Life at School
Curricula
Grade 6 - Term 2 Overview 2011-2012
Dear Grade 6 Parents,
I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends over the Christmas season. Thank-you for your generous Christmas gifts and comments in the card. Your thoughtfulness and kind words mean a lot to me. I feel truly blessed to be working with your children and you. Your support makes the varied learning opportunities, in and out of the classroom, possible. I am looking forward to the second term and all the activities that are yet to come.
I hope to give you a few updates for what is ahead of us. We are beginning our study of heroes immediately with students asked to choose their hero within the week. The students were introduced to the range of assignments they will be completing back in December so they would have time to think about their choices over the break. A note with more background information will come home by the end of this week. To extend our awareness of environmental issues, and to become better stewards for the environment, we are participating in the Salmonids in the Classroom program supported by Fisheries and Oceans and will be receiving our Coho salmon eggs on January 18th. Later in the month, Thursday, January 26th, you, your child, and myself will be meeting to share in a 3-way conference. A note will come home with questions to guide us in that meeting. We will be going to Arts Umbrella on Friday, February 3rd to participate in an all day program funded by HSBC. The day consists of a drama workshop and an option to participate in mask making or digital arts. The theme is based on environmental awareness with an emphasis on the ocean. A note will come home soon for this fieldtrip. We host the school Mass on Thursday, February 2nd. The theme will be love, for Valentines, with a focus on the Holy Family. We hope you can join us. Remember to mark the Valentine Tea in your calendar on February 14th.
I am also including an update of curriculum topics we will be exploring this term:
Religion:
Along with daily prayer, the students will continue to be involved in various activities stemming from the Born in the Spirit series with concepts connected across curriculum as they naturally apply to learning experiences. We began the term in the Advent season and the students participated in events and used symbols reflective of the season. Now we are exploring the celebration of the Epiphany and the new covenant that came to us in Jesus with a particular focus on the commandments. They will continue to further their understanding of Social Justice issues and examine ways they can make a difference to others. We hope to continue our visits to support the St. Mark’s Thursday lunch program. If you are able and willing to help support us with supervision and transportation on Thursdays please let me know. The students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of the beatitudes of Jesus and will be invited to see themselves as beatitude people. By the end of the term we will enter into the spirit of the season of Lent and will be reflecting on the parables told by Jesus.
Language Arts:
The students will continue to express themselves using narrative and descriptive writing and will be introduced to many of the components for expository writing as they research and write about their personal heroes. Editing and incorporating the structures of successful writing will continue to be explored. Short stories, articles, reference materials, poetry and novels will be the basis for comprehension-related activities. The students will be part of Literature Circle groups as they read novels based on a multi-cultural theme. At the end of this term the students will be presenting an evening called the Night of the Notables in which they will take on a role of a person who has influenced them and tell of aspects of the person’s life. Their information will be displayed at the school Learning Fair in March.
Math:
The term began with the students completing their unit on multiplying and dividing decimals. They will now explore how to identify, draw and measure angles. Next they will investigate fractions (mixed numbers and improper fractions), ratios and percents. The term will end with a geometry and measurement unit which will include naming triangles, investigating polygons, and finding perimeter, area, and volume.
Science:
This term focuses on Life Sciences with the theme ‘Diversity of Life’. The students will be expected to effectively use microscopes to examine living things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They will analyze how different organisms adapt to their environments, with a particular focus on Coho Salmon. Various opportunities will be provided for the students to learn to distinguish between life forms, as single or multi-celled organisms, and identify the features of each organism belonging to one of the five kingdoms. While participating in the Salmonid Enhancement Program, through Fisheries and Oceans, they will be exploring many of the current issues surrounding our salmon.
Socials:
The students will investigate their own family’s country of origin to assess the relationship between cultures and their environments. They will be expected to compare the federal government in Canada with national governments of other countries. Hopefully we will extend the unit with a celebration of our own cultural traditions and influence with a cultural luncheon. As we focus on land and culture, we will briefly examine the historic traditions of our First Nations People. The role of Canada in the world will be emphasized through the term.
Health & Career Education:
Students will continue to focus on healthy living and healthy relationships. The harmful effects of smoking and other drugs were discussed prior to the break. The benefits of a healthy diet and exercise will be emphasized as we continue through the term. We will also explore the components of healthy relationships focusing on kindness and respect in social settings. The students will also create and work toward attaining personal goals.
Art:
Students will continue to explore Canadian Artists and how Canada is represented through art. The elements of First Nations art will be tied to our Social Studies unit focusing on land and culture.
Thank-you once again for your support and I look forward to seeing you soon!
Yours truly,
Denise McFaul
