Dear Parent(s)/Guardian: We want to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to Carroll Middle School and the sixth grade. In order to make this a successful year for you and your child we would like to share with you some of the policies and goals in our classrooms. As a team, we have strived to stay consistent with our policies and goals. Please understand that each of us will have different methods and teaching styles in our respective classes, so activities may vary from teacher to teacher. In sixth grade we teach the curriculum, but we also try to teach responsibility. This is a transitional year, and we want to help prepare your child for the years ahead. On the next pages you will find our behavior policy, absence policy, homework policy, and subject requirements. We feel that if we work together, we can make this year a successful year for you and your child. Please read and go over this information with your child. Once you have done this, then please sign and return the bottom portion of this paper to your child’s Charger Time teacher by August 20 th. Please contact us with any questions. We have also attached a homework help sheet. Please put this in a safe spot for quick referral. If there are any concerns with your child’s progress we will refer to this page frequently for ideas. Many parents have also shown a concern for the late lunch. Students may bring in a snack. This snack should consist of healthy foods. No pop or candy. The snack will be eaten during 3rd period. We hope this alleviates any concerns you may have about the late lunch.

Sincerely,

Team Lightning Team Bolt Matt Kochert—Social Studies Karsten Lochmueller—Social Studies Bryan Koehlinger—Math Theresa Silveus—Math Noel Brinker—Language Arts/Reading Gabe Garman—Language Arts/Reading Caitlin Houser – Language Arts/Reading DeAnna Koons – Language Arts/Reading Jason Corah—Science Brett Windmiller—Science Jill DelPriore – Special Needs ------

My son/daughter, ______, and I have read and understand the 6th Grade behavior policy, absence policy, homework policy, and subject requirements.

______Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature Welcome to Carroll Middle School,

In an attempt to try to make the adjustment to sixth grade and the middle school as easy as possible, we have created a syllabus for a “one stop” place to get all of your information for this year. This copy will be kept in your student’s binder all year for reference for you and your child. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via phone (260) 637-5159 or e-mail. TEAM LIGHTNING TEAM BOLT LANGUAGE ARTS/READING Ms. Caitlin Houser – [email protected] Mr. Gabe Garman - [email protected] Mrs. Noel Brinker – [email protected] Mrs. DeAnna Koons – [email protected] MATH Mr. Bryan Koehlinger - [email protected] Mrs. Theresa Silveus - [email protected] SCIENCE Mr. Jason Corah - [email protected] Mr. Brett Windmiller - [email protected] SOCIAL STUDIES Mr. Matt Kochert – [email protected] Mr. Karsten Lochmueller - [email protected] SPECIAL NEEDS Mrs. Jill DelPriore – [email protected]

6th Grade Bolt Team Meeting Time: 7:35-8:05 a.m. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) 6th Grade Lightning Team Meeting Time: 7:35-8:05 a.m. (Monday, Thursday, and Friday) HOMEWORK POLICY Homework is important because it is a valuable aid in helping students make the most of their school experience. We give homework to extend the classroom activity, to prepare students for future activities, to teach responsibility, and to develop good study habits. Homework should not take more than one hour to complete each night. This does not include studying for tests, and long-range projects. Students will know about tests in advance. There should be no excuses for not studying. We expect students to do their best on homework. Homework must be turned in neatly and on time. Sloppy work will be redone and counted late. Students are expected to do their homework on their own. They may ask for help after they have given it their best effort. If they don’t understand something they should ask for help. All homework will be posted on our school’s web site by 3:00 p.m. every day. This is posted for the knowledge of the parent so that there is no confusion as to what the student has to work on each night. Please check this resource daily and print it out to compare with your student’s planner. The student should be filling out their planner to have the most up to date assignments listed. No daily work will be accepted late. It is a 0. Long-term projects will be as follows: Projects turned in on time may receive full credit. Projects 1 day late can receive a maximum 75%. Projects 2 days late can receive a maximum grade of 50%. Projects turned in 3 or more days late will receive a 0%. ***Students will be notified which projects are considered long-term projects. ***Spelling is considered to be Daily Work. If late work continues to be a problem, then we will notify you that your child is having problems completing assignments, and we can work on a plan to remedy this problem.

