September 2020
Dear Parents/Caregivers and Students,
My name is Mme Moffat, and I am very much looking forward to being your grade 6 classroom teacher. This has been a unique year, and I hope you were able to have a relaxing summer break. Please read on for important Back to School info and classroom expectations. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we navigate another unprecedented school year.
Housekeeping notes
Classroom seating:
There are a combination of desks and tables in my classroom and students have been spaced 1m apart regardless of where they are seated. Students have all been given a zippered bag to store materials such as pencils, pencil crayons, rulers, scissors, glue etc.
Binders:
Students are responsible for keeping their schoolwork organized, and it is recommended that they bring a zippered binder in order to keep any assignments and handouts safely stored. Students will be given dividers to keep their subjects separate. This is not only excellent preparation for high school, but I have also seen the benefits it has had on teaching students good work habits and organizational skills. That said, I understand that buying a zippered binder is not an option for all. A classroom three ring binder, will be available for students to store their materials in the classroom if they do not have a zippered binder.
Classroom Pets/Allergies:
Pork and Beans (guinea pigs) are the two leading ladies in our classroom. I will be bringing them one or two times a week. They enjoy crunchy snacks, being chatty when it’s time to be quiet, and sitting on laps where they get many scritch scratches behind the ears. If your child has allergies, it is recommended that they opt out of handling the guinea pigs. If your child has a severe, persistent allergic reaction to being in the classroom, Pork and Beans will stay home.
Other allergies:
In our classroom, we have students who are severely allergic to all nuts. As a school, we try to keep the food coming in “peanut free”. It is especially important that our classroom be nut free. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Blog/Google Classroom:
Important dates will be added to the classroom blog and Google Classroom. Look for due dates and events, and ask your child to tell you about them. We will be setting up Google Classroom when we have access to the Chromebooks. This should be at the beginning of October.
Homework:
This year, homework will mainly be assignments that were not completed during the allotted class time. If students are using class time efficiently, they will rarely have a lot of homework. Homework is also meant to reinforce and practice skills learned in class, and as such, homework may randomly be assigned if needed. We will go over all assignments, so if students have misunderstood a lesson there will always be another chance to review it. That said, it is expected that students make an effort to complete their homework. If your child is struggling to complete their tasks, please write a note in their agenda, or send an email. I will do my best to check in often, however it is their responsibility to ask for help when needed.
*Projects: Students will accomplish several projects throughout the year. For all projects, students have a timeline or checklist to follow and they may need to spend extra time at home in order to reach their checkpoints. Please check in with your child/check the blog often to keep up to date. Often, outlines and criteria are shared with students via Google Drive which they can access at home.
Should your child not complete their homework, or fall behind on projects, they will be asked to stay in at lunch. Homework is not meant to be stressful, or cause tears for students. If this is happening, please let me know so that we can help solve the problem.
Communication:
Email has become a quick and convenient way of communicating with teachers. However, trying to answer emails while staying on top of planning and marking, in addition to teaching during the day, makes for an added workload for teachers. Please keep the following ideas in mind when emailing:
Thank you for taking the time to consider these points!
Electronics:
Personal electronic devices may, with teacher discretion, be used in a way that is supportive of the learning environment and consistent with the District and School Code of Conduct. The expectation is that devices remain in students’ lunchkit/supply bag (until we have access to lockers) at all times unless they have explicit permission to use their device in the classroom only. Students without permission can expect their device to be confiscated and/or lose the privilege of using a device in the classroom.
*Personal playlist: At times, with teacher discretion, students may be allowed to listen to music while they are accomplishing certain tasks. With that said, there are important parameters to follow if students would like to listen to music:
Alternatively, students don’t need to listen to music at all!
Fine Arts:
Fine Arts is taught by Mr. Hallett on Friday.
Physical Education:
Our formal P.E. periods will be on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Grade 6, students have begun or will begin to go through puberty, and it is expected that they bring a clean gym strip for PE. HOWEVER, due to COVID, students will not be changing for gym. I do ask that they have running shoes with non- marking soles and deodorant at school for these periods. Also, if for any reason your child needs to be excused from P.E. due to an illness or injury, please let me know with a phone call or email/note.
Attendance:
If your child is absent, it is their responsibility to find out what they missed, and complete it by the next day (or an arranged appropriate time). Please inform the school if your child is going to be away for an extended period.
Congratulations, you have made it all the way to the bottom! I appreciate you taking the time to read this, as it will certainly help the school year start off smoothly!
It would also be helpful if you could fill out a quick Parent and Student Survey so that I can better get to know you and your child. The survey can be found at: https://forms.gle/1psFfbwCCxeqbxB36
Mme Moffat
Dear Parents/Caregivers and Students,
My name is Mme Moffat, and I am very much looking forward to being your grade 6 classroom teacher. This has been a unique year, and I hope you were able to have a relaxing summer break. Please read on for important Back to School info and classroom expectations. I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we navigate another unprecedented school year.
Housekeeping notes
Classroom seating:
There are a combination of desks and tables in my classroom and students have been spaced 1m apart regardless of where they are seated. Students have all been given a zippered bag to store materials such as pencils, pencil crayons, rulers, scissors, glue etc.
