Mr. Dornfest 

Mr. Dornfest

My name is Josh Dornfest and I am one of your child's sixth grade teachers. I teach both math and English language arts. Because I spend a substantial amount of time with your child each day, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you a few things about myself.
I have been a teacher in the Goshen School District for over seventeen years. I have spent the majority of this fantastic time teaching sixth grade in the middle school. I have also had the great experience of teaching fifth grade at G.I.S. for two years. The most valuable insight I gained from this experience is a first hand understanding and respect for the transition your child goes through in sixth grade.
As a parent, you are the most important influence in the life of your child. I am committed to the importance of your involvement in your child's education. I firmly believe that your child receives the best education when you and I work together as a team.
Please use my webpage as a tool to help your child have a productive and successful school year.
Sincerely,
Mr. Dornfest

E.L.A.

Guided Reading

The goal of Guided Reading is to teach students to independently use reading strategies at their instructional level. Guided Reading provides opportunities for teachers to work with small groups of students on text that closely matches the student's needs, abilities, and interests. This instruction will be used in conjunction with whole class instruction to provide an excellent learning environment for students.

Writer’s Workshop

The basic philosophy behind the writer's workshop is to allow students to spend time writing for real purposes about things that interest them. Students can experiment with a variety of genres. Students learn the craft of writing through practice, conferring, and studying the craft of other authors. The ultimate goal of the writer's workshop is to develop is to develop life-long writers.

A Wonderful Year of Math!

We will be learning about many new and awesome topics! Topics to be studied include number sense, algebraic thinking, decimals, interpreting data, geometry, fractions, properties, ratios and proportions, percents, and much more! This material will all be found in your McDougal Littell Course 2 text.

Extra-Help

Always feel free to speak with me if you need extra-help. I am available most days after school from 2:30-3:00. I'm here to help you do well in math!
Join Mrs. Nuara and myself for weekly math support meetings. This is an excellent opportunity for extra-help and extra-knowledge!

Moodle

Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is a course management system designed to create online opportunities for rich interaction. Many exciting activities and resources are available on our class Moodle page. Each student will be provided with a username and password for logging in.

Why Homework is Assigned

Homework is a valuable aid in helping students make the most of their school experience. It reinforces what was taught in class, prepares students for upcoming materials, teaches responsibility, and develops positive study habits.

What type of homework and when will it be assigned

Homework will be assigned most nights Monday through Thursday. Assignments should take no longer than thirty minutes to complete. In math, homework will mostly consist of practice exercises from the math text book. In English, word study homework will be given Tuesday through Thursday. Long term math projects will be given each marking period. In English a minimum of one major piece of writing will be published each marking period.

Student homework responsibility

I expect students to do their best job on their homework. I expect students to work on their own and ask for help only after they have given their best effort.

Teacher homework responsibility

I will check and go over all homework. I will recognize students when they do their homework and offer incentives to help foster positive study habits.

Parent homework responsibility

Parents are key for making homework a positive experience for their children. I ask that parents make homework a priority and provide a quiet homework environment. Please set up a daily homework time and provide praise and support. Always feel free to contact me if you have any questions and concerns.

Consequences for incomplete homework

Homework assignments can be checked each night by using the homework hotline. Late homework will be given partial credit. Students will be given a zero on homework not turned in. Please send me a note or email if there is a legitimate reason homework can not be completed.