Newsletter 9/21-9/25

Here's What's Happening...

English/Language Arts: This week, we will put our inferencing skills to work as we review the RACES strategy for writing extended responses.  This strategy was introduced to students last year as a way to help them remember to Restate the prompt, Answer the prompt, Cite evidence, Explain the evidence, and Sum it up.  We will also introduce hooks as a creative way to begin their writing.  Finally, students will be introduced to Word Work List 2, and will complete the sort and definition activity.

Science: We will be wrapping up Chapter 1 of Science this week.  We'll start with a review and activity for the scientific vocabulary from the chapter.  Then, students will prepare to write their first scientific explanation of the year.  They will be asked to answer our chapter question, and to provide evidence from what we have learned to support their answer.   

Social Studies: We will wrap up Ch. 4, L.1 with a review activity, and then move forward to Ch. 4, L.2.  This next lesson focuses on Cortes and the Aztecs, the founding of the colony of New Spain, and about Pizzaro conquering the Incas.  In addition, students will work on some independent research to answer the question: Was Columbus a hero or a villain?

Advanced Math: This week, we will move forward in Topic 1, focusing first on exponents, and evaluating numerical expressions that include exponents.  This will give students further practice in following the order of operations.  Then, we will learn about evaluating algebraic expressions, which also requires the use of order of operations.  Finally, they will be introduced to the concept of bar diagrams, which are a visual way to represent expressions.

Important Info:

Common Assessment Week

This week, students will be taking common assessments.  These asssessments are focused on the priority standards that will be covered this school year.  Because they are standards that students should have mastered at the end of the school year, these assessments are used as a baseline for the year.  It is completely normal and expected that students may not perform at a high level on these activities.  However, they provide great information that allow us to meet each student's needs.  The schedule is as follows:

Reading Informational Text: Monday, September 21st

Reading Literature Text: Tuesday, September 22nd

Math (Students take the 6th Grade Level Assessment): Thursday, September 24th

Curriculum Night Date Change!

Just a quick note to let you know that Curriculum Night has been moved from Tuesday, September 15th to Tuesday, September 29th.  This will be a virtual event.  More information will be coming in the near future!

Schedule of Events

• Tuesday, September 22nd: District Eat Out, Home Run Inn Pizza
• Thursday, September 24th: Team 66 Girl's Day Out Event