6th Grade Newsletter: Week of 11/26/07

 

Welcome back.  I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday!  We only have 4 weeks to go until Christmas vacation.  It will be a busy month, as we have many things to accomplish between now and then. 

 

Thank you to the many parents who volunteered to drive to the nursing home on December 7th.  For those individuals, keep a look out for an email following this newsletter about that day.  Here’s what is on this week’s agenda:

 

Important Dates

Ø     Tuesday, November 27th: Religion test, Egypt note cards due to Mrs. Schwartz

Ø     Friday, November 30th: Happy Birthday Joe!, November independent reading requirements due, Spelling test, Report outline due (see below)

 

Subject Update

Language Arts/Social Studies:  Continuing with the Egypt report this week, the students’ note cards are due tomorrow (Tuesday).  Today (Monday), the students received the 45 minute Social Studies period and over an hour in the lab during our Language Arts period to finish up their research.  On Tuesday, Mrs. Carlson will be giving a lesson on how to construct an outline.  The students will have the Social Studies and Language Arts periods on Wednesday and Thursday to write their outline, which is due to Mrs. Conrow on Friday.  Later in the week, I will show the students how to use the outline and the information on their note cards to begin the rough draft of their report. 

 

Literature: As mentioned above, the students’ independent reading requirements for November are due this Friday.  Please continue to encourage your child to keep up with their nightly reading (20 minutes each night), so that they aren’t scrambling at the end of each month to finish their books and tests.  Since December and January are short months for school, I will collect the reading log and tests at the end of January, not in December.

 

On Tuesday, we will begin a new Literature unit in which we will be reading the novel The Westing Game.  This is a fun and intriguing mystery that will engage each of the students to solve Sam Westing’s murder.  It is a highly acclaimed book that received the Newberry award for children’s literature.  We will be reading this book together during our class time and participating in various activities.  Students will probably need to do some reading at home, as well.  They may use this book as part of their December/January independent reading requirements.  Students will receive 2 handouts tomorrow (Tuesday) outlining the reading and assignment schedule.  Please take a moment to look over these handouts.  This will take the place of our regular Literature text book until after the first of the year. 

 

Math: Beginning this week, each student will receive a Problem of the Week on Monday and it will be turned in on Thursday.  They must explain in detail how they found their answer.

 

The next Math progress report will be sent home on December 5.

 

This week in class the 6th graders will be working on the following:

·        Dividing by finding the missing factor

·        Division by using mental math

·        Estimating quotients.

·        One digit divisors

 

Religion:  Last week we finished Chapter 3 and the students received a study guide to help prepare for tomorrow’s test.  On Wednesday, Mrs. McCloskey will be coming in to give a lesson on the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  Later in the week, we will begin a project for our Kindergarten buddies, whom we will meet with next week. 

 

Keep bringing in those food donations, if you have already done so.  Thank you!

 

Science: This week we will be concluding our introduction to the Taxonomy System, and moving into evolutionary adaptation theories. We will turn in our text book “Diversity of Living Things” and receive the text “Life Over Time”.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

J Pam Schwartz