September 2015
Welcome to Room 121,
I hope everyone is as excited to be back at school, as I am. I like my summer holidays, but I also miss the excitement of school and all the kids, so it is always nice to return in September. I have moved locations this year, so our new home will be Room 121 back in the portables. It is going to be a busy, busy year in Room 121. We will be having lots of fun, but we will learn lots, too. I just wanted to touch base and let you know of some ways that you can stay in touch with all that we do in Room 121.
1. I have put together a handbook of information to help you and your child become familiar with my expectations for the school year. As we are a tech-filled classroom and like to conserve paper, I will not be sending home a printed copy. You can access Room 121’s handbook on our class site. There is a link on the right hand side menu bar. Take a day or two to read through this information. Should you like to print a copy, you can access a 'printable' copy of it on our class web site under the 'Information Download' link (right hand side menu bar). Please DO read through it, as it will really help you to keep informed as to what happens in Room 121.
2. I will be sending home frequent ‘updates,’ but as I prefer not to use paper copies, I will be sending them by email, and for those who like to have a printed copy, I will post them in the ‘Information Download’ section of our class web site.
3. Our class web site is quite extensive, and I suggest that you take some time to look through it, and then bookmark it. I am sure you will find this a valuable tool for keeping up with Room 121, as it contains all sorts of information from our daily agenda, homework assignments and class calendar to sites we use and project links. It is a great place to keep informed about what we are doing. Between the students and myself, our site is kept very up-to-date.
4. My email address is jporritt@accesscomm.ca. If you need to contact me throughout the year, I prefer email, if possible. I check my email several times a day, and I will respond promptly. I would also appreciate being able to contact you via email, so please email me ASAP, so I can get your email address. I prefer you to email me rather than send your email address with your child (in writing), as some of you, much like me, have handwriting that is hard to decipher :-), and even one little error in an email address ensures it will not get to you. When I receive your email, it is very easy for me to then add your email address to my Contacts.
5. I have some forms that require signatures that I am sending home with your son/daughter. Please look them over carefully, sign and return.
6.Tech in the Classroom: Both Grade 6 classrooms will be regularly integrating technology-based projects into all subject areas. Students will also researching on the Internet, blogging, Skyping, making online portfolios and creating web pages.
If your son/daughter has their own iPad, and you are willing to let them bring it to school every day, it would benefit them greatly, as then their work goes back and forth from home to school. If they are to use a school iPad, they will be required to share, and it must remain at school. Having their own device provides not only for the basics covered in class, but also allows for continued learning and exploration outside of school hours.
We have kept our Grade 6 supply list to a minimal cost, and we will do our best to make use of as many apps as we can that are free, but there are a few excellent apps that we use consistently in the classroom. These are creation apps that can be used across all subject areas and in future years. While it is optional, we strongly encourage the students with their own iPads to purchase these.
Apps with a cost: These are creation apps and will be used across the curriculum.
Free Apps that we will be using in the classroom right away:
Jann Porritt
