6th Grade Newsletter: Week of May 5, 2008

 

Hello Parents,

 

          Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Well we have 6 weeks and counting!  The kids feel, I feel it, and I’m positive you do too!  There are a lot of things going on, but we are spending a great deal of class time on these things.  Please be sure to sit down with your student and help them plan out the next couple of weeks, so that they aren’t overwhelmed at the last minute.  Here is the plan for the week:

 

Important Dates

Ø     Wednesday, May 7th: Rough draft of persuasive essay due (see below)

Ø     Thursday, May 8th: Daily Mass (have your student bring a sweatshirt), Phantom Tollbooth vocabulary quiz

Ø     Friday, May 9th: Spelling test, Art Docent

Ø     Tuesday, May 13th: Social Studies booklet due

Ø     Wednesday, May 14th: Final draft of persuasive essay due (see below),

Ø     Thursday, May 15th: Boat assignment due, Spring Concert

Ø     Friday, May 16th: Feast of St. Brendan Mass, planned and performed by 6th grade (please plan to join us if you can)

 

Subject Update

Language Arts:  We will be spending the class periods on Monday and Tuesday writing the rough drafts of the persuasive essays we started last week.  This draft will be due on Wednesday.  Wednesday and Thursday the students will participate in peer conferences to give each other feedback on their papers.  I will also meet with as many students as I can.  I encourage parents to look over their student’s essay, as well, and provide feedback based on the criteria on the assignment sheet.  All revisions need to be made by Monday, May 12th.  Because we will be spending a considerable amount of in-class time on this during the week, students shouldn’t have much to do at home.  Next Monday, we will spend the afternoon in the lab (1 ½ hours) typing the final copy.  This final copy will be due on Wednesday, May 14th.  We are on a normal spelling schedule this week. 

Literature:  The week will be divided between preparing for Thursday’s vocabulary quiz and completing an edition of Scholastic News.  Please help remind your student that he/she should be reading 20 minutes each night, so that they will remain on track for the May independent reading requirements. 

Math: I don’t have an update on Math this week.  Please check with your student’s planner.

Religion: We will be finishing Chapter 11 this week and beginning on Chapter 12, which is entitled ‘Psalms of Praise and Works of Wonder.’  On Friday, our Family Life lesson is from Chapter 6 and is on Aging and Dying.  This can be a sad topic for many of our children, but we will be focusing on the gifts we receive/have received from the elderly people in our lives.  Towards the end of the week, I will be giving out the Mass parts/readings for next week.  Finally, please remind your student NOT to wait until the last minute to work on his/her boat assignment (due Thursday, May 15th).  There is only one more weekend between now and the due date.  Thanks for your help!

Science:  Mr. Fairbank is on the 8th grade field trip today and tomorrow, so I don’t have an update on science.  Please refer to your student’s planner for more information.

 

Social Studies: This week we will be working with material on the Roman Empire and the beginnings of Christianity.  Students received a project sheet today to create a booklet outlining the rise of Augustus and Pax Romana.  Students will have one full class period this week to work on the project at school.  Finished booklets are due on Tuesday, May 13.

Have a great week!

Pam Schwartz J