For Parents

Welcome! I am delighted to be teaching your son 6th grade English. Over the course of his first Middle School year, he will be exploring many different forms of the written and spoken word.

You might want to watch this video: Goodnight iPad.

Click here for a copy of the syllabus for the year.

Click here to read the expectations for 6th grade English students

Click here for suggestions on how to deal with online teasing or bullying.

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

We will go over every assignment in class, and students will take thorough notes. Assignments and instructions for projects will also be posted on this website, so your son can review his memory, check his assignments, or read information he missed when absent. Most projects will be done in class. There will be regular quizzes, and periodic tests, and I will make sure your son knows about them well in advance. Your son has an assignment book and is expected to write down his assignments at the beginning of every class.

I will e-mail you a homework notice if your son misses an assignment. This is not a punishment. It is a communication. Please reply to me so that I know you are aware of the missed assignment. An occasional missed assignment is not a major problem. However, if your son misses three homework assignments in a term, that is a pattern he needs to break.

In fact, please get in touch with me any time you have a question, concern, or comment, or if you just want to check in with me and say hello. I am in Room 9 of Crosman Hall. A good time to chat in person is homeroom period, from 8:00 to 8:30. Otherwise, I suggest you e-mail me at dturner@haverford.org or leave a message at 610-642-3020. I will call, e-mail, send a note home, or talk to you in person myself if I have any comments.

About me: I have been teaching at The Haverford School since 1993. I am the English Department Chair for the school.

A native of the area, I attended Haverford Friends and Baldwin, and I live in Philadelphia. I'm a published writer and a nationally competitive fencer. In 2006 and 2011 I won the Veteran World Championships. My graduate degrees are from the University of Pennsylvania (M.S.Ed., 1990; Ph.D., 1996).