September 25, 2013

Sept 25- Oct 1 Math update: (6^th and 7^th grade will be gone two days on field trips, 8^th will be out on a visiting day)

6^th grade:       Continue to work with different kinds of graphs. Begin work on group projects representing data on lakes of North America.

7^th grade:       Further work in geometry moves from area to surface area and then to volume. (lessons 9-5 through 9-8).

8^th grade:       Solving and graphing simple equations. (lessons 8-6 through 8-9).

 September 25, 2013

6^th grade Study Skills update:

Since the first day the class has worked on getting assignments into their planners.

We review all homework assignments during planners at the end of the day.

            -Assignments should be recorded on the date they are due.

            -Planner should be readable and the assignment understood.

            -Break down longer assignments. (exp. dividing reading into daily chunks)

In the past week the class has worked on organizing their notebooks.

-No loose papers and every paper should have a specific place it lives.

-All papers should have their name and date on it.

In the last two days we have begun to work on time management.

            -Record extra curricular activities and familial occasions in planner

            -Look ahead and plan how a longer assignment will be completed.

Sept 11-17 math update

6^th grade:       Working on statistics covering different kinds of graphs and landmark data, (lessons 1-3 through 1-5a).

7^th grade:       Working on geometry covering area and circumference of a variety of figures, (lessons 9-1 through 9-4).

8^th grade:       Working on multiplication properties through rate-factor, size change and probability, (lessons 8-2 through 8-4).          They will also be taking an algebra pre-test.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Welcome Back to TGS!

It is great to have the building filled with the sounds of the kids. The mornings have been full of greetings and catching up. The students that arrive early to 6^th grade stand at the big window and watch for friends arriving by bus. We ended the first week with the 5^th graders and Charlie enjoying a last grasp for summer fun at the pond behind my mother’s house. I pointed out where the original TGS building stood as well as the old ski jump on the walk down.

In three weeks we will have our first class trip, an overnight to Lake Champlain. I will need four cars with chaperone/drivers. Please let me know this week if you are interested. We drive up on Thursday, September 26 arriving at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in time for a picnic lunch and an afternoon at the museum. We will spend the night down the road at Button Bay State Park in three sturdy lean-tos. The following day, Friday, September 27, we will join Ben Mayock for the Paddling Ecology workshop. Students will be on the water in canoes conducting water tests and on the shore identifying plankton in collected waters samples and more.

I am putting together a general homework schedule for sixth grade students. I will be verifying the accuracy of it in faculty meeting on Monday and then get it onto “Kathy’s Page” Tuesday morning.

Happy sunny Sunday, Kathy

Important Dates and Reminders:

• 6^th grade sports: Soccer Tuesday, Thursday

Running: Wednesday

http://thegrammarschool.org/sports

• Pizza Day: Wednesdays- one slice for $2.00

• Thursday, September 12: All School Potluck

• Friday, September 20: Photo day

• Wednesday, September 25: All School Putney Mountain Hike

• Thursday, September 26 – Friday, September 27: 6^th grade overnight trip