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Welcome to Sixth Grade!
A Parent’s Survival Guide
HAINE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mrs. Kramer - Room 302 Ms. Exler - Room 304
Mrs. Rogozinski - Room 305 Mrs. Tanda - Room 315 Mrs. Braden - Room 205
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Welcome to sixth grade! We are looking forward to a wonderful year with your children. This handbook
has been compiled to help increase your understanding of what will be expected of your child and what we
will be doing this year. We hope that you find the information helpful.
Table of Contents
Curriculum .................................................................................................. 2
District and Team Policies .......................................................................... 5
Class Expectations ...................................................................................... 6
ClassDojo ................................................................................................... 7
Student Use of Technology ........................................................................ 8
SV Portal – Online Grade Book ................................................................. 8
Access to Online Textbooks ....................................................................... 8
Seneca Valley School District Website ...................................................... 9
Where to Find Homework Assignments on Our Websites ........................ 10
Other Items on the Team Website .............................................................. 11
Office 365 ................................................................................................... 12
Passwords ................................................................................................... 14
Communication .......................................................................................... 14
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Curriculum
ELA
This year we are fortunate to have a rigorous sixth grade middle school text series entitled,
Collections. The Collections series is comprised of six multi-genre text offerings ranging in complexity
ensuring the needs of all learners are addressed through differentiation of content, process, and product. An
interactive online support system is embedded throughout each collection allowing students to reinforce,
strengthen, and enrich their reading skills on an individual basis.
21st Century Learners will embrace the digital tools designed engage the students through active
online exploration enhancing the learning process. Digital tools available to the students include modeled
discussions with audio and visual screencasts making complex text and analysis more accessible.
Additionally, students have the opportunity to cite text evidence online while reading directly through the
myNotebook feature, online glossaries and independently created word lists allow students to develop highly
personalized vocabulary. Stream to Start videos foster and capture interest, while options like the online
Xplor eMagazine, Channel One News, and Text in Focus videos support the anchor text.
Writing and grammar instruction are also embedded within each collection within the series while
enabling students to further develop their writing skills. Students drafts will be reviewed and edited online
through the myWriteSmart tool and all written essays will be screened for originality through turnitin, yet
another digital feature of the Collections series. Academic Integrity including plagiarism as well as other
forms of academic dishonesty and the consequences for such actions are reviewed on pg. 12 of the student
handbook and have been reviewed with all students.
The new ELA text series can be accessed through the portal under Language Arts, Electronic
Textbook Collections 2017.
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The student dashboard will open allowing student's access to all student resources offered through
Collections.
Finally, ELA students will also explore historical fiction through an in-depth study of the featured
novels below:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse The story takes place during the Dust Bowl era of the Midwestern
United States in the early-mid 1930s. The novel is written in free-verse poetry and the author utilizes many
poetic elements that we will study. The story is about overcoming obstacles and celebrating what you
already have. Tragedy strikes the main character when she causes an accident that results in her mother’s
and unborn brother’s death.
The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank is perhaps the most renowned Jewish victim of the
Holocaust. Her diary has been translated into more than 60 languages. Through her diary, Anne documents
her experiences while hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands.
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Social Studies
Students will learn about the geography, civics, government, economics, culture,
and history of Asia and the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe. Additionally, they
will be involved in various instructional activities that focus on the integration of map
skills, interpreting data, research skills, communication skills, technology, and process
writing into a comprehensive study of today's society and yesterday's history. From this, they will gain a
working knowledge and understanding of the symbiotic relationships of geography, civics, government,
economics, culture, and history in the world.
Science
Students are using the SEPUP module Issues & Earth Science (IAES). It is an engaging, hands-on
earth science course based on the educational approach of scientific inquiry. A combination of experiments,
readings, models, debates, role-plays, and projects will allow students to
discover the nature of science, learn science content, and experience the
relevance of science in today’s world. Specific topics include: Studying
Soils Scientifically, Rocks and Minerals, Erosion and Deposition, Plate
Tectonics, and Weather and Atmosphere.
Math
The students will continue to expand their knowledge of the number system this year. Specifically,
we will explore decimals, fractions, and percent and discover how these three concepts are related. We will
also investigate ratios, rates, and proportions; algebraic concepts; integers; statistics and probability; and
geometric concepts. Many new mathematical concepts will be introduced through hands-on activities that
allow the students to use manipulatives in order to build their own understanding.
We will be incorporating TenMarks, an online math tool, on a weekly basis as a way to help
students practice skills and explore new topics. Every Monday, students will be given a new assignment
that will need to be completed by the following Sunday evening.
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Health
The sixth grade health curriculum includes four units:
1) Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco/Steroids
2) Immune System
3) Reproductive System
4) HIV/AIDS
District and Team Policies
Absences – If your child is sick, we will make every effort to gather his/her work and send it home with
the homework buddy. As per the student handbook, “Students will be afforded the same number of days to
make up assignments as the duration of their absence…”.