Binders:
Students are responsible for keeping their schoolwork organized, and it is recommended that they bring a zippered binder in order to keep any assignments and handouts safely stored. Students will be given dividers to keep their subjects separate. This is not only excellent preparation for high school, but I have also seen the benefits it has had on teaching students good work habits and organizational skills. That said, I understand that buying a zippered binder is not an option for all. A classroom three ring binder, will be available for students to store their materials in the classroom if they do not have a zippered binder.
Classroom Pets/Allergies:
Pork and Beans (guinea pigs) are the two leading ladies in our classroom. I will be bringing them one or two times a week. They enjoy crunchy snacks, being chatty when it’s time to be quiet, and sitting on laps where they get many scritch scratches behind the ears. If your child has allergies, it is recommended that they opt out of handling the guinea pigs. If your child has a severe, persistent allergic reaction to being in the classroom, Pork and Beans will stay home.
Other allergies:
In our classroom, we have students who are severely allergic to all nuts. As a school, we try to keep the food coming in “peanut free”. It is especially important that our classroom be nut free. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Blog/Google Classroom:
Important dates will be added to the classroom blog and Google Classroom. Look for due dates and events, and ask your child to tell you about them. We will be setting up Google Classroom when we have access to the Chromebooks. This should be at the beginning of October.
Homework:
This year, homework will mainly be assignments that were not completed during the allotted class time. If students are using class time efficiently, they will rarely have a lot of homework. Homework is also meant to reinforce and practice skills learned in class, and as such, homework may randomly be assigned if needed. We will go over all assignments, so if students have misunderstood a lesson there will always be another chance to review it. That said, it is expected that students make an effort to complete their homework. If your child is struggling to complete their tasks, please write a note in their agenda, or send an email. I will do my best to check in often, however it is their responsibility to ask for help when needed.
*Projects: Students will accomplish several projects throughout the year. For all projects, students have a timeline or checklist to follow and they may need to spend extra time at home in order to reach their checkpoints. Please check in with your child/check the blog often to keep up to date. Often, outlines and criteria are shared with students via Google Drive which they can access at home.
Should your child not complete their homework, or fall behind on projects, they will be asked to stay in at lunch. Homework is not meant to be stressful, or cause tears for students. If this is happening, please let me know so that we can help solve the problem.
Communication:
Email has become a quick and convenient way of communicating with teachers. However, trying to answer emails while staying on top of planning and marking, in addition to teaching during the day, makes for an added workload for teachers. Please keep the following ideas in mind when emailing:
- Keep your emails brief and to the point. If your email is long, consider setting up a time for us to meet.
- If your email is being sent as an emotional response, please take some time before pushing send. (Coaches ask for 24 hours before they take complaints). If the issue is big, I would prefer for us to discuss in person!
- Read your email out loud before sending to ensure that you are using an appropriate tone. Emails with a harsh tone are very upsetting. Remember, teachers are people too!
- Teachers do not work 24 hours a day. I will read and respond to emails Monday-Friday, from 8:00 am-4:00 pm.
Thank you for taking the time to consider these points!
Electronics:
Personal electronic devices may, with teacher discretion, be used in a way that is supportive of the learning environment and consistent with the District and School Code of Conduct. The expectation is that devices remain in students’ lunchkit/supply bag (until we have access to lockers) at all times unless they have explicit permission to use their device in the classroom only. Students without permission can expect their device to be confiscated and/or lose the privilege of using a device in the classroom.
*Personal playlist: At times, with teacher discretion, students may be allowed to listen to music while they are accomplishing certain tasks. With that said, there are important parameters to follow if students would like to listen to music:
- Students must have explicit permission to listen to music.
- A playlist must be created on students’ personal time.
- Students may use Itunes, Spotify, or they have access to Youtube through their GEdu account. Songs selected off of Youtube should not have music videos as these are tempting and distracting! - The playlist must be school appropriate. No inappropriate content, swearing etc.
- The playlist must be approved by both parents and teacher.
- Students must bring their own headphones.
- Students seen being distracted by their music will have their device confiscated for the day and/or lose the privilege of listening to music.
- Distracted behavior may look like: shuffling through Youtube, spending excess time “looking for a song”, sharing with friends, singing along and not working, etc.
Alternatively, students don’t need to listen to music at all!
Fine Arts:
Fine Arts is taught by Mr. Hallett on Friday.
Physical Education:
Our formal P.E. periods will be on Wednesday and Thursday.
In Grade 6, students have begun or will begin to go through puberty, and it is expected that they bring a clean gym strip for PE. HOWEVER, due to COVID, students will not be changing for gym. I do ask that they have running shoes with non- marking soles and deodorant at school for these periods. Also, if for any reason your child needs to be excused from P.E. due to an illness or injury, please let me know with a phone call or email/note.
Attendance:
If your child is absent, it is their responsibility to find out what they missed, and complete it by the next day (or an arranged appropriate time). Please inform the school if your child is going to be away for an extended period.
Congratulations, you have made it all the way to the bottom! I appreciate you taking the time to read this, as it will certainly help the school year start off smoothly!
It would also be helpful if you could fill out a quick Parent and Student Survey so that I can better get to know you and your child. The survey can be found at: https://forms.gle/1psFfbwCCxeqbxB36
Mme Moffat
