Curriculum
You will find what curriculum outcomes we are doing month by month. This will give you an opportunity to connect with your child about what they're learning and support them at home.
Island Sexual Health: April 21st
Dear Parent/Guardian,
As a part of the Physical and Health Education Curriculum, Grade 6 students at Colquitz Middle School will participate in sexual health and healthy relationships presentations. These presentations will be facilitated for students on Friday April 21st.
The presentations will cover the following learning outcomes:
Changes during puberty (physical, emotional, and social): provides an overview of the types of things people may expect during puberty and when to expect them. This includes a section on self-care and reaching out to safe adults for support and resources.
Reproductive systems: including an overview of changes people can expect to their reproductive systems during puberty and an overview of how fertilization works in the human body. This will also include a discussion of gender identity and biological sex from an inclusive perspective.
Sexually Transmitted Infections & Safer Sex Practices: a brief overview of what sexually transmitted infections are and safer sex practices that reduce the risk of contracting them.
Healthy relationships: helping students to identify what types of things are included in a healthy relationship, including an activity and discussion around topics like personal boundaries, consent, and respecting values and differences.
Anonymous Questions: Students will be given the opportunity to ask anonymous questions. Our policy is to answer all questions with accuracy, honesty, and non-judgment.
These presentations are based on learning outcomes outlined by BC Physical and Health Education Curriculum. For more information on the specific learning outcomes visit:
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/physical-health-education/6/core
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/physical-health-education/7/core
Following both BCCDC Return to School Guidelines and School District protocols, these workshops will be offered in-class for the 2022/23 school year. Facilitators conduct daily health checks before attending any worksite, wear medical masks, practice vigorous hand hygiene, observe social distancing measures and maintain a school attendance tracing log.
The presentations are facilitated by Syd Gaughan, BA who is the Maturation Educator at Island Sexual Health. If you have any questions about the curriculum or presentations, please contact them at assistanteducator@islandsexualhealth.org
For more information on sexual health education and to encourage and continue conversations at home, you can access the following websites:
www.sexualityandu.ca
www.sieccan.org
Thank you,
Ms. Bambrough
Term 3
Language Arts
Using the writer's workshop format we are continuing to work on the 6 traits of writing. The six traits of writing are voice, word choice, organization, conventions, sentence fluency, presentation, and ideas. During the first two terms, we worked on ideas, organization, conventions, and sentence fluency. In our final term, we will be working on voice and word choice in conjunction with looking at who our audience is. We will also be using mentor texts to help students strengthen their writing skills. Editing and revising their ongoing work will continue to be a focus. Students can do this at home with their own work or parents can support their kids by modeling their own writing process from creation to completion including rereading the work together to clarify meaning and check for errors.
Division 1 Book of Aswesome!
We are working on an author-inspired book based on the Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha.
Each student is writing one or two entries for our own version of the Book of Awesome, which looks at the little joys of life to bring light, humour, mindfulness, and positivity to our busy and hectic lives.
Reading: I am continuing to use a process called Literature Triangles. During this term, we will be doing a new novel study. Students will use sticky notes or graphic organizers to make help make connections, ask questions, make predictions and make observations while they read. Then students take their notes and will have book talks about what they have read. The book talks will be recorded and reflected on. This can be a fun process that allows kids to have meaningful conversations about the book and their understanding of it.
French: We are finishing up our French menu for the month of April. Then, during the third term, we will be focusing on the French alphabet as well as working on a research project on French communities within Canada.
Mathematics
Please note: Curriculuar demands require students to be assessed on their ability to communicate their understanding of concepts in Mathematics. This means that they need to be able to tell, show or/and demonstrate their Mathematical thinking . In other words, not just if they get the right answer, but how they got that answer, can they justify their thinking and can they solve the problems in various ways. Please feel free to look at the 'new' curriculum: BC Curriculum.
During our third term we will be brining a lot of our previous skills together when working on order of operations, algebra, fractions as well as graphing and geometry.
Science
During the third term we will be covering two unit, Newton's Laws of Motion and The Solar System. Our Laws of Motion unit will be based on a hands on approach that focuses on the creation of a Goldburg Machine. Our Solar System unit will be a hyperdoc that is self paced much like our government unit was.
Social Studies
Our last unit in Social Studies will be focused on Globalization which focuses on complex global problems that require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future and how economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments. This unit has some underlining themes of global poverty and inequality issues, including class structure and gender.
PE and Health
During our last term there will be a refocus into our regular runs, fitness Fridays as well as track and field, and dance. Island Health will be visiting after spring break to talk sexual health and healthy relationships.
January and February
Language Arts
As we continue to use the writer's workshop format we will shift our focus to the 6 traits of writing. The six traits of writing are voice, word choice, organization, conventions, sentence fluency, presentation and ideas. During term one, we worked a lot on ideas and organization, though we will continue to strengthen these skills we will be focusing on Conventions and sentence fluency this term. Editing and revising their ongoing work along with other examples of texts to help students strengthen their skills of punctuation, grammar and sentence fluency. Students can do this at home with their own work or parents can support their kids by modelling their own writing process from creation to completion including rereading the work together to clarify meaning and check for errors.
Reading: I am using a process called Literature Triangles. During this second term, we will be starting our first novel study. Students will use sticky notes or graphic organizers to make help make connections, ask questions, make predictions and make observations while they read. Then students take their notes and will have book talks about what they have read. The book talks will be recorded and reflected on. This can be a fun process that allows kids to have meaningful conversations about the book and their understanding of it.
French: During the second term we will be focusing on the key verbs, objects and directions.
Mathematics
Please note: Curriculuar demands require students to be assessed on their ability to communicate their understanding of concepts in Mathematics. This means that they need to be able to tell, show or/and demonstrate their Mathematical thinking . In other words not just if they get the right answer, but how they got that answer, can they justify their thinking and can they solve the problems in various ways. Please feel free to look at the 'new' curriculum: BC Curriculum.
We have started the multiplication unit this term. We are going to be working on multidigit multiplication, multiples and factors. We will be learning the standard method of multiplication, standard with a twist, and grid/area method. When students are ready we will be moving on to division strategies. As we go we often cover various other skills in tandem with the main content.
We will be using lots of exploration through manipulatives, discussion and practice. I use a program funded by the Victoria School District called Educating Now, which was developed by a local teacher, Nikki Lineham. You can also find more information about the program on her parent page on her website.
Many of the strategies that we learned as kids will be taught alongside new strategies that allow kids a wide range of tools in their mathematical tool kit. By having different strategies they can now find solutions to different problems based on their own skill level and the complexity of the question. I know that the new math strategies can be strange at first so if you have any questions or would like me to go over anything I am more than happy to do so.
I know that the new math strategies can be strange at first so if you have any questions or would like me to go over anything I am more than happy to do so.
Science
Students have been working on their Nervous system projects since December. They have been practicing the skills of research, and note-taking then we will end the unit with a project and presentation. After that, we will be learning through a lecture style about the remaining three body systems we cover in grade six, endocrine, reproductive and excretory.
You can support your child at home by talking about mindfulness, growth mindset, nutrition, different ways to be active, and talking about the maturation process. We will have Island Health coming in at the end of term two or at the beginning of term one to address the maturation process.
Social Studies
We will work on the systems of government beginning in late February/March.
Physical and Health Education
Students will be starting the volleyball unit when participating in indoor gym classes and we will be starting up the run again on Tuesdays with a slightly different format. Students should be prepared to run on those days.
We will be continuing to discuss the impacts of nutrition, mindfulness and a growth mindset on our bodies and minds.
