English—Students on the Yellow Team have had a busy second quarter.  Students studied the genre of fiction by learning the elements of a story and the stages of plot.  Students read two stories:  Eleven and President Cleveland Where are You?  Students wrote scripts detailing new endings for the President Cleveland story, and they acted them out in front of their classmates.  Each student also researched a president, created a “trading card” with a brief biography of the president, and presented the memorized information to the class.

 

Next, students focused on writing long compositions.  Students wrote five paragraph essays to the prompt, “Someone in my family deserves an award”, typed their essays on holiday paper, and gave them to deserving family members.

 

By the end of the third quarter, the genre focus has shifted to nonfiction.  Students just finished learning about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy. 

 

MCAS preparation continues with a focus on writing complete open response answers.

 

Social Studies—Students wrote wonderful oral traditions recently as part of a prehistory unit. They shared stories as diverse as a parent’s journey to the U.S. from South Vietnam to the Tri-County Baseball Championship in 2006. Other stories related life in the Great Depression, dating Red Sox legend Bill Monbouquette, and the trip of a parent who recently volunteered time in Belize. Thanks to one and all for sharing some incredible stories with our students! Most recently, students created Sumerian seals in class. On these clay seals, students, much like their ancient Sumerian counterparts, depicted the various symbols that are important to them in their lives. Accompanying paragraphs were enlightening and most interesting. On to Egypt!!!!

 

Science—The sixth grade science students have been focusing on Earth, space, and Physical Science activities as we prepare for a field trip to the Christa McAuliffe Center at Framingham State College. While at the Center, students will participate in a simulated Return to the Moon mission working in Mission Control and also spending half their time as working astronauts in the Spacecraft simulation. Students will have responsibilities acting as navigators, communication officers, and life support scientists.  The students will also see a planetarium program on “What’s Eating the Moon?”

I have a dream that everyone in the world can have a home.

 

We can never be satisfied as long as people have no money.

 

We cannot be satisfied as long as people fight with each other.

 

We will not be satisfied as long as sickness kills people.

 

I have a dream that the world will be peaceful.

 

I have a dream that no one will have diseases.

 

When my dream takes place in reality, people will have money, a home, and no one will have diseases.  The world will be peaceful.

 

By Lian You Xian

“I Have a Dream”

In January, students on the Yellow and Purple Teams worked on “I Had a Dream” speeches.  Students wrote about their thoughts and wishes for the world in which we live.

I have a dream that homelessness and poverty will not be allowed in our town, but most of all our world.

We can never be satisfied as long as people in our world have diseases and they are dying because of it..

We cannot be satisfied as long as people in our world are hungry and cannot eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We will not be satisfied as long as people do not have enough money to take care of themselves.

I have a dream that scientists will find a cure for all those diseases.

I have a dream that people can have meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I have a dream that people have enough money to buy food.

When my dream takes place in reality, other people in the world will be happy bust most of all I will be happy that my dream came true.

By Angelique Bluteau