6th Grade Newsletter
October 2016
General Announcements
-October 21 : Teacher Workday
-October 26 : CoGAT Test
-October 27 : PTO 7pm
-October 27: Ms. Hofmann's Last Day
-October 28 : 1st Quarter Reward - Corn Maze (see below)
-October 28 : Dance 5:30-7:30
Language Arts
In Mr. Brooks class students have been challenged with reading a Newbery award winning book. Students are responsible for reading at lease 1 Newbery book and completing a high quality review on the BiblioNasium website. Along with silent sustained reading everyday, students are working to build reading fluency and vocabulary on a daily basis. We continue to focus on writing quality narratives while exploring the elements of that genre. Author's purpose and impact continue to be recurring topics during class discussion.
Mrs. Dyson
In Mrs. Dyson's Lang. Arts class we are continuing our Touching Spirit Bear novel studies. We explored how the how the introduction, rising action and climax impact the plot of the story. Students will continue to evaluate and identify the protagonist and antagonist in our story. In first and second periods we've had the pleasure of having Ms. Elizabeth Hofmann, student teacher from Appalachian State University. We've enjoyed the lessons she's brought and delivered to our class. She will conclude her stay with us the end of October to finish her student teaching abroad in Costa Rica. We wish her well. Remember students need to be reading for 30 min. nightly to build their reading stamina.
Mrs. Kerr
Mrs. Kerr's Language Arts class is continuing to read about Cole's adventures in Touching Spirit Bear. We conducted our own Circle Justice meeting to share opinions on Cole's fate. The Circle included Donald Trump, John Cena, Jacob Sartorius, Jesus, and, of course, fellow classmates.
Math
In Ms. Baldwin's Math classes, students finished up with GCF (greatest common factor) and LCM (least common multiple) problems. They are now adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. It will be fun to apply those skills next week when students put on their chef hats!
Mrs. Lowery
Some of Mrs. Lowery's classes turned in a Restaurant Menu Project this week to help wrap up our decimals unit. Classes have also been working hard on Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple. Students have now moved on to operations with fractions. We will focus on mostly multiplying and dividing fractions. Next week, we will do a fall-festive hands-on activity that involves recipes, cooking, and fractions! I will send home an email soon asking for donations to help make this activity happen!
We also wish Ms. Hofmann well as she concludes her student teaching with 3rd and 4th period this month. We have enjoyed having her in our classes and hate to see her go!
Science
Sixth grade scientists in Ms. Baldwin's class are exploring Outer Space through many activities such as watching videos, reading the famous "Climbing Space" speech by President John F Kennedy, researching planets and interacting with other students in a group Moon Crash Landing simulation. They also look forward to another outdoor activity, walking off the distances between planets in our solar system!
Mr. Strickland
Mr. Strickland's Science class has been exploring the future of space exploration by researching it's past. From ancient astronomers to the Hubble telescope, our class has enjoyed learning about how human curiosity has led to amazing discoveries. Continuing with the theme of space exploration, we will next look to our neighboring planets and the "planetary checklist" of life.
Social Studies
Prehistory and the study of early man are the topics in full swing in Mr. Brooks' classroom. Students have participated in interactive activities that have sharpened their archaeological skills while challenging them to draw conclusions about artifacts. Our first in depth study of ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia, will begin soon. Students will learn about the first recorded Neolithic settlement. Map skills and geography are daily staples as students do work with an atlas for 5-10 minutes each class period.
Mrs. Smith
In Mrs. Smith's Social Studies classes we have learned map skills, reviewed the Continents and Oceans and completed a project on the Five Themes of Geography. Also, in September we had a guest instructor, Ms. Beverly Botsford. Ms Botsford is a cross-cultural percussionist and educator who not only shared her knowledge of drumming and music with the students but she also taught them how it connects to their 6th grade Social Studies curriculum. We were able to spend a class period learning about the culture of various ancient civilizations, how to play several different types of drums and how to make several homemade instruments. We are now beginning to discuss what makes a civilization and will move right into our study of the first ancient civilization, Mesopotamia. Students will learn why people settled in this area and what advancements and inventions they made that we still use today.