Report Cards
On Friday, March 15, your child will bring his/her report card home. Since we do not have the chance to conference at this time, I would like to make clear my grading system for behavior. While the academic guidelines are clear about what it takes to earn a 5, 4 or 3 in subject areas, the grading for behavior and work habits is not so clearly defined on the report card itself. For me, if a child is behaving as expected, he/she will receive an S, but if he/she goes beyond the expectations, he/she will receive an S+ or an O for behavior. For example, if a student regularly follows the rules on the playground or has received only 1 warning about following rules, he/she will receive an S. But if he goes out of his way to invite new students to play or help other students solve disputes on the playground he will receive an O.
Del Mar Electives
It is now time to sign up for next year’s elective classes. Please follow this link, discuss as a family and complete this survey by the evening of Sunday, March 10.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013-14_6thgrade_electives
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013-14_6thgrade_electives
Math
This month we are continuing our focus on geometry. Geometry is all around us. Have your children identify geometrical concepts at home, outside, and places you might take them over the weekend. Geometry is visual, and the students will have a couple of engaging math projects to work on throughout the month as well. We will explore the following common core standards:
• Identify faces, edges, and vertices of cubes and rectangular prisms.
• Understand volume can be determined by finding the product of the area of the base times the height V = B × h. or V=l x w x h
• Estimate and determine the volume of cubes and rectangular prisms.
• Compare the volume of different objects with and without formulas.
• Convert volume measurements within a single system of measurement (customary, metric).
• Measure solid cubes and rectangular prisms using standard customary and metric
measures.
We will have quizzes as we move through the chapters. There will also be a unit test covering these concepts. Students can use the IXL website, learnzillion.com and Khan Academy to review these concepts.
• Identify faces, edges, and vertices of cubes and rectangular prisms.
• Understand volume can be determined by finding the product of the area of the base times the height V = B × h. or V=l x w x h
• Estimate and determine the volume of cubes and rectangular prisms.
• Compare the volume of different objects with and without formulas.
• Convert volume measurements within a single system of measurement (customary, metric).
• Measure solid cubes and rectangular prisms using standard customary and metric
measures.
We will have quizzes as we move through the chapters. There will also be a unit test covering these concepts. Students can use the IXL website, learnzillion.com and Khan Academy to review these concepts.
Language Arts
In language arts we are about to begin reading My Brother Sam is Dead. This is an excellent work of fiction that gives students a sense of what life was like during the Revolutionary War. Students will study vocabulary, take comprehension quizzes, and write brief literary responses as we read. Eventually, they will write a full essay connecting their own experiences to those of Tim, the main character in the book.
Science
The third and final unit of science has begun. This time the students are going to Ms. Bradshaw for science, and they are learning about the water cycle and solar system.
Social Studies
Students are continuing to study life in the colonies. They are currently working in groups to recreate life on one of the 13 colonies in the form of a puppet play. You will see these at Open House on March 21st.