It's amazing to me that September is already complete! This week in Language Arts, students discussed parallels between characters in Out of My Mind, and worked on writing compare and contrast short essays. In Math class, students were introduced to squares, square roots, cubes, and cube roots. We'll have our first math test next Thursday. Last week in History, students collaborated in groups to research, compile, and present on the various stages of early man. They learned about basic evolution, and were introduced--through the presentations--to the key features of australopithecus afarensis , Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens: Neanderthals, and Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Students wrapped up presentations earlier this week. After presentations were completed, we focused on highlighting and note taking skills while learning the details of hunting and gathering in History. Each "band" competed in a hunter/gather competition on Friday afternoon to earn "survival stones" for their group. Finally, I have to say I'm so impressed with the excellent participation in our primitive diet challenge! The House volleyball competition also began this week. The next three Wednesdays will involve a round-robin style tournament down at the sand volleyball courts. During this time, students compete in house teams to earn points or their houses! We'll continue with "Swoop Groups" on Fridays, where sixth graders participate in mixed age 40 minute "classes": American Sign Language, Sports of All Sorts, Comedy Improv, Collage, Martial Arts and Yoga, Battle of the Books, Farm Club, tabletop games, and many more. Have a wonderful weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you next Tuesday at Parent night!
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Our second week of school was a busy one! Sixth graders began our first class novel, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Here's a quick blurb from the official website: Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. Her head is like a video camera that is always recording. Always. And there's no delete button. She's the smartest kid in her whole school-but NO ONE knows it. Most people-her teachers and doctors included-don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows. But she can't. She can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Being stuck inside her head is making Melody go out of her mind-that is, until she discovers something that will allow her to speak for the first time ever. At last Melody has a voice . . . but not everyone around her is ready to hear it. From multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner Sharon M. Draper comes a story full of heartache and hope. Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you'll never, ever forget. Sixth graders are already seven chapters in, and have completed class writing prompts, discussions, and visual representations on character growth. Ask your child how they feel about this book! In History class this week, sixth graders were divided into five primitive "bands." They were each tasked with researching, compiling, and presenting information on the various 'classifications' of hominids. This Friday, our Australopithecus Afarensis, Homo Habilis, and Homo Erectus groups shared their knowledge while the rest of us practiced note taking. They will stay in these bands for the next couple weeks while we study early humans. In Performing Arts Foundations, students began learning choreography and script writing. In Science, they reviewed homework procedures and took part in a special team challenge called "Breakout Edu" that involved riddles, math, and problem solving to unlock multiple locks on a box. They have yet to finish! In PE, sixth graders have been working on soccer skills. Looking forward to another great week! Finally, THANK YOU to the five awesome Sixth Graders who came to support coastal cleanup: Mason, Elyse, Natalie, Tracy, and Jonah! It was an incredibly successful day for Laguna: over 90lbs of trash collected and over 70 people came an participated.
How exciting it is to have our first full academic week complete! Hopefully, students have been keeping you in the loop of what they’ve been up to in different classes. They seem comfortable with the rotating schedule and are good at keeping each other accountable for time. This past week in History, we’ve spent some time discussing tools historians use to make sense of the past, such as timelines, artifacts, and primary and secondary sources. We’ve also begun the conversation of how to think critically about sources. Approaching sources critically is crucial for staying responsibly informed, so this year, students are introduced to the concept by evaluating the trustworthiness of historical documents in the time periods we are studying. On Friday, students participated in a ‘Tools of History’ rotation that included examining primary sources from someone’s life (their teacher!), sharing artifacts important to them/ their family, creating a timeline of their life, and practiced what to consider when evaluating sources. In math this week, we've reviewed positive whole numbers, fractions, and decimals on the number line. We've used number lines to practice determining inequalities. In science, students investigated the commonalities of body proportions through measurement activities (an introduction to anthropology in science) as well as introduction to the skeletal system. Students created a sketch of their “spirit name” from camp in art class with Mr. Uyesaka, and reviewed proper nutrition with diverse activities in PE. Spanish, Computers, Language Arts, and PE rounded out our week! Overall, we had a fun and packed first week back! Thursday MorningAfter breakfast the second morning, sixth graders practiced making fire with primitive tools, using both hand and bow drill methods. It was exhausting but some groups were successful! Students also made dreamcatchers during this time, personalizing them with feathers and beads. Thursday AfternoonAfter lunch on Thursday, sixth graders spent the afternoon on the rock wall, zip line, and learning how to do archery and tomahawk throwing. There was also a human foosball court, so we had a class match! Thursday EveningBefore dinner, we had a visit from some reptiles! Students had the opportunity to learn about and hold frogs, snakes, lizards, and turtles from around the world. After dinner, sixth graders participated in a "drum stalk," where they were led blindfolded across camp and placed independently, crossing much of the camp blindfolded by themselves following only the sound of a drum. It can be a very challenging and meaningful experience for some. Friday MorningWe wrapped up the trip in sixth grade by making traditional medicine bags and learning how to make flint and obsidian arrowheads. Students participated in a naming ceremony, and received a "spirit name" after their time together.
Wednesday AfternoonOur first day at Forest Home was a packed one! Students were greeted by Tigger, a WOLF camp counselor, who has been greeting Laguna sixth graders for over a decade! Dressed as a mountain man, he gave the students an overview of some of the skills they would get to learn over the next few days. After lunch, students built native American “Wikkiups” (or “Aups”): huts built from reeds and canvas. They then used traditional pump drills to make shell necklaces, and ground corn for making corn cakes. We came together with the fifth grade for an afternoon snack and some team building games, then enjoyed cabin time before dinner. Wednesday EveningAfter dinner, the fifth and sixth grades competed in a mini "Olympics"! Activities included catching and balancing ping-pong balls, stacking cups, building paper airplanes and wheelbarrow races. We then broke into trail groups for some night activities. One group of fifth graders played a movement and flashlight game, while the other a blindfold game. Both focused on the importance of hearing over sight in the dark.
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June 2018
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