Hall Middle School Teacher Newsletters 2025-26

Hall 6th Grade

January 17, 2025

Math

We've been in our Number Sense unit, working on the proficiency scale on Coordinate Planes and Long Division. Students have been extending their knowledge and strategies from elementary school to plot coordinates in four quadrants and use the standard algorithm for multi digit division. Also, students have spent the last two weeks chipping away at the IReady diagnostic.

On Wednesday, we had a vertical whiteboard day, and students were asked to find the inconsistency in the photo to the right. Can you find it?

Also, here's a list our Critical Concepts for trimester 2, in case you're curious about what we've learned and where we're going this trimester!

Critical Concepts for Trimester 2

Language Arts

This Friday, students will share their "All Summer in a Day" comic strips, bringing our work for this Sci Fi Unit to a close. For this assignment, students identified the following story elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action. Finally, they crafted their own imagined resolution for what happens next with Margot and the rest of the space children.

In addition, 6th graders faced their most challenging language arts assessment to date. Please review the test with your student over the weekend and sign on the back page. This "All Summer in a Day" test, assessed them on the following areas (see specific standards on test):

1) Vocabulary

2) Reading Comprehension

3) Figurative Language

4) Writing Conventions

Up Next Week:

Library on Tuesday, 1/21. We will get books for Book Clubs!

Upcoming Dates:

Complete Second Book of Tri 2 by Mon. 1/20. Grand total of books for the year should be 5. Impressive work to those student who have read more! Keep it up.

Guardian Signature of All Summer in a Day Test due Wed. 1/22

Science

Over the past two weeks, students have been immersed in the fascinating world of the Water Cycle (standard WC-1). Rather than simply presenting them with a pre-made model, students were given a set of key vocabulary words, definitions, and an understanding of how water moves through the cycle. They then used this knowledge to complete a diagram, illustrating how the sun and gravity drive the movement of water through the system. This hands-on approach allowed students to better visualize and connect the concepts in a meaningful way.

Speaking of the water cycle, students have until February 28th to participate in the 3-Day 3-Gallon Challenge. The challenge has two parts:

Track water use: Pick three consecutive days and use no more than three gallons of water per day. Students will need to track their usage using a provided sheet and get it signed.
Reflection: After completing the challenge, students must write a reflection on their experience.

Many people in the world don’t have access to reliable, safe water. Encourage your child to take on this challenge and learn more about their personal water usage in a fun and engaging way!

Social Studies

Thank you to everyone who sent in donations for the mummification of carrots. On Tuesday, we started the mummification process by removing the organs and burying the carrots in the natron. We will weigh our carrots the following two Tuesdays and then have the wrapping ceremony before placing them into the sarcophagus. This project is to support this standard.

AE2—Explain the significance of the major achievements of ancient Egyptian civilization

Physical Education

The students are currently involved our Fitness Plan Unit - in which they are learning about the different components of physical fitness and how to live a healthy lifestyle. We will continue to discuss healthy activities and nutrition choices, and the students will submit a Healthy Living Poster at the end of January to display their knowledge.

Special Activity next Tuesday, January 21st:

Please encourage your student to ride their bike to school on the Tuesday following the MLK weekend. We will be having an obstacle course and bike safety activity during PE on that Tuesday for all sixth grade students (both A and B schedules). There will be a few loaner bikes available, but those numbers are limited and students are asked to ride a bike from home if possible.

Music

Band - Both groups have graduated to playing arranged music, which is a big step and I'm very proud of them. The fact that each group is doing a different song will make it challenging to play for the concert (as we're all playing together as one), but no decisions have been made as of yet. Excited about our progress and hopeful that practicing outside of school will happen on a consistent basis.

Choir - Today we completed our second non-english piece, singing a portuguese tune named, "Mas Que Nada." Still making decisions about keeping our setlist for our concert or take a tune or two out and add the new ones we're learning.

Wheel Elective - Speech 6

Mr. Rodgers - Students have been using Vocal Variety and Movement strategies to rehearse and deliver contemporary poetry in class in the past two weeks. Students have been given a variety of strategies demonstrated by Mr. Rodgers and various performance videos, that delineate the difference styles of Oral Interpreation versus Dramatic Interpretation. Students have been encouraged to try conversational tone delivery, as well as more classic poetry delivery styles, in order for student to foster their own presenation style.

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