• Welcome to sixth grade at The Downtown School!  We know this is an exciting time in your lives and we are looking forward to helping you make the transition.  Ms. Rippey (Language Arts), Mrs. Murawski (Math) and Mrs. Hall (Science) will be your teachers this upcoming year.   Additionally, each of us will have a section of Social Studies.  

    Students are allowed to come into the building at 8:00.  They must be in their homeroom seats by 8:15 to be marked on time. Students should not arrive on campus before 8:00 unless they are registered for the YMCA before school program.  The school day begins at 8:15 and ends at 2:45.  Students who have siblings are dismissed between 2:45 and 3:00 outside the annex. If they have siblings in the Annex or main building they will be dismissed from the walkway between 3:05 and 3:30.   If students stay for the Y program after school they will be picked up by the YMCA employee at the end of the day.  

    Lunch is at 10:30 for 6th and 7th grades.   Students eat in the main building and we go to play park 3-4 days each week.   No sodas are allowed at lunch or snack time.  They may not bring juice, tea, kool-aid, crystal lite, Gatorade, soda, etc.

    All classes are 50 minutes long.  There will be a 3 minute transition between periods.   All students are expected to use a planner to record all assignments and upcoming events.   We encourage parents to check these regularly to ensure use. The planners will cost $5.00.  Please turn this money in to your homeroom teacher as soon as possible.

    Lockers are issued to all students.  They will need to supply a lock.   All belongings must fit into the locker.  Students may decorate their lockers with magnets, but may not put stickers or write on any part of the locker.   They will visit lockers in the morning, before and after lunch, and at the end of the day.  

    We go to the YMCA for P.E.  On these days students must come to school in sneakers, athletic clothing that is at least fingertip length, and supportive undergarments.   We do not change at school for the Y. We will attend the YMCA on Wednesdays from 9:45-11:15. This will begin on Sep. 2nd.

    Cell phones must remain off and stored in lockers.   If teachers see or hear them, the phone will be taken and parents will need to retrieve them. 

    We do have Discovery!  Students will select from classes offered during 6th period.  Choices in the past have included: knitting, greenhouse, art, algebra, French, debate club and Fantasy Football.   Classes are taught by teachers and parent volunteers on Tuesdays and Fridays.   These classes are designed to extend areas of interest for students.   The first Discovery choice for 6th grade will be spent in study skills class.   During Discovery, Zap Zone is a choice that can be made for the student when they fail to turn in homework.  Repeated visits to ZAP Zone will result in parent notification and they may not be eligible for AA or A. 

     

     

    AA is our version of honor roll.  We recognize students for their Academic Achievement and Attitude (effort / behavior)   Students can earn AA or A status.   At the end of each quarter, we recognize the students on each list by posting their names on the kiosks around school, and we provide a small treat for AA list members. 

    Dress Code is very important.  Parents can refer to the handbook for clarification.  

    All tank tops and dresses must have 3 finger width straps

    Shorts, dresses and skirts must be fingertip length

    Leggings may not be worn in place of pants. 

    Hats, caps, bandanas and hoods cannot be worn in the building (this is for both boys and girls)

    Undergarments of any kind cannot show. 

    Provocative or revealing attire that exposes cleavage is not permitted

    Violent or gang related symbols are not permitted

    Clothing with tobacco, alcohol or drug advertisements are also not permitted

    Flip flops / sports sandals may not be worn on playpark. 

    If students are in violation of the dress code, the student will not call a parent.  They will be given appropriate clothing from the community closet (clean and in good repair) to wear until the end of the day.   Multiple infractions will be treated as a discipline issue. 

    Consistent with the elementary school, parents are required to complete 1 hour of volunteer time per week, per child enrolled.  All volunteers must fill out a volunteer form online and follow the district policy to receive a clearance.  It is available on the district website.  Please stay tuned for volunteer sign up procedures.   Please note that we do not take parent volunteers on field trips in sixth grade. 

    For core academic classes, Spanish and CTE courses, students will be given a percentage grade.  The letter grade equivalents are based on a 10-point scale.  (This is consistent with school-district policy) 

    100% - 90% - A      89% - 80% - B     79% - 70% - C      69% - 60% - D   59% - F

    Students are expected to come to class prepared with all materials and assignments.  After the first two weeks of school, students will not be permitted to leave class to retrieve forgotten items.  Students should always have pencils, erasers, textbooks, notebooks and their planner.   All students are expected to follow directions, to act in a respectful manner, to contribute to classroom discussions and work cooperatively with peers. Having a positive attitude and focusing in class is a must.  

    We are excited to have you join us, and we hope that you will come to school excited to learn and make this transition.