Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: In class we examined the Act of Contrition. We took the prayer itself, used during reconciliation, and unpacked the language used and why we say what we say in that prayer. We drew connections to our own lives and that helped students understand how and why we address God in the way we do for this prayer.

ENGLISH: Day two in examining our own writing. Students were tasked with peer editing through multiple passes, each time looking for a specific feature and providing suggestions on how to improve the problems identified. The biggest trouble most students are having is in applying good concluding sentences to their paragraphs. These can be employed in one of two ways; either to wrap up the current paragraph (most common), or to lead into the next paragraph. Both are acceptable but students need to try to use at least one each paragraph.

LITERATURE: As The Egypt Game progresses, the newest members of the gang become more and more involved and interested in the game. Ken and Toby have ideas of their own and appear to be trying to steer the game off course. Trouble finds them as they begin acting as "oracles" to each other.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson helps us to understand the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews. We do this by examining the different sacred scriptures and what their purpose is, as well as the role of the Rabbi in this process. These texts are the foundation of their belief in "ethical thinking" which has had an enormous impact on the values of the entire world (basic human rights, definitions for atrocities like genocide, etc.). Homework for this section is on page 142 #1-7.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 298 11-29  (9:00 class) pg 343 1-25

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: For this week's writing composition, students have a hard copy of their writing composition from last week. Today they identified the structure of their writing, which forces them to examine how they wrote this piece. I consistently stress a robust pre-writing phase to help students road map their writing prior to drafting. This exercise helps to identify why that is a strong process. Similarly, it forces students to examine their writing for what is missing or not sully develop[ed, thus training their eye on how to better examine theirs and others' work.

RELIGION: In our lesson we spoke about the ways in which we can and do prepare for the coming of Jesus' resurrection. How is it that we can open the doors and windows of our soul to let the sun and fresh air in, rejuvenating our spirits. This leads us to our topic of reconciliation. I would love to take our class over to the church to take part in this sacrament but understand that this might not be received by all students and families in the same spirit that it is offered, so Fr. Daniel has agreed to come to our class on Friday and speak to the 6th grade about reconciliation and why it is a beautiful and essential part of our faith and spiritual health.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Building on yesterday's lesson about the Ancient Hebrews, their movement from Mesopotamia into Egypt and then their exile from Egypt, we examined chapters 7-11 in Exodus and the role that the 10 plagues played in this event, their symbolic nature, and the connections to what we learned about in our Ancient Egypt unit. I showed clips of the 1956 Bible epic The Ten Commandments that the scripture details, to give students a visual representation of this action.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 298 1-10  (9:00 class) pg 338 1-31

SCIENCE  Pg 203 1-5

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: After some flash cards, we completed three exercises on Sadlier, all of which are exactly the same format as previous lessons/exercises as each week: Vocabulary in Context, Passage-based Reading, Improving Sentences. With the remaining time in class we played Scrabble.

LITERATURE: Today our Egypt gang in "The Egypt Game" has grown by two. Two classmates of April and Melanie, Ken and Toby, have expressed some interest in participating in the Egypt game. It was after their joining that the members all chose Egyptian names for themselves and a hieroglyphic representation of that name so that they can communicate in secret. This moment, of children choosing names for themselves, is an important moment to examine action and what a specific name, chosen by that same individual, might say about that person's personality and values, particularly about what that choice says about how they see themselves.

RELIGION: Continuing with our examination of Lent we dissected the phrase, "Lent is the Springtime of the Soul" and what that means. Our students made strong comparisons to what things occur during Spring, particularly when it comes to cleaning and to new life. These are powerful analogies to focus on when we seek to understand the purpose of Lent.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson today was an introduction to our new chapter on the Ancient Hebrews. This unit comes at a very opportune time for us since as we conclude this chapter, we will be visiting a Synagogue for a Seder that celebrates Passover. Our lesson today addressed Passover as well as the foundations of the Hebrew faith, which are our own Christian foundations as well. Homework for tonight is on p.137 #1-7

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 293-294 1-42  (9:00 class) Accelerated Math

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: As we have now finished Family Life for this year, we return to our Christ Our Life texts and the special lesson on Lent.Today we spoke in short about Ash Wednesday, which was last week, and why we use ashes to signify our repentance.

ENGLISH: Today marks the beginning of our Vocabulary week. In the interest of maintaining some of the patterns set at the start of the year, we will continue until the end of unit 15 for vocabulary, testing every 2 weeks. While we will not be having grammar lessons, students will now have more time to examine texts and write thorough analyses of said texts. Next week we will examine a piece of poetry and determine the subtle, and not so subtle, meanings.

LITERATURE: As we see our "gang" of wanna-be Egyptians, they are adjusting to life after a local child was murdered and are unable to play independently outside. On Halloween these youngsters finally find an opportunity to return to "Egypt" and a mysterious figure crashes the party.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Ancient Egypt test today. Those students who were absent will make up the test on their return to class.

MATH (8:00 class)  Accelerated Math (9:00 class) pgs 328-330 1-43  Chp 6 Test tomorrow

SCIENCE chp 6 Test Tomorrow

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students wrote their test for Unit 12 Vocabulary and Chapter 5 Grammar. This test marks the end of our Grammar lessons. Students will not be tested explicitly on grammar but will be expected to put their lessons to good use. Our writing assignments will increase and students can expect these writing assignments to dovetail with their other subjects. This means that students will find themselves researching and writing for Social Studies during their English class.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our review session took place after we reviewed the homework from yesterday's lesson. Students should spend some time each night reviewing the material they can expect to see on their test Monday.

RELIGION: The quiz students wrote today mark the end of our Family Life unit. We also took part in the Stations of the Cross to close out our day. I was a bit disappointed to see that many of our students were not performing the responses. I find this unacceptable and since we attend a Catholic school, I find myself duty-bound to hold my students accountable to this participation. So in the future, students who do not perform the responses in either mass or during stations of the cross, will find themselves with a detention that will be served with Mr. VanRuyven so that they may practice their responses. 

Today In 6A & 6B
Mr. V was out sick

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 282-283 1-26 Chapter Test next Monday  (9:00 class) pg 320 1-16 Chapter Test next Tuesday

SCIENCE  Chapter Test next tuesday

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Our lesson today marked the end of our Family Life unit. We will review chapter 5 tomorrow and write our quiz on Friday. Today we talked about basic human rights and things that we do and can do for the common good of all people. It took us on a bit of a tangent regarding how Western countries use foreign aid to help developing nations.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Continuing from our work yesterday, our students took the information that they gleaned from the mummification process and, in groups, created and gave presentations in the 4 different writing styles (Narrative, Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive). This made for some entertaining fun as students are learning how the same bit of information can e used for different purposes.

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Our lessons for today were our last from the Grammar text book. I implore students to not disregard the knowledge in this book after Friday's test, because the writing we will complete as the year continues will lean heavily on these lessons. Today we spoke about body paragraphs as well as Introductions and Conclusions. Students practiced revising poor paragraphs and making them more interesting. We also looked at some news items from today and how they are written to communicate meaningful information in unified and fluent patterns.

LITERATURE: Prior to advancing in our read, we unveiled the assessment for the Egypt Game. Students will be completing a character analysis that centers around the actions of that character. Students may choose any character in the story, but as we read, they will record the actions of that character and how those actions speak to the character's values and qualities. This document will be used to write a 1-2 page essay that explores the nature of that character.

RELIGION: We got a bit side-tracked during our conversation today as students had a lot of questions regarding how to budget and manage pressures once they move out on their own for college. I shared my experience with them that may or may not correlate with what will be their experience in 6 short years.

SOCIAL STUDIES: After learning about life and death in Ancient Egypt yesterday, students went on a fact-finding mission to explore the mummification process. Some of the responses to their packet required them to infer the answer as not all responses were spelled out directly. This will be take up tomorrow and students will prepare presentations of their understanding of this vital process.

