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Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!

Welcome to a new school year! Both Mr. Caldwell, and Mrs. Franklin are very excited to begin a new adventure with our 5th and 6th graders! We are committed to the academic and personal success of every student. We believe that these students are the future leaders, innovators, and explorers of our society, and as a team, we are invested in their growth. We are dedicated to helping students grow  academically, emotionally, and socially. 

As partners in your child’s education and growth, we are committed to keeping the lines of communication open and focusing on the needs of each student. Together with you, we form the strongest team of advocates for your child and their future. We value your trust in Canyon Springs and devote our efforts to the development and success of your child.

• Cristen Franklin, cristen.franklin@dvusd.org,  room 407, 623-376-5246

• Dawson Caldwell, dawson.caldwell@dvusd.org, room 406, 623-376-5244

Students’ Role in Learning

Students become self-directed in learning about themselves as a learner. They have to analyze their own study habits to figure out what actually works for them, which overall, helps students retain knowledge. Our purpose in the middle grades is to create self directed students who learn to advocate for themselves and their own learning. We want to have open communication with students about their learning, and we want them to feel comfortable enough to discuss their goals, successes, and concerns with us in a respectful way.

Classroom Expectations:

• Students will have positive reinforcement through earned den dollars based on behavior/ expectations. We have a school store for students to purchase items with their den dollars. Students also participate in a daily reflection to discuss class goals that we are working towards. Students have opportunities to earn “class game time” and a “monthly reward” party at the end of each month.

• We will follow the campus matrix and ºÃÉ«µ¼º½guidelines when it comes to discipline procedures. Mrs. Franklin and Mr. Caldwell both believe in utilizing positive reinforcement, including Character Wolf Cards to help encourage positive behaviors. If a consequence for a negative behavior is needed, parents will be notified through email or a phone call. 

• Technology- Technology is a great resource to have at school, however it should be used as a tool, not for play time. Students should only be using their technology for school purposes and when prompted by the teacher. No games, youtube, or random searches are permitted during school time. Please remind students of this, as this is usually our biggest behavior concern.

• Cell Phones-  Cell phones are not to be used anywhere on campus without the explicit permission of a staff member. Cell phones in bathrooms are strictly prohibited. If there is a change in schedule or a family emergency, please contact the office directly and they will convey the message to us.

  • 1st offense- warning, will be asked to put phone away

  • 2nd offense- teacher will take the phone and give it back to students at the end of the school day. (Minor will also be given)

  • 3rd offense- student can pick it up from the front office at the end of the day

  • 4th offense- parents will have to pick it up from the front office

All District Rules will be adhered to at Canyon Springs School. Please refer to the ºÃÉ«µ¼º½Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook (available online). 

• Communication

  • School-wide

    • Website () 

    • Monthly Principal emails & call-outs

  • Teacher 

    • Student Agendas- as needed

    • Remind App- as needed

    • Emails- as needed (Teachers will respond to emails between 7 am and 5 pm)

    • Gradebook- weekly

    • Classroom Newsletters- monthly

• ºÃÉ«µ¼º½work/Grades

  • Grading Procedures are marked in the ºÃÉ«µ¼º½PRAG manual.

  •  Students should have some Reading and Math homework nightly. 

  • Please check agendas nightly. Students should add homework and upcoming projects to their agendas for reminders and parents to see. 

  • PowerSchools is an essential resource for parents and students. It is not only a tool for communication regarding grades, it is a resource for our students and parents to check progress, missing work, and what is being taught/learned regularly. Please ensure that you and your child have access and even sign up for weekly email updates as an option in

  • Retakes on assessments may be given- should be student initiated!

  • Standards addressed will be marked under each assessment grade in Power Schools.

  • Grading will be broken up into the following categories to equal 100%-

    • Assessments 80%

    • Coursework 20%

    • Practice 0%

Grading for ALL subjects will follow the traditional grading scale:

Cristen Franklin  English Language Arts and Social Studies- Room 407

Hello and welcome! I am looking forward to another great year at Canyon Springs! This is my tenth year teaching in the Renaissance program and I am excited to be teaching both ELA and Social Studies again this year!   I have two boys of my own! My oldest is eleven years old, and my youngest is seven, and are both in  Renaissance. They keep me very busy building with legos and playing board games. 

Below are the essential standards for each quarter in ELA. In addition to this, we will be doing a lot of spiraling with grammar and vocabulary skills. Along with the Junior Great Books and short stories that we read in class, students will be reading two novels at once. One novel will be used in class as guided reading and lessons, while the other novel will be part of their literature groups. It is IMPERATIVE that students keep up with their literature group reading and six square notes for homework. This will ensure that they can participate in group activities and discussions about the novel. The six square notes will be a quarter long project that will be turned in at the end of the quarter.  I do have copies of the novels for students to share, however if possible, it is beneficial for students to buy their own copies so that they can annotate the text as they read. 

Writing is done every day in class. Some writing assignments will be full essays, and other writing assignments will be responding to the literature that students are reading in class. MLA writing formats will be introduced and used all year with both grade levels in order to prepare them for middle school and high school ELA courses. 

