SJCS Sixth Grade Academy News
Read about what's happening in 6th grade this week
Math Memos
- We completed our study of operations with fractions and mixed numbers and customary measurement.
- Our Chapter 5 test will be next week. Each class will take their test during their scheduled class period. Please remind your student to use their time wisely as each class will be taking their test on a different day (2nd period -- Monday, 5th period -- Tuesday, 6th & 7th -- Wednesday). Make sure students study a little bit each day.
- We have worked so hard this semester and come so far. I am so very proud of all of our students for the sincere effort they put forth every day!
- When we return from Christmas break we will venture into "The Upside Down" of the math world....INTEGERS!!!!! :)
- Please restock pencils, looseleaf, and green pens for next semester.
Have a blessed and relaxing Christmas break.
NHS Buddies Christmas Party
On Thursday, our high school National Honor Society buddies threw us a fun Christmas party.
The 6th graders loved exchanging cards with their buddies and sharing a snack. And the seniors were very appreciative of all the cards and good luck wishes for their exams.
Foundations Facts
learned how to and got better at taking Cornell notes, learned how to use Google docs and slides, learned how to share documents, learned how to use Google classroom, learned and practiced the writing process from start to finish at least 5 times, wrote a narrative about themselves and created a video to share that narrative (and learned about WeVideo, saving pictures, and using Google drive in the process), reflected on their own learning and role in group work, learned how to write more effective short answers, created timelines, flashcards, mnemonic devices and other study helps, wrote descriptive paragraphs using strong adjectives and verbs, started mastering MLA format, dove deep into the classic "Gift of the Magi" with a Socratic seminar and group literary analysis essay, heard from different members of the SJCS community and wrote them touching thank you notes afterwards, learned about imagery, symbolism, irony, and allusion through The 21 Balloons, a poem called "Eleven" and "Gift of the Magi," researched a topic and presented in front of the class about it, learned about other cultures by watching the original I am 11, learned about themselves and each other through team-building exercises, organized their binder countless times, wrote in that planner and discussed time management just about every day, completed 4 book reports...
I'm sure there is more that I am forgetting, but I want you to know how proud of them I am and how far they have come. They (and you) have successfully completed the first semester of middle school -- congratulations! Yes, we still have work to do. We need to work on a bit more independence and (of course) time management and study skills. And we will. This next semester is focused on taking the training wheels off, and getting them where they need to be for next year (typing, writing, and yes, more book reports are all on the horizon). But, for now, let's relish how much they have done.
Enjoy the break. Have a very merry Christmas, and know that my family and I will be praying for a healthy and happy 2019 for you all.
Stocking Stuffer Ideas
- New pencils and/or lead
- New pens (blue, black, red, and green)
- College-ruled notebook paper
- Hole reinforcers
- If their binders are looking a little worse for wear, new ones can be wrapped and put under the tree too :)
Literature Lines
- What a great first semester! I am so proud of each of the students. They have come so far with their understanding of grammar and their ability to write more complex sentences. We will build on this in the second semester.
- Over the weekend and during class next week, we will finish our novel Chains. What an amazing story. I hope each of you have had an opportunity to talk to your 6th grader about parts of the story. The courage and loyalty the students encountered through the main character, Isabel, has impacted them much more profoundly then I imagined.
- REMEMBER! The students do not have any "homework" over the Christmas break. However, students can read chapters in Treasure Island for extra credit to be added in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Have a Blessed Christmas!
Religion Review
- The students will finish the year with a test on Lesson 6 - Abraham our Father in Faith. All 6th graders will have their test on Thursday Dec. 20.
- When we return, we will explore how God's merciful love flows through Abraham's descendants - Isaac, Jacob. and Joseph.
May the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, surround you all the days of your live. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
History Hints
Science Summary
Just to recap: The students have learned to use science and engineering practices to plan and conduct controlled scientific investigations. They have answered questions, tested hypotheses, and developed explanations by formulating scientific questions and testable hypotheses, identifying materials, procedures, and variables, selecting and using appropriate tools and instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and have recorded and represented data in appropriate forms. We've also been working very hard at using appropriate safety procedures! In our Plant unit, the students constructed explanations of how the internal structures of vascular and nonvascular plants transport food and water. We also studied the structural adaptations and processes that flowering plants use for defense, survival and reproduction. In our Electricity and Magnetism unit, students were able to develop and use models to describe the path of an electric current in a complete simple circuit and a parallel circuit as it accomplishes a task (such as lighting a bulb or making a sound). They continued to hone their skills in analyzing and interpreting data from observations and investigations to classify different materials as either an insulator or conductor of electricity. They compared the properties of magnets and electromagnets (including polarity, attraction, repulsion, and strength). and finished up the unit by conducting scientific investigations to determine the factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet. The students are well prepared for the Unit Test that will be held next week, but studying a little bit each night will ensure success! I hope your children have been coming home with exciting stories of our lessons; we have plenty to look forward to next quarter as we move through our Energy unit and then our Chemistry unit!!
Peace, joy and love to you and your family!