MATH (8:00 class) WS 5-6 & 5-7  (9:00 class) WS 6-7 & 6-8

SCIENCE Worksheet packet

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: As we start our grammar week, and prepare for Friday's test, we enter our LAST grammar chapter. This chapter sums up all of the grammar work students have done this year as we explore the construction of an essay. Why, might you ask, would we learn how to write an essay after we have already written an essay? Well, in this way, the concepts that we have discussed come to the student as more of a "refresher" or "review" of material. In this sense, it is much more likely that a student will remember these lessons in the long term as they examine the writing they have already done in hindsight. That said, much of what we are studying this week is what we have preached all year long, so the repetition helps significantly.

LITERATURE: We collected out Where The Red Fern Grows books today and started our new read, The Egypt Game. Tomorrow, students will be shown their assessment for this book, which will involve examining a character from the book and writing a profile of that character. If students would like a preview of this assignment they can check their Google Classroom accounts for Literature.

RELIGION: This week's chapter is the last of our Family Life unit. We are examining the term "community" and what that means for us as Catholics within our society at large. Additionally, our lesson today spoke to family finances and home economics and I encourage my students to reach out to their parents to discuss the many ways in which our families make "ends meet."

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson focused on life and death within Egyptian Society and the role that religion played. This is a very similar lesson to what we have seen in Mesopotamia and India, so students are making strong connections between our units. Homework is found on page 115 #1-5.

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 269-270 1-12  (9:00 class) pg 316 1-29

SCIENCE  pg 191 1-4

Today in 6A!

Our day was almost entirely non-academic today. Considering that the Lenten season will be upon us this week, we found it necessary and appropriate to host a spiritual retreat for all of our students, so that we may best prepare to welcome Christ into our lives, and be Christ for others.

Students are being sent home with a small "rice box" that will serve as a donation tool for our students to focus their sacrifices during Lent. The donations will benefit Catholic Relief Services as well as the Diocese of Orange.

Today in 6A!

RELIGION: students wrote their Unit 4 Family Life quiz.

ENGLISH: Our class time for each group was used to work on our Narrative essays about a recent road trip we have taken. This is day two of this exercise and so students should have spent this class rime making use of their peers to refine their work and offer suggested edits. This assignment is due tomorrow but we will not have class time to work on it. Therefore students should submit their work this evening.

LITERATURE: This class period was also used to work on another writing assignment, also due tomorrow. I have prefaced the past week of work with benchmarks that the students should meet each day. Today's benchmark was to use the time, much like they did in English, to peer edit and refine their writing. This essay is also due tomorrow and students will not have class time to write. Tomorrow is indeed a half-day, so students may work on this after school and submit prior to 3:00 PM.
I must admit, of the essays that I have read so far, the student writing has greatly improved overall, speaking to the effort that our students are putting in on a regular basis to become better writers.

SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up the homework, we examined the relationship between Egypt and their southern neighbors, the Nubian kingdom. Students are assigned questions 1-6 on page 110 for homework.

***Dr. O has graciously offered a free-dress day for all students tomorrow without the use of a free dress pass. Students are welcome to come to school out of uniform in proper free dress attire***

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: As promised, students received another writing assignment today. With this task, students are writing a short narrative essay about a road trip they have taken. It is a wonderful opportnity for students to make use of the grammar lessons from last week and employ some helpful transitions as well as different types of supporting details.

LITERATURE: In lieu of music class today, students were given addition time to work on their Where The Red Fern Grows essays. I unpacked a random quotation so that students could see how I might do this. Students should avoid using personal pronouns in their writing and should focus on explaining how and why the evidence supports their theme. For tomorrow's class, students should be ready to peer edit theirs and each other's work. I have also asked for students to share their writing with their families so that they can get another perspective.

RELIGION: Students reviewed the content from earlier this week to prepare for tomorrow's short quiz.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our classroom activity today consisted of student groups presenting two sides of the same conflict. It involved them looking in to the different perspectives of the scenario and pleading their case (from both sides). The judgement was then passed down by their Pharaoh (Mr. VanRuyven).

MATH (8:00 class) WS 5-4 &5-5  (9:00 class) WS 6-6

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: After some flash cards where students identified words from their definitions, each class performed three assignments from the Sadlier website. In these assignments students were asked to derive the meaning of specific words and phrases based on the context of the written piece. From there, with the time remaining in class, students worked on their essays for Where The Red Fern Grows.

LITERATURE: Students worked on their essays for Where The Red Fern Grows. For today students should be drafting their ideas. I suggest beginning with their body paragraphs and spelling out what they would like to say. Students should avoid using personal pronouns and remove all personal references from their writing. This essay is not an opinion piece and therefore the beliefs and opinions of the writer are unimportant. Instead students should present their work as an examination of evidence and how the evidence supports their theme. They are interpreting the information without saying it is their own interpretation.

RELIGION: In today's lesson we examine how as people age they change and how those changes affect our relationships and how we experience the world. We focused on the elderly and how much our elders have to offer our community and our society.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson looked at the rule of the Pharaohs and how it was that a distant ruler was able to unite a vast area and what that necessarily looked like. In this light, we witnessed 2 pharaohs, Hatshepsut and Ramses II. One female, one male. One ruling through trade, the other through conquest. Both are significant to the story of Egypt but each are treated differently in the eyes of history. Homework for this section is on page 105 #1-7

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 262-263 1-28 all  (9:00 class) pg 308 1-31

SCIENCE  finish land form sketch due tomorrow

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: This week marks the start of another vocabulary week. We began Unit 12 iWords today, identifying associations for the given definitions. Students were also given a benchmark for where they should be with their Where the Red Fern Grows essay.

LITERATURE: This week students will be working exclusively on their Where The Red Fern Grows essays. After some light instruction on where students should be by this point, student made the most of their time together in class. For this phase of the writing process it is perfectly reasonable for students to share interpretations and ideas for themes that they share. However, beyond today this dynamic will not work as well. That said, students should take their 5 pieces of evidence and"unpack" them. This means that students should slow their brains down to answer some questions regarding WHY they interpret something a certain way. How is it that this evidence supports their theme? In what way? What are the relationships? How do you know? Answering these questions allows the writer to then establish an organization of their work that makes sense, either chronologically or logically. Students should then begin their first draft.

RELIGION: Today's conversation was about God's love for us, and how we can show that love towards others. I used an analogy that my dad used for me when I was a kid. When I was 8 we traveled to Australia for a year. Lived there. Went to school there. Made friends there. All this time I was an ambassador for my country and my family and my faith. I had to constantly ask myself, is how I am acting representative of my people? Similarly, we need to ask those same questions when we represent our faith. Do my actions show the world that I am following Jesus' example?

SOCIAL STUDIES: After our water assembly today we only had time to take up the homework from Wednesday of last week. With the remainder of class students were able to work on their cartouches from last week. This is the last period of tie students will get to work on these cartouches in school. I would like to have them for Monday, making them a tertiary priority to their writing assignments.

MATH ( 8:00 & 9:00) classes turned in their notebooks

SCIENCE pg 186 1-3

Today in 6A!

It was a busy day with two different assemblies to facilitate the renaissance fair that the 7th graders put on. There was a Falconry demonstration and info session as well as an open-forum demonstration from our 7th grade students displaying some of the articles they crafted.

The rest of our day was split between AR time, our Religion quiz, and English test. Students in 6B finished their last 20 pages of Where The Red Fern Grows and were given instruction on what to have completed by the end of the weekend. All students should come to school Monday having reduced their evidence down to 5 pieces and feel comfortable on in what way and in what order their evidence will be presented. This will put them on good footing to establish a thesis to align with their theme and they can begin drafting confidently. Students will have one (1) week to complete this 3-4 page essay and will be given class time to meet benchmarks.

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Students reviewed for their test tomorrow. Their notes will be their best and only resource for studying.

ENGLISH: Students spent their time wisely studying for tomorrow's unit/chapter test. I sat with several students who wanted to review some of the material. The suggested review can be found below.

