Sixth Grade Rules and Guidelines
Homeroom/First Period
When you arrive at school each morning, you are to go directly to your homeroom/first period class.
You are not to hang out in the halls, visit the library, or walk around the campus. You must be in
homeroom by 8:10am. The tardy bell rings at 8:15am.
Lockers
Your homeroom/first period teacher will assign you a locker. You must keep your locker clean at all
times. You may decorate the inside of the locker, but not the outside (not even for special
occasions). You are not to use tape or stickers of any kind. Use magnets to attach any items to your
locker. You are not allowed to share lockers with other students or open any other student’s locker
for any reason. You may lose your locker if you do so. Only your books and personal items belong in
your locker. Also, all of your school supplies and personal items are to be put in your locker or
bookbag. Nothing is to be left in the hallways.
Textbooks
Teachers keep a set of textbooks in their classrooms, so the books that you are issued at the
beginning of the year are to be taken home and left there, unless a teacher states otherwise. This
saves space in your locker, lightens the load in your book bag, and saves wear and tear on the
textbooks.
Schedule/Changing Classes/Restroom Breaks
Before the first day of sixth grade, you will receive your class schedule. You will be changing classes
every 55 minutes during the school day. You have five minutes between each class. Do not try to
return to your locker between each class. Put materials for the first three periods in your book bag
before homeroom. Then return to your locker after lunch to gather materials for the last three
periods of the day.
Changing classes constantly proves very stressful for most students during the first month or two of
sixth grade. Teachers understand and allow about a month for adjustments, but you are still
expected to arrive to each class on time and to have all supplies and assignments with you.
When a student is absent, the student is responsible for finding out what assignments he/she
missed in each class. If a student is absent one day, that student has one extra day to complete
missed work. If the student is absent two days, then he/she has two extra days to make up work, and
so forth.
During the five minutes between classes, you will walk quietly to your next class. You are not to run,
jump, or yell. You are being trusted to change classes without a teacher watching over you, but you
must act appropriately.
Restroom visits should be made during the five-minute transition times between classes, or during
lunch and break.
Physical Education/Recess
Recess is no longer part of the school schedule beginning in sixth grade. You will participate in P.E.
classes for one hour each day. Girls and boys meet in separate classes, and your P.E. teachers will
inform you of what you are required to wear for their classes. You are responsible for bringing your
P.E. clothes each school day.
Planner
Your sixth grade teachers cannot stress enough the importance of using your planner. Each teacher
will require you to write your homework assignments as well as test, quiz, and project dates in your
planner.
Using your planner is not optional. You must develop strong organizational skills in order to perform
well in sixth grade and in future grades. You will be keeping up with six different classes and six
different teachers. Your planner is your “headquarters” for your six classes.
You will notice an increase in your homework load in sixth grade. The first weeks may be
overwhelming and difficult. Your planner will be a crucial tool in helping you adjust to your new sixth
grade responsibilities.
Break/Lunch Rules
You will have a morning break from 9:15 until 9:35 in the cafeteria. You may purchase breakfast
foods during this time. You will eat lunch from 11:35 until 12:00. In sixth grade, you will be
responsible for purchasing your lunch tickets and bringing them with you each day.
No book bags are allowed in the cafeteria. Leave them in your last class or in the hallway outside the
cafeteria doors.
If you need to study during break, you must sit at the assigned study tables.
You may purchase soft drinks out of the machines only on Fridays during lunch.
You may visit the bookstore and use the restrooms located in the hall outside the cafeteria during
break and lunch. You may not leave the cafeteria building at any time during break or lunch until
your teachers dismiss you.
Library Time
You will visit the library during English classes, during the last 10 minutes of class.
Field Trips/Class Trip
During the first nine weeks of sixth grade, you will receive the field trip schedule and class trip
information sheet. Please understand that participation in field trips and the class trip is a privilege.
If you have not maintained a good record of behavior, you may lose the privilege to attend one or
more of these trips and possibly forfeit any refunds.
Dress Code
Sixth grade students are expected to follow the dress code rules published in the GWA Student
Handbook. Shirt tails will remain tucked in throughout the entire school day. All sixth grade students
must wear a belt with pants that have belt loops. Girls’ skirts and shorts must be no higher than 4
inches above their knees. Hats are not to be worn anytime during the school day. When you arrive at
school, place your hat in your locker, and then take it out when you leave at 3:00. Hair needs to be
out of student’s eyes and not be in student’s eyes when
they are looking down.
Afternoon Carpool
When you are dismissed from sixth period, you must go directly to your bus or to the upper school
carpool area. You are not to hang out in the halls or walk around the campus. You must be picked up
in the upper school carpool area between 3:00-3:15 unless you have special permission by the front
office to remain on campus.
Cell Phones and other Electronic Devices
Cell phones must be not be turned on during the school day. Cell phones can be placed on off in
your book bag. If cell phones rings in class or you are texting another student, your cell phone will
be taken away by your teacher. Cell phones will be picked up at the end of the day. No other
electronic devices are allowed on campus.
Grading System for English, Math, Science and Social Studies
20% homework/class work
30% quizzes
50% tests
Homework Policy:
We try to keep all homework assignments in each academic class less than 30 minutes per day, but
this excludes special projects.
Teachers may choose to grade homework assignments for accuracy or for effort. Accuracy grades
will be based on number of correct answers. Effort grades are based on the percentage of work
attempted by the student: All completed=100, Two thirds completed=80, Half completed=50, one
third or none completed=0.
Honor Roll and Headmaster’s List are awarded at the end of the year in sixth grade, not each nine
weeks.
Ed Line - Grades are posted on Ed Line. Grades are available for parent and students on the first and
fifteenth of each month. Please check your child’s average. Printouts of grades will be sent home
with students when their average drops below 80 during a nine week grading period. Averages of A
and B will not receive printouts of grades since grades are posted on Ed Line.
