Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at William Ray Elementary.  Allow me to introduce myself to those of you I have yet to meet and more formally to those of you I have already met.  My name is Ms. Garcia and I am very excited about working with both you and your child during the school year.

We have a very exciting year planned and your child will be exploring and learning many new and exciting topics and concepts that will aid them during the rest of their education.   During Science this school year, your child will have the opportunity to learn science concepts and vocabulary in a hands-on, minds-on setting. The Fifth Graders will be focus on the following topics: Physical Science, Microbiology and Planetary Science. The Sixth Graders will focus on Earth Science, with topics ranging from Soil Sampling and Composition to Plate Tectonics.  Each grade level will have the opportunity to work with plants and examine plant growth and change.  The students of Room 309 will also be in my class for Social Studies and we will be focusing on American History, from colonization to today.

The Fifth and Sixth grade students designed the expectations they felt would ensure that each child is respected and given every opportunity to learn. As such, the students will be participating in a classroom management plan that works to make each and every child responsible for their own actions and to recognize their importance in the classroom setting.  You will find the expectations and consequences attached.  Additionally, a copy of the grading rubric for the year is attached. We have reviewed this rubric in class. Your child will be graded using this document, so please review it carefully. Please discuss these with your child at home.  