Sixth grade at St. Louise School is the major transition year between the self-contained classroom of elementary school and the rotating classes of junior high. Sixth graders get the best of both worlds! The sixth-grade classrooms are situated upstairs in their own wing adjacent to the junior high. Students utilize lockers and rotate to different classrooms and teachers, outside of their homeroom, for some of their classes.

Sixth-grade students are presented with a challenging, relevant, and student-friendly academic program in an environment of acceptance, support, and humor. Sixth grade is an amazing year of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual growth as boys and girls begin to mature into young men and women. The sixth-grade teachers feel honored to be a part of this journey.

Answers on Moodle, in class. Teacher has conference with students every weekAll assessments go in gradebook. Homework, Projects, Quizzes are practice for summative assessments-100% of grade. Aug 22, 2011 Answers on Moodle, in class. Teacher has conference with students every weekAll assessments go in gradebook. Homework, Projects, Quizzes are practice for summative assessments-100% of grade.

Math And Science Book

RELIGION

Teacher: Homeroom Teacher (Mrs. Patterson or Mr. Glaser)

Focus: God’s Covenant beginning with Creation and continuing through the Patriarchs, Judges, Kings, and Prophets. Liturgical holidays from an Old Testament background, New Testament Gospels, prayer, and service projects.

Text: Sadlier, We Believe: Catholic Identity Parish Edition

READING/LANGUAGE ARTS

Teacher: Mrs. Paula Patterson

Focus: Phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, fluency practice, vocabulary in context, comprehension skills and strategies, study skills, grammar, usage, mechanics, writing process, writing traits. Genres include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, myths, and speeches. Independent reading at individual level.

Text: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Reading- student anthology; Journeys Common Core

Novel: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Holocaust Unit

Students learn about the Holocaust in this cross-curricular unit tackling tough questions through many different lenses. After learning about the history of anti-Semitism and the factors leading up to WWII, the three pillars approach is used by talking about victims, perpetrators/collaborators/bystanders, and upstanders. A variety of mediums are used to teach the unit: films and resources from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as well as the Holocaust Center for Humanity, documents, anchor texts, fiction and nonfiction books, and workshops. Students process the new information through free writing assignments, small and large group discussion, and a class workshop following a Living Voices presentation. The unit culminates with a visit from a the HCH Speakers’ Bureau and entering the HCH writing and art contest with help from art teacher, Mrs. Walker.

MATH

Students are grouped by ability into standard or accelerated math groups to best meet their needs, helping them to grow in skills and confidence. Both groups cover the same curriculum and content. The accelerated group works at a faster pace and goes into more depth in problem solving. Students are separated into groups based on math grades, testing, and their ability to stay organized and turn assignments in on time.

Standard Math

Teacher: Mr. Jeff Glaser

Focus: Multiplication and division of whole numbers, operations with fractions and decimals, problem solving, geometry, measurement in customary and metric units, ratio, proportion and percentages, introduction to algebraic expressions, data analysis and statistics.

Text: Holt McDougal, Mathematics, Grade 6

Accelerated Math

Teacher: Mr. Neal

Focus: Problem solving, powers and exponents, order of operations, properties, variables and expressions, measurement in customary and metric units, scientific notation; statistics and analyzing data; integers, solving linear equations and functions; fractions decimals and percents; ratios and proportions; probability; geometry and measuring two and three-dimensional figures

Text: Holt McDougal, Mathematics, Grade 7

SCIENCE

Teacher: Mr. Jeff Glaser

Mr. Pastors Math And Science Classessixth Grade Curriculum

Focus: Circulation of earth’s air and water, weather, and climate; matter and energy in living systems, relationships in ecosystems, ecosystem dynamics; environmental problems and alternative energy. Week-long Environmental Education Camp.

Text: HMH Science Dimensions, Earth’s Water & Atmosphere, Ecology & The Environment

SPELLING

Teacher: Mrs. Paula Patterson

Focus: Correct spelling in writing, frequently written words, spelling patterns, and structural analysis.

Text: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Reading- student anthology; Journeys Common Core

SOCIAL STUDIES

Teacher: Mrs. Paula Patterson

Focus: History and geography of the peoples and lands of the world; skills including mapping, analyzing, evaluating and comparing; current events; projects involving cultural heritage and traditions.

Text: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, The World, Volumes 1 & 2

SPECIALIST CLASSES

Weekly specialist classes in the subjects of computers, art, music, library, and physical education.

SERVICE PROJECTS

Sixth-grade classrooms devote their year to supporting St. Vincent de Paul. In the fall the students take a field trip to the St. Vincent de Paul Georgetown Food Bank to learn about how the food bank operates and to work distributing food and supplies. Back at school students collect items most needed at the food bank, such as: canned soup or meat, travel-sized personal supplies, and clothing.In addition to their grade level service projects, the sixth-grade classes work together with the entire school on two school-wide annual service projects:

• The November Thanksgiving Basket collection teaches the importance of stewardship and giving to others. With the leadership of the 6th graders, the entire student body creates about two dozen complete, traditional Thanksgiving meal baskets. Together with the Parish and St. Vincent de Paul, the baskets are delivered to needy families in the community.
• Throughout February and March, each homeroom teacher promotes 'Operation Rice Bowl,' teaching the importance of fasting and almsgiving during the Lenten season; students donate to Catholic Relief Services, helping the less fortunate in our community and worldwide. This 40-day season of giving begins on Ash Wednesday with a schoolwide “Soup Lunch,” when all the students and staff give up their usual lunch that first day of Lent for a simple cup of soup, and the money they would have spent on an ample meal is donated to Operation Rice Bowl.

FIELD TRIPS

In May the sixth graders attend Environmental Education Camp at Mt. Rainier Institute. Students enjoy four days and three nights at the University of Washington’s Packwood Forest. Mt. Rainier Institute provides a nature-based educational experience that is rooted in science and nature. The Institute provides a mix between interdisciplinary content with science process skills such as observation, inquiry, analysis, and supporting claims with evidence. Students investigate the old growth forest and do snow studies at Paradise National Park on Mt. Rainier.

In June students visit the Glendale Golf Club and participate in the First Greens science program. Students learn about the importance of water and soil at a golf course using hands on activities. The day includes a tour of the facility, lunch with the staff, and playing golf.

Tentative field trips that take place when the opportunity arises:

• Holocaust Center for Humanity
• Pacific Science Center
• Theatrical production

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Science

• Students do research and labs using solar and wind as alternative energy sources

Language Arts

• Me Bag Speeches
• Book Talks
• Pourquoi Tales – wrote & illustrated stories and read them with Pre-K & Kindergarten at the end of the year

Social Studies

• Ancient Egypt research project
• China Group Project
• Greek god/goddess posters
• Rome Toga Times news broadcasts