As we move through the holiday season — a time that can easily become rushed and overwhelming — I’ve been talking with our middle schoolers about slowing down and celebrating the little things. In the midst of projects, festivities, and the growing buzz of December, I’m encouraging them to notice the everyday moments that often slip by: a shared laugh with a friend, a problem solved through teamwork, the calm of a quiet morning, or a small success that deserves recognition.
This past weekend I got to see one of my favorite bands, TopHouse. They often sing about the beauty found in ordinary moments and the way joy can live in the smallest details if we’re willing to pause long enough to see them. That message has been at the heart of my conversations with students this week.
My hope is that during this busy season, our students (and all of us!) can take a breath, look around, and find meaning in the simple, fleeting moments that make up our days. It’s in those little things that the true magic of this time of year lies.
—Amanda
Upcoming Dates
- December 19th – Pajama Day/Holiday Extravaganza (11:30am Dismissal)
- December 22 – January 2nd – Winter Break (No School)
- January 5th – Teacher Work Day (No School)
- January 6th – School Resumes
ELA: 6th grade completed deeply analytical and organized literary essays this week! Writers then transitioned to reading, selecting books on topics of interest to kickstart a nonfiction unit. Students also took a grammar test on Thursday, so be sure to ask about their grades.
Next week, 6th graders will read their non-fiction book selections deeply, through a teacher’s lens. With careful notetaking and synthesizing of information, their expertise will eventually culminate in a mini-lesson plan which they will teach to lower school small groups at the end of the unit! With one week before break, students will also participate in grammar review next week.
Science: This week in Science, our 6th graders continued their hands-on exploration of microscopes. They investigated the field of view and practiced measuring microscopic organisms, sharpening their observational skills. Students explored both living and nonliving specimens, discovering firsthand that all living things are made up of cells.
Next week, students will have the exciting opportunity to view their own cheek cells under the microscope and compare them with plant and animal cells. To wrap up before winter break, 6th grade will have a quiz on Thursday, December 18th.
Social Studies: Sixth grade has had a great week learning about ancient China, their inventions and impact on the world. We have also learned about early India and how those two connect through the Silk Road. We even were able to experience Indian cuisine to show the students why spices and food from India have always been a prized commodity in the world! Next week before break we will continue our study of the Silk Road, India and look into how that road changed humanity forever.
Math: This week in math, 6th graders began exploring the P and the E in PEMDAS, our order of operations to help us simplify and solve problems. The P stands for parentheses – and we learned how to use the distributive property to help us simplify expressions with parentheses, and the E is for exponents. We explored what exponents are, what they mean, and how they can help us simplify expressions even further. We used building blocks to help us understand values we call “perfect squares” and “perfect cubes”. Next week, we’ll wrap up this unit with our end of unit assessment before heading out for Winter Break!