LITERATURE: 6A finished our "Where The Red Fern Grows" red today and there were a few tears along with a resounding consensus that "this was a good book." That said, I agree. Students know that one week from tomorrow they will have their assessment due, the details of which are on Google Classroom. I recommended to the class that they spend some time over the weekend narrowing down their list of quotes and tabbed pages to find 5 of their best pieces of evidence to use in their essay. Some asked if they could use more, and of course the answer is yes, however it is essential that this essay not become a banner of strung-together quotes, but an unpacking of their meaning and how they impact or justify the theme they chose.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today students made their own Cartouches. A cartouche is an identifying hieroglyph that indicates a person's name. Using a simple generator, students plugged in their own first names to identify what their cartouche would be. After screen shotting their cartouche, students then drew it on to a piece of watercolor paper and prepared to illuminate the images with color. Students will continue this process tomorrow.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 258 1-24  (9:00 class) pgs 302-303 2-60 evens + WS 6-4 & 6-5

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Our lesson built on yesterday's concepts of strong topic sentences and supporting sentences by asking students to examine work for unity and coherence. We gain this by grouping our writing by the style we use. Additionally, we can employ transition sentences that help us to connect ideas that may follow a different type of writing style. Students are encouraged to study this evening for their test this Friday. For homework, they are to complete Exercise 1 in 4.5.

RELIGION: We picked up yesterday's lesson right where we left off as we discussed welcoming a baby home. I shared the two different stories around each of my own daughters' births to help the students understand how regardless of the scenario, babies enter the world ready to absorb their surroundings. How we act around a baby matters. The tone of voice we use, the love or lack-there-of in our voices and actions impact this child in myriad ways that cannot be easily communicated.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today marks the start of our Ancient Egypt Unit and the students are pretty excited about it. Our lesson regarding the geography of the Nile river valley and delta help us to understand the special conditions surrounding this place, and the commonalities this place has with other regions that we have studied this year. Homework for this lesson is on page 99 #1-5.

MATH (8:00 class) WS 5-2  (9:00 class) pg 302-303 1-49 odds only  Only two days left to do Accelerated Math

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: The beginning of our grammar week asks us to change the way in which we read. Instead of reading to absorb, we are reading to analyze, that is, read to determine what the main point of a paragraph is. This is a skill that we have practiced in our Social Studies class and one that will serve us long into the future as we advance in academics. Students are asked in 4.2 to determine what a topic sentence of a given set of supporting sentences might be, and then the adverse; to determine the supporting details of a topic sentence. Exercise 1 and 2 of 4.2 are assigned homework pieces and students are encouraged to practice the latter for their test this coming Friday.

LITERATURE: As we near the end of our book the true climax of the story has hit us. Unfortunately this has resulted in some tragedy for our protagonist. Additionally, some of our students found this to be an emotionally charged piece of writing and were moved by it. To answer their question of "Why would you make us read this?" I can submit that this was a book that I read when I was 12. It affected me deeply. I still have a strong attachment to this story, having had dogs of my own and felt a similar attachment to them. The writing itself is a work of mastery. The emotional roller coaster is charged with feeling. In a way that only books can do, this one makes you feel and feel strongly. This is a powerful tool that one will only learn to use if they are exposed to it. Reading this work makes us stronger readers, writers, and people.

RELIGION: Our new unit in Family Life talks about the sacrament of marriage and bringing new members into our family, mostly by birth. In addressing marriage in the context of our faith it is important to recognize that society at large and the Catholic Church do not see eye to eye on this matter. I encourage all of my students to speak with their parents and family members about questions they may have regarding those in our community who do not follow traditional gender norms and how their place within our faith community is affected. In the brief address, the words "Gay," "Lesbian," and "Homosexual" were the focus of some minor giggling and I feel the need to nip that in the bud. These labels are only that; labels. They do not define who we are as people nor do they establish our value as people, particularly before God. We must be tolerant of those who may challenge our traditions and be willing to engage in civil discourse in order to gain common understanding. For anyone needing information about what our Holy Father says or is curious about his track record, please visit the following website:  https://www.newwaysministry.org/resources/pope-francis-lgbt-issues/
The conversations we are having in Family Life do require an element of social and emotional maturity.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 248-249 1-25  (9:00 class) pg 298 1-30

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Chapter test on Ancient China today. No Homework. Ancient Egypt starts tomorrow.

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students presented their ad copy to class today using the inflections in their voices as a way to communicate the punctuation in their writing. Some students chose to record their ads and these students did not disappoint. This assignment truly brought out some of thebest creative qualities of our students.

RELIGION: Students wrote a short quiz regarding chapter 2 of our Family Life program.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Since this coming Tuesday will be our Chapter test for the Ancient China unit, our class today was a review session where students could gain clarification on concepts they don';t fully grasp, study with partners, work on old homework, bolster their notes, etc. It was a valuable time to share and ask questions. Students are aware of the format of the test. There will be multiple choice questions, true and false, definitions and a short answer question where they will be asked to compare and contrast two things.

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Students completed the review section of their Unit 2 Family Life. This week's test will not be open-book so students' preparation of this review and their notes from the unit will be their study guide for tomorrow's quiz.

ENGLISH: Students continued work on their Unit 11 composition. I am excited for tomorrow's presentations as many of the students have an energetic attitude toward this exercise.

LITERATURE: In our reading today, we witness Billy finish the hunt for the championship cup through significantly harsh weather conditions. The description of how they found Old Dan and Little Ann help us to understand the dog's human-like qualities.

SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up yesterday's homework, we concluded the content for our Ancient China unit as we took a closer look at the achievements of the Han dynasty. Students were assigned questions #1-5 on page 345 for home work and have been encouraged to review this material for Tuesday's chapter test.

MATH Accelerated Math

***A huge thank-you goes out to our volunteer parents who helped coordinate our Valentine's celebration today***

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: After running through a round of flash cards, students were given their writing composition for this week. For this assignment, students will create and advertisement script for a product of their choosing. They are tasked with applying sentence variety and descriptive language in order to communicate in a convincing manner, the benefits of their product. There are 2 grades for this assignment: One for the completed Ad Copy, and another for the presentation in front of the class. Some students are choosing to record their presentation and craft a commercial. This is totally acceptable but not required.

RELIGION: In our Family Life chapter we explored the qualities necessary for achieving our goals. Determination and Grit are good, but will fade without a step-wise plan to making our dreams come true.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson introduces us to the Han dynasty and their lasting impact on Chinese culture. Of foremost importance is the process in which the Han had transitioned China away from the Legalist approach toward the Confucist principles. The homework for this evening is on page 337 #1-6

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 243-244 1-25  (9:00 class) Ws 6-1, 6-2 & 6-3

SCIENCE pg 182 1-3

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: In order to have enough time to play a little Scrabble today, we needed to complete a few exercises in our Vocabulary work. After flash cards, we began working on our Vocabulary in Context, Passage-based Reading, and Sentence correction, and we were able to make some Scrabble happen.

LITERATURE: In our read, the great Raccoon Hunt Tournament Thingy is in full effect. Billy enters Little Ann into the grooming pageant and wins a silver cup! He and his dogs hunt on the fourth evening and advance to the final hunt. It's all very exciting for a young boy and his dogs.

RELIGION: In today's class we built on our understanding of people's differences and how that makes us ready to answer God's call for our lives. We are all called to serve in different ways and we are asked to share our abilities with those around us.

SOCIAL STUDIES: As we move forward in our China unit we witness the rise of the Qin ("Chin") dynasty. After the period of the warring states, the Qin conquered and united China. Through a Legalist approach they applied harsh punishments for everyday offenses with hopes that this would promote peace and order within the kingdom. With "thought control" practices like censorship and political arrests, Shi Huangdi managed to maintain a grip-like control over his people. However, after his death, this all fell apart as people rebelled and rebellion grew. Homework for this is on page 326 #1-5.

MATH (8:00 class) Accelerated Math  (9:00 class) Pg 291 1-16

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: As we being a new vocabulary unit, we spent our time in class creating associations and defining what our new list of 20 words mean.

LITERATURE: Stopping on page 200, we see how Billy, his grandfather, and his father are all preparing and travelling to a major raccoon hunt tournament. Wandering around the camp, Billy hears people talking about him and his dogs and this fills him with some pride.

RELIGION: We started our Unit 2 in Family Life and introduced our conversation regarding the many gifts that God has given us. These are all natural gifts, or talents that we find. I impressed upon the students, the need to explore, reflect, fail and learn about yourself and your talents many times throughout our lives.

SOCIAL STUDIES: While watching a short video about the life of Confucius, student answered several questions regarding its content to show that they were paying close attention to the presentation. Additionally, students are to write a 1/2 page reflection on one of four sayings by Confucius and to submit that on the assignment page prior to class tomorrow.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 234 1-49 Chp 4 Test Tomorrow (9:00 class) pg 286-287 1-45

SCIENCE pg 176 1-4

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students wrote their Chapter 3 Grammar and Unit 10 Vocabulary test. Next week will be Unit 11 Vocabulary. We are nearing the end of our grammar and vocabulary lessons (Unit 15) which means our students will be strictly applying what they have learned with more and longer writing pieces in trimester 3.

RELIGION: Our first week of Family Life came to a close with our quiz today.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students explored Confucius' teachings and early life. We understand him in contrast to the "Legalist" perspective where the rule of law needed to be strict, absolute, and severe in punishment. Confucius believed that the answer to this approach was love and Filial Piety. Honoring our elders and their wishes will lead to harmony and the example shown by our elders will determine how well we are doing to create this moral and just society. I know I have taken a similar approach in my parenting style, and I shared some examples with the students. Homework, to be taken up on Tuesday, is on page 310 #1-5.

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Today's review of our first chapter in "Family Life" was fruitful in that we reviewed several terms for our test tomorrow. This first quiz will be open book, however, moving forward they will not be. Our review sessions will be comprehensive and students will be exposed to the same questions/line of questioning that is on the test.

ENGLISH: In our review session for tomorrow's test, students spet time quizzing each other on vocabulary terms and practicing the grammar skills necessary to do well on this test. While the elements of this test are largely review from 5th grade and earlier this school year, the concepts build on each other rather quickly. Without a firm understanding of the earliest parts of Chapter 3, students will struggle with putting them together in sections 3.4 and 3.5. Below is the suggested review for students to study.

LITERATURE: Our read from pages 146-172 included some of the most eventful and difficult passages yet. Billy accepted the bet from the Pritchard boys and went to live up to it. In doing so we heard the use of language to describe a "female dog" and I presented it as such. Additionally, the accidental death of one of the Pritchard boys was difficult for some of our class to process. This book is fictional and we likely won't be watching the movie, however the moment does add value to the story and later events. Much credit to the class members that emote so strongly and express their reactions to this moment.

SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up the homework from Tuesday, we examined the family dynamics of Ancient China. Some of the details are very similar to what certain cultures do today; Many family members, extended family, living in a single household. There is a lot of value in this way of life and ironically, much of Western society is returning to this way of life. It is important for our young students to bear witness to this way of life and not judge it, but rather seek to understand it. Homework is on page 304 #1-7

MATH (8:00 class) Ws 4-9 Chp Test next Tuesday  (9:00 class) pg 280 1-29

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Students participated in a fun creative story-telling activity today. In an evolution from, last week's writing composition, students were assigned groups, given a theme, and then asked to take notes while a song played. They then gathered in their groups to coordinate a cohesive story-line that follows their theme and how they interpreted the music. The students then presented their story to the class, as a group in a 2-3 minute presentation.

RELIGION: Students were sent home with a hand-out today to ask their parents what their views toward certain vocations are. This is the only assigned homework for tonight.

SOCIAL STUDIES: On Google Classroom, students were issued a translated version of The Art Of War by Sun Tzu. With this, students are asked to identify 3 of the principles that they find meaningful and to translate them into prescriptions for better personal habits. After they have all three completed, students will write a 1/2 page reflection on how these principles relate to their daily lives, or, how they might put these principles into action. If this was not completed in class, it is homework.

MATH ( 8:00 class) pg 229 1-27 (9:00 class) Accelerated Math

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: With an examination of simple, compound and complex sentences as well as the ways in which we can combine sentences, we finished our grammar lessons for the week. These are some pretty abstract concepts but are largely review for our students. Nothing we learned this week is a new concept, but they are still rather confusing. Our ability to edit other people's work and review our own is greatly improved by mastery of these skills.

LITERATURE: At this point in our read, we witness a scary event as Little Ann falls through the ice of the river and Billy needs to save her. The language used in this section drives home a nervous and pressured tone. After successfully saving her life, Billy sees himself accepting a bet from the Pritchard boys, who are always up to no good. What happens next will have to wait for Thursday.

RELIGION: Our Family Life curriculum steers us toward understanding how diversity in society is not only a good thing but a way for us to be stronger together. Particularly in today's political climate, it is essential that we acknowledge and celebrate our differences and how we add to each other's lives.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We examined how the Shang Dynasty fell and the Zhou Dynasty took its place. How corruption was the ultimate downfall of the Shang and the Mandate of Heaven allowed the Zhou to rule in relative peace to their predecessors. Homework is on page 291 #1-8

MATH (8:00 class) WS 4-8  (9:00 class) pg 273 1-57 Chp 5 Test Tomorrow

Today in 6A 7 6B

ENGLISH: This week's grammar lesson is largely review, not only of concepts from previous years, but also of some we have visited this year. That said, inviting students to make use of sentence variety, different kinds of sentences and clauses, helps for them to build on their foundation and understand the "Why" behind the way certain authors we like write the way they do. It helps to give us a road map in our own writing. There will be a test this Friday for Grammar and Vocabulary.

GUEST SPEAKER: Remi's mom, Anh, came to class today to share some knowledge regarding Lunar New Year, which starts tomorrow. In Asian cultures, there are many traditions and superstitions that surround this time of year and what that necessarily means for the weeks and months to come. This was a wonderful expression of culture that helped all of us gain some perspective. Thank you for sharing and for the crisp $1 bills!

LITERATURE: Picking up where we left off last week, Billy and his dogs have chased, or "treed," their first coon. We picked up as Billy was leaving the live raccoon up in the tree under the watchful eye of his scarecrow. In returning to the tree next day, and wearing his hands down from all the axe-wielding, Billy finally gets his first coon, and labels himself and his dogs as true coon hunters. Billy spends the season hunting, skinning, and trading his furs and makes some good money that he donates to his father.

RELIGION: We took our first lesson of our Family Life curriculum today. This will be several weeks of study in this stand-alone unit, but will be helpful for students moving forward.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our lesson began with a look at China's first dynasties, or families of rule and how that lesson built on previous concepts from last lesson as well as previous units of study. We drew a few comparisons to life in Huntington Beach, largely in explanation of the importance of irrigation canals to deal with flooding.
Our next S.S. test will most-likely be on Tuesday, February 19 and will cover 8 lessons (compared to the last test that covered only 3 lessons), which will require students to study days in advance and will count toward Trimester 3 grades.

MATH (8:00 class) pgs 223-224 1-44 (9:00 class) pgs 270-272 1-48 Test Wed
*** students should be 70% to Goal in Accelerated Math Feb 22nd ends the Trimester

SCIENCE Chp 5 Test Tomorrow

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Students completed the second half of yesterday's activity. After listening to a few short classical pieces, students wrote out how the music made them feel; perhaps it was an emotion, a story, a character, a scene, etc. Today students took those notes and crafted them into meaningful and coherent compositions. This work was due at the end of class and all students should have their work submitted. If absent, students may work on this over the weekend.

LITERATURE: After today's reading we see Billy has trained his two pups and is ready to take them for their first hunt. The description of the hunt is thorough and what happens after the hounds "treed" their prey shows the type of character that Billy is. Students have been tabbing pages in order to return to pieces of information as we go along.

RELIGION: Students had a short open-book quiz todday on Chapter 3.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We continued with our paper kites today and most everyone is either at the decorating phase or beyond. This is good. We may be able to spend some AR time in the coming days to finish these off and take them for a glide, however there will not be any more Social Studies periods dedicated to this project. This is a graded assignment, graded largely for completion, but also for students' time management skills, ability to follow instructions, listen, share resources, and problem solve.

