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