Welcome Students!

Mrs. Oliveira’s 6^th Grade English Class 

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Website:            http://mrsoliveiraclassblog.blogspot.com/

This is our class blog that will be used throughout the year. I use it frequently to post reminders, assignments, class information, discussions, and study guides.

Brief Bio:           This is my first year teaching full time and I am very excited to be at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School. I had the privilege to teach 6^th grade English as a long term substitute at HTMS last year and I loved it!  I received my Master’s in Education from Samford University in May 2014. I have been married for three years and we have one dog named Chancie. I hope to inspire my students to love reading, writing, and learning as much as I do!

Welcome:          This 6th grade English class is based upon the College and Career Ready Standards that require our content to revolve around Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.  A large portion of the year will focus on writing, but students are also asked to critically think, answer open-ended questions, and participate in class discussion.  Compositions for the year vary from creative to research-based, and students are required to do various projects and presentations to demonstrate their knowledge of the content and writing.  Hopefully, with enough practice and repetition, given the freedom and environment in which to create, your student will not only become a better writer throughout the year, be he or she will grow comfortable and even learn to enjoy writing.   My goal is to inspire writers for life!  My passion is writing and I hope to dually spark that fire in the hearts and minds of my students as well. 

 

Contact Info:    You may email me at Brianna.Oliveira@trussvillecityschools.com or call the school and leave a message.

 

English Supplies:

• Three Ring Binder
• Tabs/Dividers
• Loose Leaf Notebook paper (Replenish when you run out!)
• Colored printer paper

 

Please have these supplies as soon as possible so that we may begin the year and stay organized together! I prefer that your student have their own binder for English class.  One large binder/trapper-keeper used for every class is just too small to house all of the information and it is difficult to keep organized.  In English- we create large compositions and the paper builds quickly!

A Few Class Norms:

Textbook: Each day students are to bring to English class their own personal book for reading.  We use our personal reading material in English to examine literature and texts; also it’s frequently used as a writing catalyst.  Throughout the year, we will refer to these books as our “IDR” books.  IDR stands for Independent Daily Reading.

Grades:  Most grades are out of 100 points; there are simply various categories for each grade.  Categories are as follows:

·         50%--Mastery (Tests, Projects, Major Writing Assignments, etc.)

·         30%--Checkpoint (Quizzes, Smaller Writing Assignments)

·         20%--Practice (Completion/Participation Credit)

Please check student grades frequently in INOW.  This is encouraged.  I will try and keep these as up-to-date as possible throughout the school year.

Binder: The binder in this class is very important.  Binders are checked and graded, so students are held accountable for their own papers, class assignments, and grades.  This is an effort to teach consistency and organization (something 6^th graders need to learn). These binders also allow parents to view student work on a regular basis and examine grades.

Absence & Late Work Policy:  When a student is out, it is the responsibility of the student to come to me the day upon their return to school and ask for their make-up work.  They have three days to complete the work.  If the work is not submitted on the third day, it will be counted as “late.”  All late work is graded with a 30 point deduction.

Technology Welcome…but not required:  Here at HTMS, we have a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy.  I utilize student technology consistently in my classes.  If your student has technology (such as a smartphone, Ipad, Tablet, IPod, or laptop), and you feel comfortable allowing them to do so, they are allowed to use them at the appropriate times in class.  If a discipline issue occurs in conjunction with personal technology, your child will no longer be allowed to BYOD to school.