MATH Accelerated math

***Many thanks to all of the students and parents who brought cards and gifts today for teacher appreciation day. We certainly feel appreciated and return the kindness.***

Today in 6A &6B

ENGLISH: After some flash cards our students began their Unit 10 Composition: Writing What They Feel... To Music! I presented the students with 3 different classical songs and the students free-wrte what the music triggered in them. For some this was a direct emotion explanation while for others it inspired stories and adventure. All is good. Tomorrow, students will take what they wrote and compose it into a coherent piece (for each of the three songs).

RELIGION: Students finished the chapter on Genesis understanding that God has given us free will. That he loves us and wants us to love him, but allows us to choose to love him. We examined "Stewardship" and what it means to be a steward of the earth in some capacity.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We started our Kite-building project today and what beautiful chaos it was. I believe that by the end of this exercise the students will be happy with their work and will look forward to a moment when they can fly their kites.

***There is no homework issued this evening. Students are expected to make themselves available to parents to help them with any tasks around the house. Our kids should show a little initiative in making this happen***

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: In a shortened period, our students completed three exercises on their Sadlier websites; Vocabulary in Context, Passage-based Reading, and Improving Sentences. Our students have come a long way in their understanding of why certain sentences and turns of phrase are correct/incorrect and can better explain these phenomena.

LITERATURE: In this segment, Billy returns home from town, a distance of about 30 miles in the hills of Ozark country. He's experienced a lot in town and is very happy with life on the farm. Now that he has his dogs, its time to train them to hunt. Billy needs to get himself a raccoon though and his efforts prove trying.

CYBER SPEAKER: In lieu of Social Studies, our students took part in a guest speaker who talked about cyber safety and what risks are there for our young people online. I grew up as the internet was finding itself and I am lucky that social media never existed. Children today are under much more scrutiny regarding their "public profiles" than any generation that's come before them. If you too would like to hear a similar talk that is geared toward parents, please join us tomorrow night. You children have all been sent home with a flyer and the details.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 215 13-24  (9:00 class) pg 267 1-15

Today in 6A & 6B

I'd like to begin by thanking all families, current and prospective, for attending yesterday's open house event. I believe we did this school, and particularly the 6th grade, a service by showing all that we have been up to. Thank you!

ENGLISH: Having written a test on Friday for Unit 9 words, today started our Unit 10 Vocabulary. WE spent our time defining our 20 new words and crafting associations that will help us to understand that word's meaning.

LITERATURE: In reading the next 25 pages of "Where the Red Fern Grows" we finally see Billy save up his money and purchase the two coon hounds that he had wished, prayed and dreamed of.

RELIGION: This week's chapter examines the creations story. As a primer I asked students what the most beautiful thing they have ever seen is. God created the earth and all creation as an expression of love and so that he could also be loved (through free will).

SOCIAL STUDIES: Our China Unit/Chapter starts today. This will be a much longer section of information for a test that needs to be written in the same amount of time. This means that students will need to adjust their study methods and patterns to account for the sheer magnitude of the information presented to them. It will be a few weeks before we have our next test but students should be taking strong notes and answering the homework questions in thorough depth so that they can have the best information available to them come test time.

MATH (8:00 class) Ws 4-5 and re learning 4-6 (9:00 class) pg 261 1-37

SCIENCE pg 159 1-4

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students wrote their unit 9/chapter 2 test today.

RELIGION: Students continued our work from yesterday and created bookmarks that identify how we are Christ-like in the world around us. These are laminated and on the students' desks.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Buddhism chapter test today. Next week we begin learning about Ancient China.

Sunday is our Open House. If you know of any prospective new students for our school please extend a warm invitation to join us after 9:30 AM mass on Sunday so that they may see all of the wonderful things that our community has to offer.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Continuing our work from yesterday, students thoughtfully crafted pictograms from a selected Psalm. Later in the day, we practiced some of our hymns for mass with the bishop tomorrow. All parents are invited to attend mass with Bishop Vann tomorrow at 8:15 AM.

ENGLISH: Today was our review session for our English chapter/Unit test tomorrow for Grammar and Vocabulary. Students have known since the start of last week that this test would be tomorrow and have been encouraged to study a bit each night. Students are encouraged to complete sections A, B, and C of the Chapter Review in their text, as well as the exercises we completed as a class for 2.1-2.5.

LITERATURE: We started our newest read today; "Where the Red Fern Grows." In addition to this new book starting today, students were introduced to the assessment method for this class read. Each student will write an essay that focuses on one of four themes that the book explores. After the book is finished, students will have 1 week to craft their essays, so preparation for this along the way is a must. Students are encouraged to use sticky notes to mark significant pages for quotes and ideas. This alters our previous reading strategies by turning their passive reading into more of a fact-finding mission. This strategy is helpful for all students as they can focus their energy and improve understanding of a new, or raw, text.

SOCIAL STUDIES: In our review session students spent time quizzing each other and revisiting information from the past week for tomorrow's test. Yes, that's 2 tests on the same day, a Friday. I am confident that all students who have prepared for this test will do well. The areas I have directed students to focus on are in the Chapter Review section (p.238-9) C&CT #1-3, AAS #1-5, TY #1-6. Vocabulary is listed on p.217 with definitions for those terms (in BLUE) written throughout the text. Finally, I invite students to review their homework, mostly #1-3 on p.222, p.227, and p.235.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 215 1-11  (9:00 class) Accelerated Math

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Finishing off our Grammar unit today with the use of Precise Words and applying Sensory Details, students now have all the information they will need for Friday's test. I have assigned two exercises for homework with the intention of students revisiting all of their English work (lessons and vocabulary).

RELIGION: Today students chose a Psalm to depict and wrote pictograms to decode.

SOCIAL STUDIES: In the second part of our exploration of the Four Noble Truths and the 8-fold path, students were presented with moral dilemmas to apply these guidelines to and determine how to respond. Each scenario required students to examine the steps of the 8-fold path and choose a "right" way to act. This was a graded assignment where I used students' reasoning and understanding of the 8-fold path in addition to their collaboration and seriousness in working together.

MATH (8:00 class) Ws 4-4  (9:00 class) WS 5-6 & 5-7

SCIENCE pg 154 1-5

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Starting our grammar week off quickly we examined 2 sections of Chapter 2; Correcting Sentence Fragments, Correcting Run-on Sentences, and Eliminating Extra Words. These three lessons are key to having our students become stronger peer editors and writers. There were 2 exercises that were issued as homework so that students may best prepare for Friday's test.

LITERATURE: Dr. O paid a visit to our class today as she read one of her favorite books that describes the issues young black children experienced in the days of segregation and civil rights. This was a very special class as yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and our students do not normally review civil rights issues.

RELIGION: Our students are doing a swell job of getting our room ready for Catholic Schools Week.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students examined the Eight-fold Path in a bit more detail today. Here they listed practical examples of how each of the 8 paths could be followed in their own daily lives.

****English and Social Studies will each have tests this coming Friday. Students should be studying every night to best prepare****

MATH (8:00 class) accelerated math  (9:00 class) pg 257 1-28

SCIENCE Finish Part 2 of the Packets

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students put their finishing touches on their Unit 9 composition employing figurative writing. My hat is off to Aly Bravata who wrote a stellar piece which just had to be (with her permission) read to the class. The objective of this assignment was not to go on a journey or to tell a story, but to be as descriptive as possible while employing the many literary devices as possible. Aly has done this with masterful precision. Truly fine work. While I have yet to read the entire 6th grade's work, I am truly proud of this particular piece and our students should be as well.

For next week we will be turning to Grammar chapter 2, if your student is interested in reading ahead. We will have our regularly scheduled test that morning.

RELIGION: Students wrote their Chapter 2 quiz in a open-book format.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students explored the third and final section of the Buddhism chapter. Here we learned about the spread of Buddhism and, despite its lasting influence, its gradual decline. Students learned of the two major schools of Buddhism (Big raft and Little raft) and should be able to best describe the key differences between these two schools. Students will have this chapter test also on Friday of next week so it is essential that students begin their studying over the weekend. I recommend students read each night for 20 minutes in order to be familiar with the content. For homework students are assigned questions 1-5 on page 235.

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Today's review class also saw students opening their Bibles in order to locate and examine some selected passages. To incentivise these kids I offered a hard candy as reward for the first two groups completed. This was helpful in turning their focus from "getting it done" to "getting it done well and on time."

