What a great afternoon on this beautiful Labor Day! I pulled myself away from the outside to send you This Week in Switzer- so here goes!
Literature- Students are reading through the novel Words of Stone and have a chapter to read every night, along with some comprehension questions. We discuss the questions the next day, then continue through the book. Make sure to ask them about their work!
DEAR- I do expect students to read a free-read book of their choice for at least 20 minutes a night. If you haven't added this practice to your student's nightly routine, please consider it for their benefit. I do not make this a graded practice, but a celebrated one. I will begin meeting with student groups in the next two weeks to talk about their books and how they can get the most from them.
Math- We finished up Topic 1 (which covers 2 skills from the Math Iowa Core) and will test over those skills on Tuesday. We will also begin Topic 2 this week, along with W.I.N. (What I Need) time to brush up on specific skills for each student (this was formerly named "Math Intervention," but apparently there is a negative connotation with the word intervention that we want to avoid).
Writing- We'll take the iPad quiz this week, begin building our blogs, look at how to be safe on the internet, and write everyday! Exciting week!
Social Studies- Students will begin looking at the time leading up to the Civil War. Social Studies involves plenty of homework and chapter tests, so encourage your student to study and bring their book home often.
Science- Mrs. Heine is excited to begin a new curriculum in science- I'll be honest, I don't know much about it, but Mrs. Heine has been working tirelessly with other 6th grade teachers in the district to provide a rich experience for our students.
Updates- The 6th grade has a Twitter account where we post information, photos, and news from around the school. We had a challenge to see which 6th grade class could bring back the most Twitter challenge slips- congrats to Mr. Switzer's class for doing so! I've got ice pops for recess for my class tomorrow. If you are interested in following us, find @lincoln6dotcom and request to follow.
-In about a week, I'll have two pre-service teachers from UNI coming in to regularly work with our students in the morning. This will be a great learning experience for the UNI teachers and your student!
-I hope you have a great week! I better get back to the grill...
Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
6th grade teacher
