A Farewell to the FORMER Sixth Graders

A Farewell to the FORMER Sixth Graders

Yes, they're "big" important 8th graders (soon to be 9th graders), but I still remember them as bright-eyed little sixth graders sitting in homeroom on the first day of school.  I have so many wonderful memories of them -- Long Lake Center, the many social studies projects they did, the amazing papers they wrote in 7th and 8th grade English class, their warmth, their intensity, their creativity, and the millions of laughs we had together.  I'll miss you, once upon a time sixth graders!  Best wishes on your wonderful futures.

Below I've posted just few of my favorite photos, starting with 8th grade graduation night and going back to sixth grade.

Our Last Few Weeks of Learning This Year

What We Learned the Last Few Weeks of School

Our students were busy learning right up until the last day of school.  They’d likely say they deserve their summer vacations!  Happy summer to all!

Religion (Joyce McCauley)

During our last month of school we learned about more saints who have lived lives which still serve as role models for us today.  

We talked about Jesus as the shepherd and why we (his flock) need Him in our lives.

Solomon's asking for wisdom when given one “wish” was a good starting place for discussions of what we would want if given the choice of anything.  Asking for more wishes didn't count!  Many wanted unlimited money (sound familiar?).  Ask your student about our discussions -- we kept coming back to wisdom and what it can do for our lives.

6th grade Science (Joyce McCauley)

We ended the year studying about simple and compound machines and how they are everywhere in our lives.  We also discussed ways in which these machines can make life more fun, as well as make work easier. 

We had a lot of fun when we did a quick unit on variables in experiments.  Swingers (pendulums) were the focus while we learned about controlled experiments, setting up a standard experiment, and making predictions of outcomes for experiments. 

Math (Abby Mallory)

The 6th graders spent the last few weeks of the school year learning about Geometry.  They practiced finding areas of triangles, circles, and trapezoids, and the volume and surface area of rectangular prisms.  In 7th grade they will focus on volume and surface area of other three-dimensional solids.  

English (Ken Backe)

For the last two weeks of this year, the sixth graders have been working on Pronouns.  They've learned about antecedents, reflexive pronouns, person, number , and gender.  I am looking forward to having this group for literature class next academic year.

Social Studies (Lisa Svoboda)

After our Renaissance unit this spring, we did a small unit on two Mesoamerican empires -- the Mayas and Incas.  Students learned that these two culutres were achieving great things (building pyramids, creating original writing systems, doing advanced astronomical studies, establing organized empires) right along side the rest of the world. 

Renaissance Ball

For social studies class, the sixth graders studied 13 important figures from the Renaissance in Europe. They were then assigned one of these people to portray at their "Renaissance Ball."  Later, they were tested on these important scientific, political, and artistic figures.  Have a look at the slideshow to see the fun they had learning.

Our Long Lake Trip, 2012

Long Lake Conservation Center was so much fun this year, AND it was a great learning experience.  Some examples: the sixth graders learned how to build camp fires, use a compass, paddle a canoe, recognize frog “songs,” build a shelter in the woods, and cooperate on tasks.  Most importantly perhaps, they had to eat, work, and play with students whom they often don’t get a chance to.  Also, for many kids, this is the first time they’ve ever really been away from home.  Overall, Long Lake was a great chance to grow. 

See what our sixth graders are learning!

English:

In English, the sixth graders have just finished a big unit on written and electronic communication.  We started with friendly letters.  These were followed by business letters to tourist bureaus, requesting information for an upcoming visit.  Then the students composed emails to companies whose products needed improvement.  These students now know how to send clear communications all three ways.  Hold them to it!

Math:

The 6th graders are currently learning how to read and interpret line graphs. This is in preparation for graphing linear equations in 7th and 8th grade.  After break we will focus on graphing points on a coordinate plane and operations with positive and negative integers. 

Science:

We are finishing up the textbook study of physics.  Our last chapter is on simple machines, which always has been a favorite.  We end the year with experiments/labs. Our first experiments will focus on how to conduct experiments to get reliable results, called Variables.  Our last experiments will focus on Simple Machines.  It is a fun way to end the year.

Social Studies:

The sixth graders just finished a unit on the Middle Ages.  We learned about the Medieval Church, especially the construction of gothic cathedrals and  the lives of monks; we designed our own castles, keeping in mind the architectural defenses which were used then; we did a role play on feudalism; and we learned about the major “players” of that era, such as Charlemagne and William the Conqueror.  Next, we will be studying Europe’s transition to the Renaissance and the modern world.

Religion:

We finished our study of Lent and its importance to us as Catholic Christians.  We will now look at the Easter season in the church and what it means to us.

Then we will continue our study of the Old Testament and what is happening to the Israelites now that they are in the Promised Land.

Reading:

Students are reading their novels and preparing for their meetings and roles from their packet work.

We are also reviewing vocabulary work they have completed and use puzzles as support work.

Roman Expansion Debate

The sixth graders recently held a debate on the pros and cons of the expansion of the Roman Empire.  They studied the historical background and arguments of this issue, and portrayed noteworthy people from that time.  Take a peek at the slide show below.        

WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING SO FAR!

Religion

We started the year in Genesis with the story of Creation.  We have been learning 

about our “Ancestors in Faith” -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph -- and the role God played in their lives, particularly as it applies to our faith today. 

Now our study is focused on Moses and the second book of the Bible, Exodus.  We are learning about God fulfilling his promise to his people for being faithful to the Covenant, a promise carried down since the time of Abraham.

Math

At the beginning of the year, the focus in Math was on Geometry.  We practiced measuring and naming angles as well as estimating and calculating the perimeter of various polygons. We are now discussing fractions, decimals, and the relationship between the two.  Next up we will start identifying number patterns and writing rules for those patterns.  It will give the the 6th graders a glimpse into what they will learn in Algebra in 7th and 8th grade.  

Science

The first chapter this year was an introduction to chemistry and the vocabulary necessary to learn the concepts.  We have learned about the physical properties of matter, atoms, molecules, elements, compounds and mixtures, and the states of matter. 

Now our studies will focus on chemical reactions, chemical properties, organic compounds, and nuclear energy.

Next we’ll progress to physics.

Reading

6th graders continue to build on their reading and vocabulary skills while also transitioning into a literature class setting.  Students use both short stories and novels to strengthen their oral fluency, comprehension, and efficacy.  They will also begin looking more deeply into literature by analyzing themes, literary techniques, and point of view.  Classes will be reading the same first two novels and will then be broken down into flexible literature circles for small group novels as the trimester progresses.

English

For the first part of the year, the sixth graders had been working on dictionary skills.  Currently they are working on writing a composition about their favorite restaurant.  So far, they have done pre-writing, outlines, and several drafts.  They are progressing well.

Social Studies

So far this year the sixth graders did a large unit on the Ancient Egyptians (for which, among other things, they created dioramas of Egyptian tombs) and currently we are finishing unit a on Ancient Greece.  The students have already studied Greek myths and examined the Persian and Peloponnesian wars.  In the upcoming weeks, they will be holding debates based on Greek philosophy and soon after that they’ll examine the political innovations of the Greeks.  After Greece, we’ll be studying China, both its ancient dynasties and its modern place in our world.