Team Berlin Update 2

Thank you to all who have been so supportive in helping students adjust to, and be ready for, their first week of 6th grade! Students have been really great about learning routines, engaging in lessons, and helping each other! We love seeing this and hope to continue this excellent culture throughout the year!

A few reminders for parents/guardians:

1. Please make sure to review and sign the tech agreement/contract and have students return it no later than Tuesday. Students will not be issued a device without it. The document can be found here in Spanish and here in English. Thank you for the many we have already received! 😊

2. Please review with your student, their agenda and red folder. The agenda should have upcoming assignments written in them and the red folder should have any handouts. Both the agenda and red folder should with the student to each class every day and go between school and home. Team Berlin teachers recommend taking time every day or every other day to review the agenda and the red folder with students.

Keep on Team Berlin, you’re doing an excellent job! Next week students will receive devices (that will stay only at school) and their Aspen account information.

9/3: Students receive devices*

9/10 & 9/12: Family Workshops

9/18: Back to School Night, 6pm

9/25: Field trip to Sandy Spring Adventure Park

9/28: 6th Grade Family BBQ 11-1

*Students may not get a device until their Technology Agreement is signed by a parent and returned to their homeroom teacher

Hello scientists!

This week students worked on the Gab Lab, doing a science activity and a social activity at stations around the classroom. This gave them an idea of what to expect in science class and introduced them to their classmates. We have also been working on class procedures, expectations, and routines.

Next week our students will begin an introductory activity involving a "Letter to a Science Teacher." Students will work on their rough drafts in class, with the rough draft due by Thursday, September 5th. After incorporating feedback, students will submit their final drafts by Monday, September 9th.

Please ensure that students have their science class supplies ready by Tuesday, September 3rd. The required items include:

• 3-ring binder

• Notebook with holes punched (goes in binder

• 5-tab dividers

• a box of tissues or a container of hand sanitizer

• a roll of paper towels

• and pencils/colored pencils (not science class specific-required for all classes)

In addition, students will complete a creative assignment due by Wednesday, September 4th. This involves creating a comic strip that illustrates class expectations and procedures. Furthermore, students will have their first roots quiz (Quiz 1.1) on Friday, September 6th. Roots quizzes will be a weekly occurrence throughout the year. The quiz will cover the following root words:

• uni = one (unicycle, uniform)

• bi = two (bilingual, bicycle)

• tri = three (trio, triangle)

• quadra =four (quadruplet)

• penta =five (pentagon)

Please look for an email soon from Ms. Ballantine with more detailed information on science class assignments, materials, grading, etc.

It’s been so fun to get to know your students this week, I’m excited to get into some science content with them next week!

lydia.ballantine@k12.dc.gov

This week in Math students worked on learning classroom expectations and culture. Students learned about progressive struggle and began discussing and reviewing multiplying whole numbers and decimals. This coming week students will work on dividing decimals by decimals and decimals by whole numbers in preparation for the BOY Assessment in the forthcoming week. Please encourage your child to come to class prepared with materials to give their best efforts in mathematics.

IRecess

On Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays students will have the opportunity to join Mr. Brown during their recess period to get extra help on current assignments or strengthening prerequisite skills (multiplication, addition, subtraction, etc) Students interested in or requested to join she see Mr. Brown to receive a hall pass to come during the lunch hour

marcus.brown@k12.dc.gov

What a wonderful week in 6th grade! This week students wrote a few Quick Writes (ask your child what a Quick Write is). Additionally, we practiced several different discussion protocols, collaborated to establish classroom norms, and checked out independent reading books for our classroom library.

Next week we will visit the school library, set up our notebooks, and begin looking at point of view (first, second, third person).

We will also begin tracking independent reading progress. Students should read for 20+ minutes each evening. This is the primary form of homework in ELA. I will not be asking for reading logs, but instead I will regularly be checking with students to monitor how they are progressing through and completing their books. Students should be taking their independent reading books home and bringing them back each day.

Things to ask your 6th grader about ELA:

• What is the 40 Book Challenge?
• How many books do you think you can read in September?
• What book are you going to use for your first Book Talk?

Essential ELA Supplies:

• 2 composition books (not spiral)
• Pencils
• Highlighters
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor (We are starting in another couple weeks. Please send in a copy ASAP.)

Please also send one of the following:

• hand sanitizer
• Clorox wipes
• tissues

If you would like to help the continual refresh of our classroom library, please visit the Classroom Wishlist below. I've added several books that students requested when perusing our classroom library.

Katy Byrns

Katy.byrns2@k12.dc.gov

Classroom Wishlist on Amazon

This week in Geography we have been spending a lot of time getting to know each other, the school, expectations, and routines! It’s been wonderful to start to get to know Team Berlin students!! In Geography, we opened our curriculum by learning/reviewing the continents and locations and students will have their first map quiz of the year on Wed. September 4! Each day we have review activities (practice maps, Flocabulary videos and songs, and reminders!). All students have a map that is in their red folder. We also did a Where am I Geography pyramid to place us in our own geography matrix of time and space! We ended the week with IB Learner Profiles and creating a class contract.

All students should have their supplies for Geography on Tuesday, September 3 so we can set up our binders in class. (please see supply list attached).

Next week in Geography, in addition to our binder set up and our map quiz, students will create our giant classroom map and learn how to log into Aspen.

A final request—if you, or anyone you know is traveling, and can send a postcard to our class, it would be greatly appreciated! Please see the adjoining flyer.

amy.trenkle@k12.dc.gov

This week 6th grade students will be visiting the library with their ELA classes for the first time this year. They will be choosing one book to use for personal reading and for their ELA 40 book challenge. I will be asking all students to be responsible with their books this year and return them in a timely manner. We do not charge fines for lost books, but I do ask students to donate a replacement book if one is lost and if they are able. Students should always come to me to let me know when a book is lost or damaged so that I can update the system and remove it from their record. If a student leaves Deal with overdue books on their account, they will be asked to pay for them before they graduate high school so it is always a good idea to let me know so that we can prevent additional expenses to families.

I will be sending overdue notices out once a month. These notices do not include the titles of the books as we want to protect the students' privacy. Students and families can login to their account in Follett Destiny (Can be found in Clever) to see more specific information about the books that they have out. Families can also reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Our library book orders are going to be sent out at the end of October. I am asking students to send me any book recommendations that they would like to see in our library. Students and families can make book recommendations at the link below:

https://bit.ly/DealMSLibraryRecommend

In addition, families can refer to our library's website (aka LibGuide) for more information and links related to the library, reading, newsletters, research, and more at the link below:

https://bit.ly/DealMSLibGuide

End of transmission

Best,

Stephen Reichlen

Library Media Specialist

Deal MS – DC Public Schools

stephen.reichlen@k12.dc.gov