ENGLISH: After reviewing our flash cards, students were given the remainder of class to complete their drafts of their unit 9 composition which employs figurative language. They will return tomorrow for some peer reviewing and editing, in order to submit by the end of class. If your student does not ask for you to read their work, please ask them for it. I would love all students to have a family member and/or friend to edit their work for them.

LITERATURE: Today was extra special as we welcomed Joe Quy Nguyen to our class. Joe is Martin Vu's great-uncle, was born in Vietnam, and lived there during the war. During his 40 minute talk, he gave our students some valuable first-hand accounts of what life was like for him in 1967-68 in Vietnam as we reflect on the characters from The Wednesday Wars.

Deepest thanks to Joe for agreeing to be with us today!

SOCIAL STUDIES: We continued our exploration into our Buddhism unit as we examined some of the core Buddhist beliefs while reviewing what we learned yesterday. For homework, students are assigned questions 1-7 on page 227. 

MATH (8:00 class) pg 210 13-31 (9:00 class) pg 247-248 1-60

SCIENCE pg 151 1-4

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: After reviewing our flash cards, students were issued their Unit 9 writing composition in which they are asked to describe the contents of either their desk or their backpack using figurative language. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to practice being descriptive and employing the many different literary devices used to make up figurative language. This composition will be due after class on Friday and I encourage all students to reach out to friends and family to help with peer editing of their work.

RELIGION: Today was very much a review from some information we explored in our previous book, where we explored how the Bible is constructed and organized. We looked at the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and interpreted their significance to Christianity.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Moving right along from yesterday's Hinduism Chapter test, today we began our chapter on Buddhism. Buddhism has its roots in Hinduism and we explored some of the similarities and differences between the two belief systems. Tomorrow we will look deeper into specific Buddhist ideology and reflect on how that compares to what we learned about Hinduism. Students are assigned questions 1-5 on page 222 for homework.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 209 1-12 (9:00 class) pg 254 11-23

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: We started our New word list yesterday, so today we began with Flash cards, as we will each day. Additionally, on the Sadlier website we completed the Vocabulary in Context, Passage-based Reading, and Improving Sentences assignments.

During our Literature period, students in 6A completed their  STAR math testing for today, the results of which will be made available shortly.

RELIGION: Today we began chapter 2 of our new book, exploring the meaning of some selected Bible excerpts and discerning the difference between a list of facts and the expression of Love between a parent and child (as witnessed in several student writing examples).

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Hinduism chapter test today. This was an exceptionally short chapter that students opted to test independently from the Buddhism chapter, which is also exceptionally short, and follows tomorrow.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 205 1-28 quiz Tomorrow (9:00 class) WS 5-3 & 5-4

SCIENCE Pg 148 Questions 1-3

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: As the start of another vocabulary week, we made our iWords word lists, complete with definitions and associations.

LITERATURE: Students continued working on their Wednesday Wars calendars.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today was our review period for the Hinduism chapter. This was a particularly short chapter and the test will reflect that brevity. Students are directed to review their notes, the homework for all three sections and the chapter review in order to best prepare for tomorrow's test.

MATH (8:00 class) worksheet 4-3 Quiz this week  (9:00 class) pg 243 1-49 Quiz this week

***NOTE: Students will also be writing their STAR math test tomorrow in 6A***

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students wrote their Unit 8 Vocabulary/Chapter 12 Grammar test today.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students are reminded that their "Hinduism Pen Pals" assignment is due by the start of Monday and should be worked on at home. Monday's class will be a review period for our Hinduism test on Tuesday.

LITERATURE: Students are doing excellent work creating their calendars for The Wednesday Wars. Since 10 images are needed for the final submission, students should spend some time over the weekend working on their art. They will have class time all through next week to continue their work.

Today in 6A 7 6B

ENGLISH: Our review session for tomorrow's test went well. We started with Flash Cards and then it was an open period to work on the review. Below is an image of the exhaustive list students may use to prepare for this test. Many of the exercises listed are ones we did together in class. Students should pay special attention to proofreading for capitalization and spelling. As usual, there are sections on antonyms and synonyms, and one more section regarding spelling.

LITERATURE: Students continued their work on their Wednesday Wars Calendars.

RELIGION: Students wrote an open-book quiz for the very first chapter of our new books, Christ Our Life.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students were issued an assignment that is to be completed in pairs. As described on our Google Classroom page, students will ask three research style questions for their partner to answer. Each group partner will answer their partner's 3 questions in a 2-5 sentence response. Together these pairings will submit their work in a single document on the google classroom page. Google Docs functions so that students may access their shared documents remotely and independently. THIS IS NOT TONIGHT"S HOMEWORK. I would much rather students prepare for their English test and so this assignment will be due at the start of Monday.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 199 1-23 odds only  (9:00 class) pg 238 1-28 
+++Both classes Should be 45%-50% to Goal in Accelerated Math

SCIENCE Worksheet packet

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: After reviewing our flash cards, students examined some additional capitalization rules. The unifying factor in all of our capitalization rules is the specificity of a certain word. Are we talking about mountain ranges or the Rocky Mountains? We then looked at some rather confusing spelling rules. For each of these rules there are some exceptions, which means they're terrible rules. I stress to all students that this effort in improving spelling is centered more around memorization than rules. For this reason, spelling with regards to our vocabulary terms will have more of a focus moving forward. Additionally, students performed Exercise 1 from section 12.4. This will be tested on this Friday and will have significant weight (ie: 3 points per question). This is an opportunity for students to prove their understanding of how to spell, but also, how to use words correctly.

STAR TESTING: Students performed their STAR reading test today and next Tuesday they will write their STAR math. (6b will take this test Friday)

RELIGION: In today's lesson we explored the many ways we have gotten to know some of our best friends. From there we explore the reciprocal relationship we have with our God. How to do we communicate in a two-way manner with our Lord?

SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up the previous day's homework, we launched a new section where we dive a bit deeper into the beliefs of the Hindu religion. Here we learn that while there are many different beliefs of the many Hindu believers, there are 4 main core beliefs that all Hindus abide by. Of those 4, Moksha, or the desire to escape the cycle of reincarnation, sits paramount above all others and serves as a guiding light for all Hindus. There are 3 pathways to achieving Moksha and a Hindu may strive to pursue 1, 2 or all 3 of them simultaneously. Homework for this section is on page 201 #1-5.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 194 1-24  (9:00 class) pg 232 1-43 skip #'s 14 & 15

Today in 6A& 6B

I want to first extend a warm and heartfelt thank-you to all families for their tremendous generosity in the many gifts we received prior to the break. I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a fine community.

ENGLISH: We started our grammar week this morning and will be testing vocabulary and grammar together on Friday. to better prepare students for this challenge we are reviewing our flash cards daily in class to revive some of the pre-Christmas knowledge.

LITERATURE: Today we (finally) finished "The Wednesday Wars" and introduced our final assessment for this read. Students will be creating a calendar for the 1967-68 school year in relation to the chapters of the book. The details of this assignment are on Google Classroom and it will be due a week from Friday (1/18/2019).

RELIGION: Today we explored the "sun/Son" homonyms and responded to the prompt, "Let the son shine in." We extended this to how we might be Christ in each others' lives and how others are Chirst in ours.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We began our Hinduism unit today and will likely move quite quickly through it. We have 3 sections to explore this week and will be testing by the middle of next week. Homework for today is questions 1-4 on page 195.

Today in 6A!

As it was the last day of school before Christmas, students were finishing up their work for their professional letter to Santa and their personal mandalas. Please check to see if your student has submitted their letter on the Google Classroom page.

Many thanks to our room parents and parent volunteers for all of their time and energy supporting our classrooms this year. It is hugely valuable to have this experience enhanced by your involvement. Our sincerest thanks go out to you.

Wishing everyone out there a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Students peer edited their letters to Santa. To be best prepared to submit tomorrow, students should have all edits completed and be able to read through their final draft.

LITERATURE: As we started our final chapter of "The Wednesday Wars" we had a fire drill, which left us 9 pages short of finishing the book. These will be completed upon our return to classes in January. From there we will assign our final assessment for this book.

