Ms. Goldstein's Home Page


*Get Organized*
Whether it's "Back to School" time or just time to take back control of the mess that has accumulated around you, these tips will help you do your best.

The School Box Add a timer to help learn how to get work done in your time frame. Tape the Extra Help Schedule to the box lid as a remeinder. Keep a stack of stickers as rewards for getting your work done.	Collect the things you might need to do your homework - pens, pencils, colored pencils, tape, stapler, post-its, looseleaf paper, white paper, dictionary. Put them all in a plastic box with a lid. The closed box can double as a portable desk. Collect extra pencils, pens and folders to bring into school when replacements are needed. Leave them in the bottom of the box or another box you can leave in the closet.

Time Sixth Graders should be able to do one hour of homework a night. Sometimes there will be less. Sometimes a little more. Everyone is different. If you need a lot more, then talk to your teachers. If you need less, then you have lots more time to read!! Make HW time a habit and it will be easier in time. When other activities fight for your time, adjust your schedule a little. HW still comes first as long as you are a student.	Finding time for everything is hard. You have to MAKE the time. YOUR JOB: First figureout when you do your best work at home. As soon as you get home? After a snack? At school at Homework Center? An the dining room? Do your work. Go to extra help if you need it. Stay at the Homework Center or partner up with a friend if you need a little help. Just GET IT DONE!! That's your job. ADULT'S JOB: Make sure an adult sees what you have done before you put it away. Make sure all of your notes from school are with the work. Make sure a parent signs your agenda book. It is your job to put it where a grown up will see it. It is his/her job to look at it and make sure your have done your best, then sign the agenda book. YOUR JOB: Put your work away, and put your backpack by the door for tomorrow.

Computer Time	Computers are a great tool. But don't let yourself get distracted by them. Don't go on the computer until everything else is done. Use a timer to limit yourself. Bookmark a few educational sites to practice your math and vocabulary skills. Check your teachers' webpages for ideas.

Notebook Cleanout	It is so easy to stash all of your papers in one notebook or folder. Before you know it, you can't find anything. Use your folders for each subject. Keep a Take Home-Take Back to School folder and remember to clean it out every day. There is time at home and at homeroom for this. At the end of every marking period, or every unit of study, take your notes out of your notebook and folder and put them in a shoebox at home. They will be there when you need them for a major test or the Finals at the end of the year. Besides, your notebooks will be much lighter and your locker much neater.