rick Kimball and I am the math teacher on the Jigsaw team.  This is my 9th year in Linden and I am excited for the new school year.  I hope to make math a fun, exciting, and challenging experience for each and every student.  Students should expect a fun learning environment and be comfortable asking questions and participating in class discussions.  If you have any questions please email me and I will get back to you ASAP.  I believe that parent involvement is key to student success and hope to hear from and see you many times this year.  

 

      Supplies needed:

 

Pencils – No pens in math!!!!

2 Notebooks

compass

Protractor

 

Homework

 

Students should plan on having a homework assignment 3-4 days a week.  There will be time to start assignments in class and it is expected that students use this time to begin homework and ask for extra help.  Homework is due the following day at the beginning of class.  Students can turn 1 assignment late for full credit.  Students with missing assignments will have lunch detention with me to work on getting their work in.  

 

  Classroom Expectations

 

Students are expected to come to class prepared each day.

Students are expected to be in their seat when class begins.

Students are expected to be respectful to others.

Students are expected to come to class with a positive attitude.

Students are expected to work until the bell rings.

 

Grading Scale

 

Over 100% = A+  74-76% = C

94-99% = A                70-73% = C-

90-93% = A-               67-69% = D+

87-89% = B+              64-66% = D

84-86% = B                 60- 63% = D-

80-83% = B-               below 60% = E

77-79% = C+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Studies

Sixth Grade

Ms. Beckman

 

This year students will use the textbook, People, Places and Change (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston), and supplementary sources from TCI (Teacher’s Curriculum Institute) and Interact.  A lot of class time is spent working with a variety of groups in a simulation format with very little daily homework assignments.  Throughout the year students will be assigned several projects that will require time spent at home.

 

10% - Geography:  Students will work with information from the textbook as well as a variety of graphic materials (globes, raised relief maps, etc.)  Instruction will constantly reinforce the five themes of geography: location, place, human-environmental interaction, movement and regions.

 

70% - History:  Students will use the textbook and supplementary sources to learn about the history of past civilizations and cultures in different regions and countries of Europe, Latin America and Canada.  The chapters covered will be supplemented with various activities, programs and learning simulations to more vividly portray their content.

 

20% - Culture:  Students will use the textbook to discover the present-day cultures of Europe, Latin America and Canada first by region, and then by various countries within each region. As with history, supplementary materials will be used in addition to the textbook.

 

Evaluation of Student Progress

 

Students grades are calculated according to         60%  daily in class work

this breakdown.                                                     20%  quizzes and tests

                                                                              20%   projects

 

Grading Scale

100% - 98%      A+                                 79% - 78%   C+

  97% - 92%      A                                   77% - 72%   C

  91% - 90%      A-                                  71% - 70%  C-

  89% - 88%      B +                                69% - 68%  D+

  87% - 82%      B                                   67% - 62%  D

  81% - 80%      B-                                  61% - 60%  D-

                                                                59% and below  E

 

 

Students are allowed one “OOPS” per marking period.  An oops is turning in an assignment late with no penalty.  After the oops has been used no late work is accepted.