A few weeks back, we had a Middle School Morning Meeting about how much time we have left in the year, which at the time was 50-some days. As we returned from Spring Break, we were all feeling a little shocked when we realized that number was now down in the thirties, and all felt the same little spark to put our heads down, buckle up, and finish strong together. The last two months in the Cooper Middle School tend to fly by – Spread the Word, class trips, graduation, and other exciting happenings throw a wrench in our regular schedule that makes time pass before our eyes. As excited as I’m sure we all are for summer, I hope we use this new post-SB refreshed mindset to not only power through the last 7 weeks of school, but really be present and appreciate the fun we’re about to have!
Upcoming Dates:
- April 22nd – No After School
- April 22nd Art Night from 5:30-6:30pm
- May 14th – Pass It On at 5:00PM (11:30am Dismissal)
ELA: This week in 6th grade ELA, amidst heavy preparations for Spread the Word, 6th grade readers were still able to commit fully to a deep reading of Catherine, Called Birdy. Students tracked how Catherine was beginning to mature and wondered how the narration depicted religion during the time period. We continued to practice writing mechanics through dictation, with a test on Friday. Be sure to inquire about their final grades!
Next week, 6th grade will continue Catherine, Called Birdy while connecting their reading to a project in illuminated manuscript making. We will start our last vocab unit of the year, as well!
Science: This week in Science, 6th graders launched their Human Systems Unit with a medical mystery. Students were challenged to diagnose a patient with a complex set of symptoms, requiring them to research different body systems and how they interact. Through investigation and discussion, students identified which systems were involved and explored possible diseases before proposing a diagnosis.
Next week, students will continue exploring interactions within the human body by investigating how cells receive the nutrients and oxygen they need to survive, deepening their understanding of how body systems work together to sustain life.
Students have also submitted their Biomimicry Projects and I will be compiling all their work together to send out to you soon while we wait for the results from the judges.
Social Studies: Sixth graders worked hard this week on their Greek gods projects as well as learning about the significance of the Persian Wars on European history. Next week we will go into the Delian league, looking at the first time in history different peoples made alliances with one another. We will also be starting our research papers!
Math: This week in math, 6th graders wrapped up sampling and populations in experimental data, and used this knowledge to begin solving probability problems. They received a study guide on Wednesday for their test that will be next Wednesday. We’ll spend most of next week reviewing for, taking, and completing corrections for this assessment. It will cover data analysis (mean, median, MAD), data representation (histograms, dot plots), population and sampling, and a little probability.