PASSES/TARDIES As in all situations, students will forget assignments or have off days. That is why the students have a “Passport” in their assignment notebook. There are 13 spaces for students to return to their lockers to get homework, use the restroom, or be excused from a tardy to class (the tardy is still marked for attendance purposes, but there are no consequences). Once these 13 passes are used, then the student won’t be allowed to return to his/her locker, use the restroom during class time, or be excused for their tardiness. Detentions result in the student eating lunch on their own. Every 9 weeks the students will start over with 13 new “Passports.” EXTRA CREDIT We do not offer extra credit in any of our classes. DISCIPLINE PLAN In order to guarantee your child, and all the students in the classroom, the excellent learning climate they deserve, we are utilizing the following Discipline Plan. We believe all students can behave appropriately in the classroom. We will tolerate no student stopping us from teaching and/or any student from learning. RULES/PRIORITIES: 1. Teacher must know where you are at all times. 2. Do what is asked the 1st time. 3. Read the board or screen at the beginning of class and do what it says. 4. Respect others and property. *Severe Clause: A student will be sent directly to the principal when he/she is displaying extreme behavior. PLAN: When a student is misbehaving or does not have the required materials in class, then he/she will be sent to a designated teacher with an assignment to complete for that period. The assignment will relate to what is being learned in class that day. The student will have to have the assignment completed to be able to return to class the next day. If the student misbehaves in the designated teacher’s class, then he/she will be sent to the principal’s office for further disciplinary action. * The first time a disciplinary action takes place and a student is sent out of a classroom, the student will receive a warning. A phone call will be made home to the parent the second time a student is sent out by the same teacher. By keeping the parent involved, we feel that the student will have the opportunity to be more successful. The third and each subsequent time there after, the individual will be sent directly to the office. Each time with a phone call home to the parent letting them know of the situation. ***Please Note: If a student is sent out of Science during a lab, then that student will receive a 0 for the lab. ABSENCE POLICY We feel that finding out what a student missed from an absence is up to the student. Therefore, the following rules and guidelines are posted in EACH room and your child will be responsible for doing each step. 1. Turn in any work due while absent to the teacher! 2. Check the board or teacher’s assignment book for any missed assignments. 3. Copy missed notes or handouts from a friend. 4. Double check with teacher for any other instructions, directions, assignments, etc. **If a student is absent the day prior to a quiz or test, the student will have the option of taking the quiz/test the day they return OR the following day. They MUST decide BEFORE they see the quiz/test. Once they have it physically in their hands, they MUST take it. ** All make-up work/quizzes/tests due within the amount of days you were absent. See handbook for explanation. Example: If you’re absent 2 days, then you have 2 days to turn in your work or take a quiz/test. Charger Time is a controlled study hall! Therefore, the first 10 minutes of each day will be spent with students quietly in their seat. They are to double check that they have filled out their planner for the week and be sure they have everything they need. This is also a time to get a great start on any assignments that they want to finish so they don’t have homework. CARROLL MIDDLE SCHOOL HOMEWORK HELP SHEET The following are suggestions that have been compiled to help both the parent and the student with homework.  Stay informed. Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are. Teachers can be reached via phone and e-mail. All faculty e-mails are posted at the school’s web page (www.nacs.k12.in.us). Check your child’s book bag, planner, homework folder and the school’s homework page DAILY. Keep a folder at home for returned/graded work to save in case it is needed at a later date.  Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.  Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance. A dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas and other resources are available online at the following web site (http://ph.infoplease.com/).  Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.  Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.  When your child does homework, you do homework. Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.  When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him.  When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.  If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.  Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.  Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration. Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping their mind on an assignment.  Reward progress in homework. If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.  Tips for success on exams and quizzes in science. Study guide is passed out at the beginning of the chapter. IT IS THE TEST!!! This helps to narrow the information they need to know. o Students should study multiple nights with an adult. You can use the worksheets and study guide for resources! There are review questions at the back of the chapter, also. RESOURCES  HOMEWORK SITES ON CARROLL MIDDLE SCHOOL’S HOME PAGE Homework is posted on our web site at www.nacs.k12.in.us/cms/index.htm.  ROSE-HULMAN HOMEWORK HOTLINE Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Homework Hotline provides FREE math and science homework help to Indiana students in grades 6-12. Students may call the Homework Hotline from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) toll free at 1-877-ASK-ROSE. It's a free service and a free call!  ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY HOMEWORK HOTLINE The library has a site that also has lots of resources to use for homework (http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/children/homework.html).  ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY FREE TUTORING A free community service since 1997, the program provides one-on-one homework help to students in grades 6- 12. Students in grades 6-12 who need homework help (including math, science, and many other subjects) can attend. It is a great service for students of all academic levels. It runs Monday through Thursday evenings, 6:15 to 8:15 pm during the school year. It takes place on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at 900 Library Plaza.