September 3, 2026
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
It’s that time of year again! I am very happy to be your child’s Language Arts teacher this year, and I believe that by all of us – you, your child, and me – working together, we can make this a very successful year.
This is my twenty-eighth year at Sayreville Middle School, long enough that some of you may have been my students yourselves. I am also a parent. My son graduated high school this past June, so I know what it is to hand your child over to someone else’s room and hope it goes well.
Please note the procedures for my class below:
I. What We Read and Write This Year
We begin with a unit called Testing Our Limits, which asks what people do when life gets hard. From there the year moves through You and Me, In the Dark, Personal Best, Making Your Mark, and True to Yourself. Along the way your child will write in three major forms: narrative, informational, and literary analysis.
Much of our work runs through two online programs, StudySync and Achieve3000. Your child will use both at school and can reach both from home. StudySync carries the stories, the longer texts, and the writing assignments. Achieve3000 provides nonfiction articles matched to your child’s reading level, and adjusts that level as it changes over the year.
II. Assignments
• All homework and classwork assignments are due and will be collected on the day that they are scheduled to be due.
• Homework and classwork that is not turned in on time will be scored as a zero. This is a change from the Upper Elementary School, where zeroes are not given. Please talk with your child about this early in the year.
• Larger assignments such as essays, projects, and narratives will be accepted as many as three (3) days late; however, they will receive a deduction of ten (10) points per day they are late as per department procedures. As of the fourth day, any missing assignments will receive a zero and will not be accepted.
III. Supplies
I recommend the following supplies for Language Arts:
• Permanent blue or black pen, not erasable (I have a hard time reading pencil, novelty colors, and erasable pen)
• Two-pocket folder for assignments and notices home
• Notebook of your choice, preferably with perforated paper for easy removal
• One marble notebook, the thicker the better — this becomes our Reader Response Journal and we write in it all year, so please look for a high page count
• A ziplock bag labeled with your child’s name containing a small box of crayons, colored pencils, non-toxic markers, and any other ‘art’ supplies you and your child feel they will need.
The Reader Response Journal is the one to ask your child about. Your child writes in it all year — first reactions, questions, notes on what they read, and goals — and it is the best window you have into how they are doing in this class. The entries are honest, and usually more interesting than any grade I could put on them.
IV. Grading Procedures
• Homework: 5%
• Smaller Assignments (quizzes, early drafts, etc.): 35%
• Larger Assignments (tests, essays, narratives, projects, etc.): 45%
• Quarterly Assessments: 15%
V. Discipline
Discipline is not something that I like to spend a lot of time on. Essentially, I will treat each student in my room with respect, and I expect the same in return. If an issue arises, I will first attempt to deal with it myself before enlisting parental assistance. If these attempts fail, then it will become necessary to involve the main office.
VI. Staying in Touch
The best way to reach me is by email, at [email protected]. I answer within one school day. If something is going on at home that might show up at school, I would rather know than guess.
I do not usually check email in the evenings or on weekends — that time belongs to my family, the same as yours does to you. A message sent Friday night will get my full attention Monday morning.
I look forward to working with your child and you this year.
Mr. Jason Brown
6th Grade Language Arts · Sayreville Middle School