It’s no secret how much TCS loves Halloween. Our students have been prepping and planning with the utmost zeal for the middle school-led Halloween Carnival. I’m a self-proclaimed Halloween fanatic myself – I live for all the spooky stories, movies, and aisles in Target. It got me thinking about why we get so much joy from the creepy festivities and this largely fear-based holiday. For me, I think it’s an obsession with facing fears. As someone with her fair share of anxieties, it’s not just entertaining to engage with the darker side of things, it’s invigorating. To slow down and peer into the darkness is to take a minute to understand the ‘other,’ to interrogate why we’re scared, to solve long standing mysteries, to shine a light on what was previously hurtful.
Forgive me for lingering on the spooky, but I promise this connects to middle school! Middle school can classically be the time when anxiety rears its ugly head or the scary coming of age moments hit, but I have to brag on the fearlessness of our students. Our kids tackle intimidating, advanced academic concepts with thoughtful questions and a growth mindset. They approach scary conversations about peer conflict with grace and compassion. Daily responsibilities that other kids consider ‘painful’ are met with cheerfulness. We have our moments where the ‘jump scares’ of life might get the best of us (who doesn’t?), but I can’t help but notice an impressive pattern of bravery in our kids. May we take some inspiration from them this Spooky Season!
MK
Here’s a look at what is happening in each of the classes:
What’s happening in Science?
Sixth graders insulated shipping container homes this week! They tested their containers to see how well they maintained a constant temperature when exposed to heat and cold temperatures. They analyzed what materials were the most effective and drew conclusions. The sixth graders also worked finalizing their Climate Change presentations. They are excited to share their work with you all next Monday!
What’s up in ELA?
In 6th grade, readers continued their study of Bridge to Terabithia, examining the novel’s foreshadowing, mood, and plotting as the story came to a close. 6th graders also discussed ‘world building’ techniques to launch their ‘Create Your Own Terabithia’ projects. 6th grade grammatists studied imperative sentences and adverbs this week, as well.
Next week, 6th graders will engage in fiction summary workshops while they work on their world building projects and presentations. Grammar will dive into verb work and direct objects.
What’s going on in Math?
This week, 6th graders explored creating different diagrams to represent different types of fraction multiplication and division. Next week, students will practice solving multi-operation fraction problems involving adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing before taking their mid-unit Assessment on Thursday. On Friday, they’ll begin exploring decimal operations by making shopping decisions.
What’s happening in Social Studies?
The sixth graders began their study of early China by looking at some of the first dynasties of the region. These dynasties include the Shang and the Zhou. They then worked to compare the two in a Venn Diagram. Students were then asked to take a look into the Chinese Beliefs of Confucianism and Daoism.
Next week, the students will dive into the unification of China and the Han Dynasty. This will lead into their preparation of the Early China Unit.
Important Dates:
October 30th- 2pm 6th Gr Climate Change Presentation
October 31 – Halloween Carnival (½ Day)
November 1 – Teacher Work Day (No School)