Vocabulary is also a huge part of our curriculum. As part of the Renaissance program, students are required to complete their Wordly Wise vocabulary each week. Students will have their own workbooks and each word list will be tested every two weeks. Along with Wordly Wise, students also have a Greek and Latin Root Words booklet where they will be completing sketch notes for one root word per week. Students are encouraged to try and use their vocabulary words in context with friends and family to help them remember.

ELA Power Standards for both Grade Levels

Novel Units that we will be using this year:

5th grade:

6th grade:

Social Studies 

ELA and Social Studies fit so well together that there will be many times that they overlap. Especially when it comes to reading and writing about informational text. Social Studies will be a lot of cooperative learning and projects. Students will also participate in socratic discussions and long term projects to meet the Social Studies standards. Below are the topics for both grade levels.

Social Studies Topics and Standards

Dawson Caldwell --Math and Science -- Room 406

Welcome and Hello! This is going to be my first year teaching, but I am a fourth-generation teacher in my family. I am so beyond excited to take part in teaching Math and Science this year, especially in Renaissance! I did my student teaching here with Mrs. Hansen and have grown to love this school, the kids, and the culture! I grew up in Missouri, moved to England for about three years, and have been in Arizona for eight years. I graduated from GCU (Go Lopes!) with a minor in Psychology and have many years of experience working with children of all ages. I enjoy being able to play just about any sport I can, I have been obsessed with Pickleball for the past year as well as sand volleyball. I look forward to the weekend by going and exploring and camping with some friends if I am not playing pickleball or volleyball. I am so beyond blessed and excited to start this year off and be a part of this team!

In math, students will be using Illustrative Mathematics. The Renaissance program is designed for students to enrich their learning. In math, students are accelerated by working above grade level, students will not be rushing through the standards at a fast pace instead students will be enriched by going deeper into the standards and curriculum. They will be expected to think critically, problem solve individually, and collaboratively.  Students will engage in daily discussions,  math projects, and use technology to increase their math understanding and solve real world math problems. I believe that collaboration and working as a team (teacher-student-parent) leads students to the greatest success in life.  I look forward to working collectively with you and your child in their learning this year! 

Below are the essential standards and 8 Mathematical Practices that students will focus on daily.  Students will have daily homework and they must complete the homework/home practice assignments to be successful. 

Standards for Mathematical Practices: 

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. 

4. Model with mathematics.

 5. Use appropriate tools strategically. 

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure. 

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Science Overview: In our gifted science program, students will be engaging with a comprehensive and enriching curriculum that goes beyond the standard grade-level content. The emphasis will be on deep understanding through hands-on experiments, collaborative projects, and critical thinking activities. Our goal is to foster a love for science by allowing students to explore concepts in depth and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Standards for Scientific Practices

Physical Science:

1. Understand the Particulate Nature of Matter:

2. Analyze Forces and Interactions:

3. Explore Energy Conservation and Transfer:

Earth and Space Science:

4. Investigate Earth's Processes and Climate:

5. Understand Our Place in the Universe:

Life Science:

6. Explore Cellular Organization and Lifespan:

7. Examine Energy and Material Needs of Organisms:

8. Study Genetic Inheritance:

9. Understand Evolution and Diversity:

By integrating these science practices into daily activities, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of key scientific concepts. This approach emphasizes hands-on and collaborative learning, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through group projects, experiments, and discussions, students will learn to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing their overall scientific literacy. I look forward to working together to ensure a successful and enriching year of scientific exploration!

STEM

Renaissance students participate in weekly STEM lessons (Every Friday) that are part of multi-week long units. These lessons are critical to improving their STEM literacy and depth of knowledge, cross- curricular integration, as well as revealing any misconceptions with STEM concepts. Lessons are designed by the teachers to incorporate STEM as well as Social Studies and Language Arts standards with real-world connections.  These lessons build upon each other each week until the students have completed their research, problem solving, design, prototypes, and communication.  STEM days are a collaboration with students working across grade levels to find creative solutions for authentic and complex problems. When students miss these days they are not only missing instruction, but the opportunity to build their teamwork and collaboration skills.We are striving to include the community, post-secondary, and business/industry partners to actively support and engage with our students in the STEM program.

Acknowledgement Signature Page

I acknowledge that I have read and understand all information stated in the syllabus for all subject areas and levels of coursework for Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts.

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Parent name (printed)

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Parent name (signature)

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Student name (printed)

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Student name (signature)

Please read the statement below about the assigned novels and sign that you are giving  permission for your students to read the novels on the assigned list.

I have read and understand all of the guidelines set forth in the syllabus for this class. I consent to allowing my child to read the books outlined in the syllabus and if I have an issue with any of the above listed titles in text or film version, I will make arrangements with the teacher for an alternative assignment PRIOR to the start of that unit of study.

Name of parent/guardian_______________________________________Date______________

Signature of parent/guardian_____________________________________Date_____________