RELIGION: In our discussion we tried to answer the question of, "How might we act to make our families happy and holy this Christmas?" A lot of student answers kept circling back to some similar terms: respect, care, showing appreciation, love. Each of these ideas are umbrella terms that host an abundance of real actions and nuanced messages that we need to be conscious of and more acutely aware of. We talked about emotional quotient (EQ) and how understanding what someone needs emotionally is often times more important than necessarily being correct. This holiday season I hope we can all keep in mind these words: "Honesty without tact is cruelty," or in the motto for this classroom, "When faced with the choice of being right or being kind, choose kind."

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students spent the entirety of class coloring their personal mandalas. These are an expression of each student's personality in many ways; the images they are drawn to and the manner in which they complete them speak to their overall personality in many ways (not exclusively though). Tomorrow we will have them displayed outside our classroom so that our parents can see the hard work we have been putting in.

MATH (8:00 class) Accelerated math  (9:00 class) Chp 4 Test

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Our students have embarked on a new writing composition, a professional letter to Santa! Students first need to determine the purpose of this letter (request to be on the nice list, request for specific toys, request to visit me first, request to add someone to the naughty list, etc) and then write in a professional tone to the big man up north. There is an attached template that will help students see how to format their letters (tomorrow). For tomorrow's class, students need to be prepared to share their first draft with classmates for peer editing.

RELIGION: In this week's "Christmas" lesson we look at the similarities and differences between The Holy Family and our own families. Additionally we looked at ways how our actions may bring us closer to God and how they might put distance between us and God.

SOCIAL STUDIES: As a bridge between our India unit and our next unit on Buddhism and Hinduism, we used an online generator to create our own personal mandalas. Students submitted their design on the Google Classroom assignment page and had copies printed for them to color. Tomorrow's class will see them finish coloring these designs to be displayed outside our classroom. Students will have access to this generator for their own amusement as long as it is still operational. Enjoy!

MATH (8:00 class) pg 180 1-52 Chp test tomorrow  (9:00 class) pg 212 1-8 + 14-21 Chp Test Friday

SCIENCE Worksheet study your notes and key terms...Chp 4 Test Tomorrow

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Shortly after drilling our vocabulary with some flash cards, we set out to determining the meaning of select terms in their written context. From there students read another passage to practice pulling meaning from it. With the remaining time in class, students collaborated to form high-scoring words in scrabble in a class-wide game.

LITERATURE: In today's chapter from "The Wednesday Wars," we see a very strong maturation of Holling's character as he admits to missing his sister and reaching deep into his own pocket to bring her home from Minneapolis. Holling applies the morals of the Shakespeare to his daily life, this time looking to Hamlet to help him recognize the challenge he has with his father.

RELIGION: In place of our lesson today, we went to Colman Hall to fold and package clothes for the donations to Honduras.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today was testing day for our Ancient India and Early Indian Empires chapter.

MATH (8:00 class) Pg 175 1-27 Chp test This Thursday  (9:00 class) WS 4-7 & 4-8 Chp Test Friday

SCIENCE Chp Test Thursday

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: We started our iWords today for Unit 8, drumming up associations to go along with our definitions.

LITERATURE: In the latest installment of "The Wednesday Wars," Holling Hoodhood is proving to be a determined and accomplished cross-country runner. After making the varsity team, he competes in a regional competition and wins! His father is showing more of his own true colors as indifferent toward the hopes, dreams and wishes of his children. Mrs. Baker takes even stronger interest in Holling's business as she trains him for cross-country.

RELIGION: We opened our Bibles to examine the descriptions of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Under examination, we see that both evangelists focus on different details that they deem important to this story. We keep in mind the context of who they were as writers and who they may have been writing for.

SOCIAL STUDIES: On Friday, students were given a list of study materials for Tuesday's test. With that test being tomorrow, our class today was designed to serve a s a study/Q&A session. Students could choose to study alone, ask questions regarding the content of the chapter, or quiz a partner on the chapter material.

MATH (8:00 class) WS 3-9  (9:00 class) pg 206 1-53

SCIENCE pg 128 1-4

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students wrote their Unit 7 vocabulary and Chapter 11 grammar test today.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today was our review day for the upcoming chapter test on Ancient India. The test will cover what is listed as "Chapter 6" and "Chapter 9" in our textbook. This material covers the geography and initial development of civilizations in India and then advances to the early empires of the Mauryas and the Guptas. While the review is not required work, the list in the image below provides an strong road map to guide students in their studying. The test will have some multiple choice questions, some true/false, some vocabulary questions and an extended response (that by merely looking at the image below, one should be able to guess what this will be on). While the test is Tuesday, students should review their materials each day over the weekend in order to be fully prepared. Monday's class will be an opportunity to ask pointed questions and to shore up understanding of specific content.

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: In our review session students were guided through the exercises that will best prepare them for their test tomorrow. The format of the test should be familiar to everyone. There will be antonyms and synonyms. There is a section where students will add punctuation to a written text. Students should know how to make abbreviations and contractions as well as how to make use of possessive features. This entire unit is largely review for all of our students.
Students should review the following exercises to best prepare for the test: 

-Chapter Review - Assign Sections A, B, C, D

-11.1 Ex 1, 3, 11.2 Ex 1-2, 11.3 Ex 1-2, 11.4 Ex 1-2, 11.5 Ex 1-2, 11.6 Ex 1-3, 11.7 Ex 1-2

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today's lesson was the last of new information that students need to review regarding our upcoming test on Tuesday. In class we reviewed our homework from Tuesday and I stressed the importance of being able to compare the rule of Chandragupta and his grandson, Asoka`

LITERATURE: We have advances through "March" with today's reading. Holling is an exceptional cross-country runner, the only 7th grader to make the varsity team. Additionally, we are getting to know Mrs. Baker much better as the book progresses. She is certainly not the person Holling described her to be in the beginning, and he is starting to recognize this himself as well.

**************Tomorrow will be a free-dress day!!*************

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: In class we finished off our lessons with a review of apostrophes and other punctuation marks. The most confusing of these was how to employ parentheses (or brackets) and dash marks. The major difference is that parentheses are used when adding a related list to the sentence, whereas the dash is used to separate a different thought from the sentence.

RECITAL PRACTICE: This took the place of our usual Social Studies time. In preparation for the Christmas concert tomorrow evening, students are reminded to wear their best regular uniform pieces tomorrow for school, and to dress in their "Sunday Best" for the concert. Students are expected to report to their classrooms for 6:00 PM to ensure a prompt start to our show. Out of respect for all classes that are performing, we ask that everyone stay for the whole performance.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 170 1-46  (9:00 class) pg 200 1-39

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Our lesson unpacked the rules that govern the usage of colons, semicolons and quotation marks. The trickiest part of the use of quotations is knowing when and where to place your punctuation. Students should practice their use of commas in conjunction with the use of quotation marks.

LITERATURE: In the section of "The Wednesday Wars" that we read today, Holling reads "Romeo and Juliet" and reflects on it's morals. His interpretation of the play changes as the events of his life begin to imitate it. His observations are acute and stand in stark contrast to the expressions of his father. Holling is beginning to show his true feelings toward his father's intentions for Holling's future.

SOCIAL STUDIES: After reviewing yesterday's home work, we dive directly into the rule of Asoka, Chandragupta's grandson and how his ideas of tolerance and peaceful living permeated throughout society. Unfortunately this was short-lived, as soon after he died, India fell into chaos and his ruling ideals were forgotten.

**We also spent some time at the end of our day, rehearsing for Thursday's recital**

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Starting our Grammar week, we looked at end marks and the many uses of commas for punctuation. This should be mostly review for these students so we moved swiftly through the first 3 sections of the chapter. Students should take note of the many ways in which commas are used. A friendly reminder that this Friday will be the combines Vocabulary/Grammar test for unit 7/chapter 11.