Homework Policy – Homework is expected to be turned in at the beginning of class on the day that it is
due. Your child will not be permitted to return to his/her homeroom or locker if work is not brought to class.
Such work will be considered late.
If a next-day homework assignment is not completed on time, it will be accepted one day late for
half credit. Any assignment more than a day late will receive no credit; however, it may still be turned it in
for feedback.
If a long-term assignment is not completed on time, it will be accepted late with a deduction of
10% per day. No assignments will be accepted if they are more than one week overdue.
Preparation Policy – Students will be given 10 points for preparedness for each class at the beginning of
each nine weeks. Each time the student must leave a class for forgotten materials, he/she will lose a half
point for not being prepared and will earn a negative Dojo point.
Extra Credit Policy – Grades are earned, never given. To earn grades, your child must put forth effort.
Earning grades takes hard work and perseverance. Homework, in-class assignments, projects, quizzes, and
tests will all factor into the final grade. Because your child’s grades should reflect his/her progress
throughout the nine weeks, no extra credit will be available.
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Class Expectations
Haine Middle School has a school-wide discipline policy that we will follow with our students.
Below is an overview of student expectations.
Classroom Hallway Cafeteria Bus Recess
Be prepared to
learn with
appropriate
materials.
Listen carefully to
teachers’
directions.
Respond
respectfully to
teachers, staff, and
other students.
Complete tasks
within the assigned
deadlines.
Use materials
appropriately.
Speak at a quiet
volume.
Walk on the right
side of the hall and
stairs.
Help maintain
cleanliness of the
hallways.
Allow for others
walking by to pass
safely.
Allow others
privacy when
using restroom
areas.
Walk directly to
and from your
destination.
Use your manners
when speaking:
please, thank you.
Speak at a quiet
volume so that
only those sitting at
your table can hear
your conversation.
Be polite to adults
and students.
Clean your dining
area.
Provide a helping
hand: clean up a
spill, pick up
wrappers, etc.
Speak in a quiet
volume, and keep
device volume
low.
Sit in a safe
manner.
Keep your hands
in your personal
space.
Use your own
personal items
rather than asking
to borrow a
friend’s.
Device usage
(music, videos,
and games) is
school
appropriate with
language and
content.
Include others in
activities.
Stay within the
boundaries set by
the teachers.
Use equipment
appropriately.
Collect
equipment before
returning inside.
Listen carefully
and respond
quickly to
teachers’
directions.
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REWARDS Rewards will be earned in two main ways. First, students on our team will receive positive Dojo Points that
can be used to buy classroom rewards (sit in the teacher’s chair, no homework pass, sit by a friend, etc.).
Second, all middle school students can earn Mindful Moment cards from any staff member. These cards
will be randomly awarded to students who are witnessed doing good deeds and following expectations.
Students turn the cards in to their homeroom teachers, where they are entered into classroom and school-
wide drawings to win prizes.
CONSEQUENCES
Warning!
Negative Dojo points
Completion of HMS Discipline Referral Form
Completion of Think Sheet
Call home to tell parents what happened
Meeting with parents and/or principal
Loss of monthly team rewards
ClassDojo
ClassDojo is an online classroom management system that allows teachers to monitor classroom
behavior by awarding or deducting points. The teacher has the ability to give or take away points based on
particular student behaviors. Each student’s progress will be monitored on his/her personalized avatar,
which the students can see on the screen. Teachers can print graphs and student reports, tracking daily
student behavior. Once parents join the site, they can monitor their child’s progress and will receive weekly
reports. Visit the site at www.classdojo.com.
Students will be able to buy rewards with earned positive Dojo points. Conversely, students will
receive consequences for negative points. If a student earns two negative points in the same week, he/she
will sit at the side table at lunch. Three points in the same week result in loss of recess (in addition to
sitting at the side table). After five negative points in the same week, students will sit at the side table at
lunch a second time. Students will start with a clean slate every Monday.
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Student Use of Technology
If your child will be bringing a device for BYOT, you can visit http://www.svsd.net/Page/8242 to
register your child’s device. All devices must be registered before your child will be permitted to use the
device at school. Students may register more than one device if desired.
Students will not be permitted to keep devices in their lockers. Instead, students will carry devices
to all classes and park them in the designated area in each room. Students will be permitted to use devices
only when needed for academics. Additionally, students are not permitted to share devices. Consequences
for misuse of technology (social media, taking photos, etc.) will be handled according to the HMS and
district policies.
SV Portal – Online Grade Book
Your child’s grades (tests, quizzes, homework, projects, etc.) are always available online at
https://portal.svsd.net/. It is important that you regularly check your child’s progress; please do not wait
until the end of the grading period. If you are unsure of your login and password information, please contact
your child’s homeroom teacher.
Additionally, please make sure your contact information is current in SV Portal, as this is our main
source of parent contact information. If you are in a situation in which parents are divorced or separated,
please include both parents’ contact information so everyone can stay informed about happenings at school.
Access to Online Textbooks
All textbooks are available via SV Portal. After logging into SV Portal, using the standard username (last
name, first initial, middle initial) and password (student number), students should click on the particular
class for which they need the textbook. Specific username and password information is provided for each
subject.
