Homeroom Program

Orion Homeroom teachers act as the main contact and expert on their homeroom students.  Parents, and students can turn to the homeroom teacher to answer questions and to guide them at Orion.

At Orion Homeroom is much more than a place to take attendance.  Homerooms are a place to develop friendships, learn from each other, and work at a team in various school-wide activities like the Annual Halloween Party.  In addition, the Orion Homeroom has very specific goals and curriculum that help each grade level to achieve and ready themselves for the next year.

One of the most important elements of the Homeroom Curriculum is it’s connection to Orion Academy’s Expected School Wide Learning Results.  Each year students, under the mentorship of their Homeroom teacher develop a ESLR portfolio. The ESLR portfolio is a collection of student work the exemplifies progress toward meeting the ESLRs.  This portfolio culminates in a Senior Year Presentation of the ESLR Portfolio in which the student must justify his portfolio and how he/she has met the Orion Expected Schoolwide Learning Results

Below an example of one year of the Homeroom Curriculum

 

HOMEROOM CURRICULUM

Typical Homeroom Procedure:

1.     Attendance

2.     Read Daily Bulletin

3.     Do Daily Activity (see below)

4.     Homework/Quiz check

5.     Dismiss

Mondays: Monday Morning Discussion Topic. This is part of teaching our student to listen to other people and making small talk

Tuesdays: Tuesday Morning Tribune: Use this as a discussion piece. How does the news have an effect on them? What are the different thoughts on the topics? Why is it important and news worthy?

Wednesdays: Wednesday’s Weekly Words: These are vocabulary builders (taken from SAT). Use them as a game, try and use them in sentences. Our students often think they understand the meaning of the word, but do not know how to use it properly contextually.

Thursdays: Thursday’s Trivia Challenge: Just a fun HR team building activity. This is a good day to check up on HW and projects due. This way you could email parents for weekend catch up.

Fridays:

SESSION 1 – ESLR 1 Aug 12, 19, 26 Sept 2, 9 (Community meeting HR 15th and 16th)

-       Welcome back day. Go over Friday schedule  (August 12)

-       Picture day. Orion day Questions and light fun. (August 19)

-       Team building activities, games (August 26)

-       Discussion on computer use rules and application to after Orion (September 2)

-       ELSR Portfolio Day (10th and 9th) Guest HR (12th invite 11th) (September 15

-       ELSR Portfolio Day (12th and 11th) Guest HR (10th invite 9th) (September 16)

 

SESSION 2 – ESLR 2 Sept 23, 30, Oct 7, 14, 21 (Community meeting HR 26th and 27th)

-       Current event news story-make it into a haiku or tweet (Sept 23)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Sept 30)

-       Halloween Party Strategizing (Oct 7)

-       Team Building (October 14)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (October 21)

-       Write editorials (inference), Letters-to-the Editor, Political Cartoons (Oct 26)

-       Halloween Strategizing (October 27)

-       Halloween Party (October 28)

SESSION 3 – ESLR 3 Nov 4, 11, 18, Dec 2, 9 (Community meeting HR 15th and 16th)

-       9th/10th grades: Get to know yourself project (Disability, Social Types)(Nov 4)

-       11th/12th Plan something as a homeroom and invite other homerooms to watch/participate on Dec 15 (12th invites 9th, 11th invites 10th) (Nov 4)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Nov 11)

-       9th/10th grades: Get to know yourself project presentations (Nov 18)

-       11th/12th Team Building (Nov 18)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Dec 2)

-       Short HR Finals (Dec 9)

-       Planned social events (Dec 15)

-       Locker check etc (Dec 16)

SESSION 4 – ESLR 4 Jan 13, 20, 27 Feb 3, 10, 17 (Community meeting HR 21st & 22nd)

-       Poetry Writing Day (Mad-lib Poems or other)  (Jan 13)

-       Team building activities, games (Jan 20)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Jan 27)

-       Dear Abbey Letters, have students submit questions 12th 11th to each other, 9and and 10th to each other (Feb 3)

-       Dear Abbey Letters students respond with advice (Feb 10)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Feb 17)

-       Affirmations between students (combined HR by grades) (Feb 21)

-       9th/10th Career interest research (Feb 22)

-       11th/12th State of the school Prep (Feb 22)

SESSION 5 – ESLR 5 Feb 24, Mar 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (Community meeting HR 3rd and 4th)

-       9th/10th Career Presentations Brain storming (skits, posters, dress-up) (Feb 24)

-       11th Guest Career Talks  (Feb 24)

-       12th Portfolio Presentation work (Feb24)

-       ESLR Portfolio Day (Mar 2)

-       9th/10th Career Presentations (skits, posters, dress-up) (Mar 9)

-       11th grade ESLR Portfolio Day (yes again) (March 9)

-       Session 6 sign ups (March 16)

-       WASC Prep Day (March 23)

-       Team building activities, games (March 30)

-       11th Guest Career Talks (April 3)

-       12th Unexpected School wide learning result brainstorm (April 3)

-       Tell a Lie day (2 truths and a lie) (April 4)

** Session 5 Personal Growth Personal Project for Seniors – proving that they’ve met the ESLR’s

SESSION 6 –  April 19, 26,  May 11

-       9th/10th/11th Portfolio Maintenance (April 19)

-       12th Unexpected School-wide Learning Results Brainstorm skit work (April 19 and 26)

-       9th/10th/11th Each grade level – Culmination of ESLR’s evidence/presentation (April 26 and May 11)

-       12th Unexpected School Wide Learning Results Skit Work (April 26 and May 11)

Presentation of skit by seniors on May 23