LITERATURE: In this segment of "The Wednesday Wars," we discussed how Holling's perceived impression of Mrs. Baker does not necessarily align with her described actions. He is convinced from the start of the novel that Mrs. Baker is out to get him, yet is surprised at every turn when she shows compassion, deference, and a keen sense of how best to reach this young man. This dichotomy seems to set us up for something big in their characters' development.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We advance our look at early Indus culture and civilization to examine the Mauryian Empire under Chandragupta. These three lessons will be completed at a faster pace than the previous three, a detail that will impact students' preparation for the Chapter test. Last week I had announced that our Social Studies test will be this upcoming Friday. Over the weekend I decided that since our Christmas concert is Thursday evening, and our rehearsal schedule all week will erode some of our instructional time, that this test should be bumped to next Tuesday, December 18. 

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Students spent their class time putting finishing touches on this week's composition; a personal review of "Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type." They shared their work with peers for critique and made the necessary changes to their grammar and mechanics. This work should have been submitted at the end of class. Absent students will need to submit as soon as possible.

Today in 6A & 6B

RELIGION: Students took a short quiz on the meaning behind the Advent wreath and candles.

ENGLISH: Students have been assigned a new writing composition, a personal response to literature. Here students are asked to express their feelings about a piece of award winning literature, "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type." In this composition students will practice expanding on their "why" in each of their body paragraphs. They will also get practice developing their essay writing format (intro-body-conclusion). In tomorrow's class students will share their work with their peers, make necessary edits, and submit for review.

LITERATURE: In today's excerpt from "The Wednesday Wars" we pick up with Holling haven just had the image of his hero, Mickey Mantle, destroyed after having met him. There was a strong paragraph on page 93 where Holling describes this painful feeling. Later in that same chapter, Holling uses familiar language to describe his new heroes, signifying that he refuses to close his heart off once damaged. We took a moment to examine that interaction and reflect on keeping our own hearts open, despite the fact that we may also later be burned.

SOCIAL STUDIES: In class we performed a role-playing activity where groups students were divided into individual castes, following the Indo-Aryan tradition. Students were required to follow the rules of their caste, which in some cases involved only speaking when spoken to. They had to navigate certain obstacles all the while staying in character. It was a helpful exercise to understand the benefits and limitations of a rigid social structure.

MATH (8:00 class) Worksheet 3-6  (9:00 class) pg 183 1-44

SCIENCE 6B takes their test Tomorrow

Today in 6A!

ENGLISH: Clash began with our Flash cards, minus the assistance of our word lists. Shortly thereafter, students were asked to identify some changes to sentences presented to them and justify why they made that choice. Students are now better able to identify their "why" then ever before.

RELIGION: As part of our Advent preparation, we examined the Advent wreath, its history and the meaning behind the 5 candles. This will be what is tested tomorrow.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Today's lesson examined the Vedic age of Indian history, which speaks about the Aryan people and their influences in this region. The lasting influence of the Indo-Aryans was their implementation of a robust and rigid Caste system. In tying this to our more modern influences, it is known that the Aryan traditions were hugely influential to the spread of Nazi-ism in Germany and Racism in America's South. The purposeful creation of rigid classes within society with the expressed intention of maintaining relational separation is an important legacy of this ancient people. Students were assigned questions 1-6 for homework.

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: We began with some flash cards and the students in both classes are really on top of these words. Tomorrow we will take away the word lists and have them make those connections without them. After completing our Vocabulary in Context and Passage-Based Reading, we took some time to play Scrabble as a class. Having students manipulate letters and find word combinations that generate points is helpful for their quick thinking and problem solving skills.

LITERATURE: We read another 20 pages on "The Wednesday Wars" as a class, witnessing how Holling Hoodhood's classmate reacted in various scenarios that Holling is fearful of.

RELIGION: We continued our discussion of Advent and why the methods of preparation matter in order to help us get into the spirit of the season.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students continue their look at Mohenjo-Daro where we analyze how, and infer why, the concept of "cleanliness" was presented in this early culture.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 153 1-25  (9:00 class) pg 178 1-43

SCIENCE Test moved to Thursday Dec 6

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: our lesson begins with the week's vocabulary terms (unit 7) and there are some doozies in there! Students should have a bit of fun putting these together in their writing pieces. We first list the word. then define it, then find associations to help us understand and remember the term.

LITERATURE: We read the 'November" chapter in "The Wednesday Wars" and our antagonist is beginning to understand an enjoy his Shakespeare lessons. He's read "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Tempest" falling in love with the creative insults and curses that Shakespeare uses.

RELIGION: We opened our new books for the first time today, this week exploring Advent and tyhe many symbols the Old Testament has for the coming of Jesus. We used the analogy of a blackout to help us understand the coming of the "light," that is Jesus Christ, at Christmas.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students were given a new assignment to help them understand some of the findings of the earliest discovered sites in the Indus River Valley, Mohenjo-Daro and Harrapa. This information was researched and taken up as a class.

MATH (8:00 class) worksheets Quiz Wed (9:00 class) Pg 174 1-48

SCIENCE finish packet science Test Chp 3 will be wed

Today in 6A

ENGLISH: Students spent the day finalizing their writing. We've seen some enormous progress in this area and I can't wait to share. Thank you to all friends and family who took the time to read their student's work. This process really helps our 6th graders learn and understand their language. Bravo!

Today in 6A

ENGLISH: As mentioned in yesterday's post, today's class was entirely dedicated to the writing process for the students' argumentative essay. Entering class, students should have their road map completed, their pre-writing phase complete. The example provided on the assignment page and in class shows a minimum of 3 body paragraphs to be sandwiched by an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. With this road map student have worked on developing their first draft. Some of our students are already editing each others' papers and this is excellent. I encourage all students to get as many eyes on their writing as they can. Please take some time to help your kids by reading their compositions. Tomorrow, students will be finalizing their last draft and submitting to the Google Classroom page for assessment.

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Since Monday I have been explaining the format of this chapter/unit's English test, to the students. Today we began the initial work to determine our footing for this assessment. Students will be writing an argumentative essay and will be working on it for the remainder of the week, submitting after class on Friday. Please see the assignment on Google Classroom to understand the requirements, grading structure, how you might assist your student, and brainstorming resources that have been made available to all students.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 148 27-49  (9:00 class) Accelerated Math

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: Building on yesterday's lesson we explored Compound Subjects and other problems with verb-subject agreements. As a visual learner myself, I drew up 3 linear equations that should help students understand when to apply singular and plural verbs to a compound subject.

Plural Subject (PS) Singular Subject (SS)

(PS) / (SS) when joined by AND (PS) / (SS) = Plural Verb

(PS) / (SS) when joined by OR/NOR (PS) = Plural Verb

(PS) / (SS) when joined by OR/NOR (SS) = Singular Verb

The biggest trouble students seem to have is in identifying the singular and plural verb forms. This visual helps in identifying what should be used, but knowing what the plural and singular forms of specific verbs are can be confusing. The logic is often reversed from plural and singular nouns. With Nouns we add an "s" to the end to pluralize. With Verbs it is the opposite, we add "s" to the end of a singular verb. Johnny acts weird. Johnny and Suzie act weird.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 148 1-26all  (9:00 class) pg 167 1-42 Chp 3 Test Tomorrow

Today in 6A & 6B

ENGLISH: We started a new set of Grammar lessons today as we explored the agreement between subject and verb. The key to this lesson was to ensure that the subject and verb carry matching plural or singular forms. Adding complexity to this was the prepositional phrases between the subject and verb. By having students first identify the subject and and prepositional phrase, they could easily identify the verb and then the proper form of that verb.

LITERATURE: We read chapter 2 "October" of the Wednesday Wars where we saw our first person narrator and middle schooler, Holling Hoodhood, surrender his Wednesday afternoons to Mrs. Baker's chores. The cream puffs were ruined by chalk dust and the classroom rats escaped. A lot of excitement for a single 7th grader.

RELIGION: We observed the last two presentations from our work before Thanksgiving in connection with the World Food Programme.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Students used partner reading to review the section we read the week prior to Thanksgiving. They were assigned questions 1-7 on page 175. If this was not completed in class it is homework.

MATH (8:00 class) pg 143 1-27  (9:00 class) WS 3-6 & 3-7 Chp 3 Test Wed