Communication is key to a successful school year. The following is a list of opportunities to stay informed and involved in your child's 6th-grade experience. If you feel overwhelmed or have multiple children to keep up with, a good place to start is with a bi-weekly Schoology check with your child on his or her Chromebook and signing up for the Accelerated Reader app. The AR code to receive text updates every time your child takes a test will be sent home in a personalized letter with your child's individual access code upon email or written request.
a. HAC - If you need assistance with your child's HAC account password or username, please notify Mrs. Brieshcke at 850-6200.
b. Phone Calls (Ext. 6234) - I would be more than happy to speak with you during my planning (1:00) or after school. Please e-mail me your concerns along with a phone number from which you can be reached and I will contact you within 48 hours. The e-mail provides me with a record of the request and details regarding your issue or question. My intent is to respond within the same day, but extenuating circumstances do arise such as in-service days and after school activities my children are involved in. I appreciate your patience and flexibility in this area.
c. Schoology - This site is used as a closed learning management system that allows us to communicate with our students and post assignments/links, etc. in a safe environment. I post my lesson plan each Monday on the "Updates" page for everyone but especially those who are absent so they can see what was assigned. This does not include everything we do during the day, just a brief overview. Please note that these plans change frequently during the day based on my students' needs.
d. Schoology grade book - Frequently checking the gradebook tab on Schoology will enable you to keep abreast of student progress and missing work. A weekly check will allow you to have regular conversations with your child about his or her assignments. This will also help you avoid any surprises at grade card time. Students are provided time at the beginning of the day and instructed to check Calendars (Schoology), Updates (Schoology), my lesson plans and G-mail to prepare for the day. Any questions students may have regarding grades should be handled during homeroom so as not to diminish instructional time. Grades are updated each weekend.
Due to the nature of some activities, they can not be replicated or done in isolation outside of class. Students are expected to share this with parents nightly on their Chromebook or you can sign up for a parent account. The sign up codes are sent home at the beginning of the school year for new students to the district. If you are not new, your previous code will allow you access to your child's junior high and high school courses.
Please know that when your child misses school, they are missing valuable instruction and dialogue that can not be replicated.
Students should check Schoology for all missing work during the time they are out of class. Missing assignments are marked with a read "O". Lesson plans are written over the weekend and are subject to change based on my students' needs. For this reason, I do not provide work in advance for students who are planning to be absent from class. I am very flexible with receiving work that is turned in after a vacation or illness as it is extremely difficult to make up work and keep up simultaneously.
e. Twitter - Follow us for tweets made by students and myself - Mrs. Vogel's Class @Vogel6th
f. Parent Teacher Conferences - Sign-Up Genius.com is used for allowing you to choose the best time to attend your child's meeting. One conference is held per student with the homeroom teacher. A Google survey will be sent out in advance to provide you with an opportunity to let me know what questions you may have as our time together is only 10 min. per conference. This will allow me to prepare and address your inquiries efficiently. My teaching partner and I will meet prior to your child's conference to discuss any issues that may need to be addressed in other subject areas.
g. Accelerated Reader - Parents will be provided with a letter that will include your child's personal code to join Parent Home Connect. This application will send you text messages every time your child takes an AR test. It will include up to date point totals, an averaged comprehension score, names of all titles tested over, and the individual scores. All 6th-grade students participate in the AR program and have a portion of their grade based on the following. 10% of your child's Reading grade is based on goal acquisition and 10% is based on the cumulative comprehension score. These two scores are entered at the mid-term and updated at the end of the quarter to allow students to take tests up to the second to last day of the quarter. For more information about how AR is used in my class, please see the AR tab.
h. Reading Assessment Data - Your child's reading comprehension will be documented this year using multiple assessments . Information regarding these scores will be discussed at conferences. These scores will not enter into the grade average and will be noted as having a "0" weight. They are merely shared for your information. Further details regarding this data will be provided closer to the posting dates.