*To access the math Homework and Remembering book --- After logging in
through SV Portal, click on My Library. Click on student edition (and current
volume). Once the book opens, click on the lesson in the table of contents. This
will take you to the page in the ACTIVITY BOOK. In the blue section at the top,
click Lesson Resources. There you will find the Homework and Remembering
pages.
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Seneca Valley School District Website
Seneca Valley School District has an extremely informative web site. It contains valuable information
regarding the district, Haine Middle School, and our classrooms. You can access the site at www.svsd.net.
On the home page, you can find links to the school calendar, breakfast and lunch menus, The Parent Page,
and information about upcoming events. To find information specifically about Haine Middle School,
choose the school from the dropdown menu directly under the Seneca Valley School District heading. To
keep up-to-date with what is occurring on our team and in our individual classrooms, click the Teams link.
Course information, calendar of events, helpful links (on-line textbooks, SV Portal, etc.), and homework
are only some of the items you will find there. Hopefully, the web site will help keep you informed of
everything that is occurring at school.
Additional
Go to HMS Parent Information SV Portal Menus
Still can’t find what you need? Use the I WANT TO…tab to search for other topics.
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Where to Find Homework Assignments on Our Website
After going to the Haine Middle School webpage, go to Teams to access our team page and click on our
team.
Once there, click on the Homework Assignments link to view homework from all core teachers.
Finally, click on the teacher
from whom you want
to see homework.
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Other Items on the Team Website
Important Links – Links to SV Portal, Class Dojo, textbooks,
TenMarks, and other important sites. Contains directions how
to access Office 365, student email, and download Microsoft
Office for Home Use.
Class News – Haine Happenings – Copies of the monthly
newsletter sent via email to all parents.
Information from specific teachers – Visit each teacher’s
website to find more detailed information about specific
classes.
Information for Parents – Articles and information for
parents about middle school students, internet safety, 6th grade
academic standards, and hints to helping your child.
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Office 365
Features
1) Student Email – Students should use their school account to contact teachers with any questions.
Often mail from personal email accounts gets sent to the Junk Folder, and we do not see it right
away.
2) Word, PowerPoint, and Excel – If students are working on a document at school and would like to
work on it at home, from their devices, or anywhere else, the best thing is to work on your document
via Office 365. Students will have time in class to practice using these tools. Additionally, there is
a detailed handout on the next page.
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Creating Documents on Office 365
1. http://www.svsd.net
2. Select Haine Middle School from the drop-down list of schools.
3. Click on Microsoft Office 365 from the Site Shortcuts on the left side of the page.
4. Log in using your network username ([email protected]) and password (6 digit password).
5. OneDrive is Microsoft’s version of the cloud. It is web based which means that when you start a file
it saves automatically for you each time you work. Clicking on the App Screen will take you to your
Email and OneDrive.
6. Click New and click on the type of file you want to create.
7. When it loads that type of file then you can assign a name
for the file.
8. The file will save automatically. When you want to quit just click the X in the upper right corner.
9. If you would like to revise a document/presentation. Click on the file>Select Edit in Word Online.
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Passwords
TenMarks – https://www.tenmarks.com/login
Weekly assignments to practice specific math skills based on current topics and your individual needs.
Student Username _______________________ Student Password _______________________
Parent Username ________________________ Parent Password ________________________
Class Dojo – https://student.classdojo.com/#/login
Our classroom management online system
Student Username _______________________ Student Password _______________________
Parent Username ________________________ Parent Password ________________________
Communication
Communication between parents and teachers is essential in the education of children. By working
together, we can provide the best experience for your child. We will be sending monthly newsletters via
email to keep you informed about what is happening at school. Our e-mail addresses are listed below. Since
we have regular access to our e-mail throughout the day, it would be easiest for you to contact us in this
manner. In case of an emergency or urgent matter, please contact the office directly.
Haine Middle School
724-776-1325
Mrs. Kramer (ELA)
Mrs. Rogozinski (science and social studies)
Mrs. Tanda (ELA and math)
Ms. Exler (math)
Mrs. Courtney Braden (math)
parent signature teacher signature teacher signature
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student signature
teacher signature
Our Responsibilities
Students
I will:
-be respectful of everyone.
-complete all work to the best of my
ability.
-fill out my assignment book daily.
-communicate with my teachers about
grades and assignments.
-use my time effectively to balance
school and extracurricular activities.
-get an appropriate amount of sleep each
night.
Teachers
I will:
-be respectful of everyone.
-provide a safe and nurturing
environment.
-provide feedback to help students
improve.
-grade all material in a timely manner.
-provide enrichment, intervention, and
remediation as needed.
-provide ongoing communication to
parents about their child’s academic,
behavioral, and social growth.
Parents
I will:
-be respectful of everyone.
-keep my contact information in SV
Portal current.
-regularly check my child’s grades in
SV Portal.
-check my child’s assignment book or
team website and monitor homework
completion as needed.
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