We long for October at The Cooper School – these Charleston kids know this month could contain the first real refreshing chill of the season, they understand that it represents a month of prepping for the Halloween Carnival of which they proudly take charge, and perhaps subconsciously, these kids feel the unspoken confidence of being well past the bumpy beginnings of a new grade and firmly planted in The School Year proper.
I am grateful for the way October often represents a resetting of our outfits and I think somehow our attitudes, too. This English teacher is so refreshed by the mere idea of a season and month change-up that she’s been overwhelmed with fall figurative language that simply must be shared:
I hope you encourage your student to drop what doesn’t serve them like the first fall leaf.
Let them know how proud we are to look out at them and see every variety of pumpkin in the patch.
May these students know they are safe to experiment in their education like it’s a selection of free Halloween masks.
I believe these kids can face a myriad of fears and challenges like it’s a scary movie that never lasts forever and kind of feels thrilling!
And please know, this school community strives to be like the first sweater slipped on of the season, knitted with careful hands, instantly cozy, and capable of stretching and softening over several years for the brilliant kid who wears it.
-MK
Math:
This week, we continued studying speed, unit price, and began exploring percentages. Next week, we’ll review and apply our knowledge of speeds, unit rates, and percentages before taking our test on Tuesday.
ELA:
This week, 6th graders edited and published their first personal narrative stories. They challenged themselves to push ahead into brand new stories, exploring the art of building tension and crafting compelling endings as they started revisions. We also began our first vocabulary unit of the year!
Next week, writers will publish their second piece and share their favorite writing in a class reading celebration. The final typed piece is due Thursday 10/10 and the rubric is posted in their google classroom. 6th graders will take their first vocabulary test on Thursday 10/10, so be sure to study words, definitions, and spelling with consistency!
Social Studies:
Sixth grade students had a lot of fun working on their first Egyptian project in which they were put into groups and each group worked on an individual god and created a life sized poster of them with interesting facts. We will be moving on to mummification and Egyptian inventions next week. This will lead into our next project in which they will be doing research on agriculture and buildings found in ancient Egypt.
Science:
This week, sixth graders explored how climate change is impacting the hurricane seasons we now experience. They contemplated how warmer temperatures are changing the ocean, which is creating bigger storms. They also learned about convection currents, by observing smoke in a convection chamber. The sixth graders also learned how to locate cities using lines of latitude and longitude, considering how latitude impacts weather and climate.
Important Dates:
October 14 & 15: Fall Break- No School
October 28: LeAnn Gardner Parent Presentation (5:30)
October 31: Halloween Carnival (11:30 Dismissal)