i. Tech. Night - Once the school year is in full swing, I typically do a tech night for parents to assist with teaching you how to keep on top of your child's digital education. We discuss how the Chromebooks are used in the junior high, and more specifically, in my classroom . Students (with Chromebooks) attend with their parents and demonstrate how to check AR data, lesson plans, etc. This is not mandatory but Is very helpful if you want to be involved with your child's education.
a. HAC - If you need assistance with your child's HAC account password or username, please notify Mrs. Brieshcke at 850-6200.
b. Phone Calls (Ext. 6234) - I would be more than happy to speak with you during my planning (1:00) or after school. Please e-mail me your concerns along with a phone number from which you can be reached and I will contact you within 48 hours. The e-mail provides me with a record of the request and details regarding your issue or question. My intent is to respond within the same day, but extenuating circumstances do arise such as in-service days and after school activities my children are involved in. I appreciate your patience and flexibility in this area.
c. Schoology - This site is used as a closed learning management system that allows us to communicate with our students and post assignments/links, etc. in a safe environment. I post my lesson plan each Monday on the "Updates" page for everyone but especially those who are absent so they can see what was assigned. This does not include everything we do during the day, just a brief overview. Please note that these plans change frequently during the day based on my students' needs.
d. Schoology grade book - Frequently checking the gradebook tab on Schoology will enable you to keep abreast of student progress and missing work. A weekly check will allow you to have regular conversations with your child about his or her assignments. This will also help you avoid any surprises at grade card time. Students are provided time at the beginning of the day and instructed to check Calendars (Schoology), Updates (Schoology), my lesson plans and G-mail to prepare for the day. Any questions students may have regarding grades should be handled during homeroom so as not to diminish instructional time. Grades are updated each weekend.
Due to the nature of some activities, they can not be replicated or done in isolation outside of class. Students are expected to share this with parents nightly on their Chromebook or you can sign up for a parent account. The sign up codes are sent home at the beginning of the school year for new students to the district. If you are not new, your previous code will allow you access to your child's junior high and high school courses.
Please know that when your child misses school, they are missing valuable instruction and dialogue that can not be replicated.
Students should check Schoology for all missing work during the time they are out of class. Missing assignments are marked with a read "O". Lesson plans are written over the weekend and are subject to change based on my students' needs. For this reason, I do not provide work in advance for students who are planning to be absent from class. I am very flexible with receiving work that is turned in after a vacation or illness as it is extremely difficult to make up work and keep up simultaneously.
e. Twitter - Follow us for tweets made by students and myself - Mrs. Vogel's Class @Vogel6th
f. Parent Teacher Conferences - Sign-Up Genius.com is used for allowing you to choose the best time to attend your child's meeting. One conference is held per student with the homeroom teacher. A Google survey will be sent out in advance to provide you with an opportunity to let me know what questions you may have as our time together is only 10 min. per conference. This will allow me to prepare and address your inquiries efficiently. My teaching partner and I will meet prior to your child's conference to discuss any issues that may need to be addressed in other subject areas.
g. Accelerated Reader - Parents will be provided with a letter that will include your child's personal code to join Parent Home Connect. This application will send you text messages every time your child takes an AR test. It will include up to date point totals, an averaged comprehension score, names of all titles tested over, and the individual scores. All 6th-grade students participate in the AR program and have a portion of their grade based on the following. 10% of your child's Reading grade is based on goal acquisition and 10% is based on the cumulative comprehension score. These two scores are entered at the mid-term and updated at the end of the quarter to allow students to take tests up to the second to last day of the quarter. For more information about how AR is used in my class, please see the AR tab.
h. Reading Assessment Data - Your child's reading comprehension will be documented this year using multiple assessments . Information regarding these scores will be discussed at conferences. These scores will not enter into the grade average and will be noted as having a "0" weight. They are merely shared for your information. Further details regarding this data will be provided closer to the posting dates.
i. Tech. Night - Once the school year is in full swing, I typically do a tech night for parents to assist with teaching you how to keep on top of your child's digital education. We discuss how the Chromebooks are used in the junior high, and more specifically, in my classroom . Students (with Chromebooks) attend with their parents and demonstrate how to check AR data, lesson plans, etc. This is not mandatory but Is very helpful if you want to be involved with your child's education.