Academics ~ Sixth Grade

Sixth Grade Curriculum

The sixth grade program is consistent with St. Mary’s School mission.  It is meant to prepare students for the rigors of high school through a competitive, yet nurturing academic, caring and Christian environment.  The Upper School program promotes self-discipline in academic, extra-curricular, and athletic programs for the students.  The faculty provides an effective, safe, and controlled learning atmosphere, and provides support and guidance for each student.  School subject areas, activities, and sports foster the students’ intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth.

LANGUAGE ARTS
The Upper School Language Arts program is a cohesive, four part curriculum focused on providing the St. Mary’s student with a strong foundation for college preparatory English programs.  The curriculum is centered on the study of grammar, composition, vocabulary, and literature, and addresses both written and oral abilities.  Encouraged by teacher innovation and flexibility, St. Mary’s students strive for mastery in the basic skills and concepts as well as curriculum that is advanced and academically challenging. Sixth grade is assigned a summer reading novel, quarterly classic novels, and a research paper.

MATHEMATICS
Sixth grade is a course designed to review and master all basic computation skills. Students learn to work with consistent accuracy using all operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. More abstract concepts are introduced related to geometry, percent and pre-algebra. Emphasis is placed on problem solving skills as speed and accuracy in computation improve.

SCIENCE
The Sixth Grade Science Course is a study of Earth Science.  It is a lab course and focuses on the Earth, its origins, makeup, and survival.  Major areas of study will be the materials that make up the Earth, its changing surface, environment and its place in the universe.  This course will be enriched with labs, current events, and possible field trips.  The students will use Glencoe’s Earth Science text which has partnerships with National Geographic and Time Magazine.

SOCIAL STUDIES
The sixth grade social studies curriculum consists of a study of world cultures.  To maintain continuity, the social studies faculty in the middle school coordinates the scope and sequence of the program.  The curriculum is enriched in all grades by published current events magazines highlighting national and world issues, hands-on work, maps and weekly atlas activities which focus on geography skills and history.  World Cultures are studied in sixth grade and the first semester of seventh grade.  The curriculum includes the study of ancient civilizations from 1453-1820, and nationalism and imperialism from 1820-1900.  The curriculum is enhanced through various field trips.

VISUAL ARTS
The visual arts curriculum in sixth grade builds upon skills learned previously.  A continuation of the study of the elements and principles of art are explored through various two-dimensional and three-dimensional projects.  Students keep a portfolio inventory and complete a self-assessment of reflective questions about each project completed.

TECHNOLOGY
In sixth grade, students are asked to design a ten day “Trip Across America” which includes an itinerary with hotel and attraction details, a budget, and a map for a family of four. Software used includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, and the Internet is used for researching. Students continue working on keyboarding skills, with emphasis placed on appropriate hand placement and body posture. The students are introduced to Video Production through basic terms and a tour of the Video Production Studio. They learn to take pictures with a digital camera then format the pictures using Adobe Photoshop.  The final products are used on the morning show, Saints @ 8!

MUSIC
Sixth Grade music is based on Orff-Schulwerk methodology, incorporating speech, singing, movement, and instrument playing. The emphasis in each class is the active participation of each child. Students will build upon the skills that have been taught in previous years.  They will work to demonstrate good singing and instrument playing skills, and demonstrate the ability to play polyrhythmic patterns on various unpitched percussion instruments.  American jazz music and its composers and artists will be covered.

LATIN
This is an enrichment course taken four times a week by all sixth grade students. The course introduces students to concepts central to the Latin language and to cultural aspects of the Roman civilization.  The objective of this experience is to give students a “feel” for how Latin works, help them become aware of the process that language is, and to help them generalize what they learn about Latin and apply that knowledge to English and other languages.

LIBRARY
Middle School students have full access to and familiarity with all types of research tools. They can find and evaluate information regardless of format, then organize and cite that information to complete research assignments in all subject matters. Classroom teachers’ work with the librarian to coordinate assistance and to schedule times for curriculum related research. In addition, the librarian is part of the Middle School study skills curriculum, teaching research skills once a week during the quarter when the students have study skills. The media center offers online research material and school wide access to its catalog.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Through teaching advanced skills and drills, 6^th grade students gain a deeper understanding of strategies, etiquette, rules, and sportsmanship. They are provided the opportunity to be a part of the wide variety of interscholastic sports. Fitness remains a strong component in middle school P.E. as life long habits in health are encouraged.

RELIGION
The curriculum and chapel services are rooted in the Episcopal faith. As part of the curriculum, the students are introduced to Christian Values, as well as the Sacred Stories of the Bible through a variety of activities.  Emphasis on how God wants us to treat each other with kindness, love, and respect, is a recurring theme throughout the year.  The whole school attends chapel services twice a week.

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Human Growth and Development is an abstinence-based curriculum that is gender specific at times.  Students gain an understanding of the physical and emotional changes that come with puberty. Sixth grade students are taught the benefits of choosing abstinence and healthy relationships.  There is a strong focus on positive character traits and God’s plan for physical intimacy as a part of a loving marriage.

STUDY SKILLS
Study Skills classes are designed to help students achieve academic success.  The program focuses on many skills such as organization, time management, note taking, reading comprehension, and test taking.

St. Mary's Episcopal Day School
2101 South Hubert Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33629
(813) 258-5508
Fax: (813) 258-5603

 

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