Study Skills: One to One
From room 121
Welcome to 6th Grade Study Skills!
This is the first edition of our study skills class newsletter. It seemed like a fitting time of the year to begin setting up an open communication system between the classroom and the home. We will send these updates periodically to inform you of what is happening in the classroom and how you can reinforce it at home. That is the key to success in the Middle School: reinforcement and continuity!
This Week...
Virtual Desktop
We began our first day of study skills by having everyone log in to the Virtual Desktop! Although there were a few glitches here and there, we are very excited to have so many students already logged in and connected to our network. This is our first year with our "Bring Your Own Device" system, so while we are still figuring out a few of the ins & outs, we are very excited to be able to have a consistent platform for all computing devices regardless of the operating system.
The Planner
There are many words we could use to describe the importance of the planner in middle school: "lifeline," "lifesaver," "necessary," "dynamic." While some students are naturally gifted when it comes to organization and planning, many tend to resist our advice. Fortunately, we grade the planner every week in order to reinforce how important this living tool will be this year.
The Sunday Meeting
While it might not have to occur every Sunday, we are recommending that every student call a meeting with mom and/or dad to share planners and merge appointments. We discussed this in class this week and explained what to do, but here is a quick summary in case someone forgot:
1. The student fills out their planner for the week, writing all upcoming homework assignments, games, and tests.
2. The student calls a meeting with the parent(s). They begin by showing their planner and then asking, "Do you have anything scheduled for me?" This is where mom/dad can add important appointments to the planner. No last-minute surprises!
3. Parent signs the planner!
Your Study Skills Team
Wayne Wheatley, wwheatley@dcds.edu
Nate Grubaugh, ngrubaugh@dcds.edu
Gauri Vaidya, gvaidya@dcds.edu
Website: www.dcds.edu
Location: 22400 Hillview Lane, Beverly Hills, MI
Phone: 248-646-7985