Team News | Contacts | Syllabus | Homework Policy | Schedules |Supplies | Island Info | Expectations
Welcome to the Castle Island Team Website!
We are excited to be working together this school year. As we focus on making connections as teams and between core subjects, we will explore many concepts and gain greater understanding of the world around us. Use this website as a tool to understand how the Castle Island Team navigates our world of learning. Within this site, you will find information on field trips, scheduling, policies, and expectations.
Contacts
All teachers can be reached by email or phone. To reach teachers by phone, call 676-4887 and then dial their extension.
| Teacher | Subjects Taught | Phone | |
| Language Arts | x4715 | dmichel | |
| Ms. Pendleton | Math | x4711 | lpendlet |
| Mrs. Forslund | Science | x4722 | cforslun |
| Mrs. Everett | Social Studies | x4716 | geverett |
| Mr. Pauls | Special Education | x4728 | tpauls |
Syllabus
Castle Island Team Students and Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the Castle Island Team! We are excited to be working together and with you this 2007-2008 school year. Making connections among team members while we make connections among core subjects will be our focus for the year. The following information will give you a summary of our core subjects, common expectations and policies to which our team members agree. In addition, individual teachers may send notes home throughout the year that describe expectations in more detail for their classroom, units and/or projects.
Please read, sign and return this syllabus to your Block 2 teacher by Friday, Sept. 7th. Students will place the syllabus in their binder after it has been checked.
Core Class Summaries
Language Arts
All Castle students will receive reading and writing instruction in their Language Arts class. In the area of reading, our goal is that each student reads with solid accuracy and fluency levels, and that they learn comprehension skills that can be applied to a variety of texts. Each student will also be required to read novels outside of school. In writing, students will be taught basic conventions, spelling, vocabulary and the structure and strategies for composing single and multi-paragraph essays in a variety of modes. More detail will be provided in the Language Arts class syllabus and at Parent Night.
Math
6th grade Mathematics utilizes the "Connected Math Project" textbooks. These emphasize problem-solving and reasoning skills, supplemented with computation skills as necessary. Different textbooks will be checked out to students throughout the year. Students can expect homework 3 or 4 nights a week. Class work and homework is turned in regularly in Assessment Packets that should be reviewed and signed by a parent or guardian.
Science
Science inquiry in 6th grade focuses on skills and concepts from three major units. In Populations and Ecosystems, students will practice making observations of living systems and learn about interdependence within those systems. They will then make virtual trips to National Parks and Reserves to study interactions and human impacts. Energy, Machines and Motion offers students opportunities to investigate ideas by controlling and changing variables to see how things work. Making inferences based on observations is a skill that will be developed in Earth History as students take a virtual tour of the Grand Canyon. This in-depth study of the Canyon’s rock layers helps students to gather evidence to support the concept of change over time.
Several field experiences are planned for this year including the Snow Goose Research Vessel on Bellingham Bay, the Chuckanut Formation at Sehome Hill, and the Conservation Site in the Lake Whatcom Watershed.
Resources:
Fossweb - Populations and Ecosystems
Puget Sound Energy - Powerful Choices Student Newsletter
Social Studies
Students will explore the five themes of geography: movement, region, human-environment interaction, location, and place. In addition they will study specific Neolithic societies and ancient civilizations.
Rights and Responsibilities
We firmly believe that all students will learn and be successful in the proper setting. Students can expect us to provide a safe, positive environment where they will receive challenging lessons, relevant activities for practice and discovery, and enrichment opportunities for further exploration.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR STUDENT’S PLANNER DAILY!
Homework is a regular part of the sixth grade curriculum. Students are encouraged to establish a regular time and place to complete homework. Consistent with the school board policy, 6th Grade students should be spending 30-90 minutes per night on homework including 30 minutes of reading from a good book. Students are expected to log all their homework assignments in their planner. In addition, information on assignments may be found by calling the teachers’ Homework Hotline (see phone extensions below).
- Read every night!
- Check your planner and turn back sheets.
- Clean/organize your binder
Students will be graded on a point system. Grades will be based on the percentage of points you earn. The grading scale looks like this:
59 60 67 70 73 77 80 83 87 90 93%
F D D+ C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A
Do not hesitate to call or email the team teachers with any questions or concerns. You may reach us at school by calling 676-4887 and the teacher’s extension found at the top of this page.
Schedules
| 1 | 2 | Lunch | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
8:30- 9:39 |
9:43-10:52 | 10:56-11:26 | 11:30-12:40 | 12:44-1:00 | 1:04- 2:00 |
2:04- 3:00 |
|
| A | Everett Social Studies | Michel Language Arts | Lunch | Pendleton Math | Forslund Science | Enrichment or PE |
Forslund Science |
| B | Michel Language Arts | Everett Social Studies | Lunch |
Forslund Science | Pendleton Math | Enrichment or PE |
Pendleton Math |
| C | Pendleton Math | Forslund Science | Lunch | Everett Social Studies | Michel Language Arts | Enrichment or PE |
Michel Language Arts |
| D | Forslund Science | Pendleton Math |
Lunch | Michel Language Arts | Everett Socal Studies | Enrichment or PE |
Everett Socal Studies |
Supplies
Weekly Checklist For All Subjects:
__ 3-Ring Binder (2½ inch or bigger) with 10 Notebook Dividers (OR)
__ Accordion file folder with 8-10 pockets and labels
__ 1 Pencil Pouch
__ Kulshan Planner
__ 25 sheets of College Ruled Notebook Paper
__ 3-5 sharpened #2 pencils with eraser or eraser cap
__ 1 Enclosed Pencil Sharpener
__ 1 Pink Pearl Eraser
__ 3-5 Blue or Black Ink Pens
__ 2 Red Pens for correcting
__ 1 Set of Colored Pencils
__ 1 Black Flair Pen
__ 2 Highlighters
__ 1 Scissors
__ 1 Glue Stick
__ 1 Flash drive (recommended)
__ 1 Inexpensive Calculator
__ Independent Reading Book (required in all classes)
Extra supplies can be kept in the Student’s Locker.
Parents, please mark supplies with your student’s name.
Please check weekly to make sure your student has his/her supplies. It’s difficult to do one’s best without the proper tools.
Island Information
Subjects and Learning Objectives for 6th Grade:
| Class | Subjects | ||
| Language Arts | Writing Process | Spelling | Reading |
| Science | Populations and Ecosystems | Energy, Macines, and Motion | Earth History |
| Math | Data About Us | ||
| Social Studies | Geography | Ancient Civilizations | |
Field Trips
- Snow Goose/Marine Life Center, Fall
- Sehome Hill/WWU Geology, Spring
- Gordon Carter Conservation Site, Spring
Behavior Expectations
In order to gain the most from their experience at Kulshan, Castle team students will have the RIGHT to:
- Be safe
- Learn
- Personal Space
- Express opinions appropriately
To ensure that student RIGHTS are upheld, each member of the team has the RESONSIBILITY to do the following:
- Arrive on time
- Respect others’ rights
- Be prepared
- Follow directions
- Take care of classroom materials and help keep the rooms clean
Classroom teachers will note if students need to be “reminded” about a RESPONSIBILITY. More than one “reminder” in any class period will result in one or more of the following CONSEQUENCES:
- Time Out
- Time Owed
- Castle or Kulshan Detention
- Parent Contact
- Office Referral
