Happy Wednesday!
It was a short but lively week, and everyone is feeling the boost that comes with a string of long weekends. As of today, we have exactly 7 weeks of school left!
Bundesjugendspiele (Track and Field Day)
Our Bundesjugendspiele is set for May 19th. Students will compete in three events: running, throwing, and long jump, followed by fun relays wrapping up around 12:00. The day ends at 13:00, with teacher supervision until 13:20. There will be no school lunch provided, so please send your child with a packed lunch, plenty of water, and proper sportswear. A sweatshirt is a good idea if the weather is cool. We also recommend leaving valuables, watches, and jewelry at home.
English Homeroom
We kicked off our final unit: Greek Mythology! Students came in already knowing a surprising number of stories. To get us thinking about the different gods and goddesses, we played a round of "Would You Rather" with mythology-themed choices (for example: Would you rather control the sea like Poseidon, or the sky like Zeus?). The explanations students gave for their choices were quite creative. We also explored how mythology shows up in our everyday world, read the myth "The Four Seasons," and discussed why stories like these mattered so much to ancient Greek civilization. Next week, we will dig deeper into the origins and purposes of myths.
English Differentiation
This week we reviewed compound and complex sentences, focusing on when to use coordinating versus subordinating conjunctions. Students received new spelling words at the end of class today, though we ran short on time before going through them together. The words, definitions, and sample sentences have been posted in Google Classroom for reference. As usual, the spelling quiz will be on Wednesday next week, followed by a new set of words.
Social Studies
In tandem with our Greek Mythology English unit, social studies has shifted its focus to ancient Greece as well. This interdisciplinary unit will build toward our much-anticipated Greek Olympics on June 25th. Please take a moment to read this parent letter for full details. Parents are welcome to come to the park and watch the morning competition events, and there is a sign-up link for the buffet lunch organized by our Greek Olympics committee. In the coming weeks, students will choose their events and begin preparing class chants, costumes, and flags. The Greek Olympics is one of those 6th grade milestones that students and teachers remember for years.
Math
On Monday we reviewed two foundational topics: understanding percentages and converting between decimals, percentages, and fractions. We then moved on to using compatible numbers and fractions to estimate percentages. Next week, we will learn how to calculate percentages using a proportion, and how to apply that to real-world scenarios like discounts and taxes.
Art
Students will continue their urban planning projects next Thursday when we are back in the art room. The goal is to have the work on display during Greek Olympics week so that parents can admire it while they are at school. The students have done genuinely impressive work, and it will be worth a look!
Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend!